June 19, 2026

Title: POST-APOCALYPTIC

Constructor: Carina da Rosa

Editor: Amie Walker

Theme synopsis:

• DROPS THE L-BOMB (19A: Suddenly says those three little words)
• PROTEST POET (36A: Writer who challenges injustice through verst, perhaps)
• HONEST OPINION (52A: Candid view)

POST-APOCALYPTIC: Each theme answer contains an anagram of the word POST: DROPS THE L-BOMB, PROTEST POET, and HONEST OPINION.

And now a word from our constructor:

Carina: The original title for my pitch was Trading Post, but what Amanda came up with is way more fun. And my original themers were TOPSY TURVY, POT STIRRER, and SPOTIFY WRAPPED... so, yes, they're fun too, but not the best at hiding anagrams. Hence new themers and voila, this puzzle!

P.S. Spotify said my listening age was 68 and that I'm an "old soul." Not sure how that's possible when I listened to "Manchild" the most.

What I learned from today's puzzle:

• BENTO (13A: Box lunch that might contain baran) Baran are food-safe sheets used as separators in BENTO boxes. Often times baran resembles plastic grass, and it is sometimes referred to as BENTO grass or sushi grass. 
• THAI (17A: Like khanom bueang) Khanom bueang, also known as THAI crêpes, are a popular street food in Thailand. The pancakes are topped with sweet or salty toppings.
• LEGS (64A: Limbs that Michael Flatley reportedly insured for millions) Michael Flatley is a retired professional Irish dancer and choreographer. He helped create the show Riverdance. Later he created his own show called Lord of the Dance. And yes, his LEGS were reportedly insured by Lloyds of London for $25 million.

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• HAVE (15A: "Pardon me, would you ___ any Grey Poupon?") This clue made me smile! In 1981, Grey Poupon debuted a commercial in which a Rolls-Royce pulls up alongside another Rolls-Royce, and a passenger in one asks, "Pardon me, would you HAVE any Grey Poupon?" The answer from the passenger in the other car was, "But of course!" This commercial led to many variations on the theme. The commercials were popular and increased Grey Poupon's name recognition. My husband and I still ask each other "Pardon me, would you HAVE any Grey Poupon?" whenever we have mustard on the table. 
• AGNES (16A: "Despicable Me" character who says "It's so fluffy!") AGNES is one of the three sisters who (eventually) win the heart of the supervillain Gru in the 2010 animated movie Despicable Me. The creature about which AGNES says, "It's so fluffy!" is a stuffed unicorn.
• TALONS (38A: Claws on bird "paws") The thought of referring to a bird's feet as paws made me laugh.
• SAND (42A: ___ mandala (Tibetan Buddhist tradition) A mandala is a geometric design. The creation of SAND mandalas is an art practice in Tibetan Buddhism. Hours are spent creating beautiful intricate designs that are then ceremonially swept away.
• ODE (47A: "___ to the Artichoke") Pablo Neruda (1904-1973) was a Chilean poet and diplomat. He won the 1971 Nobel Prize in Literature. "ODE to the Artichoke" is a poem by Pablo Neruda.
• KEEN (63A: Peachy ___) The phrase "peachy KEEN" has a pretty interesting origin story. A DJ named Jim Hawthorne is credited with inventing the phrase in 1947. One night he was bored with his job and decided to liven it up by performing a comedy routine. One of the sayings he made up during the evening was "peachy KEEN," which ended up catching on.
• SEAS (65A: Adriatic and Arabian, e.g.) The Adriatic SEA is an arm of the Mediterranean SEA that extends northward and is bordered by Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Albania. The Arabian SEA is an area of the Indian Ocean near the Arabian Peninsula, Pakistan, and India.
• STEPS (3D: El Castillo in Chichen Itza has 365) Chichen Itza is an archeological site in Mexico. The pre-Columbian city was built by the Mayan people. El Castillo ("the castle"), also known as the Temple of Kukulcan, is a STEP pyramid located in the center of Chichen Itza. As the clue informs us, El Castillo has 365 STEPS – 91 STEPS on each of its four sides, plus a final STEP up to the temple platform.
• ONE (25D: Number in "A Chorus Line") The musical, A Chorus Line, opened on Broadway for the first time in 1975. The show is centered on 17 dancers auditioning for a chorus line. ONE of the songs in A Chorus Line is "ONE," which contains the lines: "ONE singular sensation / every little step she takes," and "ONE moment in her presence / and you can forget the rest."
• RESSA (30D: Maria who won the Nobel Peace Prize) Maria RESSA is a journalist and author, and the cofounder and CEO of the Philippine online news site, Rappler. In 2021, Maria RESSA and Russian journalist Dmitry Muratov were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize "for their efforts to safeguard freedom of expression, which is a precondition for democracy and lasting peace." Maria RESSA is the first Filipino recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. Since 2023, Maria RESSA has been a Distinguished Fellow at Columbia University's Institute of Global Politics. She's also a professor of professional practice at Columbia's School of International and Public Affairs.
• BROW (33D: Feature of Bert, but not Ernie) I'm always happy to see a Bert and Ernie reference)
• LONDON (34D: Home to Larry, Downing Street's Chief Mouser) Larry is a tabby cat who lives at 10 Downing Street in LONDON. His official title is Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office, and his duties include "greeting guests, inspecting security defenses, and testing antique furniture for napping quality." Larry is a civil servant, cared for by the Downing Street staff, and has so far served under six prime ministers. My cat, Willow, is delighted to see this cat content in the puzzle. She has been practicing her hunting skills, but as you can see in this photo, we wouldn't let her outside to "meet" the baby bunny.

• NINES (50D: "Although she's dressed up to the ___ / At sixes and sevens with you") The lyrics, "Although she's dressed up to the NINES / At sixes and sevens with you," are from the song, "Don't Cry for Me Argentina." The song was written by Andrew Lloyd Weber and Tim Rice for the 1976 concept album Evita. It was later included in the 1978 musical of the same name. 
• Other clues and answers I especially enjoyed:
• GEYSER (22A: Hot spot in Yellowstone)
• SOLOED (35A: Tackled a karaoke song alone)
• CARD (58A: One might read "Happy 21st birthday! Again!")
• SENSE (45D: "Make it make ___")

The word APOCALYPTIC in the title is acting as an anagram indicator. I didn't quite catch on to that at first, and I was honestly relieved when I had the "Aha!" moment and figured out that each theme answer had POST anagrams. Before that happened, I uncovered DROPS THE L-BOMB, and thought, "Wait, are the theme answers going to end in things that could bring about a POST-APOCALYPTIC world? That's rather grim..." (I didn't really think Carina would come up with such a theme, but for a moment I admit I was concerned!) Of course that guess was (thankfully!) wrong! Thank you, Carina, for this intriguing puzzle.

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