Today's Los Angeles Times crossword by Gail Grabowski and Bruce Venzke includes these answers:
HULLHOUSE ("Historic Chicago landmark co-founded by Jane Addams")
CABINFEVER ("Anxiety caused by confinement")
DECKOUT ("Dress fancily")
HOLDBUTTON ("Old phone feature for multiple calls")
The first words of those answers relate to the theme: SHIPSHAPE ("In tidy condition"). The word "shipshape" dates from 1769 and was originally "shipshapen." "Shapen" is the now-archaic past participle of "shape."
Overused words in this puzzle are ADD, AHA, ALE, ASP, CEL, ERN, HUE, ILE, INN, MRS, SEA, TEE.....and OREO.
Overused words in John Westwig's Daily News crossword are APE, ERR, ETA, ICE, ODE, PTA.....and OREO.
"Early riser" is MORNINGPERSON. The puzzle includes the names of four people with the initials AM: sportscaster ALMICHAELS, actress ALIMCGRAW, Wimbledon champion ANDYMURRAY and Sony co-founder AKIOMORITA.
The Universal crossword includes SPLINTERGROUP, SPLITINFINITIVE and BROKENPROMISE. Nit-pickers might complain that the theme answers are not in agreement because two of the phrases begin with a verb while the third phrase begins with an adjective. Far be it from me to be a nit-picker! (No sarcastic comments, please.)
The 13x13 NEA crossword includes the usual high number of overused words and foreign words: ABET, ADD, CASA, ERAT, ESTA, ICON, OBI, ODOR, RTE, SRA, TEST and TIER.
