June 16, 2021

Title: DOUBLE DOWN

Constructor: Zhouqin Burnikel

Editor: Erik Agard

Theme Answers:

WOW JUST WOW (3D: "I'm speechless")

IN A PERFECT WORLD (7D: Ideally)

HARD AT WORK (31D: Toiling away)

Theme synopsis: The word TWO appears in each theme answer, with the letters split across TWO words. Since the theme answers are all DOWNs, we have DOUBLE DOWN.

Things I learned:

• SIWA (1A: Singer and dancer JoJo) JoJo SIWA's 2016 debut single, "Boomerang," deals with the topic of triumphing over bullying. As a dancer, JoJo SIWA appeared on the reality TV series, Dance Moms in Season 2, with her mom, Jessalyn. She was on the show again in Seasons 5 and 6 as a full-time member of the dance company. In addition to being a singer and dancer, JoJo SIWA posts videos on her YouTube channel, "It's JoJo SIWA," which has over 12 million subscribers. 
• ECHO (30A: IllumiNative founder Crystal ___ Hawk) IllumiNative is an initiative working to challenge the dominant negative narrative about Native Americans, and ensure accurate portrayals of indigenous people. From 2016 to 2018, IllumiNative co-founder, Crystal ECHO Hawk of the Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma, co-led an extensive public opinion research project titled "Reclaiming Native Truth." The research found that "invisibility is the modern form of bias against Native Americans," and "the majority of Americans know little to nothing about Native Americans." The study also found that "78% of Americans are interested in learning more about Native cultures." 
• ARAB (10D: "A History of the ___ Peoples" (Albert Hourani book)) Originally published in 1991, with an expanded edition was released in  2010, A History of the ARAB Peoples recounts the history of ARABS from the beginning of Islam to the late 20th century. 
• RICE (11D: Zosui ingredient) Zosui is a soup in Japanese cuisine made with pre-cooked RICE, dashi stock, soy sauce or miso, and other ingredients such as vegetables and meat. The thin soup was invented as a way to reheat cold rice. Zosui is considered comfort food and is a food of choice for some people when they are feeling unwell.

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• MRIS (5A: Noisy hospital diagnostics) MRI = magnetic resonance imaging. MRIS are medical scans used to generate pictures of the organs in the body, assisting in medical diagnosis. MRIS use superconducting magnets to measure how tissues react to shifts in a strong magnetic field. The magnetic field is achieved by pulsing electricity through coils of metal wire (called gradient coils). The vibrations of the gradient coils result in loud banging noises, a sound that echos inside the scanner. The noise of an MRI may be as loud as 125 decibels, equivalent to a rock concert. The use of ear protection is recommended for patients receiving MRIS.
• SCALP (45A: Its layers are skin, connective tissue, aponeurosis, loose areolar tissue and pericranium) In order to remember these five layers, you can use the mnemonic SCALP. This was a fun science-y clue!
• TRY AGAIN (49A: "Wrong answer!") Before I noticed the number of letters in the answer, I wanted the answer to be "BZZT!" I had to TRY AGAIN.
• OPEN SECRET (62A: A lot of people know it who probably shouldn't) I really liked this clue!
• ROOT (65A: Daikon or cassava) A daikon is a mild-flavored radish. Cassava is the edible starchy ROOT of the cassava shrub. The starch tapioca is extracted from the ROOT of the cassava plant.
• GAME (66A: Go or shogi) Go is a strategy board GAME for two players. Players take turns placing black or white pieces, called stones, on the board with a goal of surrounding more territory than their opponent. Shogi is also a two-player strategy board game. Also known as Japanese chess or Game of Generals, shogi is the most popular chess variant in Japan. This clue and the clue for ROOT are an example of a type of clue I particularly like. By giving two examples of the answer, you are expanding the solvers who will know the answer, since you only need to be familiar with one of the examples to be successful. Additionally, this type of clue can serve to introduce new things to solvers. 
• OPAL (56D: Gem such as the Flame Queen) The Flame Queen OPAL was discovered in 1914 in New South Wales, Australia. The gemstone is an unmounted red-on-black OPAL of the "eye-of-OPAL" variety - the OPAL has filled a cavity and creates an eye-like effect. In 2020, the Flame Queen sold during Christie's "Magnificent Jewels" auction for $87,500.

Geography review:

• ERIE (16A: Great Lake whose main outlet is the Niagara River) This is the second appearance of our crossword friend, ERIE this month.
• GENEVA (25A: Switzerland's second largest city) The only Switzerland city larger than GENEVA is Zurich. GENEVA has been described as "the world's most compact metropolis," and the "Peace Capital." 
• OMANI (32D: Qurum Natural Park visitor, often) Qurum Natural Park is the largest park in Oman. Located in Qurum, a suburb of Muscat (the capital of Oman), the park features rose gardens, fountains, a lake, playgrounds, and a small amusement park with rides.

It's time to DOUBLE DOWN - with regards to the theme, that is. When I discovered WOW JUST WOW, I thought perhaps the theme was going to be repeating words, but then I noticed that T-W-O hiding among the letters. With the theme answers going DOWN, we were treated to some nice Across answers today: SNAIL'S PACE, TRY AGAIN, and OPEN SECRET. This puzzle was an enjoyable way to begin my Wednesday. WOW, JUST WOW! What ELSE is there to say?