Chef who plans to retire with the perfect tan?

Latest answer — October 11, 2026

33 Across

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A chef relaxing in the sun, suggesting the phrase “cook until golden brown.”

Clue explained

“Cook until golden brown” is a familiar recipe instruction, but the clue pictures a chef getting a golden-brown tan before retirement. The phrase works in both senses: it tells you how long to cook food, and it turns the chef into the thing being “cooked” by the sun.

Clue type:
Pun or wordplay

WaPo Crossword

This clue's Sunday, October 11, 2026 appearance

Tap a square to reveal a letter.

Or reveal one clue at a time with the Hint and Answer buttons below.

Across

  1. 1Glances in a pool hall
  2. 7Longtime Miami Heat star, familiarly
  3. 12Some desktop clutter
  4. 18Sprouts up
  5. 19Italian sausage seasoning
  6. 20Cure-all
  7. 21Arrive à la Cinderella?
  8. 23Saturated with
  9. 24Focus of an outdoor museum in Las Vegas
  10. 25People of the Sioux Nation
  11. 26Lb. and oz.
  12. 27Muscle property
  13. 28Moody genre
  14. 30Studio sign
  15. 32Internet pioneer acquired by the tech conglomerate Bending Spoons in 2026
  16. 33Chef who plans to retire with the perfect tan?
  17. 42Signed up
  18. 43R&B legend Redding
  19. 44Spring bloom
  20. 45Dove call
  21. 46Up to the task
  22. 47Purple shade
  23. 48Festival that bestows a Grand Prix
  24. 49Inspiring start?
  25. 50Dental advice from Lea & Perrins?
  26. 54Paint finish
  27. 56Drain
  28. 57Cry over spilled milk
  29. 58__ of the pack
  30. 61Sunflower bit
  31. 62Distress call
  32. 63Nourished
  33. 64Piece of coal
  34. 66Mount Ka'ala's island
  35. 69Some unofficial sequels, informally
  36. 7219-Across flavor
  37. 74Paramount channel
  38. 77Dug a little too deep
  39. 79Dinner guest who refuses to use chopsticks and probably won't show up?
  40. 82Half a zygote
  41. 83Short program
  42. 86Wind instrument?
  43. 87"That could work for me"
  44. 88Quote from Homer
  45. 89Noir's counterpart in roulette
  46. 90Bring on board
  47. 91Political position
  48. 93Mini-mart on the edge of the Gobi Desert?
  49. 97Cold-water fish
  50. 98Cold-water fish
  51. 99Mex. neighbor
  52. 100Concerning
  53. 102Had a snack
  54. 103Web designer
  55. 107"The X-Files" topic
  56. 111"I'm the one who screwed up"
  57. 113Spring roll or summer sausage?
  58. 116Pine, for one
  59. 117Set right?
  60. 118Dancer partner
  61. 119Term of endearment
  62. 120Balance sheet item
  63. 121Real __

Down

  1. 1Subway unit
  2. 2"East of Eden" brother based on Abel
  3. 3Really get to
  4. 4Norwegian banking hub
  5. 5National repair chain that began as a muffler shop
  6. 6Govt.-issued ID
  7. 7"Here's the __ ... "
  8. 8A'ja Wilson's org.
  9. 9Chemical substances with similar structures
  10. 10FDR part
  11. 1190° bend
  12. 12Furry feet
  13. 13"SNL" alum Gasteyer
  14. 14Service provider?
  15. 15Navigate by sound
  16. 16Bridle strap
  17. 17Levelheaded
  18. 19Boating hazard
  19. 20Membership platform for content creators
  20. 22Mickey or Minnie
  21. 26Expanded, as a search area
  22. 29Coffee, in slang
  23. 31Llama kin
  24. 32Chasm
  25. 33Hooded snake
  26. 34Slather with grease
  27. 35Singles
  28. 36Talks up
  29. 37Like poison ivy
  30. 38"It's all untrue!"
  31. 39Opposite of SSW
  32. 40"Holy guacamole!"
  33. 41On and on and on
  34. 42Ring exchange
  35. 47Kate Middleton's sister
  36. 48Prompted from the wings
  37. 51Garden tool
  38. 52Threat in some fairy tales
  39. 53Smart __
  40. 55Nile 33-Down
  41. 59Top-tier
  42. 60Work quickly
  43. 62Shade
  44. 63Italian automaker
  45. 65"Give __ break!"
  46. 66One-sided columns
  47. 67Jargon
  48. 68Like premium gasoline
  49. 70Contest between Giants and Titans, e.g.
  50. 71Take to the cleaners
  51. 72Pulitzer Prize, for one
  52. 73Number in the NATO alphabet
  53. 74Stand-up performer
  54. 75Stabilizing piece
  55. 76Largest of the Inner Hebrides
  56. 78Challenged
  57. 80Rotten to the core
  58. 81World Cup org.
  59. 84Taro dish
  60. 85Full-groan person?
  61. 90Places for pots fresh from the oven
  62. 91Photo __
  63. 92Mexican dish with fried tortillas
  64. 94Suite sharer
  65. 95"Full House" twins
  66. 96Mongolian dwelling
  67. 100Basics
  68. 101Sign in a construction zone
  69. 102Iowa college town
  70. 104"So that's how it is"
  71. 105Terse caution
  72. 106Sinus doc
  73. 108Lickety-split
  74. 109Worker welfare org.
  75. 110"Ignore that suggested edit"
  76. 112Baby newt
  77. 113One-named "Chandelier" singer
  78. 114Laudatory poem
  79. 115Before, in classic 114-Downs

The answer to “Chef who plans to retire with the perfect tan?” in the The Washington Post crossword is COOKUNTILGOLDENBROWN — a 20-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Washington Post crossword on October 11, 2026, a Sunday puzzle, at 33-Across. Below you'll find why that fill fits, every other answer we've recorded for this clue, and links into the puzzle it came from.

“Chef who plans to retire with the perfect tan?” answer

COOKUNTILGOLDENBROWN (20 letters)

Reveal the solution one letter at a time with the tiles above if you'd rather nudge yourself toward it than see the whole word at once. Just want it outright? The answer is COOKUNTILGOLDENBROWN.

When else has “Chef who plans to retire with the perfect tan?” appeared?

The Washington Post reuses clues across dates, sometimes with a different answer depending on the grid. Here's where this exact clue has shown up, and what the answer was each time — handy when you're checking whether today's fill is the only one.

October 11, 2026 (most recent) → COOKUNTILGOLDENBROWN. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Chef who plans to retire with the perfect tan?”?

The answer is COOKUNTILGOLDENBROWN, a 20-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Washington Post crossword on October 11, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Chef who plans to retire with the perfect tan?”?

20 letters: COOKUNTILGOLDENBROWN.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the The Washington Post crossword on October 11, 2026 (a Sunday puzzle), at 33-Across.

Can “Chef who plans to retire with the perfect tan?” have a different answer?

Yes — The Washington Post sometimes reuses a clue with a different solution to fit the grid. The answers we've recorded for each date it appeared are listed above when available.

Where can I find the rest of this day's WaPo Crossword answers?

The full grid for October 11, 2026 is on the WaPo Crossword answers page, with every clue and answer from that puzzle.

The Washington Post Crossword is published by The Washington Post; WordHint is an independent site and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the publisher.

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