April 17, 2026

Title: IT JUST CAN'T BE!

Constructor:  Jay Silverman

Editor: Amie Walker

Theme synopsis:

• PANAMA HAT (17A: Headwear that actually originated in Ecuador)
• BOXING RING (36A: Athletic space that is actually a square)
• KOALA BEAR (58A: Animal that is actually a marsupial)

IT JUST CAN'T BE!: Each theme answer is something that is not quite as it's described: A PANAMA HAT is not from PANAMA, a BOXING RING is not a RING, and a KOALA BEAR is not a BEAR.

And now a word from our constructor:

Jay: I've always loved little "well, actually..." things like this and found them quietly amusing.  Who doesn't think these kinds of things are funny?  I mean, come on!  So it seemed like it was high time to turn a few of them into a puzzle.  Hope solvers get a kick out of it!

What I learned from today's puzzle:

• ADAM (5A: "Nobody Wants This" star Brody) Nobody Wants This is a TV series that premiered on Netflix in 2024. The show focuses on the relationship between a Jewish rabbi (ADAM Brody) and an agnostic woman who hosts a podcast about relationships (Kristen Bell).

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• ARMS (1A: Limbs missing from the Venus de Milo) The Venus de Milo is an ancient Greek sculpture discovered in 1820 on the island of Milos, Greece. Since 1821, the statue has been on display at the Louvre Museum in Paris, France. It is believed it was sculpted sometime between 160 and 110 BCE. As the clue indicates, the statue is missing both ARMS.
• POET (14A: Amanda Gorman, for one) Amanda Gorman was the first National Youth POET Laureate for the United States, a position she held in 2017. She was also the first POET to perform at the Super Bowl, which she did in 2021, reciting her poem "Chorus of the Captains."
• PANAMA HAT (17A: Headwear that actually originated in Ecuador) As the clue mentions, the brimmed straw HAT commonly referred to as the PANAMA HAT actually originated in Ecuador. When the HATs began to become popular, they were woven in Ecuador and then shipped (like many other goods) to the Isthmus of PANAMA before going on to their final destinations around the world. In time, the HATs became known for their point of shipping rather than where they were made.
• LEE (29A: Olympic gymnastics Sunisa) Sunisa LEE was on the USA women's gymnastics Olympic team that won gold at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. She also represented Team USA at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo (held in 2021), where she was the all-around gold medalist in women's gymnastics. Sunisa LEE is the first Hmong American to win an Olympic gold medal. (The Hmong people are an ethnic group in China, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, and Myanmar. Many Hmong immigrated to the United States following the Vietnam War.)
• RAMEN (33A: Noodle soup with a shoyu variety) Shoyu RAMEN is a variety of RAMEN characterized by a soy sauce-based broth.
• GRETA (43A: "Barbie" director Gerwig) GRETA Gerwig directed the 2023 movie Barbie. She also co-wrote the screenplay with Noah Baumbach (her husband).
• ASIA (45A: Most populous continent) Approximately 60% of the world's population lives on the continent of ASIA. Our crossword friend ASIA is making its second appearance of April today and its ninth appearance of 2026.
• KOALA BEAR (58A: Animal that is actually a marsupial) Often referred to as a KOALA BEAR because of its resemblance to a BEAR, a KOALA BEAR is actually a marsupial. Its closest relative is the wombat.
• EURO (62A: Money in Milan) Milan is the second largest city in Italy. (Italy's largest city is its capital, Rome.) Italy is one of the 21 members of the European Union that uses the EURO as its currency.
• INFO (63A: FAQ page contents) and ASKED (64A: The "A" of FAQ) This is a nice use of FAQ (Frequently ASKED Questions) to link these consecutive clues.
• DREW (65A: Fictional sleuth Nancy) The teen detective Nancy DREW first appeared in the 1930 book, The Secret of the Old Clock. A number of authors have written about Nancy DREW under the pseudonym of Carolyn Keene. The original Nancy DREW series contains 175 books, but the character also appears in 12 other series, meaning Nancy DREW has appeared in over 600 books so far. I'm always delighted to see a reference to Nancy DREW in the puzzle; I credit her with my love of mystery novels.
• STAGE (4D: Act on it!) The exclamation point at the end of the clue alerts solvers to interpret the clue literally. A STAGE is literally a platform to act on.
• MEN (18D: "___ Explain Things to Me" (Rebecca Solnit essay collection)) Rebecca Solnit's essay collection MEN Explain Things to Me was originally published in 2014. The book's titular essay is an expansion of a 2008 blog post in which Rebecca Solnit wrote, "MEN explain things to me, and other women, whether or not they know what they are talking about." She went on to describe an experience of a man talking over her to explain an important book he thought she should read ... a book that she had written. Rebecca Solnit's blog post and subsequent book, led to the creation of the term "mansplaining."
• PIG (32D: Peppa or Wilbur) Peppa PIG is the title character of the animated TV series Peppa PIG. Wilbur is the PIG in the classic children's book, Charlotte's Web by E.B. White.
• BBC (39D: Original "Monty Python" network) Monty Python was a British comedy group formed in 1969. They first became popular as a result of the BBC show, Monty Python's Flying Circus, which originally aired from 1969 to 1974. When I first read this clue I thought (as I usually do when asked to come up with a network), "I don't know." But as I started to move on, I thought, "Oh, wait ... British ... must be the BBC." 
• READERS (40D: What Substack writers hope for) Substack is an online platform that writers can use to provide subscription-based content such as newsletters. Like Substack, I also hope for READERS! I'm grateful to you for reading this blog.
• BFA (52D: Degree for many Juilliard graduates) Juilliard is a performing arts school located in New York City. Many of its graduates receive a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree.
• ARE (59D: "Come as You ___" (Nirvana song)) "Come as You ARE" is a 1992 song by Nirvana. It was written by Kurt Cobain (1967-1994), the band's frontman and guitarist. Kurt Cobain's hometown of Aberdeen, Washington put up a sign in 2005 that says, "Welcome to Aberdeen: Come As You ARE."

When my son was two, he started saying the phrase, "Well, actually..." (and using it correctly). This was adorable coming from a two-year-old. It also made me realize that I say this phrase quite a bit. (Obviously he learned it from having heard it.) This is all to say that I appreciated the repeated use of the word "actually" in the clues for the theme answers. This is a fun theme highlighting things whose names are misleading. Thank you, Jay, for this interesting puzzle.

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