July 9, 2026

Title: "LIKE AND SUBSCRIBE!" (Freestyle)

Constructor: Jess Rucks

Editor: Amanda Rafkin

Theme synopsis:

"LIKE AND SUBSCRIBE!" (Freestyle): There's no theme today, as this is a freestyle, or themeless, puzzle. The title is a nod to CONTENT CREATORS (58A: YouTubers and TikTokkers, e.g.).

And now a word from our constructor:

Jess: I'm a big fan of NPR's TINY DESK CONCERT series, so that was fun to include in the grid. Also, to my Minnesota friends and family: I apologize for the Packers inclusion. To my spouse: you're welcome for the Packers inclusion. Excited to see that my weird trivia for ERR stayed in the puzzle. Thanks for solving, hope you enjoyed it!

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• ADD (1A: Do some sums) and SOME (4A: "Sum" homophone) I appreciated the "sum" repetition here.
• CHATTERBOX (14A: Flibbertigibbet) Flibbertigibbet is a fun word! The word is derived from the Middle English word "flepergebet," which meant "chatterer." This is a fun clue for CHATTERBOX. This clue reminds me of the song, "How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?" from The Sound of Music. "How do you find a word that means Maria? / A flibbertigibbet? / A will-o'-the-wisp? / A clown?"
• TINY DESK CONCERT (16A: Stripped-down NPR music event) A TINY DESK CONCERT is exactly what it sounds like - performers give a concert behind a tiny desk in the NPR offices. In 2008, Bob Boilen, who at the time was the host of NPR's All Things Considered, was complaining about crowd noise at concerts and joked that folk singer Laura Gibson should perform at his desk. A month later he invited her to do just that, recorded the performance, and posted it online. The TINY DESK CONCERT series now includes over 800 concerts that are available on YouTube.
• ANNE (19A: ___ Braden (civil rights activist)) Raised in Anniston, Alabama in the 1920s and 1930s, ANNE Braden didn't question racial segregation until she went to college. She became a civil rights activist and dedicated herself to fighting for racial equality the rest of her life. She said, "Either you find a way to oppose the evil, or the evil becomes part of you and you are part of it, and it winds itself around your soul like the arms of an octopus... If I did not oppose it, I was...responsible for its sins."
• POPE (39A: "Da ___" (nickname for a world-famous Chicagoan) The current POPE, POPE Leo XIV, is a native Chicagoan born Robert Francis Prevost. He was elected as POPE last year.
• RAPPER (42D: Queen Latifah, e.g.) Queen Latifah released her debut album, All Hail the Queen, in 1989. It featured the single, "Ladies First."
• CAT CONDO (50A: Purr-fect spot for sleeping, playing and scratching) Here's a picture of Jess's cat, Milo, who I'm guessing believes (as my cat, Willow, does) that the entire house is a CAT CONDO.

• CHEESEHEAD (61A: Green Bay Packers fan) CHEESEHEAD is a nickname used for Wisconsin residents. The nickname refers to Wisconsin's abundant cheese production. It's said that CHEESEHEAD was first used as an insult, but residents decided to embrace the name, which has also come to be associated with fans of the state's NFL team, the Green Bay Packers. CHEESEHEAD hats (think large yellow foam triangles resembling cheese) are common sights at Green Bay Packers games. (Jess, does your husband have a CHEESEHEAD hat?)
• AFICIONADO (1D: Enthusiast) AFICIANADO is another great word. This word is borrowed from Spanish. The Spanish verb "aficionar" means "to inspire affection."
• DON'T GO AWAY (2D: "Stay tuned ... we'll be right back!") It occurs to me that in a sense, "DON'T GO AWAY!" is a precursor to "LIKE AND SUBSCRIBE!"
• MAKE GOOD CHOICES (6D: "Don't do anything I wouldn't do!") When I tell someone, "Don't do anything I wouldn't do!" I generally add, "Don't worry ... that gives you plenty of leeway." Essentially, "MAKE GOOD CHOICES ... but don't forget to have fun!"
• ARCANE (9D: Like knowledge that might elicit a "How on EARTH did you know that?!") My excuse for knowing ARCANE knowledge is usually that I have blogged about it!
• DASHI (17D: Japanese soup stock) Homemade DASHI is made by heating water containing edible kelp and other ingredients, and then straining the liquid. DASHI powder may be used instead of making homemade stock, and can be used as a base for miso soup, noodle broth soup, and other dishes. 
• TBS (25D: Channel with "Young Sheldon" reruns) Young Sheldon is a TV series that premiered in 2017. It is a spin-off prequel to The Big Bang Theory. Set in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the show follows Sheldon Cooper (who has a genius level IQ of 187, but a lack of social skills) as he grows up. In the first season of Young Sheldon, the title character is nine years old and in high school. The show originally aired on CBS, but TBS has aired reruns of the show since 2021.
• SUPER MARIO (29D: Game series with warp pipes and mushroom power-ups) Everything I know about SUPER MARIO, and all the other video games in the MARIO franchise, I have learned from crosswords.
• THE ROOTS (30D: Questlove's band) Questlove, whose name is sometimes stylized as ?uestlove, is a RAPPER, dj, record producer, and filmmaker. He is also the drummer for the hip-hop band THE ROOTS.
• ERR (34D: Omit the word "not" in "Thou shalt not commit adultery" (as happened in a King James reprint dubbed the Wicked Bible), say) Ha! This is a great clue for ERR. The Wicked Bible, also called the Adulterous Bible or the Sinners' Bible, was published in 1631. Fun fact: The Wicked Bible also contained an error in which the word "greatness" appears as "great-asse," making Deuteronomy 5:24 read, "Behold, the Lord our God hath shewed us his glory and his great-asse." Oops! The printers of the Wicked Bible, Robert Barker and Martin Lucas, were fined 300 pounds and their privilege for printing the Bible was revoked.
• ACUTE (45D: Not quite right?) A right angle is one that measures 90 degrees. An ACUTE angle is one that measures less than 90 degrees, so it is "not quite right."
• TYNE (51D: Actress Daly) TYNE Daly is perhaps best known for her role of Detective Mary Beth Lacey on the TV series Cagney & Lacey (1982-1988). She won four Emmy awards for that role.
• DEEDS (52D: Property documents) DEEDS is making back-to-back puzzle appearances. We saw it yesterday clued as [Ownership documents].
• THA (59D: "J to ___ L-O! The Remixes" (2002 album)) J to THA L-O! The Remixes contains remixes from Jennifer Lopez's first two studio albums, On the 6 (1999) and J.Lo (2001).
• Other clues and answers I especially enjoyed:
• YEAST (27A: Ingredient in beer and bread)
• ODE (33A: Poetic shoutout)
• LOYAL (44A: Like a friend who always has your back)
• I DO (65A: Likely response to "Who wants to go to Disneyland?")

I was going to say that CONTENT CREATORS fascinate me (and they do!), and then I realized that I am, in a way, a CONTENT CREATOR (though not on YouTube or TikTok). Well, how about that? CONTENT CREATOR is a job that didn't really exist when I was a kid since the Internet didn't exist! Thank you, Jess, 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.)