September 19, 2020

Title: Well, Well, Well!

Constructor: Paolo Pasco

Editor: Erik Agard

Theme Answers:

WHEEL OF FORTUNE (19A: Vanna White's show)

INK CARTRIDGES (36A: Printer inserts)

WISHING ON A STAR (55A: Alternative to throwing a coin into a fountain)

Theme synopsis: The first word of each theme answer describes a type of WELL. We have a WHEEL WELL, an INKWELL, and a WISHING WELL.

And now a word from our constructor:

Paolo: Many thanks to Erik for, among other things, keeping Perry the Platypus in the 60A clue. Hope you enjoyed the puzzle!

Things I learned:

• EGGS (16A: Omurice ingredients) Omurice consists of fried rice wrapped in a thin sheet of scrambled eggs. The name "omurice" is derived from the Japanese pronunciation of the English words "omelet" and "rice."
• OVER (64A: "Boys ___ Flowers") Boys OVER Flowers is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yoko Kamio. The series has been adapted into an anime TV series and live-action films. The story centers on a girl from a middle-class family who is sent to an elite school which serves Japan's wealthiest families. At the school, Tsukushi, whose name literally means "weed," encounters a group of four boys who are bullies known as the F4 ("Flower Four").
• WOKS (27D: Lomo saltado pans) Lomo saltado is a traditional Peruvian stir fry dish that combines beef, onions, tomatoes, french fries, and other ingredients, and is served with rice. The dish blends Peruvian and Asian cultures with its use of both potatoes and rice as starches. This is an example of clue elevation that the USA Today crossword excels at. WOKS could have been clued simply as [stir fry pans]. By choosing to highlight a specific stir fry dish, the clue remains inferable with the inclusion of the word pans, and potentially introduces solvers to a new food. Solvers familiar with lomo saltado get the joy of seeing it mentioned.

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• HEAD (4A: What the top sphere on a snowman represents) and BODY (18A: What the bottom spheres on a snowman represent) Fun pairing of clues.
• WHEEL OF FORTUNE (19A: Vanna White's show) There are many ways this answer could have been clued, and I like this one. Turning letters and clapping for each contestant, Vanna White has been the hostess of WHEEL OF FORTUNE since December 1982. In 2013, Vanna White was presented with a Guinness World Record certificate for most frequent clapper. During downtime on the WHEEL OF FORTUNE set, Vanna often crochets. Lion Brand Yarns has a line of yarn called Vanna's Choice.
• WISHING ON A STAR (55A: Alternative to throwing a coin into a fountain) It's a nice touch that the clue for WISHING ON A STAR alludes to the newly formed theme phrase WISHING WELL.
• TOONS (60A: Bugs Bunny and Perry the Platypus, e.g.) Bugs Bunny, originally voiced by Mel Blanc, made his debut in 1940 in the short film A Wild Hare. Perry the Platypus is the Flynn-Fletcher family pet on the series Phineas and Ferb. Unbeknownst to the family, Perry leads a double life as Agent P, a member of an animal espionage organization referred to as O.W.C.A. (Organization Without a Cool Acronym). 
• ANGELA (2D: "Are Prisons Obsolete?" author Davis) ANGELA Davis is a professor emerita of the University of California, Santa Cruz, and the author of over ten books on class, feminism, race, and the U.S. prison system. Are Prisons Obsolete was published in 2003.
• WISE (3D: Judicious) Even before I solved today's puzzle, I knew I would find some way to honor Ruth Bader Ginsburg in today's write-up. Thank you, Paolo and Erik, for fortuitously including the perfect clue/answer pair to do so. Yesterday the world lost an amazing, WISE, judicious woman. The Notorious RBG left a legacy of fighting for equality and justice. Among other things, Ruth Bader Ginsburg said, "Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you." May your memory be a blessing, RBG. 
• MEWED (12D: Made a sound like a kitten) and ROARED (48D: Made a sound like a lion) A nice pairing of small cat and big cat clues.
• OGRE (35D: Creature that's like an onion, per "Shrek") "OGREs are like onions...we both have layers." -Shrek
• SPONGE (45D: Word before "cake" or "bath") Please don't try to use a SPONGE cake to take a SPONGE bath.
• ACTIVE (47D: Opposite of passive) For example, take an ACTIVE role by making sure you exercise your right to vote on November 3. (Or before if you vote by absentee ballot.)
• NOUN (56D: Part of speech of "verb," ironically) This clue gave me a chuckle.

Geography review:

• ERIE (15A: Three-vowel Great Lake) Have you missed our crossword-friend ERIE? Although ERIE made four puzzle appearances in August, we haven't seen it in the puzzle since August 28. It is ERIE's three vowels and one consonant that make this four-letter word the crossword constructor's favorite Great Lake.

WELL, WELL, WELL! What have we here? A delightful puzzle to provide a few moments of entertainment and distraction from the NEWS ITEMs which feel overwhelming at times. I enjoyed this theme - nice finds and a fun title. The rest of the fill was great, too - smooth with some lovely bonuses such as SIDE EYES, FAN EDITS, and I CAN WAIT. This puzzle was a much-appreciated addition to my Saturday morning.

One more thing, mateys! Happy International Talk Like a Pirate Day! Hopefully, if you solved the puzzle using the USA Today crossword app, you received the "Walk the Blank Badge." Arrrrrrr.