Flavors and Faraway Places
September 5, 2026 · 12×11 · Hard
April 1st target
Tolling for noon
Spread by fleas
Highland valleys
Big day, circled
Sizzles in the pan
Old rupee subunit
Cures a ham
Playful primate
Hamlet's tragic love
Thirty teams, hoops
Symbol of peace
Fiery dance form
Dug for shipping
Wards off moths
Marches in lines
Done with zest
Mocks your rival
Energizing root
On the ship now
Sesame seed paste
Safe places to hide
Beer mug or surname
Land of red rock
King of fruits
Dog's paw trick
A toast … you
Cycle of rebirth
Take a chair
Machine for cotton
Wide flat valley
Tiny beach state
Drag into court
Agate shooter
Racket next door
Short for number
Smashing shop fronts
Prays in a convent
Double helix code
Bully's knuckle rub
Flavors and Faraway Places — Solution
September 5, 2026 · 12×11 · Hard
April 1st target
F
Tolling for noon
Spread by fleas
C
Highland valleys
Big day, circled
G
Sizzles in the pan
B
Old rupee subunit
A
Cures a ham
Playful primate
S
Hamlet's tragic love
O
P
H
E
L
I
A
Thirty teams, hoops
N
B
A
Symbol of peace
Fiery dance form
O
L
I
V
E
Dug for shipping
Wards off moths
C
A
N
A
L
F
L
A
M
E
N
C
O
Marches in lines
Done with zest
A
N
T
Mocks your rival
Energizing root
On the ship now
G
I
N
S
E
N
G
Sesame seed paste
D
Safe places to hide
T
A
U
N
T
Beer mug or surname
D
Land of red rock
King of fruits
U
T
A
H
Dog's paw trick
A toast … you
B
E
G
Cycle of rebirth
Take a chair
S
A
M
S
A
R
A
T
O
Machine for cotton
Wide flat valley
Tiny beach state
S
T
R
A
T
H
Drag into court
V
Agate shooter
A
G
G
I
E
Racket next door
Short for number
N
O
I
S
E
Smashing shop fronts
R
I
O
T
I
N
G
Prays in a convent
N
U
N
Double helix code
D
N
A
Bully's knuckle rub
N
O
O
G
I
E
S
Flavors and Faraway Places — The notes
September 5, 2026 · 12×11 · Hard
- FOOLApril 1st targetSomeone easily tricked, especially the target of an April Fools' prank; also a court jester in old tales.
- CHIMINGTolling for noonPresent participle of 'chime', bells doing this mark the hour, or someone chiming in adds their opinion.
- PLAGUESpread by fleasDeadly epidemic disease, historically spread by flea-infested rats, the Black Death killed millions in the 1300s.
- GLENSHighland valleysNarrow valleys, especially in Scotland, think misty glens in the Highlands.
- EVENTBig day, circledA planned happening or occasion, a wedding, concert, or championship game, for instance.
- BACONSizzles in the panCured, salted pork, usually sliced thin and fried until crisp, a breakfast classic alongside eggs.
- ANNAOld rupee subunitA former coin worth one-sixteenth of a rupee, used in British India and Pakistan before decimal currency.
- SALTCures a hamA mineral seasoning and preservative, used to flavor food or cure meats like ham; also 'worth your salt' means competent.
- BANDARPlayful primateHindi and Urdu word for monkey, it also appears in place names like Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei's capital.
- OPHELIAHamlet's tragic loveTragic young woman in Shakespeare's 'Hamlet,' driven to madness and drowning after her father's death.
- NBAThirty teams, hoopsNorth America's premier professional basketball league, made up of thirty teams across the US and Canada.
- OLIVESymbol of peaceSmall fruit pressed for oil; an olive branch has long symbolized peace, dating back to ancient Greece.
- FLAMENCOFiery dance formPassionate Spanish dance style from Andalusia, marked by intricate footwork, guitar, and hand-clapping (palmas).
- CANALDug for shippingA man-made waterway for boats and ships, like the Panama or Suez Canal, or the tube connecting your ear to your eardrum.
- CEDARWards off mothsFragrant evergreen tree whose wood naturally repels moths, also the national emblem on Lebanon's flag.
- ANTMarches in linesTiny, hardworking insect that lives in colonies and can carry many times its own body weight.
- GUSTODone with zestGreat enthusiasm or vigor, singing or eating 'with gusto' means doing it with real zest and energy.
- TAUNTMocks your rivalTo mock or provoke someone, often to get a reaction, trash talk on the field is a classic example.
- GINSENGEnergizing rootA root long used in traditional Chinese and Korean medicine, believed to boost energy and vitality.
- ABOARDOn the ship nowOn or into a ship, train, or plane, the classic boarding call is 'all aboard!'
- TAHINISesame seed pasteA creamy paste made from ground sesame seeds, key ingredient in hummus and baba ghanoush.
- HAVENSSafe places to hideSafe places offering shelter or protection, like a harbor from a storm, or a tax haven for money.
- STEINBeer mug or surnameA large, often ornate mug for beer, traditionally German, also a common surname suffix, as in Einstein.
- UTAHLand of red rockUS state known for its red-rock canyons like Zion and Arches, and as the birthplace of the Mormon church's settlement.
- MANGOKing of fruitsJuicy tropical fruit often called the 'king of fruits,' especially popular in South and Southeast Asia.
- BEGDog's paw trickTo plead desperately for something, also a classic dog command, alongside 'sit' and 'stay.'
- TOA toast … youA preposition showing direction or purpose, as in a toast, 'here's to you!'
- SAMSARACycle of rebirthIn Hindu and Buddhist belief, the endless cycle of death and rebirth that souls pass through.
- SITTake a chairTo rest your weight on a chair or seat, also a basic dog command, along with 'stay.'
- GINMachine for cottonShort for 'cotton gin,' the machine that separates cotton fibers from seeds, or a juniper-flavored spirit.
- STRATHWide flat valleyA wide, flat river valley in Scotland, broader and shallower than a glen; found in place names like Strathclyde.
- GOATiny beach stateIndia's smallest state, on the west coast, a former Portuguese colony known for its beaches and nightlife.
- SUEDrag into courtTo take legal action against someone, typically seeking money for harm or a broken agreement.
- AGGIEAgate shooterSlang for a marble made of agate, often used as the prized 'shooter' in games of marbles.
- NOISERacket next doorLoud or unwanted sound, a neighbor's late-night racket is a classic complaint about it.
- NOShort for numberTwo-letter refusal, or, capitalized as 'No.', a common abbreviation for 'number,' as in 'No. 1.'
- RIOTINGSmashing shop frontsPresent participle of 'riot', violent public disorder, often involving looting or smashing property.
- NUNPrays in a conventA woman who has taken religious vows and typically lives in a convent, devoted to prayer and service.
- DNADouble helix codeThe double-helix molecule carrying genetic instructions, discovered by Watson and Crick in 1953.
- NOOGIESBully's knuckle rubPlayful (or annoying) act of rubbing your knuckles hard on someone's scalp, a classic sibling prank.