September 1, 2021

Title: PEAR DOWN

Constructor: Zhouqin Burnikel

Editor: Amanda Rafkin

Theme Answers:
TEMPE ARIZONA (5D: Sun Devil Stadium location)
HOPE ARKANSAS (9D: City southwest of Little Rock)
YOU'RE UP EARLY (20D: Words to a person who's awake for sunrise)
HOOP EARRINGS (22D: Circular pieces of jewelry)

Theme synopsis: Each theme answer contains the word PEAR hidden among its letters. As the theme answers are vertical, each PEAR is going DOWN.

Things I learned:
  • LEE (13A: ___ Kum Kee) Based in Hong Kong, LEE Kum Kee is a food company specializing in the manufacture of Chinese and Asian sauces. Its products are sold worldwide.
  • ATE (58A: Devoured a zongzi, say) Zongzi is a traditional dish in Chinese cuisine made of glutinous rice stuffed with fillings and wrapped in bamboo leaves. Zongzi are also known as sticky rice dumplings.
  • SPA (56D: Place to get an LED facial) It's easily inferable that LED facials use light, but I had not heard of this particular variety of facial. (Just the other day I learned about radiofrequency facials from a Zhouqin Burnikel puzzle.) LED facials are based on the idea that different colors of light have different effects on the skin. Blue light may be used to treat acne, for example, while red light may be used to reverse signs of aging such as wrinkles. 
Random thoughts and interesting things:
  • IT'S ME (4A: Unhelpful reply to "Who's this?") Delightfully funny clue/answer pair. So true.
  • SEW IN (14A: Semipermanent weave option) Hair extensions can be used to add length and volume to one's hair. As the name implies, SEW IN extensions are sewn into your existing hair. Specifically, they are sewn into a cornrow that has been braided horizontally.
  • IBM (16A: Co. nicknamed Big Blue) Although IBM (International Business Machines Corporation) was founded in 1911 (originally as Endicott, New York), the nickname of Big Blue did not emerge until the 1980s. The origin of the the nickname is unclear, though it may be related to its blue logo adopted in 1972. Some have suggested the nickname may also be related to the dark blue suits that used to be worn by IBM salespeople.
  • ZORRO (55A: Fictional masked swordsman) The character of ZORRO was created by author Johnston McCulley, and first appeared in the 1919 novel, The Curse of Capistrano. ZORRO has been adapted by multiple authors and screenwriters. The secret identity of Don Diego de la Vega, ZORRO is an accomplished swordsman, known for signing his work by using his sword to carve the letter "Z."
  • PEA (61A: Samosa morsel) and POD (42D: 42-Across holder) A samosa is a fried or baked pastry filled with potatoes, onions, PEAs, meat, and spices. If you weren't sure about this answer, the clue for 42-Down is providing a hint.
  • ESPN (10D: Mina Kimes' channel) Mina Kimes is a senior writer at ESPN, where she is an NFL analyst on NFL Live, and hosts a football podcast titled, The Mina Kimes Show featuring Lenny. (Lenny is her dog.) Additionally, Mina Kimes is a self-proclaimed crossword enthusiast, and occasionally tweets about crosswords. 
  • INAPT (48D: Like the name Joy for a pessimist) Is it INAPT that this clue brought me joy?

    Geography review:
    • UTAH (26A: The Beehive State) As I mentioned just a few days ago, UTAH uses a beehive as a state symbol to symbolize a community that works together and supports one another.
    • TEMPE ARIZONA (5D: Sun Devil Stadium location) Sun Devil Stadium is the football stadium at Arizona State University in TEMPE, ARIZONA. 
    • ENG (8D: Official language of Barbados (Abbr.)) Barbados is an island country in the West Indies. Its capital is Bridgetown. In addition to its official language of ENGlish, Bajan Creole is recognized as a regional language.
    • HOPE ARKANSAS (9D: City southwest of Little Rock) HOPE, ARKANSAS was founded when a railroad was built through the area in 1873, and was named for the daughter of a railroad executive, HOPE Loughborough. HOPE, ARKANSAS is the birthplace of Bill Clinton and Mike Huckabee.
    • ISLA (11D: Bali, por ejemplo) The island (ISLA en español) of BALI is a province of Indonesia.
    It may surprise people who know me very well to learn I liked this puzzle. You see, while the list of foods I don't like is extremely short, PEARS top the list, and are the only food I can't even force myself to eat in order to be polite. However, PEARS in my crossword are another story! A nicely executed classic theme type today. Interesting to have two geographical theme answers, both city/state pairings. I did appreciate having an APPLE (18A: SweeTango or Honeycrisp) appear among the PEARS. A couple of ambiguous clues tricked me into entering the wrong answer today: I had PAN at first instead of POT (21A: Stovetop vessel) and PAT instead of TAP (33A: Gentle touch). Both were quickly corrected by crossing answers. This puzzle was an enjoyable way to begin my Wednesday.

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