April 5, 2026

Title: SIGNED, SEALED, DELIVERED

Constructor: Winston Emmons

Editor: Amie Walker

Theme synopsis:

• LOAN AGREEMENT (20A: *Contract between a lender and a borrower)
• MAIL-IN BALLOTS (39A: *They're cast by many absentee voters)
• KEYNOTE SPEECH (59A: *Tone-setting address at a convention)

SIGNED, SEALED, DELIVERED: The theme answer are, consecutively, something that is SIGNED (LOAN AGREEMENT), something that is SEALED (MAIL-IN BALLOTS), and something that is DELIVERED (KEYNOTE SPEECH).

What I learned from today's puzzle:

• ALASKANS (40D: Many Dene people) The Dene people are an Indigenous group who live in Northern Canada and Alaska. As the clue informs us, some Dene people are ALASKANS. Many of them also live in the Northwest territories of Canada. The Dene people speak Northern Athabaskan languages. In Athabaskan, "Dene" is a word for "people."
• PGA (43D: FedEx Cup org.) Today I'm adding to the sports knowledge I've learned from crossword puzzles that the FedEx Cup is the championship trophy for the PGA Tour. The FedEx Cup is a season long competition, with golfers earning points based on their performance in sanctioned PGA Tour tournaments. The current FedEx champion is Tommy Fleetwood. As you might guess from its name, the FedEx Cup has been sponsored by FedEx since it began in 2007.

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• ARLES (17A: French city hidden in "guitar lesson") ARLES is a commune (a French administrative division) in southern France located on the Rhône River.
• TREE (18A: Rainbow eucalyptus or oak) I am a fan of clues that give two examples, because they allow solvers to be successful even if they are only familiar with one of the examples. In this case, I am familiar with both eucalyptus and oak TREEs. However, I wasn't familiar with the specific species of eucalyptus known as the rainbow eucalyptus. This TREE species is native to the Philippines, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea. Rainbow eucalyptus TREEs can grow to a height of over 200 feet. They get their name because of the vibrant and striking colors revealed when the TREEs shed their bark. If you haven't seen photos of a rainbow eucalyptus, it's worth clicking on the link I've provided and checking out the photos of these unique and fascinating TREEs.
• YOU (24A: "___ rock!") In case nobody has told you lately, the puzzle is here with a reminder that "YOU rock!" Why, thank you, puzzle.
• ASL (45A: Communication system in "CODA" (Abbr.)) The 2021 movie, CODA, stars Emilia Jones as Ruby Rossi, a hearing "child of deaf adults" (CODA). Sian Heder, who wrote and directed CODA, learned ASL (American Sign Language) while working on the movie, and about 40% of the screenplay is in ASL. Emilia Jones also learned ASL before the filming of CODA. CODA won an Academy Award for Best Picture.
• HE'S (55A: "___ Just Not That Into You") HE'S Just Not That Into You is a 2004 book by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo. The book was adapted into a 2009 movie of the same name.
• ACRE (65A: One of 125 in the Phoenix Zoo) I enjoyed this clue because at first I was trying to think of a four-letter animal that the Phoenix Zoo might have 125 of. Fish? But wouldn't the number of an animal population vary? Finally with some help from crossing answers I was able to fill in ACRE, which makes much more sense. Arizona's Phoenix Zoo, with its 125 ACREs, is the largest privately owned nonprofit zoo in the United States.
• MINT (67A: Where pennies (RIP) were made) It's not just pennies that are made at the U.S. MINT, of course, but other coins and paper currency as well. The first U.S. penny was made in 1787. Since late last year, the U.S. MINT no longer produces pennies for circulation, primarily due to the cost of making the coins. Pennies are still in circulation, and some pennies are minted for collectors.
• PESO (70A: Currency in Cuernavaca) Cuernavaca is a city in Mexico. It is the capital of the Mexican state of Morelos, which is a landlocked state located in the south-central part of the country. The currency in Cuernavaca – and in the rest of Mexico – is the Mexican PESO.
• THEME (9D: Feature of this crossword puzzle) I always enjoy a clue such as this.
• NSA (12D: _ational _ecurity _gency) With a split fill-in-the-blank clue such as this one, each blank represents one missing letter. In this case the missing letters are NSA, for National Security Agency.
• NGOS (26D: Grps. like Doctors Without Borders) NGO stands for non-governmental organization. Doctors Without Borders – also known as Médecins Sans Frontières – is an NGO that works to provide medical care to people affected by "conflict, disasters, epidemics, and social exclusion." Doctors Without Borders is active in more than 75 countries. 
• GLOSSY (35D: Like some photo finishes?) If this clue did not have a question mark at the end, the answer might be something like NECK AND NECK. However, the question mark alerts solvers to expect some trickiness and wordplay. Here the "photo finishes" being referenced are quite literally the GLOSSY finishes on some photos.
• MARS (39D: Roman god of war) In ancient Roman mythology, MARS is the god of war and an agricultural guardian. MARS is considered an equivalent of the Greek god Ares. The planet MARS is named after the Roman god.
• ETTA (62D: "At Last" singer James) ETTA James (1938-2012) was a Grammy-Award-winning singer whose music encompassed the genres of R&B, gospel, blues, jazz, soul, and rock and roll. She recorded "At Last" in 1960 as the title track for her debut album.
• A couple of other clues I especially enjoyed:
• GRASS (46A: Common stain on a softball uniform)
• MOROSE (2D: Like Eeyore)

"Like a fool I went and stayed too long / Now I'm wondering if your love's still strong / Oo, baby, here I am, SIGNED, SEALED, DELIVERED, I'm yours!" For some reason, I have Stevie Wonder's 1970 song, "SIGNED, SEALED, DELIVERED, (I'm Yours)," going through my head. This puzzle is a fun interpretation of SIGNED, SEALED, DELIVERED. I enjoyed the progression. Thank you, Winston, for this interesting puzzle.