June 25, 2026

Title: SERVICE CENTERS

Constructor: Winston Emmons

Editor: Amanda Rafkin

Theme synopsis:

• BLACK FOREST CAKE (16A: Kirsch-flavored German dessert)
• BAD LIP READING (36A: YouTube channel with overdubbed content)
• BARBED WIRE FENCE (57A: You'll never get over it!)

SERVICE CENTERS: Each theme answer is a three-word phrase whose CENTER word can be paired with the word SERVICE: FOREST SERVICE, LIP, SERVICE, and WIRE SERVICE.

What I learned from today's puzzle:

• ABEL (13A: "La Perdida" writer Jessica) La Perdida (2001-2005) is a comic book series written and illustrated by Jessica ABEL. From 2001-2005, new issues came out yearly. In 2006, the entire series was published as a graphic novel. La Perdida tells the story of Carla, an American expat in Mexico City. 
• TNT (27D: "Animal Kingdom" channel) Animal Kingdom is a TV series that originally aired on TNT from 2016 to 2022. The series centers on a 17-year-old boy, Joshua "J" Cody (Finn Cole), who moves in with his estranged relatives after his mother's death. The Codys, led by matriarch Janine "Smurf" Cody (Ellen Barkin) run a criminal enterprise in Oceanside, California.

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• APSE (15A: Oldest part of Notre-Dame) Notre-Dame de Paris is a catholic cathedral located on Île de la Cité, an island in the river Seine, located in the center of Paris, France. The cathedral is considered to be one of the finest examples of Gothic architecture. The construction of Notre-Dame began in 1163. The first part of the cathedral to be built was the semicircular APSE.
• ALTA (19A: Utah ski resort) ALTA, Utah is located approximately 30 miles east of the state's capital, Salt Lake City. ALTA is located in the Wasatch Mountains, and its vertical gain of 2,538 feet combined with its annual snowfall of 545 inches makes it a good place for a ski resort. 
• ALE (20A: Part of IPA) IPA stands for India Pale ALE.
• ETS (28A: Many "Guardians of the Galaxy" characters (Abbr.)) Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) is a Marvel Comics film based on the superhero team of the same name. The antagonists in the movie are extraterrestrials (ETS) who have stolen a powerful artifact.
• TANGO (29A: Dance from Rio de la Plata) The Río de la Plata is a region along the Río de la Plata River along the southeastern coast of South America. It encompasses parts of Argentina and Uruguay, including the cities of Buenos Aires (the capital of Argentina) and Montevideo (the capital of Uruguay). The partner dance TANGO originated in this area in the 1880s.
• BAD LIP READING (36A: YouTube channel with overdubbed content) BAD LIP READING is a YouTube channel that takes video clips and intentionally LIP-reads them poorly for comedic effect. 
• CUB (41A: Wrigley Field player) Wrigley Field, located in Chicago, Illinois, is the home stadium for MLB's Chicago CUBs.
• IONIC (43A: Like the Jefferson Memorial's columns) IONIC columns are one type of column used in Classical architecture. IONIC columns, like those on the Jefferson Memorial, are characterized by  scroll-like ornamentation on the tops of the columns. Fun fact: The Jefferson Memorial has a total of 54 IONIC columns. 
• ADA (47A: 19th-century mathematician Lovelace) I'm always happy to see a mention of ADA Lovelace, who I have written about previously.
• AMERICA (50A: Land with "amber waves of grain") The song "AMERICA the Beautiful," whose lyrics were written by Katharine Lee Bates in 1895 begins with the lines "O beautiful for spacious skies / For amber waves of grain..."
• VAL (55A: Ackerman who was the first president of the WNBA) The Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) was founded in 1996. VAL Ackerman was the WNBA's first president, serving in the position until 2005. She was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021.
• BARBED WIRE FENCE (57A: You'll never get over it!) An exclamation point at the end of a clue alerts solvers to interpret the clue literally. A BARBED WIRE FENCE is designed to keep people from getting over it. (The cantankerous part of my nature wants to say, "Oh yeah, just watch me!" Ha!)
• GARBO (30D: Actress Greta from Hollywood's golden era) Greta GARBO (1905-1990) began her acting career during the era of silent films. Born in Sweden, she moved to Hollywood in 1925 recruited by Louis B. Mayer, a co-founder of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Her notable silent movie performances include A Woman of Affairs (1928) and The Kiss (1929). Her first sound film, Anna Christie (1930) was marketed with the tagline, "GARBO talks!" Greta GARBO is considered one of the greatest screen actresses of all time.
• PUMA (38D: Nike rival) You might think that PUMA would be my cat, Willow's, favorite sneaker brand, as it's named after her big cat cousins. In reality, Willow is not picky – she just likes shoes.

• DIA (40D: ___ de los Muertos) DIA de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is celebrated on November 1 and 2. The Mexican holiday is a time to pray for and remember family and friends that have died. DIA is making back-to-back puzzle appearances. We saw it yesterday clued as [Sabado o Domingo].
• CEDAR (51D: Wood for outdoor furniture) Because CEDAR wood contains oils that protect it from rot, decay, and insects, it is a good choice for outdoor furniture. 
• AVA (58D: "Selma" director DuVernay) The 2014 movie, Selma, directed by AVA Duvernay, is a historical drama about the 1965 voting rights marches.
• FLO (61D: Progressive saleswoman) Since 2008, ads for Progressive insurance have featured Stephanie Courtney playing the role of a saleswoman named FLO.
• Other clues and answers I especially enjoyed:
• EEK (21A: "A mouse!")
• STOLEN (5D: Taken badly?)
• CHARMS (46D: Parts of bracelets and witches' repertoires)

We often see themes involving the front, back, left, right, up, or down words of theme answers. It was fun to see the CENTERS of some three-word answers get their moment today. Thank you, Winston, for this interesting puzzle.

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