Fortified wine from Spain / SUN 9-20-26 / Island containing Kiribati's capital / Move fast, as a cloud / Burnable bog stuff / Violinmaker of Cremona / Sitcom character from Melmac / Old-timey teacher / Main squeeze, in newer slang / Online forum qualifiers such as /j ("joking") and /s ("sarcastic")

Constructor: Tracy Gray

Relative difficulty: Easy-Medium

THEME:"Rise to the Power" — numbers in familiar phrases are expressed exponentially—that is, there's a smaller number in the phrase itself, and then the appropriate EXPONENT (as its own answer) in the usual place for an exponent (i.e. up and to the right) (120A: Number written above and to the right of another number ... as seen five times in this puzzle?): 

Theme answers:

• SWEET TWO^FOUR  (Sweet Sixteen) (25A: With 23-Across, March Madness tournament round)
• WHOLE THREE^TWO YARDS (Whole nine yards) (37A: With 34-Across, full extent of something)
• "WHEN I'M FOUR^THREE" ("When I'm Sixty-Four") (64A: With 62-Across, Beatles classic with the lyric "Will you still need me / Will you still feed me")
• "THANKS A TEN^SIX" (Thanks a million) (78A: With 75-Across, "So very appreciated!")
• NINE^ZERO-ARMED BANDIT (One-armed bandit) (101A: With 97-Across, Vegas casino machine)

Word of the Day: MANZANILLA (77D: Fortified wine from Spain) —

Manzanilla is a fortified wine similar to fino sherry made in the port of Sanlúcar de Barrameda, in the province of Cádiz, Andalusia (Spain), and is produced under the Spanish Denominación de Origen Protegida (DOP) of Manzanilla-Sanlúcar de Barrameda DOP. In Spanish, a chamomile infusion is called "manzanilla"—this wine gets its name because the wine's aroma is said to be reminiscent of such an infusion.

Manzanilla is manufactured using the same methods as a fino sherry and results in a very pale, dry wine. It is often described as having a savoury and salty flavour, believed to develop from the chalky soil near the sea estuary of the Guadalquivir river. Sanlúcar de Barrameda's cool temperatures and high humidity contribute to a higher yield of flor yeast than in Jerez or El Puerto de Santa María. The thicker cap of flor better protects the wine from contact with the air, resulting in a fresher, more delicate flavour than a fino from Jerez. It is typically aged for three to five years in a solera, but some types may be aged longer. (wikipedia)

• • •

[101A]

Some of you are not troubled by arbitrariness in themes, but I clearly am. Why these exponents? Why this order? Why NINE (and not literally any other number) to the zeroeth power to express "one"? The theme answers themselves start off with a kind of pattern: first one has TWO in it, the next THREE, the next FOUR ... and then TEN and NINE. For some reason. Is there a reason? I always worry I'm missing some key feature that's tying everything together, some unifying ... something. This puzzle could really use a unifying something. It's like ... there's this (structurally) interesting idea here, i.e. the writing out of the exponents above and to the right of their respective BASEs (124A: Number with a 120-Across, mathematically). But ... that's it. It's just that. The revealer is totally unnecessary, in that it's obvious what's going on if you just solve the puzzle, but even though EXPONENT didn't reveal anything I didn't already know, it's at least a little cute that EXPONENT is itself in an exponential position, relative to BASE. I'll give the puzzle some cleverness credit for that. But beyond that, the core idea just didn't get an interesting enough execution. There should've been some extra oomph here, something to make the actual numbers involved seem like part of a meaningful whole, or progression. Also, seeing TWO (and FOUR and THREE) in the puzzle twice was ... less than entertaining. Again, if you're going to subject us to that kind of repetition, there should be a big-picture payoff, and I just don't see it. I also don't really understand what the title of the puzzle is supposed to evoke, what kind of wordplay is going on there. You can rise to power, of course, but the "the" kind of screws up that meaning. You can rise to the occasion. You can fight the power, or speak truth to power ... but "Rise to the Power" just seems like a literal description of what a BASE does. Whatever wordplay is supposed to be there is lost on me.

