BEQ 10:42 (Eric) 
[3.00 avg; 3 ratings] rate it
Fireball unknown (Jenni) 
[4.30 avg; 5 ratings] rate it
LAT tk (Gareth) 
[3.25 avg; 4 ratings] rate it
NYT 8:08(ZDL) [3.28 avg; 16 ratings] rate it
Universal 5:29 (Eric) [2.90 avg; 5 ratings] rate it
USA Today 7:33 (Emily) [3.00 avg; 1 rating] rate it
WSJ 9:30 (Jim Q) 
[2.30 avg; 5 ratings] rate it
Amie Walker and Darby Ratliff’s Universal Crossword “Themeless Week, Puzzle 4” — Eric’s Review
Amie Walker and Darby Ratliff’s Universal Crossword — 4/2/26 (Click to Enlarge)
Yeesh! (Hey there, Matt Gaffney!) You might think that having reviewed the Tuesday puzzle in Universal’s Spring 2026 Themeless Week, I wouldn’t have spent any time pondering the theme of the Thursday puzzle. But you’d be wrong.
In my defense, I just made plans for brunch tomorrow and there are TEA, PANCAKE and BATTER in some of the first entries I got — so it’s not totally ridiculous for me to have found a breakfast connection where there isn’t one.
This was a little easier than I prefer my themeless puzzles, but it’s nicely filled. Stuff that drew my attention:
- 12A [ “I’m ready to hear some gossip!”] SPILL THE TEA The sense of “tea” as gossip to be spilt (or not) is something I picked up from crosswords. Sometimes I feel hopelessly out of touch with my gay brethren.
- 16A [Entertainment setup that typically includes surround sound] HOME THEATER Our previous house was built in the 1930s, so it’s not surprising that there wasn’t really a place for a large TV. Our current home is a little over 25 years old; you’d think they’d have taken media into account more than they did.
- 18A [Biceps’s limb] ARM Kudos to the Universal editors for the two esses in “biceps’s.”
- 19A [“___ on Down the Road” (“The Wiz” song)] EASE I’ve never seen that show, but that song was a big enough hit that I still sort of know the melody (at least for the refrain).
- 22A [Distraction at home?] HEY BATTER BATTER Cute clue.
- 38A [SXSW’s state] TEX Among the many things that I do not miss about living in Austin is having to negotiate downtown when there’s something like SXSW going on. And in the spring, it seemed like there was always something like that going on.
- 60A [Point guard for the Golden State Valkyries] KAITLYN CHEN I didn’t recognize that name (or her WNBA team, for that matter). She looks to have an impressive pro career ahead of her.
- 2D [“The Fairly OddParents” character Turner] TIMMY I assume this is some children’s book or series that I’ve never heard of.
- 12D [Onetime Iranian ruler] SHAH Well, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei wasn’t going to fit, was it?
Evan Birnholz’s Fireball Crossword “Cuckoo Crossword” – Jenni’s write-up
It’s April 1st and this is the Fireball’s annual exercise in lunacy. Most of this puzzle is utter nonsense.
Fireball crossword, April 1, 2026, Evan Birnholz, “Cuckoo Crossword,” solution grid
- 1a [Wiccans supporting the “Evil Woman” band, e.g.] are PAGANS FOR ELO.
- It’s possible we have one of those first entry/last entry minithemes, because 45a [Donkeys’ papal jurisdiction] is ASSESS HOLY SEE. I mean, religion? Maybe?
- 22a [Opponent of a yogurt-based side dish] is RAITA FOE.
- 30a [NPR performance featuring a wee Scottish girl] is TINY LASS CONCERT.
- 38a [Six-pack muscles that are a part of guys’ bodies] are ABS IN MEN.
I did actually find something for “what I didn’t know before I did this puzzle” in one of the few non-cuckoo entries. I did not know that Kyra Sedgewick’s character in “The Closer” is named BRENDA.
Joe Marquez’s New York Times crossword — Zachary David Levy’s write-up
Time: 8:08
Difficulty: Breezy (<8m) | Easy-ish (8-9m30s) | Working on it (9m30s-11m) | Rough going (11+m)
Joe Marquez’s New York Times crossword, 4/2/26, 0402
Today’s theme: LAUGH LINES (Facial wrinkles … or what’s present in 16-, 22-, 36- and 50-Across?)
