August 17, 2026

Title: CHAOTIC SCENE

Constructor: Zhouqin Burnikel

Editor: Amanda Rafkin

Theme synopsis:

• OBEDIENCE SCHOOL (16A: Training place for puppies)
• OPEN SECRET (36A: Supposedly private but widely known matter)
• CHINESE CHECKERS (58A: Game played on a board shaped like a six-pointed star)

CHAOTIC SCENE: Each theme answer contains an anagram of the word SCENE: OBEDIENCE SCHOOL, OPEN SECRET, and CHINESE CHECKERS.

What I learned from today's puzzle:

• USA (24A: Hezly Rivera's Olympic team) Hezley Rivera is a gymnast. She was a member of Team USA's gold medal-winning gymnastics team at the 2024 Olympic Games. At 16 years old, she was the youngest member of Team USA at the 2024 Olympics.
• EAT (30A: Have some laziji) Laziji is a dish in Sichuan cuisine. It consists of small pieces of marinated chicken that are deep-fried and then stir-fried with dried Sichuan pepper, dried red chilies, garlic, and ginger.
• ANDIE (33D: "The Way Home" actress MacDowell) The Way Home is a TV series that premiered in 2023. Its fourth and final series aired this year. The show is a time travel drama in which three generations of women are trying to find their way back to each other while learning about their family's past. ANDIE MacDowell portrays Delilah "Del" Watson Landry.
• RAT (38D: Inflatable rodent seen at strikes) The use of an inflatable RAT at strikes has its origins in Plainfield, Illinois in 1989 with the International Union of Operating Engineers. An engineer's newsletter held a "Name the RAT" contest, and the winner was Scabby, referencing the term "scab" that refers to strikebreakers. 

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• BERRY (14A: Actress Halle) In 2001, Halle BERRY won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of Letitia Musgrove in the movie Monster's Ball.
• HORNE (21A: "Taskmaster" creator Alex) Taskmaster is a British comedy game show in which a panel of celebrities (mostly comedians) attempt to complete a series of challenges. The challenges are often absurd, resulting in hilarity. Our son introduced my husband and I to Taskmaster, and we've watched several seasons, therefore I knew this answer immediately. The show was created by Alex HORNE, who acts as the Taskmaster's assistant during the show. The Taskmaster is Greg Davies. Taskmaster premiered in 2015, and there have been 21 series so far.
• DMC (26A: Hip-hop's Run-___) Run-DMC is the hip-hop trio that was comprised of Joseph Simmons, Darryl McDaniels, and Jason Mizell. The group was active from 1983-2002, 2012-2014, and in 2023. Run-DMC was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007, and was honored with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016.
• SELA (27A: "The Fugitive" actress Ward) The Fugitive is a 1993 thriller movie about Dr. Richard Kimble (played by Harrison Ford) who is framed for the murder of his wife. SELA Ward portrays the wife, Helen Kimble.
• ASPEN (28A: Tree with trembling leaves) When it's windy, the leaves of ASPEN trees tremble, earning the tree the nickname "quaking ASPEN."
• CHINESE CHECKERS (58A: Game played on a board shaped like a six-pointed star) This clue stumped me for just a moment because it has been a very long time since I played CHINESE CHECKERS. Each point of the six-pointed star-shaped board is filled with a different color of marbles. The goal of the game is to move one's marbles across the board to the point opposite of their starting position.
• PETS (65A: Animal hospital patients) My cat, Willow, is not found of the animal hospital, but she does appreciate the PETS shoutout.

• LENT (5D: Period after Mardi Gras) Mardi Gras, also known as Shrove Tuesday, is the day prior to Ash Wednesday. Ash Wednesday is the beginning of the Christian observance of LENT, the period of time leading up to Easter. 
• ORCA (6D: Whale known for beaching itself to hunt) ORCAs are the apex predators of the ocean. They are highly intelligent and often hunt in groups to take down their prey. ORCAs have been known to temporarily beach themselves to attack seals and sea lions, before wriggling back to sea with their prey.
• PRENUP (7D: Doc outlining assets before marriage) That's "doc" as in "document," not "doc" as in "doctor." This clue did have me wondering what type of doctor would outline assets before marriage. Ha!
• OTTER (35D: Marine mammal that uses its chest as a dining table) An OTTER will float on its back while it eats, resting its food on its chest. This is an adorable habit.
• ALO (39D: Lululemon rival) I learned about ALO, a brand that makes yoga wear, from the May 6, 2026 puzzle. ALO is an acronym for "air, land, and ocean."
• ART DECO (42D: Style of Radio City Music Hall) Radio City Music Hall is a theater and entertainment venue in New York City. It is located within Rockefeller Center and is the headquarters for the Rockettes (a precision dance company). The ART DECO style building was designed by Edward Durell Stone and Donald Deskey. It opened in 1932.
• PALERMO (43D: Largest city in Sicily) PALERMO is located on the northwest coast of Sicily. The island of Sicily is one of Italy's twenty regions, and PALERMO is the region's capital.
• USC (52D: Tommy Trojan's sch.) USC is the University of Southern California, located in Los Angeles. Tommy Trojan is a life-size bronze statue of a Trojan warrior located in the center of the USC campus.
• KAL (61D: "House" actor Penn) In seasons three through five, KAL Penn played Dr. Lawrence Kutner on the TV show, House (2004-2012). His character on House had to be written out of the show in 2009 when Penn accepted the position of Principal Associate Director in the White House Office of Public Engagement for the Obama Administration.

The word CHAOTIC in today's title is acting as an anagram indicator. The letters of the word SCENE appear in a CHAOTIC order in each theme answer. It occurs to me that CHAOTIC SCENE might be an apt description of OBEDIENCE SCHOOL. Thank you, Zhouqin, for this enjoyable puzzle.

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