Ovens, Herbs and History
September 15, 2026 · 12×11 · Hard
Risqué, a bit spicy
No cake allowed
South Asian wrap
Boss, in Cockney
God of desire
Sucker at the fair
Feared Hun ruler
Ready the oven
Gobbled right up
French farewell word
Farthest from center
Anise-like herb
City of temples
Scottish cuppa
Top dog of the pack
Loath to act
Northern 'up to'
Money, or fresh word
Home turf of Nike
Old widow ritual
Tidy up the mess
Calm side, no wind
Cup's rim, or sass
Rx: equal shares
Carved clan pole
Six-winged angel
Genus of frogs
Book's big twist
As … usual
Sea eagle, in verse
Nile's source lake
Sonnet writer
Uncle Sam's land
Yo, my main man
Iced party cake
Kebab on a spit
Snare for a fox
The big moment
Earthy reddish-brown
Granny, in the UK
Porridge in a bowl
Ovens, Herbs and History — Solution
September 15, 2026 · 12×11 · Hard
Risqué, a bit spicy
R
No cake allowed
South Asian wrap
D
Boss, in Cockney
God of desire
G
Sucker at the fair
L
Feared Hun ruler
A
Ready the oven
Gobbled right up
P
French farewell word
A
D
I
E
U
Farthest from center
O
U
T
E
R
Anise-like herb
City of temples
C
H
E
R
V
I
L
Scottish cuppa
T
A
E
K
Y
O
T
O
Top dog of the pack
Loath to act
Northern 'up to'
L
A
I
T
H
Money, or fresh word
Home turf of Nike
T
Old widow ritual
Tidy up the mess
S
A
T
I
Calm side, no wind
L
E
E
C
O
I
N
Cup's rim, or sass
L
I
P
Rx: equal shares
Carved clan pole
A
N
A
Six-winged angel
R
Genus of frogs
E
Book's big twist
As … usual
P
L
O
T
Sea eagle, in verse
Nile's source lake
T
S
E
R
A
P
H
Sonnet writer
Uncle Sam's land
P
O
E
T
Yo, my main man
Iced party cake
Kebab on a spit
G
A
T
E
A
U
Snare for a fox
The big moment
T
R
A
P
D
O
N
E
R
Earthy reddish-brown
S
I
E
N
N
A
Granny, in the UK
N
A
N
Porridge in a bowl
O
A
T
M
E
A
L
Ovens, Herbs and History — The notes
September 15, 2026 · 12×11 · Hard
- RACYRisqué, a bit spicyRacy means daring or slightly indecent in tone, a joke, book, or outfit can be racy without being outright explicit.
- DIETNo cake allowedA diet is what someone eats regularly, especially a restricted one meant to lose weight or manage health.
- DHOTISouth Asian wrapA dhoti is a length of cloth wrapped around the waist and legs, traditional menswear across South Asia, especially India.
- GUVBoss, in CockneyGuv is British slang short for 'governor,' used informally to address a boss or superior, especially by cabbies and workers.
- EROSGod of desireEros is the Greek god of love and desire, son of Aphrodite; Freud later borrowed the name for the life instinct.
- LOLLIPOPSucker at the fairA lollipop is hard candy on a stick, meant to be licked rather than chewed.
- ATTILAFeared Hun rulerAttila the Hun led a vast empire in the 5th century and terrorized the Roman Empire before his death in 453.
- PREHEATReady the ovenTo preheat is to warm an oven to its target temperature before putting food in, a standard first step in baking.
- EATENGobbled right upEaten is the past participle of 'eat', food that has been consumed.
- ADIEUFrench farewell wordAdieu is a French word for farewell, borrowed into English for a more dramatic or old-fashioned goodbye.
- OUTERFarthest from centerOuter means farther from the center or on the outside, as in the outer layer or outer space.
- CHERVILAnise-like herbChervil is a delicate herb with a mild aniseed flavor, common in French cooking.
- KYOTOCity of templesKyoto was Japan's imperial capital for over a thousand years and remains famous for its temples and shrines.
- TAEScottish cuppaTae is a Scots dialect word for 'tea' in some regions (elsewhere it means 'to'); it's also the first syllable of taekwondo.
- ALPHATop dog of the packAlpha describes the dominant member of a group, from the Greek letter used to rank a wolf pack's leader.
- LAITHLoath to actLaith is an old or dialectal spelling of 'loath,' meaning reluctant or unwilling.
- TILNorthern 'up to'Til is dialect, especially in northern England, for 'until.' Unrelated to the sesame seed sometimes also spelled 'til.'
- COINMoney, or fresh wordTo coin can mean to mint money, or to invent a new word or phrase, 'coin a term.'
- OREGONHome turf of NikeOregon is a U.S. Pacific Northwest state, headquarters to Nike and known for its forests and coastline.
- SATIOld widow ritualSati was a historical Hindu practice of a widow immolating herself on her husband's funeral pyre; outlawed in the 19th century.
- NEATENTidy up the messTo neaten is to tidy something up, making it neat and orderly.
- LEECalm side, no windThe lee side of something is the side sheltered from the wind, opposite the windward side.
- LIPCup's rim, or sassLip is the rim of a cup or container, and informally also means cheeky backtalk, 'don't give me any lip.'
- ANARx: equal sharesIn old prescriptions, 'ana' is Latin for 'of each,' instructing equal parts of every listed ingredient.
- TOTEMCarved clan poleA totem is a carved pole or emblem representing a family, clan, or spirit, especially among Pacific Northwest peoples.
- SERAPHSix-winged angelA seraph is the highest order of angel in Christian tradition, depicted with six wings.
- RANAGenus of frogsRana is the taxonomic genus that includes many true frogs.
- PLOTBook's big twistA plot is the sequence of events in a story; a plot twist is a sudden, unexpected turn in it.
- PERAs … usualPer means 'for each' or 'according to', as in 'per hour' or the phrase 'as per usual.'
- ERNESea eagle, in verseErne is an old poetic word for a sea eagle, often found in older English verse.
- TANANile's source lakeLake Tana in Ethiopia is the source of the Blue Nile and the country's largest lake.
- POETSonnet writerA poet writes poems, verse shaped by rhythm, sound, and often rhyme.
- USAUncle Sam's landUSA is the abbreviation for the United States of America.
- PALYo, my main manPal is an informal word for a close friend or buddy.
- GATEAUIced party cakeGateau is a French loanword for a rich, often elaborately decorated cake, served at celebrations.
- DONERKebab on a spitDoner kebab is meat cooked on a vertical rotating spit, then sliced and served in bread, a popular fast food.
- TRAPSnare for a foxA trap is a device set to catch an animal, or more broadly any scheme meant to catch someone off guard.
- ITThe big momentIn 1920s slang 'it' meant magnetic sex appeal (the 'It Girl'). Here it means the climactic moment, as in 'this is it.'
- SIENNAEarthy reddish-brownSienna is a reddish-brown earth pigment, named after the Italian city of Siena where it was first sourced.
- NANGranny, in the UKNan is British informal for grandmother, distinct from the flatbread 'naan,' which is spelled differently.
- OATMEALPorridge in a bowlOatmeal is porridge made from ground or rolled oats, a classic breakfast dish.