Sunday, May 24, 2026, David Steinberg

NEXT, PLEASE!

It's Sunday, and we have a puzzle with the theme of advancing one letter in a phrase one step, alphabetically. The affected letter is circled, but the change only happens in the Across answers. The original phrases vary from good - "controlled chaos" and "give me one reason" - to mundane - "contact lens" and "first class mail," and the converted phrases and wacky cluing vary similarly. The best are, maybe, FIRSTCLASSNAIL (Good name for a salon specializing in mani-pedis?) and GIVEMEONESEASON (Exasperated television producer's plea?). 

There were some bright spots in the fill - FORE (Warning after a slice), CAST (Musical group?), and LIPREADERS (Experts in body language?). And ONTHEAPPS (Using Tinder, Bumble, Hinge, etc.) was nice. But I took issue with the awkwardly clued AGO (Earlier), the rando DISK (coin, commonly), and "Stance that resembles a ballerina on one leg" (DANCERPOSE). I mean, isn't a ballerina standing on one leg a person in a DANCERPOSE? And yes, I know it's yoga.

Oh, I don't know. I got up on the wrong side of the bed, maybe, and this puzzle didn't do it for me. The theme answers all work fine, and the changed letters spell out "plus one," which is a nice touch, but somehow it just didn't sing to me. I won't say IHATEDIT, but I did say EWE a few times. At least it GOTDONE, and now I'm GUANACO on to tomorrow. See you then.

 

- Horace