April 13, 2021

Title: ADDED SUGAR

Constructors: Rasa Guarnaccia & Brooke Husic

Editor: Erik Agard

Theme Answers:

FREE SPEECH (17A: It's protected in the same amendment as the right to assemble)

HIGH FREQUENCY (28A: Like a sound dogs can hear but humans can't)

COOKIE MONSTER (44A: Dessert fiend on "Sesame Street")

PLUM TOMATO (56A: Fruit named after another fruit)

Theme synopsis: The first word of each theme answer can be ADDED to the word SUGAR to create a new phrase. We have SUGAR-FREE, SUGAR HIGH, SUGAR COOKIE, and SUGARPLUM.

And now a word from our constructors:

Rasa and Brooke: We hope you enjoy the second puzzle we made together as much as we loved making it! Looking back, we especially like the clues for 19A, 25A, 44A, and 35D.

Things I learned:

• MUTTON (45D: Meat in roghan ghosht) Roghan ghosht, also known as roghan josh is a curried meat dish, traditionally made with lamb or goat. This aromatic dish originated in Kashmir, the northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent. To make roghan ghosht, pieces of lamb or MUTTON are braised with garlic, ginger, and aromatic spices such as cloves, cardamom, bay leaves, and cinnamon. Onions and yogurt are optional additions. The dish has a characteristic red color from the addition of dried, deseeded Kashmiri chilies. (My autocorrect really wants the name of this dish to be "roughen ghost" - humorous, autocorrect, but so not helpful.)
• MAE (58D: Bandleader Anna ___ Winburn) From 1941 to 1949, Anna MAE Winburn was the bandleader of the International Sweethearts of Rhythm, the first integrated all-women's band in the United States. 

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• BEST (1A: "The ___" (Tina Turner hit)) Tina Turner's 1989 version of "The BEST" was a cover of Bonnie Tyler's recording released the year before. Tina Turner's version was used in a rugby league ad campagn. Last year, to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the campaign, an updated version of the ad was launched.
• TRIO (15A: Salt-N-Pepa, originally) In addition to Salt (Cheryl James) and Pepa (Sandra Denton), the hip-hop group originally included DJ Spinderella (Deidra Roper).
• FREE SPEECH (17A: It's protected in the same amendment as the right to assemble) The First Amendment protects FREE SPEECH, freedom of religion, freedom of the press, the right to assembly, and the right to petition the government. These rights were on my mind even before I solved the puzzle today as I have been following the gatherings in Minnesota to protest that yet another Black person has been killed by police officers. Black Lives Matter. It is past time for this violence against Black bodies to stop. I invite you to take a few minutes to listen to "Ella's Song" by Sweet Honey in the Rock.
• UNPAID (19A: Like some illegal internships) In order for UNPAID internships to be legal, they must meet a seven-point primary beneficiary test. Essentially, the internship must benefit the intern more than the company, and interns may not be doing work that companies would hire someone to do if the interns weren't available.
• KEIRA (43A: Knightley who played Therese Raquin) KEIRA Knightley played the title role in the 2015 Broadway production of Thérèse Raquin. The production was an adaptation of an 1868 novel of the same name by Émile Zola. The show tells the story of Thérèse Raquin, who is unhappily married to her first cousin, and ends up having a passionate affair with one of her husband's friends, and plotting with her lover to kill her husband. After the murder, the couple is haunted by the act, and unable to live peacefully.
• COOKIE MONSTER (44A: Dessert fiend on "Sesame Street") COOKIE MONSTER! My mind played an interesting trick on me, as I originally read this clue as "Desert fiend," and was puzzled trying to remember a Sesame Street character fond of deserts. I also, am a fiend for desserts (not deserts!), and have always related well to COOKIE MONSTER. In recent years, in response to concerns about childhood obesity, Sesame Street has given COOKIE MONSTER a modified philosophy and has him explain that COOKIEs are a "sometimes food." 
• STITCH (54A: Crochet choice) and KNIT (43D: Work with yarn and needles) Yarn crafts are represented today!

Geography review:

• ARCH (64A: St. Louis monument) The construction of the Gateway ARCH in St. Louis, Missouri was completed on October 28, 1965, just a few months after I was born, and a few months before my parents moved to St. Louis from California. In 2018, the ARCH and its immediate surroundings were designated a national park, Gateway ARCH National Park.

You may have guessed from the above comments that COOKIE MONSTER was my favorite theme answer. All of the theme answers were solid, and it was an enjoyable theme. This puzzle includes so many things I am a fan of - SUGAR, Sesame Street, Calvin and Hobbes, yarn crafts, the St. Louis ARCH, and even a CAT. This puzzle was a fine way to begin my Tuesday.