Only one thing in the grid I really didn't know today, and it made me make a face. I may still be making the face. The answer in question is TONE TAGS (4D: Online forum qualifiers such as /j ("joking") and /s ("sarcastic")). I did not know those had a name, and also ... I assumed the forward slash functioned the same way it does in HTML, where it basically closes or ends whatever function had been going on. Like, you bold text with <b> the text you want bolded </b>. The "</b>" is a closing tag. I've frequently seen "/sarcasm" in posts. I assumed the "/" functioned like "end." (so "/sarcasm" would be "end sarcasm"). I have never seen these hyper-abbreviated "/s" or "/j" examples, but then again, I am in "online forums" (fora) virtually never. I had TONE TA- and honestly thought the answer was TONE TALK. In a grid that is otherwise laden with pretty old names and fill, TONE TAGS stands out as a real anomaly. Something software would suggest. I don't dispute that TONE TAGS are real things. I just contend that the phrase is ugly, and today, wildly outlierish in its contemporariness. 

What old names, you ask? LAGASSE, ASSANTE, LAHTI, AMATI. Also, that particular LOLA (116D: Singer/dancer/actress Falana). You've also got musty stuff like MARM and SCUD as well as olde-timey oddities (AERONAUT) and geographical obscurities (TARAWA). Then there's ASPERSES, which is a real word, but not one that you would ever use. See also UNAWED, the real wordness of which I'm actually less sure of (really looks like a typo for "unwed"). I would love IT'S FOR THE BIRDS if that "IT'S" would just go away (awkward). Also, the clue on it is not quite right (15D: "Don't pay any mind to this"). "For the birds" suggests something far more negative than "ignore this" implies. If it's "for the birds," it's worthless. It's usually a blanket statement about some kind of behavior or activity. "Don't pay any mind to this" just doesn't have any of the slangy derisive energy of "for the birds." I did like TOP-FLIGHT and PLENTY MORE and TAKE A RAIN CHECK, all very colorful and colloquial.

Bullets:

• 14D: Island containing Kiribati's capital (TARAWA) — looks like this is an atoll that is (was?) famous because of a WWII battle (the Battle of TARAWA, surprisingly enough). It sounds ... gruesome.
• 45A: Defensive player who keeps an eye on the QB, in football lingo (SPY) — I had the "S" and tried to make SAF (safety?) happen.
• 131A: Move fast, as a cloud (SCUD) — I wrote in SCUT, another ugly word that means something totally different (either "the short, erect tail (as of a hare)" (merriam-webster.com) or "routine or tedious work" (thefreedictionary.com). Hard to imagine describing anything as "scudding" and being taken seriously. Then again, I guess that definition beats the only other definition of SCUD that I know (the missile definition, which anyone who was alive for the first Gulf War knows all too well).
• 17D: Feminine pronoun in Florence (ESSA) — Italian pronouns: not my specialty, apparently. I wanted ELLA here (that's a Spanish feminine pronoun, I believe). ELLA is also my daughter's name, but that's neither here nor there.
• 36D: With nary a chance (NO HOW) — making another quaintness-induced grimacey face. I should say that "nary" sounds quaint / twee, whereas NO HOW just sounds like standard slang. People who say "nary a" probably also say "methinks." There's a put-on-ness about it that sets my teeth on edge.
• 85D: Old-timey teacher (MARM) — MARMs probably say "nary a [whatever]"
• 82D: Main squeeze, in newer slang (BAE) — "newer"??? Well, that's a new(er) one. It's vague enough that it could mean virtually anything. Newer than what (besides "main squeeze," that is)?

• 109D: Kind of insurance for bridges (DENTAL) — this one fooled me for a while. I have had root canals and crowns, but I have yet to have a bridge installed in my mouth. Things to look forward to...

