March 2, 2026

Title: BACK EXERCISES

Constructor: Zachary Edward Brown

Editor: Amie Walker

Theme synopsis:

• WALK THE PLANK (19A: Obey a pirate's command, perhaps)
• DIDDLY SQUAT (37A: Nothing at all, informally)
• ARTICHOKE DIP (55A: Heart-y appetizer)

BACK EXERCISES: The BACK words of the theme answers are EXERCISES: PLANK, SQUAT, and DIP.

What I learned from today's puzzle:

• SCOT (1A: Craig Ferguson, for one) Craig Ferguson was the host of The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, which aired on CBS from 2005-2014. Although I've heard of him, I didn't realize he was a SCOT. He was born in Glasgow, Scotland.
• PGA (5A: Scottie Scheffler's org.) Scottie Scheffler is a professional golfer. He plays on the PGA Tour. For the last 175 weeks, he's been ranked number one in the Official World Golf Ranking. Add this to the sports knowledge I've gained from crossword puzzles.
• QBS (41D: NFL players Caleb Williams and Jordan Love, for two) Caleb Williams is a quarterback (QB) for the Chicago Bears. Jordan Love is a QB for the Green Bay Packers. Add this to today's acquired sports knowledge. Although I wasn't familiar with these QBS, when I read this clue I already had DIDDLY SQUAT filled in, so it was fairly easy to guess the answer from the crossing Q.

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• TARA (13A: Olympian Lipinski) and AXEL (7D: Figure-skating jump) Ah, a sports clue I knew! TARA Lipinski is a retired competitive figure skater. Representing Team USA, she won a gold medal in figure skating at the 1998 Olympics. She is currently a figure skating analyst for NBC.
• ISLE (17A: The Emerald ___) Ireland has earned the nickname "The Emerald ISLE," a nod to the country's lush vegetation. Having been to Ireland, I can attest that this is a fitting nickname.
• TAIWAN (24A: Asian country that shares its first three letters with its capital city) The capital of TAIWAN is Taipei.
• MEME (32A: Distracted Boyfriend, e.g.) You've likely seen the Distracted Boyfriend MEME, which I've written about previously. A friend recently shared a website where one can create their own version of the Distracted Boyfriend MEME. I thought this was a great opportunity to try it out.

• ABE (44A: Homer Simpson's dad) and BLUE (31D: Hair color for Marge and Millhouse, on "The Simpsons) We have a pair of clues today for fans of The Simpsons.
• MRS (48A: ___ Smith (2005 role for Angelina Jolie)) Mr. and MRS. Smith is a 2005 movie starring Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie as assassins working for competing agencies. The TV series of the same name was loosely inspired by the movie. On the TV series, Mr. and MRS. Smith are portrayed by Donald Glover and Maya Erskine.
• BONES (66A: 2022 Imagine Dragons song about life and death) The Imagine Dragons song "BONES" was released in 2022 as the lead single from the album Mercury – Acts 1 & 2. The song's music video features Wall Street traders turning into zombies.
• LIL' KIM (9D: "Not Tonight" rapper) "Not Tonight" is a song from LIL' KIM's 1996 debut studio album, Hard Core. The album version featured rapper Jermaine Dupri. A Ladies Night remix of "Not Tonight" was released a year later and features rappers Da Brat, Left Eye, Missy "Misdeameanor" Elliot, and Angie Martinez.
• NEAL (27D: "All of Us" star Elise) The sitcom All of Us originally aired from 2003-2007. The show was loosely based on the blended family of creators and executive producers Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith. Elise NEAL portrayed Tia Jewel in the show's first two seasons.
• ALDA (29D: "Tower Heist" actor Alan) Tower Heist is a 2011 movie about a group of employees at an exclusive apartment building who lose their pensions due to the Ponzi scheme of a Wall Street businessman. Alan ALDA portrays that Wall Street businessman, Arthur Shaw.
• STREAK (35D: Series of consecutively solved puzzles) This is a fun clue for STREAK. Do you try to maintain a crossword solving STREAK? While I solve crosswords most days, I've never been motivated by trying to maintain a STREAK. I am impressed by those who do maintain a STREAK, however.
• CHINA (53D: Setting for the "Kung Fu Panda" franchise) Kung Fu Panda is a franchise of animated moves set in CHINA. The movies feature "The Furious Five," a group of anthropomorphic animals who are Kung Fu masters. The first Kung Fu Panda movie was released in 2008. Kung Fu Panda 4 was released in 2024.
• A few other clues I especially enjoyed:
• USUAL (43A: Business as ___)
• RISE (45A: What unleavened bread doesn't do)
• GAL PAL (6D: Rhyming buddy)

Today's puzzle is taking us to the gym and putting us through our paces. WALK THE PLANK is a fun theme answer, and it immediately confirmed that my guess about the theme was correct. Does solving this puzzle count as my EXERCISE for the day? Thank you, Zachary, for this enjoyable puzzle.