August 8, 2026

Title: MAKING BISCUITS (Freestyle)

Constructor: Rafael Musa

Editor: Amanda Rafkin


Theme synopsis:
MAKING BISCUITS (Freestyle): There's no theme today, as this is a freestyle, or themeless puzzle. The title is a nod to CAT PERSON (14A: Counterpart to a dog lover).

What I learned from today's puzzle:
  • ETSY (13A: ___ witch (spiritual practitioner solicited via an online marketplace)) I am familiar, of course, with ETSY, but I had no idea one could use this online marketplace to hire a witch. Apparently ETSY witches can provide spells of good fortune, as well as spells of revenge. Fascinating.
Random thoughts and interesting things:
  • CAT PERSON (14A: Counterpart to a dog lover) Oh hey, it's me! My CAT, Willow, is quite happy I am a CAT PERSON.
A closeup of the face of a calico cat.
  • UNA (19A: "___ Velita" (Bad Bunny song)) Bad Bunny's song, "UNA Velita" ("A Little Candle"), was released in 2024. 
  • MARKER (20A: Sharpie or milepost) I was confused by this clue at first. I got the answer, but I thought, "I'm not familiar with milepost MARKERs (mistakenly thinking this was a brand of MARKERs like Sharpie is...). Oh, silly me! These are two different kinds of MARKERs. A milepost is a MARKER along a highway.
  • PICKLEBALL COURT (35A: Playing area that could devalue nearby properties due to unwanted noise) This clue made me chuckle. Although PICKLEBALL has been around since 1965 (oh hey, it's the same age as me!), the sport has experienced increased interest in the last few years. I'm sure this has led to the construction of more PICKLEBALL COURTs.
  • LENNON (41A: Beatles co-founder John) Before John LENNON's band became the Beatles, they were the Beatals (a tribute to Buddy Holly and the Crickets). Then the band changed its name to the Silver Beetles, then the Silver Beatles, and finally the Beatles.
  • PSI (42A: Greek letter hidden in "epsilon") This is a fun clue – a Greek letter hidden in a Greek letter. PSI is the penultimate (next-to-last) letter of the 24-letter Greek alphabet. It is found in epsilon, the fifth letter of the Greek alphabet.
  • COMIC (49A: ___ Sans (common font)) I have previously written about COMIC Sans, the font some people love to hate.
  • ACLU (1D: Org. fighting for human rights) I'm always happy to highlight the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), a nonprofit organization that works – through litigation and lobbying – to protect the individual rights of all people in the United States.
  • ETTA (3D: "Tell Mama" singer James) "Tell Mama" is the title track from ETTA James' 1967 album. 
  • KNEE (8D: Patella's joint) Patella is another name for kneecap.
  • ALI (9D: Actor Mahershala) Mahershala ALI has won two Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actor. The first was for his portrayal of Juan, a drug dealer in the 2016 movie Moonlight. His second Best Supporting Actor Oscar was for his portrayal of jazz pianist and composer Don Shirley in the 2018 movie Green Book. 
  • SUI (27D: Actress Chase ___ Wonders) I learned about Chase SUI Wonders last year.
  • ARCHIMEDES (28D: Greek mathematician who allegedly shouted "Eureka!") ARCHIMEDES (c. 287 - c. 212 BCE) was a Greek mathematician, physicist, engineer, and astronomer. He is sometimes referred to as the father of mathematics and mathematical physics. The exclamation "Eureka!" comes from Ancient Greek and means, "I have found it!" ARCHIMEDES is said to have uttered, "Eureka!" when he noticed that the water level rose when he stepped into the bath. This helped him to understand that the volume of water displaced was equal to the volume of the part of his body that was submerged, and he realized this fact could be used to determine the volume of objects of irregular size. The story goes on to say ARCHIMEDES was so excited by this insight that he leapt out of his bath and ran naked through the streets.
  • MEDUSA (33D: Mythological woman with snakes for hair) In Greek mythology, MEDUSA was one of three Gorgon sisters, all of whom had living venomous snakes for hair. Those who looked into the eyes of MEDUSA or her sisters, Stheno and Euryale, were turned to stone. MEDUSA, as the story goes, was beheaded by Perseus, who kept her head and used it as a weapon. 
  • TOPEKA (45D: Capital of Kansas) Fun fact: "TOPEKA" is a Kansa-Osage word that means "place where we dig potatoes."
  • A few other clues and answers I especially enjoyed:
    • NEED I GO ON (60A: "Do you want me to keep listing examples?")
    • RAIN (2D: Unfortunate forecast for a beach day)
    • COOKIES AND CREAM (7D: Milkshake flavor that might contain Oreos)
You know I'm going to be a fan of any puzzle that contains the entry CAT PERSON! The title of today's puzzle is a reference to the rhythmic pawing that some cats do to express contentment. Other terms for this action are "kneading" or "MAKING BISCUITS." At our house, we call this action "pushy paws." From one CAT PERSON to another, thank you, Rafa, 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.) 

Comments

Post a Comment