Dental bridges replace missing teeth. They can restore chewing function, enhance your appearance and improve your oral health. A dental bridge consists of crowns (that fit over your natural teeth on either side of the space) and artificial teeth (that “bridge the gap” in your smile). (The Cleveland Clinic)

That's all for today. Before I go, I just want to say a few words about the WFMU "Words Are For Crossing" crossword meet-up / fundraiser I got to be a part of this past Thursday. I've been listening to WFMU for about four years now—I discovered it by accident after Ronnie Spector died and a friend posted a link to a tribute show hosted by DJ Sheila B, and I got addicted to her show ("Sophisticated Boom Boom"), and then from there discovered other shows, including "The Evan 'Funk' Davies Show." Unbeknownst to me, while I was listening to Evan's show every week, Evan (a regular NYTXW solver) was reading my blog every day. Since WFMU hosts community / fund-raising events regularly in its space downstairs, Evan got it into his head to do a crossword meet-up. He knew me, and he knew longtime NYTXW constructor Gary Cee from when they worked at the NYU radio station in college, and so he pitched this meet-up idea where people would come and solve custom-made WFUM-related puzzles and just ... hang out. Solve the puzzles, talk about the puzzles, eat Oreos, listen to ENO ONO etc. Something smallish and very chill. It sounded fun, and I wanted to meet Evan and visit WFMU anyway, so I was in.

I think we were all unsure how it was going to turn out, who would come, etc. So when we ended up with a pretty full room full of enthusiastic solvers, I was thrilled. Overwhelmed, really. I've been to plenty of tournaments, but I don't think I've ever been at an event like this, where the vibe was relaxed and non-competitive and people were just having a good time doing the nerdy thing they like to do with other nerds. After each puzzle, whichever of us made it got to talk about it and take questions about it. People gave me a hard time about KEENED (solver: "How would you use 'KEENED' in a sentence?" Me: "uh ... 'I regret putting KEENED in my crossword puzzle'?") (it's a perfectly good word—just ask any banshee). 

But the real treat of the night was talking to other solvers. Veteran constructor (and language columnist) Ben Zimmer was there, so we got to catch up a little. I also got to meet Adam Vincent, who's had over half a dozen puzzles in the NYT since 2020. Adam, like every other person who introduced themselves to me that night, was warm and kind and said nice things about the blog. I just want to say to everyone who attended how grateful I am that you took the time to come to a random crossword thingie on a Thursday night in Jersey City. I'm grateful that you supported the station, of course, but also that you were all so nice to me. This was an idea that Evan just ... invented ... and it actually came off really nicely. Thanks for being part of that. I highly recommend the crossword meet-up as a format for doing something semi-organized with fellow solvers and constructors in your municipal area. Make a few locally-themed puzzles, get a few dozen local solvers to come out and solve them, maybe pass the hat for a local charity. No tournament stress, just good companionship and word-nerdiness. Do it, you'll enjoy it. 

So thank you David and Eve, and Jordan, and John, and George, and Warren, and regular blog commenter Hugh (who won one of the raffle drawings and got himself one of the WFMU shirts with the cool dog + cow logo). Thanks also to Rebekah and Beth for letting me sit at their table and eat their snacks—sorry your friend Allie couldn't be there; maybe next time. Above all, thanks to Evan, whose idea it was, and who ran the night so smoothly. I wouldn't normally go on at such length about a relatively small event, but the night really embodied everything I love about crosswords, and reminded me why I do what I do every day (20 years this Friday...). I hope I get to be a part of something like this again some day. It was a blast.

[Beth, me, Rebekah; not pictured, but there in spirit: Allie]

Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld

P.S. speaking of crossword community (which I was), it's once again time for the Boswords Fall Themeless League. Here's the pitch from Boswords founder John Lieb:

Registration for the Boswords 2026 Fall Themeless League is open! This 10-week event starts with a Preseason puzzle on Monday, September 28 and features weekly themeless puzzles -- clued at three levels of difficulty -- from an all-star roster of constructors and are edited by Brad Wilber. To register, to solve a practice puzzle, to view the constructor line-up, and to learn more, go to www.boswords.org.   

Like most people I've met in the world of crosswords, John is a very nice guy, and he runs a very well-loved tournament, so if you're a regular solver who's tournament-curious, give it a shot. This year's Fall constructor roster is *stacked*! Erik Agard, Ryan McCarty, Zhou Zhang, Rebecca Goldstein, Patti Varol, Rachel Fabi ... and many more. Honestly, top-tier. I can't wait to do these puzzles.

