This running compilation of answers in crossword puzzles that I have no or splotchy understanding of. The litmus test for inclusion is whether I would be able to answer, to my own satisfaction, what a given entry is. For instance, if someone were to ask me, “Who is Rita Ora?”, my answer would be, “She is a singer1 whose name appears often in crosswords.” That sort of answer would qualify for inclusion.
Some of the entries here, I may break off into their own pages, and maybe, given enough motivation, load up into Anki.
NYT Wednesday, June 24th, 2026
- gmo: genetically modified organism, pinkglow pineapples, GlofFish
- Tori Amos: Singer
- Enos: son of seth
- Tim Walz: governor and Kamala Harris running mate
- Ponzu: citrus based sauce in Japanese cuisine
- slr: camera type
- zara: fashion brand
- paul simon: musician
- eric carle: children’s author
- kit: fox species
- ramona shelburne: sportwriter
NYT Tuesday, June 23th, 2026
NYT Sunday, June 21st, 2026
- este: (Sp.) this
- Aiwa: legendary consumer electronics brand founded in Tokyo, Japan in 1951; famous for cassette recorders, boomboxes, and stereo systems during the 1980s and 1990s
- Ganesha (also Ganapati, Vinayaka): Hindu deity depicted with an elephant head; god of beginnings, wisdom, and good luck; remover of obstacles
- corn pit: farm-themed sensory play area; essentially a sandbox filled with corn kernels
- lotus root: crunchy, starchy rhizome of the lotus plant, popular in Asian cuisine
- serape (also sarape): a long, blanket-like shawl or cloak, brightly colored with distinct stripes and fringe ends; traditionally Mexican
- ECG (also EKG): electrocardiogram
- Yani Tseng: Taiwanese professional golfer; became the youngest player to win five major championships
- Adler Planetarium: astronomy museum on the Museum Campus in Chicago, Illinois; opened in 1930 as the first modern planetarium in the Western Hemisphere
- acacia: genus of trees and shrubs in the pea family (Fabaceae); known for a distinctive umbrella-like canopy; a primary food source for giraffes
- jaune: (Fr.) yellow
- Atom Ant: Hanna-Barbera animated superhero character; a tiny ant with superhuman strength; debuted 1965
- Peabo Bryson: American R&B and soul singer known for romantic ballads and Disney theme collaborations (Beauty and the Beast, A Whole New World)
Footnotes
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Writing this, I did look up Rita Ora, whom I had assumed was either a singer of the 1930s-40s, to find out she was born in 1990. ↩