March 10, 2026

Title: TO THE BERRY END

Constructor: Enrique Henestroza Anguiano

Editor: Amie Walker

Theme synopsis:

• SILLY GOOSE (17A: "You goofball!")
• VILLAGE ELDER (Community member whose counsel might be sought)
• PLASTIC STRAW (44A: What a bamboo-based drinking implement can replace)
• SOUND CLOUD (59A: Music streaming service for sharing mixtapes)

TO THE BERRY END: The END word of each theme answer can be paired with the word BERRY to give us GOOSEBERRY, ELDERBERRY, STRAWBERRY, and CLOUDBERRY.

What I learned from today's puzzle:

• SASHA (1D: Drag superstar Colby) In 2012, SASHA Colby won the Miss Continental competition, a drag queen pageant that has been held annually (with the exception of 2020) since 1980. In 2023, SASHA Colby was the winner of season 15 of RuPaul's Drag Race. She was the first Native Hawaiian to be a contestant on the show.

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• AMEX (19A: Brand with a platinum credit card, for short) American Express – AMEX, for short – has offered a platinum version of its credit card since 1984. The annual fee for a platinum AMEX card is currently $895. 
• HAI (24A: Yes, in Japanese) We've seen this answer in the puzzle before, and I was delighted to remember it today. The Japanese word for "no" is "bangō."
• GWEN (25A: She was bitten instead of Peter, in an alternate Spider-Verse) GWEN Stacy is a Marvel Comics character who was a love interest of Peter Parker's while they were undergraduates at Empire State University. In a Spider-Verse alternate universe, GWEN Stacy is the one bitten by a radioactive spider, and becomes a superhero known as Ghost Spider/Spider-Woman. In the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), GWEN Stacy has been played by Bryce Dallas Howard and Emma Stone, and voiced by Hailee Steinfeld.
• ORION (41A: Constellation with a belt) ORION is one of the constellations included in a star catalogue compiled by the 2nd-century astronomer Ptolemy. The constellation is named for a hunter in Greek mythology. Three of the brightest stars in the constellation appear to be in a straight line, and are referred to as ORION's belt.
• PLASTIC STRAW (44A: What a bamboo-based drinking implement can replace) I generally just don't use STRAWs, but occasionally – when enjoying a milkshake, for example – drinking from a STRAW is my preference. On such occasions I'll generally use an alternative to a PLASTIC STRAW (usually a metal STRAW) and feel good about doing my little part to protect our planet. On our recent Hawaiian vacation, my husband and I enjoyed Hawaiian shaved ice that was served in coconut bowls with bamboo spoons and straws that we got to keep. Fun souvenirs!

• ETHAN (54A: "Blue Moon" actor Hawke) Blue Moon (2025) is a biographical movie about Lorenz Hart, who co-wrote the titular song with Richard Rodgers. The movie is set on March 31, 1943, the opening night of Oklahoma! on Broadway, a musical that Lorenz Hart's former creative partner, Richard Rodgers, wrote with Oscar Hammerstein II. ETHAN Hawke portrays Lorenz Hart in the movie, a role that earned him a nomination for a Best Actor Academy Award. (Tune in to the Academy Awards on March 15 to see if he wins.)
• GIANT PANDA (29D: Big bear such as Yun Chuan) The bear species known as the GIANT PANDA, recognizable by its black-and-white coloring, is endemic to China. Bamboo shoots and leaves (the same bamboo used to make STRAWs) make up 99% of a GIANT PANDA's diet. Because bamboo is not an efficient food source and provides limited energy, a GIANT PANDA needs to eat as much as 20-30 pounds of bamboo a day. Yun Chuan is a male GIANT PANDA who currently resides at the San Diego Zoo.
• ROUGE (50D: Moulin ___) Moulin ROUGE is having a moment in the spotlight this month. On March 3 we saw CABARET clued as [Moulin Rouge, e.g.], and on March 5 we saw EWAN clued as ["Moulin Rouge!" star McGregor].
• TOES (55D: Digits in socks) The answer TOES is making back-to-back puzzle appearances. We saw it yesterday clued as [A frog has 18 of them].
• A few other clues I especially enjoyed:
• SOOT (37A: Stuff on Santa's boots)
• ARC (49A: Path of a jump shot)
• NEXT (12D: Deli counter shout)

It's all about berries today. Yum! I've never had a CLOUDBERRY. I took this opportunity to learn more about these berries. They look a bit like raspberries, but are orange in color. The CLOUDBERRY grows in cool, temperate regions including Finland, Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. These fruits grow in the wild and are not cultivated on a commercial scale. Thank you, Enrique, for this BERRY good puzzle.