Tuesday, June 30, 2026, John Liber

My favorite clue today as I was solving was "Warning before your breaking point?" (ADOUT). That's a clever clue. Aside from that, though, most of them are fairly straightforward. I was briefly mad about "Easily broken" for FRAIL, because I mostly think about that adjective being used for people, but I looked it up and they gave some examples like "frail boats in a storm," and "a nations's frail economy," so I had to reconsider.

The theme of EMPTYWORDS, or "words that start with M and T" was fine. MACHINETOOLS was maybe the least "in the language," but it's perfectly cromulent. I have been meaning to sign up for an introductory class to learn to use the MACHINETOOLS at a maker space I joined, but I have not yet found the time.

I thought the upper middle was the weirdest, with its WIIU (Nintendo Switch predecessor), HOGCALLS ("Sooooey!" and "Here, piggy, piggy!"), and OUGHTTO (Really should). And can you look at GODARK (Suddenly cease all communication) without seeing it as "God ark?"

OK, I need to get on the road. Today's seven-hour drive from Rome to the Veneto will be a test of just how many espressos one human body can endure. 

See you tomorrow! Hopefully.

- Horace