- W HA! T HA! VE WE HERE
- T HA! T SHIP HA! S SAILED
- W HA! LE S HA! RKS
- T HA! NKS BUT NO T HA! NKS
Very nice — the revealer is on point, and I can’t remember seeing a prior puzzle that substituted letter groups with darkened borders in this fashion.
Cracking: JOYRIDE
Slacking: really not much to complain about here, aside from maybe LTE and LGA in short down proximity
Sidetracking: ARTISANAL
Brendan Emmett Quigley’s Crossword #1875 “Whip-Roaring” — Eric’s Review
Brendan Emmett Quigley’s Crossword #1785 “Whip-Roaring” — 4/2/26 (Click to Enlarge)
The title nicely summarizes the trick here. The play on “rip-roaring” (“full of energy and vigor”) suggest that the letter R is replaced by WH:
- 17A [Potter’s aid on a griddle?] SIZZLE WHEEL Sizzle reel (a short, usually flashy video used to promote a product, service, proposed project, etc.)
- 24A [Reduced-price hit job?] DISCOUNT WHACK Discount rack
- 39A [Blending efficiency in the kitchen?] WHISK MANAGEMENT Risk management
- 50A [Seasonal bridal hue?] WHITE OF SPRING Rite of Spring
- 61A [Near miss on a Stratocaster?] GUITAR WHIFF Guitar riff
- The theme is nothing we haven’t seen before, but DISCOUNT WHACK, WHISK MANAGEMENT, and GUITAR WHIFF amused me well enough.
Other stuff:
- 14A [“Invisible Cities” author Calvino] ITALO I’ve never read anything by this Italian novelist (1923 – 1985), but with the last name in the clue, he’s a gimme.
- 43A [Comedian Funches] RON That’s a new name for me.
- 46A [“Down in the DM” rapper] YO GOTTI Maybe I’ve heard of him?
- 56A [The Minutemen guitarist/singer (who used an initial for his first name)] D. BOON I’ve heard of that 1980s punk band, but know nothing about them.
- 58A [Drink served in a chanoyu ceremony] TEA “Chanoyu” seems to be just one of the names for what is called a “tea ceremony” in English.
- 69A [Bears coach Johnson] BEN Another name I didn’t know; I’ve paid almost no attention to pro football in the last 10 years or so. He only became the head coach in Chicago a little over a year ago.
- 64D [“Not ringing a bell”] WHO? My reaction to a lot of crossword answers.
- 4D [THX opposite] PLZ Not PLS.
- 6D [Crocodile Hunter Steve] IRWIN I could sort of picture the guy but needed a few crosses to drag up his name.
- 10D [Wish-granting machine in “Big”] ZOLTAR I’ve only seen that movie once and it was a long time ago. A few days ago, I read that Robert DeNiro was considered for the Tom Hanks role. I can kind of see that.
- 11D [Long-running event at school?] TRACK MEET Cute clue.
- 32D [NBA franchise for which Brook Lopez is the highest scorer] NETS I’d never hear of Lopez, but the N from the gimme 30A HARTMAN made the Brooklyn Nets a safe guess.
- 35A [Female ally on a social outing] WING WOMAN A new term for me, but easily inferable fro the more familiar “wingman.”
- 36A [Jazz Count] BASIE I have to wonder why this wasn’t clued more ambiguously, like [Count in jazz].
Christopher Youngs’s Wall Street Journal crossword, “It’s Like Poetry” — Jim Q’s write-up
THEME: Rhyming _____ & _____ phrases
WSJ • 4/2/26 • Thurs • “It’s Like Poetry” • Christopher Youngs • solution • 20260402
THEME ANSWERS:
- SHAKE AND BAKE
- WINE AND DINE
- PUMP AND DUMP
- MEET AND GREET
Quite surprised to see a theme as basic as this on a Thursday. Nothing wrong with it per se, but boy I kept thinking I was missing something. Part of me still thinks I am. I mean, there’s a ton of phrases that meet this criteria, no? So I’m also wondering why these stand out? They don’t seem connected in any other way than the fact that they share the same rhythmic and rhyming pattern.
Nonetheless, it was a fun solve. Thursdays can trip me up pretty bad sometimes. This was no exception.
HANGUPS / MUSINGS:
- [Easy mark] PATSY. I just finished directing Spamalot. King Arthur’s loyal companion in that show (and Monty Python and the Holy Grail) is none other than PATSY, who is quite a sap in many ways.
