April 24, 2026

Title: RED ROCKS

Constructors: Amanda Rafkin & Amie Walker

Editor: Amanda Rafkin

Theme synopsis:

• CHERRY CHAPSTICK (16A: Lip balm mentioned in Katy Perry's "I Kissed a Girl")
• RUBY BRIDGES (35A: Civil rights activist and subject of the painting "The Problem We All Live With")
• CARDINAL NUMBERS (55A: 1, 2, 3, etc.)

RED ROCKS: The first word of each theme answer is a shade of RED: CHERRY RED, RUBY RED, and CARDINAL RED.

What I learned from today's puzzle:

• MEL (12A: Taylor Dearden's character on "The Pitt") The Pitt is a TV series set in the emergency room of the fictional Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Hospital. Each season of the show covers one 15-hour work shift, with each episode covering approximately one hour. Taylor Dearden portrays Dr. Melissa "MEL" King, a neurodivergent resident. Although I've never watched The Pitt, I have heard a ton of good things about the show. It's definitely on my list of shows to watch should I ever start watching TV on a regular basis. (It's a long list!)

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• ARF (1A: Sound aptly hidden in "I hear Fido") This is cute. "I hear Fido saying ARF!"
• CHERRY CHAPSTICK (16A: Lip balm mentioned in Katy Perry's "I Kissed a Girl") "I Kissed a Girl" is a 2008 song by Katy Perry. CHERRY CHAPSTICK is mentioned in the chorus. "I kissed a girl and I liked it / The taste of her CHERRY CHAPSTICK..."
• NEVE (30A: Scream queen (and "Scream" queen) Campbell) In the late 1990s, NEVE Campbell earned her reputation as a "scream queen," an actress who appears frequently in horror movies. Aptly, NEVE Campbell's many TV and movie credits include playing the role of Sidney Prescott in six of the Scream movies. Most recently she appeared in Scream 7, which premiered in February of this year.
• RUBY BRIDGES (35A: Civil rights activist and subject of the painting "The Problem We All Live With") RUBY BRIDGES was the first Black child to attend William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1960. The Problem We All Live With is an iconic 1964 painting by Norman Rockwell. It depicts six-year-old RUBY BRIDGES being escorted to school by four deputy U.S. marshals. 
• GENERAL (48A: Military title for Grievous or Zod) GENERAL Grievous is a character in the Star Wars franchise. He is particularly known for his rivalry with Obi-Wan Kenobi during the Clone Wars. GENERAL Zod is a DC Comics supervillain who is an adversary of Superman. 
• CIARA (53A: "1, 2 Step" singer) "1, 2 Step" is a 2004 song by CIARA featuring Missy Elliott. I appreciate the choice to highlight this particular CIARA song here as it sets up for the echo of "1, 2..." in the next clue.
• CARDINAL NUMBERS (55A: 1, 2, 3, etc.) CARDINAL NUMBERS are those used to count things and indicate quantity.
• OREO (60A: Marvel ___ Stuf of Legends cookies) Earlier this year, Marvel Comics and OREO teamed up to create a new cookie variety, Marvel OREO Stuf of Legends. The cookies are embossed with 32 different designs depicting Marvel characters, including Scarlet Witch, Invisible Woman, and Storm. These OREOs also have color-changing creme. The filling of the cookies is gray, but it changes to blue when it comes in contact with saliva or milk. I can vouch for the fact that eating a Marvel OREO Stuf of Legends cookie will turn your tongue blue! Our crossword friend OREO is making back-to-back puzzle appearances, as we saw it yesterday clued as [Cookie you might enjoy "cream first"].
• WING (63A: Flapper?) The question mark here means that the clue is not referencing the flappers of the Roaring Twenties, but rather the part of a bird that flaps – the WING.
• AMC (1D: Theater chain with a Nicole Kidman commercial) In 2021, AMC Theatres launched an ad campaign aimed at getting people to come back to their theaters once they reopened after being closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The ad featured Nicole Kidman saying the memorable line, "Heartbreak feels good in a place like this." The ad quickly became a meme and was shared widely on TikTok. 
• FLEXITARIAN (3D: Person who usually, but not always, avoids meat) Hey, it's me! A FLEXITARIAN is one eating a semi-vegetarian diet, a diet focused on plant foods, with the occasional inclusion of meat. Fun fact: Merriam-Webster added FLEXITARIAN to its dictionary in 2012 (the same year F-bomb was added).
• EDYS (5D: Brand that created Rocky Road) Rocky Road ice cream has a chocolate base, to which nuts and marshmallows are added. There are two men who claim to have invented Rocky Road. One of them is William Dreyer, the co-founder of EDY'S (with Josephy EDY). The other is George Farren, a candy maker at Fentons Creamery.
• SOHO (7D: London or NYC neighborhood) The SOHO district in London has been one of the city's main entertainment districts since the 19th century. In New York City, SOHO is a neighborhood in Manhattan. Its name, coined by urban planner Chester Rapkin in 1962, derives from the area being "SOuth of HOuston Street."
• CAT MARIO (14D: Video game power-up with a scratching attack) In the Mario franchise of video games, CAT MARIO is a power-up that (as the name implies) turns the character into a CAT. This allows the character to climb walls and to use a scratching attack. My CAT, Willow, does not play video games, but she is a fan of this CAT content.

