February 7, 2026

Title: INNER CHI

Constructor: Beth Rubin

Editor: Amanda Rafkin

Theme synopsis:

• HOW MUCH IS THAT (20A: "What'll it cost me?")
• PEACH ICE CREAM (36A: Fruity frozen dessert)
• CLASSIC HIP HOP (53A: Radio format that might feature De La Soul or Queen Latifah)

INNER CHI: Each theme answer contains the letter string C-H-I: HOW MUCH IS THAT, PEACH ICE CREAM, and CLASSIC HIP HOP.

What I learned from today's puzzle:

• ALAN (15A: Olympic curler Frei) When it comes to participation in the Winter Olympics, some countries face extra challenges. For example, a tropical island nation such as the Philippines (where snow has never fallen in recorded history) doesn't have a lot of winter sports opportunities. Nonetheless, the Philippine curling team (yes, curling is the sport involving moving large stones on an ice rink), which includes ALAN Frei attempted to make history by qualifying for the 2026 Winter Olympics. Unfortunately, the team fell just short of their goal and missed qualifying for this year's games. Maybe in 2030... ALAN Frei's journey into curling is an interesting one. He has only been curling since 2023. 
• HARP (57A: Instrument that plays a significant role in "Waltz of the Flowers") "Waltz of the Flowers" is a song in the classical Tchaikovsky ballet, The Nutcracker. It has become a classic HARP piece.

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• MESA (6A: Costa ___, California) Costa MESA is a city in Orange County, California; it's located about 40 miles from Los Angeles.
• KELCE (26A: NFL player Travis) Travis KELCE is a football player for the Kansas City Chiefs. He has played for the Chiefs since 2013. During Travis KELCE's time with the team, the Kansas City Chiefs have been Super Bowl champions three times. With his brother, Jason KELCE (a former NFL player), Travis KELCE co-hosts the podcast New Heights. Oh yes, Travis KELCE is also engaged to Taylor Swift.
• SNL (28A: Show that's featured Kenan Thompson since 2003) Kenan Thompson is the longest-tenured cast member on Saturday Night Live (SNL). During his time on SNL, Kenan Thompson has appeared in over 1,500 sketches and done impressions of numerous celebrities, including Al Sharpton, Charles Barkley, and Steve Harvey. One of his regular SNL characters is Darnell Hayes, host of Black Jeopardy!
• YTD (31A: Since Jan. 1) YTD = year to date
• PI DAY (34A: Annual March 14 celebration) It's not too early to start thinking about how you will celebrate PI DAY. What kind of pie will you eat on March 14 this year? (Or kinds of pie? No judgment if you choose to celebrate by eating pie for every meal on PI DAY!)
• NYU (46A: Greenwich Village sch.) New York University (NYU) has been located in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City since 1833. In addition to its Greenwich Village campus, NYU has campuses in other places, including in the United Arab Emirates and China.
• META (52A: Like a book about how to write a book) This is a fun clue. It has me thinking about constructing a crossword whose theme is constructing a crossword...
• CLASSIC HIP HOP (53A: Radio format that might feature De La Soul or Queen Latifah) CLASSIC HIP HOP radio stations primarily focus on HIP HOP music from the 1980s, 1990s, and early to mid-2000s. That includes De La Soul's music, as the group released their debut album, 3 Feet High and Rising, in 1989. Queen Latifah also released her debut album, All Hail the Queen, in 1989.
• ANTE (63A: Feed the kitty) My cat, Willow, does not care whether I ANTE up to join a poker game, as long as I remember to feed the kitty. (Check out that fancy food dish!)

• WHERE (64A: One of the five W's) The five W's are the question words: who, what, WHERE, why, and when.
• POP (1D: Grammy category for Taylor Swift) Speaking of Taylor Swift, who is engaged to Travis KELCE, the POP star has won a total of 14 Grammy Awards, including Best POP Vocal Album (in 2024 for Midnights).
• SEAHORSE (3D: "Finding Nemo" creature named Sheldon) In the 2003 animated movie Finding Nemo, Sheldon (voiced by Erik Per Sullivan) is a young SEAHORSE who is one of Nemo's school friends.
• ONE ACT (12D: Like the musical "A Chorus Line") There's no intermission in ONE ACT musicals such as Marvin Hamlisch's 1975 musical A Chorus Line. (So make sure you use the restroom before it starts!) A Chorus Line won nine Tony Awards including Best Musical. It also won the 1976 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
• SKI AREA (22D: Place to go on a run?) The question mark in this clue is a hint that it's not talking about a run around the neighborhood, but a SKI run at a SKI AREA.
• AD CREEP (30D: Intrusive spreading of promotional materials) I wrote about AD CREEP last November. 
• ESPYS (50D: Awards won by Chloe Kim and Shaun White) Chloe Kim is a professional snowboarder. She has won five ESPYS, including Best Female Action Sports Athlete(2018, 2019, 2021) and Best U.S. Female Olympian (2018). Chloe Kim is currently representing Team USA at the 2026 Winter Olympics. Shaun White is a former professional snowboarder and skateboarder. He has won ten ESPYS including Best Male Action Sports Athlete (2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012) and Best Male U.S. Olympian (2010, 2018). Shaun White is not competing in the 2026 Winter Olympics; he retired from Olympic competition after the 2022 Winter Olympics.

INNER CHI refers to one's life force energy. Today, however, it's hinting at a crossword theme that finds CHI hiding in plain sight in the puzzle's three theme answers. Thank you, Beth, for this enjoyable puzzle.