March 1, 2026

Title: SCREENCAPS

Constructor: Carina da Rosa

Editor: Amanda Rafkin

Theme synopsis:

• LICKETY SPLIT (20A: Super-quickly)
• CARB LOADING (37A: Fueling up on pasta, rice, etc. before a big race)
• PUTTING GREEN (53A: Smooth area around a golf hole)

SCREENCAPS: The "CAP" (ending word) of each theme answer can be paired with the word SCREEN to form a new phrase: SPLIT SCREEN, LOADING SCREEN, and GREEN SCREEN.

And now a word from our constructor:

Carina: Like with a lot of my puzzles, this one came out of me trying to do something else, ha. Its original premise was related to second screening (lately I've been rewatching “The Queen's Gambit” while knitting a baby pixie hat... does that count as second screening?).

I think I was also in a Christmas mood when I created this. I also recently read a Gen Z post about how millennials need to stop saying doggo. I apologize on behalf of all my '80s people.

What I learned from today's puzzle:

• BEN (52A: Ross' 51-Across on "Friends") The sitcom Friends originally aired from 1994 to 2004. I've only seen snippets of the show, mainly while my daughter was watching it. I have, however, picked up quite a bit of Friends knowledge over the years, listening to others talking about it and occasionally writing about it. I did not remember that BEN is Ross's SON (51A: Prince, to a king). BEN's mother was Ross' first wife, Carol Willick.
• DIE (12D: "Roll for initiative" item) When playing Dungeons & Dragons, a 20-sided DIE is rolled to determine who goes first during combat (and sometimes in other situations). This is referred to as the "roll for initiative."
• APU (41D: Quechua word for "Lord") Quechua is a language that originated in central Peru. The word APU, which means "Lord" (as the clue informs us) was used during the time of the Inca Empire to refer to the spirits of the mountains.

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• LOLA (14A: "The Summer I Turned Pretty" actress Tung) The Summer I Turned Pretty is an Amazon Prime TV series based on Jenny Han's novel of the same name. The TV show, which premiered in 2022, is about 16-year-old Isabel "Belly" Conklin's summer at a beach with her family. LOLA Tung stars as Belly.
• APES (17A: Jane Goodall studied them) Jane Goodall (1934-2025) was a primatologist and anthropologist. The APES she studied were chimpanzees. As I have previously mentioned, I have a ton of respect for Jane Goodall, so I was happy to see her mentioned.
• ANDES (19A: Highest mountain range outside of Asia) The ANDES Mountains run along the western edge of South America. Extending 5,500 miles, the ANDES go through seven countries: Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, and Venezuela.
• OCT (23A: Indigenous Peoples' Day mo.) Indigenous Peoples' Day celebrates and honors the history and cultures of indigenous peoples. In the United States it is observed each year on the second Monday of October (OCT.).
• THE (24A: "Come See Me in ___ Good Light") Come See Me in THE Good Light is a 2025 documentary about poet and activist Andrea Gibson (1975-2025). This clue is an example of using a title to add interest to a clue for a common word. 
• SKY (31A: Cloudy area?) The question mark in the clue indicates that the cloudy area the clue is referencing is not an area of moral ambiguity, but rather the SKY, an area that has clouds.
• IPO (32A: 2025 event for StubHub, for short) IPO stands for "initial public offering" and refers to a company's stock launch. StubHub is a ticket brokerage site. It was founded in 2000, and had its IPO in 2025. 
• ANNE (34A: Youngest Bronte sister) The literary Brontë sisters were Charlotte Brontë (1816-1855), Emily Brontë (1818-1848) and ANNE Brontë (1820-1849). All three of the Brontë sisters were writers. ANNE Brontë's novels include Agnes Grey (1847) and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (1848).
• JURORS (49A: The 12 in "12 Angry Men") I wrote about the 1957 movie 12 Angry Men a few months ago.
• AGOG (60A: "I am ___! I am aghast!" ("Les Miz" lyric)) and ACTS (57D: One of two in "Les Miz") Les Miz, or Les Mesérables is a two-ACT musical that tells the story of a French peasant named Jean Valjean. It is based on the 1862 novel of the same name by Victor Hugo. "I am AGOG! I am aghast!" is a line from the song "The ABC Café / Red and Black."
• CHART (62A: Billboard offering) The billboard here is not a roadside advertisement, but Billboard magazine, which publishes weekly music CHARTs.
• TORO (63A: That's bull!) The exclamation point in the clue alerts solvers to interpret the clue literally. TORO is the Spanish word for bull.
• MASK (4D: Face covering at the Capulet ball) In William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, Juliet's parents plan a ball to try to persuade her to accept the courtship of Count Paris. This plan backfires when Romeo puts on a MASK and, together with his friends, joins the festivities at the masked ball. It is at the Capulet ball that Romeo and Juliet meet and fall in love.
• ARES (7D: Hercules' half-brother) In Greek mythology, Hercules and ARES are half-brothers. Their father was Zeus.
• APT (27D: Like the name Josh for a jester) I definitely added this to the list I'm compiling of APT name clues. Why am I keeping such a list? Because it makes me happy.
• MOI (28D: "Who? Little old me?!") If you're a regular reader of Sally's Take, you may remember that the word MOI reminds me of Miss Piggy.
• SONNETS (45D: Some Elizabeth Barrett Browning poems) Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806-1861) was a Victorian era poet. She is particularly known for her SONNETS. You might recognize this line from SONNET 43 in SONNETS from the Portuguese (1850): "How do I love thee? Let me count the ways."
• DOGGOS (48D: Pooches, in slang) According to a Mental Floss article, in Millenial lingo, "DOGGOS can be fluffy (floofs), little (puppers), and loud (boofers).
• OPERA (50D: "Rigoletto," e.g.) Rigoletto is an 1851 OPERA by Giuseppe Verdi. It is based on a Victor Hugo play, Le roi s'amuse. The OPERA revolves around a corrupt, womanizing ruler (the Duke of Mantua), his court jester (Rigoletto), and the jester's daughter (Gilda). Here's a recap I found: "Everything you need to know about Rigoletto in just one minute."
• Several other clues I especially enjoyed:
• STEM (1A: Cherry part that might be tied with a tongue)
• ARTS (66A: They're sometimes dramatic)
• ELECTRIC CAR (3D: Vehicle for fighting climate change)
• SCAT (30D: Sing "do-ya da-ba doo")

I'm always delighted to see a puzzle by Carina, as last year she was my mentee at Lil AVCX. And now I'm going to brag on her for a minute. At the recently-held ORCAS (the crossword version of the Oscars), Carina was awarded the Emerging Constructor ORCA. Congratulations to her, as this is definitely well-deserved! Lucky us to get to solve her puzzles. Thank you, Carina, for this delightful puzzle.