• PHIL (18D: "Modern Family" dad) Modern Family is a mockumentary TV series that follows the lives of three families. It originally aired for 11 seasons from 2009-2020. PHIL Dunphy, played by Ty Burrell, is the dad of one of the families. Ty Burrell won multiple Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for his portrayal of PHIL.
• EVE (24D: "Killing ___" (Sandra Oh show)) Killing EVE (2018-2022) is a BBC series about an investigator, EVE Polastri, who is tracking the psychopathic assassin, Villanelle. Sandra Oh portrays EVE, and Jodie Comer plays the role of Villanelle. The show is based on the Villanelle series of books by Luke Jennings.
• GERMY (29D: Like amusement park handrails, presumably) This clue made me chuckle. Presumably, indeed.
• AHAB (47D: Fictional captain who was the inspiration for Captain Hook) Captain AHAB is a character in Herman Melville's 1851 novel Moby Dick. He becomes obsessed with getting revenge on the white whale – the titular Moby Dick – who bit off his leg. Inspired by Captain AHAB, J. M. Barrie created his character Captain Hook who appeared in the 1904 play Peter Pan. Instead of a whale that bit off his leg, Captain Hook is obsessed with a crocodile that ate his hand (after Peter Pan cut it off). 
• RAI (49D: Aishwarya ___ Bachchan) Aishwarya RAI Bachchan is one of the most popular celebrities in India. Her film appearances include Bride and Prejudice, The Last Legion, and The Mistress of Spices. Aishwarya RAI Bachchan was Miss World 1994.
• ELBA (52D: "Hijack" star Idris) Hijack is an Apple TV+ series that premiered in 2023. Idris ELBA portrays a corporate business negotiator who finds himself on a hijacked flight from London to Dubai.
• ARI (56D: NPR host Shapiro) I'm going to take this opportunity to recommend ARI Shapiro's 2023 memoir, The Best Strangers in the World: Stories from a Life Spent Listening. My husband and I listened to the audiobook of The Best Strangers in the World (read by ARI Shapiro) on a road trip, and we thoroughly enjoyed it. 
• A few other clues I especially enjoyed:
• OCTET (34A: Pack of hot dog buns, usually)
• EEK (11D: Apt rhyme for "shriek")
• UNDERDOG (36D: Team in a Cinderella story)

RED ROCKS generally refers to an open-air amphitheater located in Colorado, approximately ten miles southwest of Denver. As one might guess, the venue is named for the geographical features surrounding it. Today, however, RED ROCKS serves as this puzzle's theme and an opportunity to highlight some rocking shades of RED. Thank you, Amanda and Amie, for this excellent 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.)