[Follow Rex Parker on BlueSky and Facebook and Letterboxd]
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Rattled, humorously / SAT 9-19-26 / Following the leader too closely, say / Mell Lazarus comic strip that ran for 46 years / One might be cut off by an orchestra / It didn't come with a calculator until 2024 / Players who account for a disproportionate amount of a mobile game's revenue, in lingo / Ocean predator with external teeth

Constructor: Hannah Slovut-Einertson

Relative difficulty: Easy-Medium

THEME: none 

Word of the Day: "MOMMA" (44D: Mell Lazarus comic strip that ran for 46 years) —

Momma is an American comic strip by Mell Lazarus that ran from October 26, 1970, to July 10, 2016. [...] The central character is Sonya Hobbs, an annoying, short, widowed, opinionated senior citizen mother with a controlling, nagging personality. Although Lazarus based the character on his own mother, when he showed it to her, she thought the character was based on his aunt, exclaiming, “You caught Aunt Helen to a tee!” [...] Momma was Lazarus' second strip; he had been publishing the syndicated strip Miss Peach since 1957. Debuting on October 26, 1970, Momma was initially distributed by the Publishers-Hall Syndicate, and later was handled by Creators Syndicate and published in more than 400 newspapers worldwide. // Creators Syndicate announced Momma's (and Mell Lazarus') death July 10, 2016, in a comic strip memorial that included other grieving comic strip characters. (wikipedia)

• • •

[omygod look at its stupid little smiley face! adorable! how is this not a popular cartoon character!?]

This one has some real high points, but also some features I either don't like or don't get. Why take beautiful animals like WHALES, with infinite cluing possibilities, and render them into some mobile gaming slang (??) with a paragraph-long explanatory clue? (15D: Players who account for a disproportionate amount of a mobile game's revenue, in lingo). I know everyone wants to be hip and now and current and with-it and "hello, fellow youths," but I don't get it. Just because you found a new clue for WHALES does not mean you found a good clue for WHALES. Let the WHALES swim free with the SAW SHARKs (34D: Ocean predator with external teeth). I have no idea what SAW SHARKs are, but at least I can both infer and picture it. Also, SAW SHARK reminds me of Watchmen, which I'm currently teaching in my comics class. Specifically, it reminds of this moment, when one of the detectives gets a phone tip on where they can find Rorschach (a wanted vigilante), only "Rorschach" is not what he hears ...

In the next panel, both detectives realize who the tip's about and go running out of the room. They do ultimately catch him and imprison, but that goes bad for pretty much everyone except Rorschach (he maims and kills a lot of his fellow prisoners and psychologically ruins his well-meaning psychiatrist before eventually escaping). Anyway ... SAW SHARK! Vivid. GUITALELE, though, shrug. Why does that obscure instrument need two names? Also, this is not the debut of GUITALELE. Yes, it's been five years, but that's the kind of word you gotta let rest for at least ten. It's not your word, it's a wordlist word, used mainly for that string of ultra-common letters on the end. If you want to put something cool in the puzzle, try UKITAR. That's a much better name, anyway, and it would be original! (UKITAR appearances in NYTXW to date: zero). 

Further, I think you get two "UP"s but you do not get three "UP"s, so this one exceeded the "UP" limit today (LIGHTEN UP, SHAPE UP, "I'LL SHUT UP"). The fact that all the "UP"s were terminal made the piling up of "UP"s much more noticeable (and irksome). Lastly, in the "boo!" department, VENEERED is a particularly ugly word, and I did not enjoy sitting and waiting and guessing what the last three letters of TEEHEE--- were going to be (29D: [Giggle]). TEEHEEING seemed possible. But no, we just get an extra, gratuitous titter part. TEEHEE is never good fill. Adding an extra HEE doesn't improve matters. 

