July 29, 2026

Title: KNIVES OUT

Constructor: Enrique Henestroza Anguiano

Editor: Amanda Rafkin

Theme synopsis:

• HELL'S KITCHEN (20A: Manhattan neighborhood with a fiery-sounding name)
• HOT POCKET (38A: Microwaveable turnover that resembles a calzone)
• NUTTER BUTTER (53A: Sandwich cookie with wafers and a creamy filling)

KNIVES OUT: The last words in the theme answers (the ones on the way OUT) are types of KNIVES: KITCHEN KNIFE, POCKET KNIFE, and BUTTER KNIFE.

What I learned from today's puzzle:

• LAO (43A: Khao Niew cuisine) Khao niew, also known as Laotian sticky rice, is a staple in LAO cuisine. 
• TANGO (22D: Dance with boleos and ganchos) With the help of crossing answers, I was able to figure out that the dance here was the TANGO, but the terms "boleos" and "ganchos" are new to me.  These movements are types of foot play that can be added to the TANGO to make it more playful. A gancho is a hook; one dancer hooks their leg around their partner's leg. Boleos are sharp leg movements.

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• HELL'S KITCHEN (20A: Manhattan neighborhood with a fiery-sounding name) HELL'S KITCHEN is a neighborhood on the west side of Manhattan in New York City. The origin of the neighborhood's name isn't known for certain, but the neighborhood historically had a gritty reputation. 
• CTO (28A: Exec who oversees DevOps) DevOps refers to the integration of software development and information technology operations. These are tasks overseen by a company's Chief Technology Officer (CTO).
• NUTTER BUTTER (53A: Sandwich cookie with wafers and a creamy filling) Now I'm hungry for a NUTTER BUTTER!
• RHO (2D: 17th Greek letter) It's been a bit since I've heeded the puzzle's urging to brush up on the Greek alphabet. As the clue informs us, RHO is the 17th letter of the 24-letter Greek alphabet. It's followed by sigma, tau, upsilon, phi, chi, psi, and omega. (I attempted to do this from memory ... and only got two letters wrong.)
• LYRE (21D: Instrument with a distinct U-shape) I sometimes struggle to remember the difference between the LYRE and the lute. Both of these instruments have four letters, so I often confuse them when solving crosswords. Hopefully, this clue will help me remember that a LYRE is U-shaped, while a lute is shaped similarly to a guitar, with a body and a neck. The two instruments are related; the LYRE is in the lute family of instruments.
• SCRIBES (23D: Official copyists) and ITERATE (24D: Do something repeatedly) and ROTUNDA (25D: Circular building) Putting all of the theme answers on the right side of the puzzle (more about that later) made room for this fun trio of 7-letter words on the left.
• PERU (35D: Machu Picchu's country) Machu Picchu is a 15th-century citadel in southern PERU. It was constructed around 1450, most likely as an estate of Pachacuti, an Incan emperor. Machu Picchu is one of the most well-known examples of Incan architecture.
• LSU (49D: "Geaux Tigers!" sch.) The athletic teams of Louisiana State University (LSU) are known as the Fighting Tigers and the Lady Tigers. A common cheer for the sports teams is "Geaux Tigers!" (pronounced "Go Tigers!"). The spelling is a nod to "-eaux" being a common ending in French Cajun names.
• SAM (58D: "Bust Down" comedian Jay) I learned about comedian SAM Jay from the January 1, 2024 crossword. She co-created and co-stars in the Peacock sitcom Bust Down (2022).
• Other clues and answers I especially enjoyed:
• OFF-LEASH (6D: Like a dog park where pets run free)
• TREE HOUSES (29D: Backyard perches that might have "Kids Only!" signs)
• NEPO BABIES (30D: Successful folks who can't claim to be entirely self-made)
• EVIL (56D: Like a stereotypical villain)

I am a huge fan of the KNIVES OUT movies, and I hope Rian Johnson makes many more of them. Today KNIVES OUT makes a nice theme for this puzzle. I appreciate the choice to put all of the theme answers on the right side of the puzzle so the KNIVES are on their way OUT of the grid in a way. Thank you, Enrique, for this delightful 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.)