November 8, 2020

Title: NOT FOUND

Constructor: Zhouqin Burnikel

Editor: Erik Agard

Theme Answers:

PLANO, TEXAS (17A: City served by DFW airport)

TECHNO-THRILLERS (40A: Works of fiction that might involve hackers)

PIANO TUNER (64A: Baby grand adjuster)

Theme synopsis: The word NOT is FOUND spanning the two words of each theme answer.

Things I learned:

• ARLO (2D: Raylan's father on "Justified") Justified is a TV series about a deputy U.S. Marshal named Raylan Givens, portrayed by Timothy Oliphant. Raymond J. Barry plays the role of Raylan's father, ARLO. 
• DILL (27D: Mahshi koronb herb) The Arabic phrase mahshī koronb translates to "stuffed cabbage." Mahshī koronb are Egyptian-style cabbage rolls, which are typically flavored with mint, DILL, and cumin.

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• OREO (14A: Makeup of some crumbles) I had OATS at first. I struggled to find OREO even after I realized OATS was incorrect, because it felt like the answer needed to be plural. I'm definitely a fan of OREO in my crumbles, however. 
• MAYO (28A: Banh mi spread) Banh mi is the Vietnamese word for bread. A banh mi sandwich often contains pork and vegetables, such as cucumber, pickled carrots, and daikon radishes, with chili sauce and MAYO.
• ANISE (36A: Star ___ (ingredient in five-spice powder)) Star ANISE is part of the fruit from the Illicium verum evergreen tree. The flavor of star ANISE closely resembles the flavor of ANISE, which is the seed of a flowering plant in the Apiaceae family. There are many variations of five-spice powder, but a common mix is star ANISE, cloves, cinnamon, Sichuan peppercorn, and fennel seeds.
• PRIUS (50A: Electric Toyota) We love our PRIUS! The first year we had a PRIUS I estimated we spent over $2,500 less on gas than in the previous year. Of course, we transitioned from an SUV to a PRIUS, so it was a stark contrast. 
• PIANO TUNER (64A: Baby grand adjuster) This is timely - we just had a PIANO TUNER adjust our (non-baby grand) piano last Tuesday. I am embarrassed to say it had been many, many years since it had been tuned. It sounds lovely now.
• ETHAN (67A: "The Good Lord Bird" actor) The Good Lord Bird is a TV miniseries based on James McBride's 2013 novel of the same name. ETHAN Hawke is an executive co-producer of the series and plays the role of abolitionist John Brown.
• POMELO (22D: Large citrus fruit) The POMELO is native to Southeast Asia. It is an ancestor of the grapefruit and has a similar taste. The botanical name of the POMELO, Citrus maxima, means "biggest citrus."
• SEGUES (49:Smooth transitions) Like many people, I am breathing a bit easier today knowing there will be a transition of U.S. leadership in January. We've seen indications that the transition might not be smooth, but I will remain hopeful. Also, SEGUES (not to be confused with Segways) is a fun word to say.

Geography review:

• PLANO, TEXAS (17A: City served by DFW airport) PLANO, TEXAS is part of the Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) metropolitan area.
• ISLE (19A: The Friendly ___ (nickname for Molokai)) Molokai is one of the Hawaiian islands. It is the fifth largest and the fifth most populated of the eight major islands of Hawaii. Molokai is the fourth Hawaiian island to appear as an answer in the puzzle since I began blogging. We have seen OAHU a handful of times (most recently on October 31), we saw MAUI for the first time on November 1, and we saw LANAI on October 7. Be on the lookout for Kauai, Niihau, Kahoolawe, and Hawaii.
• EMIRS (33A: Dubai dignitaries) Dubai is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
• TAHOE (43A: Sierra Nevada tourist attraction) Lake TAHOE is in the Sierra Nevada mountain range and straddles the state lines of California and Nevada. The area surrounding the lake is also referred to as Lake TAHOE, or simply TAHOE.
• SEIKO (44A: Ginza-based watch company) Ginza is a district of Chūō, Tokyo in Japan.
• ETNA (68A: Volcano east of Palermo) Mount ETNA is an active volcano on the east coast of Sicily, Italy. Palermo is a city on the northwest coast of the island of Sicily.
• MONACO (4D: Gambling destination where citizens can't gamble) MONACO is a sovereign city-state in Western Europe on the French Riviera. Although the city-state is known for its casinos, citizens of MONACO are not allowed to enter the casinos unless they work there. (They can, however, gamble online.) Only about 20% of MONACO's population are citizens, so this interesting law only affects approximately 6,000 people. 
• ERIE CANAL (37D: Albany-to-Buffalo waterway) Ah, our good friend ERIE appears dressed up in a longer entry. The ERIE CANAL is part of the New York State Canal System, and was built to create a waterway from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes.
• USA (63A: It borders Mex.) Having filled in this answer completely from crossing answers, I didn't see this clue until I was reviewing the puzzle. The USA (United States of America) does, of course, border Mex. (Mexico) It also borders Can. (Canada).

This straightforward hidden word theme is elevated by its clever title. I actually said, "Ha!" when I filled in PLANO, TEXAS and saw (FOUND) the word NOT. TECHNO-THRILLERS is a nice grid-spanning entry. Not a genre name I was familiar with, but it was inferable. A couple of nice bonuses in KOSHER MEAL and YACHT PARTY. I FOUND this hidden NOT puzzle to be an enjoyable way to begin my Sunday morning.