OK, now I'LL SHUT UP (16A: End of a rant, perhaps) ... actually, no I'll continue, but in a much more positive vein. Because much of this puzzle is very fresh and fun and (importantly) far from dull. Those NE and SW corners (GUITARLELE excepted) are lovely, with the SW probably being the puzzle's best part. Real talky and voicey and sassy, and clean clean clean from top to bottom. I also loved the clues on OSCAR SPEECH (37A: One might be cut off by an orchestra) and EMPTY SUIT (31D: No-talent boss), and SHOOKETH, lol, that already feels dated, but it did make me laugh (the lag time on themeless publication, as I understand it from recent discussions with constructors, can be pretty long, so who knows when this puzzle was actually made—probably at least a year ago) (42A: Rattled, humorously). The slanginess continues with RETCON (a shortening of "retroactive continuity"), a common concept in various ongoing fictional universes (26D: Storytelling device that revises previously established facts, informally). There's a lot to like here, even if the ride gets a little bumpy in places.

Weird solve for me, as I came roaring out of the NW and then came to an awkward, abrupt stop. Wrench in the gears at the crossing of WHALES, BAD LOT, and VENEERED. Forward progress, completely thwarted. But then, also weird, instead of starting over with the short fill in some other section, I somehow looked at the clue for a long answer, 28A: Youngest congressional appointees ... and that was a gimme. Wrote in SENATE PAGES and couldn't believe it was right. So easy. From there, I was off and running again, down into the SE, then back up through the middle, eventually joining the SE and NW by settling all the WHALES / BAD LOT / VENEERED nonsense. That left the NE and SW corners, which were the best part, so I inadvertently saved the best for last—always nice to finish on a high note. Not much in the puzzle that I outright didn't know today. WHALES, obviously ... SAW SHARK, but that wasn't hard to guess ... OLUO is a name I've seen on bookshelves and thought "oh, so you want to be in crosswords, do you?" But I didn't remember it today. Otherwise, there's nothing particularly obscure about any of the grid content. Then again, I grew up with Rod CAREW on my baseball cards and "MOMMA" in my local newspaper, and Sidney LUMET's Dog Day Afternoon is one of my favorite movies, so it's possible the proper nouns were more me-friendly than they were you-friendly today.

Bullets:

• 12D: Following the leader too closely, say (CULTY) — a debut, and a good one! The context is ambiguous so when you finally stumble on the answer, it's a (to me, funny) surprise. 
• 20A: Runner's goal (HOME PLATE) — more ambiguity. First thought track & field "runner," then went way off-book and thought maybe we were dealing with a TV showrunner ... or a computer program, which runs, obviously ... in the end, it was just baseball—a baserunner.
• 19A: Siva ___ (traditional dance named for its country of origin) (SAMOA) — so, basically, [Five-letter country], got it? I was like "Siva SPAIN ... sounds wrong." Good instinct, me!
• 21A: Good-for-nothings (BAD LOT) — had the BAD and was so mad that I could not make a plural answer! BADDYS!? The two-word, non-"S"-ending group noun never occurred to me. Until it did.

That's all for today. I had a wonderful time at the WFMU crossword meet-up on Thursday night. I'll talk about it in greater detail in tomorrow's write-up, but for now, I'll just say that solving original puzzles with a roomful of your fellow nerds in a very relaxed, non-tournament setting, while eating OREOs and other less crosswordy snacks and listening to a carefully curated playlist of ONO, ENO, SADE, SIA, etc.—it was more fun that I could've imagined. The people who came out to solve and say hi were So Nice. There were even a couple of constructors there that I knew. We solved three puzzles (including one of my own) and after each one we'd put the solution up on a screen and (briefly) talk about it and take questions about it. All the puzzles were WFMU-themed (it was a WFMU benefit, after all). Anyway, people were disarmingly lovely to me. It was a fun night out. I hope we do it again next year. Thanks to Evan Davies, the WFMU DJ who arranged it all (and contributed a puzzle of his own—his first!) as well as Gary Cee, a longtime NYTXW constructor who contributed a puzzle as well. And thanks especially to the blog-readers who came out to solve and say hi. It meant a lot to me. (Also, if you were there and have pictures you’d be willing to email me, I’d really appreciate it)

[Gary, Evan, me]

See you next time.

Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld

[Follow Rex Parker on BlueSky and Facebook and Letterboxd]
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