June 25, 2021

Title: STRONG START/ WEAK END

Constructor: Sara Cantor

Editor: Erik Agard

Theme Answers:

SOUND LOGIC (16A: Basis of a valid argument)

FIRM HANDSHAKE (35A:Subject of some job interview tips)

STEADY DIET (56A: Constant intake)

FEEL FAINT (18D: Need to lie down, maybe)

STARLIGHT (25D: Nighttime illumination)

DOWN LOW (27D: "Up top!" follower)

Theme synopsis: The START of each Across theme answer is a synonym for the word STRONG: SOUND, FIRM, and STEADY. The END word of each Down theme answer is a synonym for the word WEAK: FAINT, LIGHT, and LOW.

Things I learned:

• FAVA (18A: Bean in ful medames) FAVA beans, also known as broad beans, grow in pods, with each  pod containing three to eight oval, flattened beans. The consumption of FAVA beans dates back to at least 6000 BCE. Ful medames is a stew of FAVA beans, which are cooked slowly and then partially mashed. Ful medames originates from Egypt, and remnants of the dish have been found in some ancient tombs. I was familiar with FAVA beans, but did not know this interesting history.
• OMAR (64A: "Ugotme" singer Apollo) In 2017, OMAR Apollo borrowed $30 from a friend to upload his song, "Ugotme," to Spotify. It landed on a Fresh Finds list, and ended up being streamed 20,000 times in one day, and eventually, 15 million times in its first year. OMAR Apollo's debut mixtape, Apolonio, was released in 2020.
• ARCANA (45D: Major or minor part of a tarot deck) A tarot deck is deck of playing cards that is used for divination purposes. The major ARCANA are the trump cards, while the minor ARCANA are the suit cards.

Random thoughts and interesting things

• ROSE-RED (20A: Snow-White's sister in a Grimm tale) The Grimm tale referred to in this clue is one of the fairy tales collected by the Brothers Grimm. This is a different fairy tale than the Brothers Grimm's "Snow White," which served as the basis for the Disney movie Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. In "Snow-White and ROSE-RED," two young girls who live with their mother in a cottage by the woods, befriend a bear and help an ungrateful dwarf. Spoiler alert: The bear is a prince that was enchanted by the dwarf. 
• LIN (41A: Point guard Jeremy) Jeremy LIN is a basketball player for the Chinese Basketball Association's Beijing Ducks. He has previously played for NBA's New York Knicks and L.A. Lakers.
• INDY (42A: ___ 500 (car race) The INDY 500 automobile race is held annually at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It is traditionally held over Memorial Day weekend. I always remember when the INDY 500 is held because during Memorial Day weekend in 1989, my husband and I were returning home from our honeymoon, and our plane flew over the Indianapolis Speedway while the race was in progress.
• CORGI (48A: Short-legged dog breed) A CORGI is a breed of herding dog that originated in Wales.  Its name is derived from the Welsh words for "dwarf" and "dog." 
• ANTI (24D: 2016 Rihanna album) Rolling Stone included Rihanna's album, ANTI, on their 2020 list of 500 Best Albums of All Time. The album included the single, "Work," featuring Drake, which became Rihanna's fourteenth number one hit.
• DOCTOR (46D: Ph.D. holder's title) I'm a fan of clueing DOCTOR from a Ph.D. angle.
• CAGED (48D: "I Know Why the ___ Bird Sings") I Know Why the CAGED Bird Sings, published in 1969, was the first of seven autobiographies by Maya Angelou. The book was about her life up to age 17.

Geography review:

• ISLE (5D: ___ of Man) The ISLE of Man is an island nation in the Irish Sea between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. ISLE of Man is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, and its capital is Douglas.

What a fun puzzle! We are treated to not just one theme today, but two themes - one with Across theme answers and one with Down theme answers. We've seen a double theme before, but it's not common. Twice as much theme material means extra constraints on the grid. While SOUND LOGIC and STEADY DIET are tucked into the corners, the center Across entry FIRM HANDSHAKE is crossed by all three of the Down theme answers. Impressively, even with these constraints we have smooth fill today, with some lovely non-theme answers such as DICE GAME, LOOSE TEA, and ARCHAIC. The added touch of running this puzzle on a Friday to play on the WEAK END pun is extra nice. This puzzle was a delightful way to begin my Friday and a STRONG START to my weekend!