- [“We’ll return to that idea later”] PUT A PIN IN IT. Took me forever to see this phrase. Probably because I don’t hear it or say it often, though it rings a bell of familiarity.
- [Decisive trials] LITMUS TESTS. Took me way too long to see this. Having ARTE for ASTI certainly didn’t help.
- [Stars on ice setting] DALLAS. Had no clue this was a thing.
- [Bridge expert] DENTIST. Nice!
- [Wanders in ATL] TSA. Slow clap for this clue. Not often you see a TSA clue that is fresh like this.
- Some difficult proper nouns for me: MOHS, MCMAHON, ODESA, HONDA as a [Passport producer]… which I assume is a model? I dunno. Actually in retrospect- names were all fairly crossed and inferable.
The cleanliness of the grid and the Thursday bite in the clues made up for what could easily pass as a Monday theme.
3 stars.
Stella Zawistowski’s USA Today Crossword, “Finishing Touch” — Emily’s write-up
High five!
USA Today, April 02, 2026, “Finishing Touch” by Stella ZawistowskiTheme: each steamer ends with a type of touch
Themers:
- 24a. [Not drawing more cards, in poker], STANDINGPAT
- 39a. [Blend of spices applied to meat], BARBECUERUB
- 51a. [Question to someone who’s been a bit under the weather], HOWDOYOUFEEL
Today’s themer set includes STANDINGPAT, BARBECUERUB, and HOWDOYOUFEEL. I needed a few crossings for each though some solves could probably fill them right away. Nice set!
Favorite fill: PEPITAS, OUTTAKE, and SASSED
Stumpers: NEWB (always think of it as “noob” or “n00b”), TACIT (needed crossings since it been a while that I’ve encountered it), and TIEBAR (new to me)
A fantastic puzzle today that was a very smooth song for me, with easy cluing, even though the Phil felt a bit more advanced. Everything was fairly crossed, so no real tricky spots for me. Also enjoyed the grid design that allowed for the dynamic layout and lengthy bonus fill.
4.5 stars
~Emily
Puzzle: NYT; Rating: 3 stars
I understood the missing letters pretty early on but did not know how it actually worked until I got to the revealer. The spaces between the dark lines confused me even though the downs pretty much fell into place. Solid if not overly funThursday.
Puzzle: NYT; Rating: 1.5 stars
Bold lines? Ugh.
The missing letters in the NYT were obvious from the outset, but I wondered what I was going to have to do to get a correct solution. And the answer was — nothing! So, meh.
I had CBS before TBS (no idea about the show in the clue) but that didn’t take long to correct.
I think TBS in from the WSJ? I didn’t have it either, wavering in my case between CBS and (less likely) PBS. (Oops. Now I’m seeing it in both. Sorry.)
The NYT is a whole Will Shortz Bible, with Tolkein, Star Wars, Disney, and more. I hated it. He should grow up.
It’s kinda hard to clue JEDI & ORC outside of those spaces.
…
What is going on with the Universal puzzle? I’m getting a 404 – page not found error.
Puzzle: Universal; Rating: 1 star
Is the Universal puzzle down? I’m getting a 404 error.
Don’t leave a 1-star rating for a puzzle you haven’t done!
I clicked the Universal Across Lite link in Fiend’s Today’s Puzzles page and the puzzle downloaded normal. If you’re failing to get the puzzle elsewhere, try our downloads page.
Thanks for the response.
From the Fiend website, I click on the website link and it sends me to:
https://syndication.andrewsmcmeel.com/puzzles/crosswords
This page displays the following message:
Error 404
This page does not exist.
This is how I have been accessing the Universal puzzle for a long time. The download option downloads a .puz file. I don’t have an app to open it.
Across Lite is free to install here:
https://www.litsoft.com/across/alite/download/
Thank you! I downloaded it and it works well. The link to the online puzzle still doesn’t work but now I have a work around.
NYT: Not a fan of this one. I guess I just find it annoying when the puzzle boils down to “how do I work the letters I can see are missing into the grid?” I went with rebuses that worked in only one direction – no joy. Had to settle for the solution with the gibberish theme entries – ugh! I was willing to accept the gibberish recently for the “flip the bird” theme, but today’s is just unsatisfying.
I feel like I’m missing something in the FB puzzle. I see something in a couple of entries and can’t crack the code
TINYLASSCONCERT – LASS for DESK?
