September 6, 2020

Title: UPPER LIMITS

Constructor: Zhouqin Burnikel

Editor: Erik Agard

Theme Answers:

CREDIT UNION (3D: Bank alternative)

TERM PAPER (8D: School writing assignment)

TIME-HONORED (25D: Long-standing)

SPEED READ (36D: Zip through a book)

Theme synopsis: The first word of each answer can precede the word LIMIT. We have CREDIT LIMIT, TERM LIMIT, TIME LIMIT, and SPEED LIMIT. Since the theme answers are all DOWN entries, the words paired with LIMIT are the UPPER parts of the answers. Thus, we have UPPER LIMITS. 

Things I learned:

• ROSIE (14A: Model ___ Huntington-Whiteley) ROSIE Huntington-Whiteley is the subject of the book, Ten Times ROSIE, by fashion photographer Rankin. ROSIE is best known for her work modeling for Victoria's Secret, though she has modeled for many other companies, including Burberry and Oscar De La Renta. She has appeared on the covers of British Vogue, Elle, and GQ. Also an actress, ROSIE played the role of Carly Spencer in Transformers: Dark of the Moon.
• ALI (22A: Novelist Monica) Monica ALI is the author of Brick Lane, a novel which was adapted into a movie of the same name. 
• EDDY (72A: Ser Anzoategui's "Vida" role) Vida is a TV series telling the story of two Mexican-American sisters who, following the death of their mother, move back to their childhood home in Boyle Heights, Los Angeles. Ser Anzoategui plays the role of the mother's widow, Edwina "EDDY" Martinez.
• OPERA (1D: Zitkala-Sa composed one) Zitkála-Šá (also known as Gertrude Simmons Bonnin) worked with musician William F. Hanson to write The Sun Dance OPERA. She is a member of the Yankton Dakota tribe and was the first indigenous woman to compose an opera. 
• ALEC (46D: Singer Benjamin) ALEC Benjamin's 2018 single, "Let Me Down Slowly," reached the top 40 in over 25 countries.
• WOO (62D: Action director John) John WOO is a film director, producer, and screenwriter known for his highly chaotic action sequences. His many directorial credits include Manhunt and Mission: Impossible 2.

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• LEO (23A: Zodiac lion) Shoutout to you if you are a fellow LEO and therefore recently celebrated a birthday!

Geography review:

• PERU (13A: Home to most Quechua people) Quechua people are any of the indigenous people who speak the Quechua language, a language that originated among the indigenous people of PERU. 
• USA (6D: Mex. neighbor) There are many ways this could have been clued. I liked this clue as an opportunity (and reminder) to look at USA in relation to another country.

There were a lot of names in the puzzle today, and as you can see, many of them were new to me. I did know Richard GERE, Jessica ALBA, and DORA the Explorer! The names didn't present any difficulty, though, as they were all inferable with help from crossing answers. I appreciated learning about people previously unknown to me. I enjoyed the theme, and especially liked TIME-HONORED. It was a pleasant solve for a Sunday morning. Zhouqin brought her A-GAME, as she always does. NICE ONE!

And now, a crossword-inspired, short, short story:

"I'M AFRAID SO," the DIPLOMAT said (in a NASAL TONE), apologizing for RATHER an abundance of RED TAPE. "No NEED to EVEN SEEK WIGGLE ROOM, as there is none. Have an OREO?"