April 18, 2026

Title: SCRATCH THAT!

Constructor: Zhouqin Burnikel

Editor: Amanda Rafkin

Theme synopsis:

• TILSIT CHEESE (20A: Semihard dairy product developed in East Prussia) 
• CREDIT CHECK (39A: Pre-loan screening step)
• OUTFIT CHANGE (57A: Part of many runway shows)

SCRATCH THAT!: Each theme answer contains the word ITCH, something that one might SCRATCH: TILSIT CHEESE, CREDIT CHECK, and OUTFIT CHANGE.

What I learned from today's puzzle:

• IMAM (6A: Cleric presiding over a nikah) In Islam, nikah is the marriage contract. An IMAM is a Muslim worship leader.
• TILSIT CHEESE (20A: Semihard dairy product developed in East Prussia) TILSIT CHEESE originated in the town of TILSIT – today known as Sovetsk – in the former German province of East Prussia. Although some TILSIT CHEESE is still made in the town where it originated, most TILSIT CHEESE is now produced elsewhere, particularly in Germany and Switzerland.
• INKS (6D: Liquids used in sumi-e) Sumi-e is a Japanese INK wash painting style. It utilizes black INKS in varying concentrations to achieve different shades. This art style is rooted in Zen traditions and emphasizes simplicity and spontaneity.

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• ARGO (16A: Ship on a quest for the Golden Fleece) In Greek mythology, ARGO was the ship Jason and the Argonauts sailed on to retrieve the Golden Fleece, the fleece of a golden-wooled, winged ram that was a symbol of authority and kingship. According to the legend, ARGO and the crew were specially protected by the goddess Hera.
• AHA (26A: "Now I see!") It's a literal "AHA!" moment to see this word in the grid.
• ERIE (36A: Most ice-prone Great Lake) Lake ERIE is the shallowest of the five Great Lakes. As a result, it is the Great Lake that most quickly ices over when temperatures dip below freezing. In recent years, as a result of climate change, there has been less ice cover on Lake ERIE than in the past. Earlier this year, Lake ERIE was more than 95% frozen for the first time in more than 20 years. As I've mentioned previously, our crossword friend ERIE got off to a slow start this year, not making an appearance until March 22. This is the first ERIE appearance of April, and its fourth appearance this year. 
• DOHA (43A: City home to the National Museum of Qatar) DOHA is the capital and most-populous city of Qatar. It's not surprising then, that the National Museum of Qatar is located in DOHA. The museum's current building, which opened in 2019, was designed by French architect Jean Nouvel. The building's design was inspired by desert rose crystal, a crystal formation that forms in arid sandy conditions, such as those in Qatar.
• OAHU (61A: U.S. island with a runway built on a reef) The Daniel K. Inouye International Airport is located in Honolulu, Hawaii on the island of OAHU. The airport's principal runway, known as the Reef Runway, was completed in 1977, and was the world's first major runway constructed entirely offshore.
• EVENT (63A: Occasion prompting a Partiful invite) Partiful is an online EVENT planning platform. Google named Partiful "Best App of the Year in 2024." I've never personally used Partiful,  but that could be, at least partly, a result of my age. A few years ago, the company's CEO reported that the majority of Partiful users are under 30.
• CAT (1D: Pet the might love empty boxes) Every CAT we have had has been a fan of empty boxes. In fact, at our house we refer to empty boxes as "CAT traps." Here's a photo of our CAT Holly (who is no longer with us but lives on in our memories) making good use of a box.

• ANITA (8D: "Sweet Love" singer Baker) "Sweet Love" is a 1986 song by ANITA Baker. It was her first big hit, peaking in the top 10 of Billboard's R&B, Adult Contemporary, and Hot 100 charts.
• CHE (23D: "Weekend Update" co-host Michael) Weekend Update is a satirical news sketch on Saturday Night Live (SNL). It is the longest-running recurring sketch on SNL. Chevy Chase was the first Weekend Update anchor, in 1975. The current Weekend Update anchors are Michael CHE and Colin Jost.
• I SECOND THAT (25D: "Hear, hear!") "I SECOND THAT!" is a phrase I use quite a bit. It was fun to see it in the puzzle.
• ARID (30D: Like Death Valley) Death Valley is located in eastern California in the Mojave Desert. The ARID climate of Death Valley makes it one of the hottest places on Earth. Death Valley lies in the rain shadow of four major mountain ranges, which explains why its climate is extremely dry. The average annual rainfall of Death Valley is just 1.5 inches.
• EMU (64D: Bird with calf muscles) Not only does an EMU have calf muscles, it is the only bird with these muscles. The ostrich, which has a similar build to the EMU, has muscles in its upper legs, but ligaments in its lower legs. The EMU's calf muscles allow them to sprint up to 30 miles per hour.

From the title of today's puzzle, I briefly wondered if the theme answers were going to be things like "lottery ticket" and "mosquito bite." (Here I go offering up theme ideas again!) However, if the title were a crossword clue – [SCRATCH THAT!] – the answer would likely be ITCH. Therefore, I was not at all surprised to discover theme answers containing the hidden word ITCH. Thank you, Zhouqin, for this splendid puzzle.

A note about comments: I welcome your comments on the blog! For one thing it's nice to know folks are reading what I've written. My goal for this blog has always been for it to be informational, conversational, and kind. I ask that you keep those goals in mind when commenting. Unkind comments will be deleted. Note that I am more likely to delete a negative comment if it is posted anonymously. (P.S. You can point out when I make a mistake – in fact, I appreciate that so I can correct it.)