SASQUATCHWATCH – SASQUATCH for SWATCH?
TROUTTRIANGLES – TROUT for RIGHT?
ABSINMEN – MEN for THE?
Any help?
As Jenni succinctly put it in her review, “Most of this puzzle is utter nonsense.” I don’t think those answers are supposed to make any sense.
Evan Birnholz sometimes reads these reviews, so maybe he can explain if there’s an actual theme other than “cuckoo-ness.”
I only started subscribing to the Fireball puzzles this year. I think this was my fastest time with one of them, and possibly the first time I didn’t end up checking answers to finish the puzzle.
It was a very fast FB for me, too. The density of the “cuckoo” entries would make it pretty difficult, I imagine, to have a broader theme but Evan is pretty clever when it comes to word play and construction
MEN subbing for THE in ABSINTHE is the one that really got me thinking
Before Sunday WaPo Evan had a regular series of puzzles called Devil Cross. I don’t see access to them any longer. Maybe he’ll turn you on to some. I think you’d enjoy them. I did
Puzzle: Fireball; Rating: 4 stars
Re: Fireball
From the email that Peter Gordon sent with this week’s puzzle:
“IMPORTANT: In this puzzle, most of the answers are made-up words and phrases. For example, the clue “Stupid plane” would lead to the answer DUMBJET, and “Similar to cartoon character Fudd” to ELMERIC. Normal answers are clued in the regular way.”
This isn’t intended as a meta-style puzzle, with themed answers; it’s a mashup of lots of long entries, enabled by eliminating the usual requisite that the fill makes sense.
That’s why it’s the standard April Fools puzzle from the Fireball Gang.
For those piggybacking on other subscribers’ puzzles, I can’t possibly encourage making the $42 commitment, enough. The forty-two bucks gets you 45 puzzles, and supports Peter’s efforts to continue to provide first class challenges, all year round.
Thanks. I should’ve paid more attention to the email
I’d be interested to hear about the construction process and how Evan came up with the phrases he used. It’s actually really hard to think up that many gobbledygook phrases when you try and do it.
For this one I just started with one punny seed answer (SASQUATCH WATCH) and built the rest around it, so there wasn’t an intended mini-theme with PAGANS FOR ELO and ASSES’ HOLY SEE as Jenni suspected.
Most of the time with the Cuckoo Crossword, the process is trial-and-error to see which words I can get to cross the long stacks (while making legit short entries), then seeing which words I can combine to make plausible-sounding and hopefully funny phrases that can be clued in a straightforward way. If the resulting phrase is too forced or if it’s a grammatical nightmare to clue in my head, then I take it out, rinse and repeat.
Puzzle: LAT; Rating: 3.5 stars
LAT: Clever theme that I haven’t seen before, though the grid size forced a lot of very short fill.
Adorbs. Referring to “Face/Off” as a slasher film is just cute af. That’s the stuff, right there.
Great theme, great execution. And that grid–that’s the kind of grid you, like, study.
Puzzle: WSJ; Rating: 1 star
Very often I can’t get the WSJ link to work, today is an example. I tried it on two browsers and nothing happens when I click on it. This happens more times than not lately. It would be nice if someone would get back to me. I have posted comments but don’t always get back in to check for responses. You have my email address.
Hi Jeff- If you’re having trouble, you can always go to the WSJ website and find the puzzle there for free. I don’t like their applet, so I use the Crossword Scraper extension to download and solve in AcrossLite.
I’m a bit confused by the rationale for the one star review… is your review based on the fact that the link frustrates you? Because that has nothing to do with the puzzle or its creators at all.
Are you trying to download the .puz file? If so, what happens when you try.
Jim,
Why not use the AcrossLite version posted here?
Creature of habit I suppose?
You may be referring to the WSJ link on the Crossword Fiend website to read a puzzle’s analysis. If nothing happens when you click that link, it’s because the reviewer hasn’t posted a review. You will notice tk next to the reviewer’s name – not sure what it stands for, but it indicates that the review hasn’t been done. That was the case for this puzzle if you looked at it first thing in the morning on Tuesday. I came back to check today and the review was there.
“Tk” is newspaper lingo for “to come.”
The fact that a jump link at the top of the post doesn’t lead you to the review doesn’t always mean that the review isn’t up. We have to put a small piece of HTML code in the body of the review. Sometimes we forget (or put the wrong bit of code).