February 24, 2021

Title: TOP PICKS

Constructor: Zhouqin Burnikel

Editors: Erik Agard & Amanda Rafkin

Theme Answers:

CROP CIRCLE (3D: Agricultural phenomenon often attributed to UFOs)

TANK LOCOMOTIVES (7D: Heritage railroad sights)

TUBE-SHAPED (31D: Like ziti)

Theme synopsis: The first word of each theme answer can precede the word TOP. These TOP PICKS are also on TOP, since the answers are vertical. We have a CROP TOP, a TANK TOP, and a TUBE TOP.

Things I learned:

• ANA (58A: Comedian Fabrega) Los Espookys is a TV show about a group of friends trying to make a business of providing horror for others. ANA Fabrega is a co-creator and a writer for the show, and plays the role of Tati.

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• ADELE (64A: "Someone Like You" singer) "Someone Like You" is a song from ADELE's second album, 21. ADELE co-wrote the song with Dan Wilson.
• CROP CIRCLE (3D: Agricultural phenomenon often attributed to UFOs) A CROP CIRCLE is a pattern created in fields by flattening the CROP in some areas. Self-professed pranksters Doug Bower and Dave Chorley claim to be responsible for the appearance of CROP CIRCLEs from 1978 to 1991. Since the early 1990s, some artists have created CROP CIRCLEs as art installations, or for commercial clients. 
• TANK LOCOMOTIVES (7D: Heritage railroad sights) TANK LOCOMOTIVES are steam LOCOMOTIVES that carry water on-board the vehicle. This differentiates them from tender-tank LOCOMOTIVES which carry carries fuel in a separate car. There are different types of TANK LOCOMOTIVES, distinguished by the position of the water TANKs. 
• ROE (9D: Makizushi topping) Makizushi is a cylindrical piece of sushi formed with the aid of a bamboo mat (a makisu), and then wrapped in nori. 
• PATINA (29D: Green coating on a statue) In Italian, the word "PATINA" means "shallow layer of deposit on a surface." PATINA forms naturally on copper and bronze. The rate of formation depends on environmental conditions. Sometimes artists and metalworkers will deliberately apply PATINA as part of the original design. 
• SAMBA (36D: Dance celebrated on Dec. 2 in Brazil) December 2 is the National Day of SAMBA in Brazil. The celebration was begun as a tribute to a Brazilian composer, Ary Barroso. The song "Na Baixa do Sapateiro" was composed by Ary Barroso as an ode to the city of Salvador, Bahia in Brazil, though at the time he composed the song he had never visited the city. December 2 is the date that Barroso first visited Salvador. 

Geography review:

• MONTE CARLO (18A: Gambling destination in Monaco) In addition to a casino, the Casino de MONTE-CARLO in Monaco includes the Opéra de MONTE-CARLO, and the office of Les Ballets de MONTE-CARLO. I previously wrote about the fact that the citizens of Monaco are not allowed to enter the casinos unless they work there. 
• TAHOE (50A: Washo for "the lake") Lake TAHOE is located on the border between California and Nevada. Washo is the language spoken by the Washoe people, the indigenous inhabitants of the area. 
• EAGLE (1D: Bird on Mexico's flag) Mexico's flag features vertical stripes of green, white, and red, with the national coat of arms in the center of the white stripe. The coat of arms features an EAGLE holding a serpent in its talon, sitting on top of a prickly pear cactus. 
• TULIP (2D: Turkey's national flower) TULIPs are native to Turkey. The name "TULIP" is derived from the Turkish word for "turban," which the shape of the flower resembles. TULIP is also the national flower of The Netherlands, Hungary, and Kyrgyzstan. 
• OMAHA (24D: Largest city in Nebraska) OMAHA, Nebraska is the second-largest city on the Missouri River, behind Kansas City, Missouri.
• OAHU (26D: Hawaiian island that had the longest rain shower in history) The longest rain shower in history lasted 200 days, from August 1993 to April 1994.

My favorite theme answer today was CROP CIRCLE. I enjoyed the non-theme answers of NOW OR NEVER, GLOBAL, and PATINA. A solid puzzle with enjoyable clues. Solving this puzzle was a good way to begin my Wednesday.