Relics, Riddles and Rarities
October 13, 2026 · 12×11 · Hard
Short-wool alpaca
Tactful envoys
Ghost-pale skin
Lightbulb moment
Genre of Aretha
Gaelic for son of
Copies a voice
Raj infantryman
Autograph tools
Sprint or pinch
Clumsily imitative
Stage whisper
Nordic flatpacks
Mafia crew boss
Octopus's phylum
5,300-year-old mummy
Bluntly urinates
Seasoned experts
Thin milk or glance
Texted cackle
White china clay
A defining era
Childish bully
Old word for pantry
Bloody cocktail
Power networks
Spanish seaside word
Savory meat in jelly
A folksy truth
Ditto old-style
Within arm's reach
Hat or a ceiling
Toddler's tinkle
Flips a matrix
Eyeing this word
Key amino acid
2016 Games host
Sports TV giant
On a film poster
Monitors blood sugar
Baby's first bedroom
Elite fighter pilot
Relics, Riddles and Rarities — Solution
October 13, 2026 · 12×11 · Hard
Short-wool alpaca
P
Tactful envoys
Ghost-pale skin
D
Lightbulb moment
Genre of Aretha
A
Gaelic for son of
M
Copies a voice
Raj infantryman
M
Autograph tools
Sprint or pinch
P
Clumsily imitative
A
P
I
S
H
Stage whisper
Nordic flatpacks
A
S
I
D
E
Mafia crew boss
Octopus's phylum
C
A
P
O
5,300-year-old mummy
I
C
E
M
A
N
M
O
L
L
U
S
K
Bluntly urinates
Seasoned experts
P
I
S
S
Thin milk or glance
Texted cackle
White china clay
L
O
L
A defining era
Childish bully
E
P
O
C
H
Old word for pantry
S
K
I
M
Bloody cocktail
Power networks
M
A
R
Y
Spanish seaside word
Savory meat in jelly
S
A folksy truth
Ditto old-style
A
D
A
G
E
Within arm's reach
O
Hat or a ceiling
Toddler's tinkle
C
A
P
D
O
Flips a matrix
Eyeing this word
T
R
A
N
S
P
O
S
E
Key amino acid
2016 Games host
L
Y
S
I
N
E
Sports TV giant
On a film poster
E
S
P
N
R
I
O
Monitors blood sugar
D
I
A
B
E
T
I
C
Baby's first bedroom
N
U
R
S
E
R
Y
Elite fighter pilot
A
C
E
Relics, Riddles and Rarities — The notes
October 13, 2026 · 12×11 · Hard
- PACOShort-wool alpacaPACO names a short-fleeced alpaca, as opposed to the long-haired suri variety.
- DIPLOMATSTactful envoysDiplomats represent their country abroad and smooth over disputes without raising their voice.
- PALLIDGhost-pale skinPallid describes an unhealthy paleness, often from illness, shock, or too little sun.
- AHLightbulb momentAH here is the little gasp of sudden understanding, an aha moment of realization.
- SOULGenre of ArethaSoul music grew from gospel and R&B; Aretha Franklin earned the title Queen of Soul.
- MACGaelic for son ofMAC prefixes many Scottish and Irish surnames, meaning son of, as in MacDonald.
- MIMICCopies a voiceTo mimic is to imitate someone's speech, gestures, or manner, often for comic effect.
- SEPOYRaj infantrymanA sepoy was a local soldier serving under British or other European command in colonial India.
- PENSAutograph toolsPens hold ink and are what stars reach for when signing autographs for fans.
- DASHSprint or pinchA dash is a short sprint, and also a small pinch of an ingredient in cooking.
- APISHClumsily imitativeApish describes behavior that awkwardly copies someone else, like a bad impression.
- ASIDEStage whisperAn aside is a remark a stage character makes directly to the audience, unheard by others onstage.
- IKEANordic flatpacksIKEA is the Swedish retailer famous for self-assembly furniture packed flat in cardboard boxes.
- CAPOMafia crew bossA capo leads a crew within a Mafia family, ranking below the boss and underboss.
- MOLLUSKOctopus's phylumMollusks include octopuses, clams, and snails, defined by a soft body often protected by a shell.
- ICEMAN5,300-year-old mummyOtzi the Iceman is a naturally mummified body found frozen in the Alps in 1991.
- PISSBluntly urinatesA blunt, informal verb for urinating, also used loosely to mean annoy or anger someone.
- PROSSeasoned expertsPros are professionals skilled enough to be paid for what others do as a hobby.
- SKIMThin milk or glanceTo skim is to read quickly without detail, and skim milk has had the cream removed.
- LOLTexted cackleLOL stands for laughing out loud, the go-to shorthand for amusement in texts and chats.
- KAOLINWhite china clayKaolin is a fine white clay used to make porcelain and as a filler in paper and paint.
- EPOCHA defining eraAn epoch is a distinct period marked by notable events, like the digital epoch.
- MEANIEChildish bullyA meanie is a playground word for someone who is unkind, used mostly by or about children.
- SPENCEOld word for pantrySpence is an old dialect word for a small room used to store food, now mostly archaic.
- MARYBloody cocktailMary completes Bloody Mary, the vodka and tomato juice cocktail often served at brunch.
- GRIDSPower networksGrids distribute electricity from power plants to homes, and also describe maps or puzzles divided into squares.
- COSTASpanish seaside wordCosta means coast in Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese, as in Costa del Sol or Costa Rica.
- ASPICSavory meat in jellyAspic is a savory dish set in clear meat or vegetable gelatin, popular in retro dinner parties.
- ADAGEA folksy truthAn adage is a short, widely repeated saying that expresses a common truth or bit of wisdom.
- DODitto old-styleDO was once used in old ledgers and letters as shorthand for ditto, meaning the same as above.
- NEARWithin arm's reachNear means close by, practically within arm's reach rather than far away.
- CAPHat or a ceilingA cap is a brimless hat, and also a limit or ceiling placed on spending or numbers.
- PEEToddler's tinklePee is informal for urinate, often softened to tinkle when talking with small children.
- TRANSPOSEFlips a matrixTo transpose a matrix is to flip its rows and columns; in music it means shifting a piece to a new key.
- YOUEyeing this wordYou refers to the person being addressed, which right now means whoever is reading this clue.
- LYSINEKey amino acidLysine is an essential amino acid the body cannot make itself, so it must come from food.
- RIO2016 Games hostRio de Janeiro hosted the 2016 Summer Olympics, the first Games held in South America.
- ESPNSports TV giantESPN is the major American cable network devoted entirely to sports coverage.
- BYOn a film posterBY appears before the director's or author's name, as in a film by, crediting who made it.
- DIABETICMonitors blood sugarA diabetic has a condition requiring regular monitoring of blood sugar levels.
- NURSERYBaby's first bedroomA nursery is the room set up for a baby, with a crib, and also a place where young plants are grown.
- ACEElite fighter pilotAn ace is a fighter pilot credited with downing multiple enemy aircraft, a title earned in combat.