July 23, 2026

Title: YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT 

Constructor: Mike Graczyk

Editor: Amie Walker

Theme synopsis:

• TOUGH COOKIE (17A: Person who perseveres)
• BIG CHEESE (35A: Person with a lot of influence)
• COUCH POTATO (54A: Person who travels through channels?)

YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT: Each theme answer is a phrase used to describe a person, and each phrase ends with something that can be eaten: COOKIE, CHEESE, and POTATO.

What I learned from today's puzzle:

• REDS (64A: Elly De La Cruz's team) Elly De La Cruz is a shortstop for MLB's Cincinnati REDS. He made his MLB debut with the REDS in 2023, and was an All-Star in 2024 and 2025.
• HAKEEM (8D: NBA All-Star Olajuwon) HAKEEM Olajuwon is a former NBA player. He was drafted by the Houston Rockets, and played with them from 1984-2001. He also played for the Toronto Raptors from 2001-2002. During his basketball career, HAKEEM Olajuwon was an All-Star 12 times.

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• CAR (19A: "Fast ___" (Tracy Chapman song)) It's (always) a good day to listen to "Fast CAR," the lead single from Tracy Chapman's 1988 self-titled debut album.
• CREE (20A: Algonquian language) CREE is one of the primary languages in the Algonquian language family. It is spoken by over 85,000 people in Canada.
• BASS (30A: Kind of drum, fish or voice) Surely there's some sort of puzzle theme in these multiple meanings of BASS. (It's probably been done...)
• SHEA (42A: ___ Stadium (where the Mets used to play)) SHEA Stadium was located in Queens, New York City and was the home of MLB's New York Mets from 1964 to 2008. The New York Jets football team also played in SHEA Stadium from 1964 to 1983. SHEA Stadium was demolished in 2009 after the opening of Citi Field, which is the Mets current home.
• ECON (45A: H.S. course in demand?) There aren't necessarily a lot of students that want to take ECON, but those who do will study supply and demand.
• ONO (6D: "Odyssey of a Cockroach" author Yoko) Odyssey of a Cockroach is a 2005 book by Yoko ONO. The book contains photos from an art exhibition of the same name. Yoko ONO said, "The twentieth century was a century in which human experiment in cruelty reached its height. I have decided to be a cockroach for a day, and see what is happening in this city through its eyes."
• CHO (7D: Comedian Margaret) Margaret CHO's website describes her as "Comedian. Actor. Musician. Advocate. Entrepreneur. Artist." Her current stand up comedy tour is titled Choligarchy.
• GRAVEL (22D: Rocky road component?) GRAVEL may be a component of a rocky road, but please don't put GRAVEL in my Rocky Road ice cream.
• GILA (33A: River to the Colorado) The GILA River, a tributary of the Colorado River, flows through New Mexico and Arizona. 
• ADOPTED (40D: Brought home from the animal shelter) My cat, Willow, was ADOPTED from the animal shelter. She jumped up on my desk while I was writing this, so I told her we needed to do a photo session. The results were about what you'd expect when working with a cat.

• EPCOT (45D: Disney World theme park home to the World Showcase) I wrote about EPCOT's World Showcase on May 16, 2026.
• HOT (56D: Word repeated three time in a Buster Poindexter song title) Buster Poindexter was a pseudonym of David Johansen (1950-2025), the lead singer of the punk band the New York Dolls. As Buster Poindexter, he released a cover of the song "HOT HOT HOT" in 1987. (The song was written and first recorded by Arrow.) In the music video for "HOT HOT HOT," David Johansen appears as both himself and Buster Poindexter.
• Other clues and answers I especially enjoyed:
• RUED (26A: Thought "Welp, shouldn't have done that...")
• RELATE (63A: Say "it me," perhaps)
• TOURIST (3D: One who might fall into a trap?)
• RAM (41D: He absolutely loves ewe)

If YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT, I very well might be a TOUGH COOKIE, a BIG CHEESE, or a COUCH POTATO. I could also be pizza or ice cream. Thank you, Mike, for this enjoyable 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.)