Sunday, February 22, 2026 |

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Jill Rafaloff and Michelle Sontarp’s New York Times Crossword “Books of the Bible” — Eric’s Review

Jill Rafaloff and Michelle Sontarp’s New York Times Crossword “Books of the Bible” — 2/22/26 (Click to Embiggen)

If you’re into literature and Bible stories (not everyone’s cup of tea), this is the puzzle for you. And if, like me, you have a bit of knowledge about both topics, the theme answers fill in fairly easily:

• 24A [The Ten Plagues] DEATH ON THE NILE
• 31A [Sodom and Gomorrah] A TALE OF TWO CITIES
• 49A [Samson and Delilah] DANGEROUS LIAISONS
• 66A [Noah’s Ark] WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE
• 85A [Garden of Eden] THE AGE OF INNOCENCE
• 103A [Moses Parting the Red Sea] THE PRINCE OF TIDES
• 114A [Jonah and the Whale] THE GREAT ESCAPE

I found the theme answers reasonably clever. I don’t think I’ve actually read any of these books, but I’ve seen movies based on a few of them and I’m familiar with all the titles.

This puzzle is also for the people who complain about constructors using computer code to generate theme answers; I don’t know how you could code to come up with these.

Other stuff:

• 12A [Like pickles, but not cucumbers] ACIDIC Not BRINED.
• 61A [So-called “Hollywood of the South”] ATLANTA I’d not heard this, but it was easy enough to figure out. As a movie fan, the state tax incentives that draw so much production to states like Georgia, Texas and New Mexico is a good thing. As a taxpayer, I’m not sure the economic benefits are worth the cost.
• 76A [Like Constantinople, in 1930] RENAMED

• 19D [Glorify] EXTOL Not EXALT
• 25D [Gullible sort] NAÏF That’s just a neat little word.
• 78D [“Heeere’s Johnny!” announcer] ED MCMAHON For those of you who are too young to remember, McMahon was Johnny Carson’s sidekick on The Tonight Show from 1962 to 1992.
• 86D [Where boaters hang with bowlers] HAT TREES Not HAT RACKS

Doug Peterson’s LA Times crossword “SUPPLIES ARE LIMITED” – Kyle’s write-up

LA Times solution grid “SUPPLIES ARE LIMITED” – Doug Peterson – Sunday 02/22/2026

Thanks Doug for today’s puzzle. Our theme today reimagines two-word phrases as things that might be stocked in various businesses:

• 23A [Writing tablet at a cleaning service?] SCOURING PAD
• 29A [Copier sheets at a French restaurant?] CREPE PAPER
• 45A [Writing implements at a biotech lab?] GENETIC MARKERS. I feel an affinity for this clue/answer as I used to work in biomedical research, long enough ago that I can remember going over printouts of genetic sequences by hand to mark up.
• 66A [File holder at a music store?] ACCORDION FOLDER
• 93A [Metal fasteners at a culinary school?] KITCHEN STAPLES. Took me a moment to realize this plays on “staples” as in flour, sugar, etc.
• 107A [Adhesive roll at a watch factory?] TICKER TAPE
• 117A [Measuring device at a toy store?] PUPPET RULER

Nice how the second word in each answer can be something you could get at an office supply store, which adds a layer to the theme.

Notes on fill and clues:

• 1A [Commotion] FUSS <> 25A [Commotions] ADOS
• Hawaiian mini-theme at the top of the puzzle: 21A [City northeast of Mauna Loa] HILO, 26A [Coffee district west of 21-Across] KONA, 15D [Beadlike piece on a Hawaiian necklace] PUKA SHELL. That K at the KONA/PUKA crossing could be tough.
• 36A [Spots for daith piercings] EARS. As shown here:
• 41A [Catherine of “The Studio”] O’HARA. RIP 🙁
• 85A [Sch. that retired Caleb Williams’ No. 13] USC. He’s the Chicago Bears QB now. Williams won the Heisman Trophy at USC, hence his jersey number being retired.
• 115A [Home of the NHL’s Mammoth] UTAH. Founded in 2024, they played their first season as “Utah Hockey Club” before adopting the Mammoth name last year.
• 124A [Place for curlers] RINK. Timely with the Winter Olympics. A curling team is also called a rink.
• 11D [Juice box?] CHARGER. Nice.
• Glad I didn’t fall into the trap of throwing in AMINO for 104D [___ acid]. The correct answer here is FOLIC.
• 109D [Actress Blanchett] CATE. Just saw her in the puzzle last Sunday.