December 1, 2020

Title: HOT PURSUIT

Constructor: Gail Grabowski

Editor: Erik Agard

Theme Answers:

BED OF ROSES (17A: Luxurious position, metaphorically)

PEPPER MILL (57A: Kitchen grinder)

SPOT REMOVER (10D: Stain treatment)

KEY EMPLOYEE (24D: Critically important staff member)

Theme synopsis: The first word of each theme answer can follow the word HOT, resulting in HOTBED, HOT PEPPER, HOTSPOT, and HOT KEY.

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• BED OF ROSES (17A: Luxurious position, metaphorically) The phrase, BED OF ROSES, originates from a 13th-century work, Le Roman de la Rose, in which a character describes a dream in which he found a beautiful BED OF ROSES by the Fountain of Love.
• KATE (24A: "Ammonite" star Winslet) Ammonite is inspired by the life of British paleontologist, Mary Anning, played by KATE Winslet. The 2020 movie centers on a romantic relationship between Anning and Charlotte Murchison, played by Saoirse Rowan. Although receiving generally favorable reviews, the movie has been criticized for its questionable historical accuracy.
• OMAR (25A: "Rock the Casbah" actor Sharif) In the 2013 movie, Rock the Casbah, OMAR Sharif played the role of a Moroccan entrepreneur who abruptly dies of a heart attack. Unrelated to the movie, did you know that OMAR Sharif's personal passion was contract bridge? He represented the United Arab Republic at the 1964 World Bridge Olympiad, and Egypt at the 1968 Olympiad. The Omar Sharif Bridge Circus was formed in 1967 to tour the world and promote the game via exhibition matches. Sharif contributed to a Chicago Tribune bridge column and authored books on bridge. However, by 2000 he had stopped playing bridge entirely.
• TV SETS (26A: Living room fixtures) This answer gave me more difficulty than anything else in the puzzle. I tried SOFAS (which didn't fit, obviously) and DIVANS (which did fit, but didn't work with the crossing answers).  Ah, TV SETS, of course. This made me chuckle. We have not owned a TV for over 26 years, so although the clue isn't incorrect, TV SETS didn't immediately enter my mind. 
• SARA (52A: Ramirez who made their film debut in "You've Got Mail") SARA Ramirez had a minor but memorable role in the 1998 movie, You've Got Mail. Ramirez played the role of a Zabar's cashier. 
• DAWN (64A: First book of Octavia Butler's "Lilith's Brood" series) The other Lilith's Brood novels are Adulthood Rites and Imago. The science fiction trilogy was previously titled Xenogenesis, and explores themes of sexuality, gender, race, and species.
• SWEET (65A: Word before "corn" or "potato") Mmmm, SWEET corn and SWEET potatoes - a delicious clue and answer.

Geography review:

• OMAN (19A: Neighbor of Yemen) OMAN is an Arabian Peninsula country that is also a neighbor of UAE  and Saudi Arabia.
• UAE (8D: Abu Dhabi's nation, for short) Abu Dhabi is the capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
• JAPAN (48D: Osaka's country) Osaka is the second largest metropolitan area in JAPAN. Shitennō-ji, the oldest Buddhist temple in JAPAN, is located in Osaka. 

Today's puzzle contains clues referencing movies from 1998, 2013, and 2020 - a little something for everyone. I enjoyed finding the non-theme-related, but heat-related answers of FIRE HAT and OVEN. I wouldn't say I HATED this puzzle - NOT SO at all! This puzzle was an enjoyable start to my December.