Daily alphabet — 2026-09-17

Across

1. 5. Socrates' famously shrewish wife in history. (8)
2. 7. French novelist famous for his massive sequence of stories titled The Human Comedy. (6)
3. 8. Protective skin layers around nails (8)
4. 12. American R&B singer known for hit songs like Location and Talk. (6)
5. 16. Major Russian oil company facing international sanctions. (7)
6. 17. Popular source for sports news and commentary on air. (9)
7. 18. Pioneering computer game company known for King's Quest, founded in 1980 (6)
8. 19. Oscar-winning actor who starred in Midnight Cowboy, born in 1938. (6)

Down

1. 1. Initial arrangements made for a project or event. (8)
2. 2. This child garnered media attention for his quick thinking in 2023. (9)
3. 3. This phrase describes a household with two male parents. (9)
4. 4. Dog known for its loyalty in a classic novel (6)
5. 6. Total magnetic field passing through a given area or surface. (4)
6. 9. Mourning the loss of a loved one (8)
7. 10. Historic Fitchburg apartment building on the national register with a regal name. (8)
8. 11. Curved pedestrian bridge crossing the Charles River between Harvard's campus and Boston. (5)
9. 13. Dutch distance runner Sifan who won three medals, including two golds, in Tokyo. (6)
10. 14. A process that happens to everyone over time. (5)
11. 15. French author who wrote the famous multi-volume novel In Search of Lost Time. (6)