September 28, 2021

Title: LAUGHING ON THE INSIDE

Constructors: Rachel Fabi and Malaika Handa

Editor: Amanda Rafkin

Theme Answers:

EL POLLO LOCO (17A: Restaurant chain specializing in Mexican-style grilled chicken)

SEOUL OLYMPICS (39A: 1998 sporting event held in Korea)

HELLO LADIES (63A: Greeting at a Galentine's Day brunch)

Theme synopsis: The abbreviation LOL (LAUGHING out loud) is found ON THE INSIDE of each theme answer, spanning two of the words in the answer.

And now a word from one of our constructors:

Malaika: This was only my second puzzle to ever be accepted!! We worked on this puzzle across a leisurely five-ish months while Rachel simultaneously orchestrated a puzzle pack to raise money for abortion. You can still donate to gain access to those puzzles, plus a slew of bonus puzzles. There's more info over here.

Things I learned:

• SNOOKI (43A: Friend of JWoww on "Jersey Shore") Jersey Shore is a reality TV series that originally aired from 2009-2012. SNOOKI (Nicole Polizzi) and JWoww (Jennifer Farley) were two of eight housemates that lived at a vacation home and were followed on the show. SNOOKI & JWoww, a spin-off of the original show, aired from 2012-2015. SNOOKI is currently the co-host of an MTV comedy clip show that premiered last month titled Messyness. 
• AIR (62A: "How to Love the Empty ___") How to Love the Empty AIR is a 2018 book of poetry by Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz. The poems in the book were written after the unexpected death of Aptowicz's mother at a time when her writing career was going well, and explore themes of loss and success.
• MAE (1D: Martin of "Feel Good") MAE Martin co-wrote and stars in the TV series, Feel Good. The romantic comedy is semi-autobiographical, and MAE Martin stars as themself. Charlotte Ritchie stars as MAE's girlfriend, George, and the show follows the development of their relationship.
• FEARS (55D: Exposure hierarchy items) An exposure hierarchy is a tool used in exposure therapy to help a person overcome FEARS. Essentially, things that cause a person's fear are ranked according to difficulty, and then a person begins with exposure to milder FEARS, and once those are overcome, progresses to more challenging situations. I was aware of exposure therapy, but the particular term "exposure hierarchy" was new to me.

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• HE-MAN (15A: Twin of She-Ra) In Mattel's Masters of the Universe franchise, HE-MAN and She-Ra are twins that battle their own foes, and sometimes make appearances together, as in the 1985 animated movie, HE-MAN and She-Ra: The Secret of the Sword. 
• ORA (16A: British pop star Rita) Rita ORA's songs include "How We Do Party" and "I Will Never Let You Down."
• EL POLLO LOCO (17A: Restaurant chain specializing in Mexican-style grilled chicken) EL POLLO LOCO is Spanish for "The Crazy Chicken." Juan Francisco Ochoa first established EL POLLO LOCO in Mexico in 1974, then expanded the chain of restaurants to the United States in 1980. I've never eaten at an EL POLLO LOCO, which is not surprising since when I searched their website for locations near me, I was informed, "Looks like you're in a pollo desert."
• TBH (23A: Texter's "Not gonna lie...") TBH = To be honest...
• SPELL (28A: Say "S-W-I-F-T," e.g.) What a fun clue! This is one of those clues constructors can use to let their personalities shine through, as there are so many words that could be used to demonstrate the word SPELL. This clue reminded me of a couple of puzzles Malaika Handa has constructed, (that she has dubbed "crossswifts") in which all of the clues were lyrics of Taylor Swift songs. One of the puzzles was a 7xword, and the notes for that puzzle include the link to the other crossswift.
• OREO (29A: Vegan sandwich cookie) There are no dairy products (or animal products) in an OREO cookie, making it a suitable snack for someone following a vegan diet. (However, OREO cautions there is a risk of milk cross-contamination from other products in the production area.)
• SEOUL OLYMPICS (39A: 1998 sporting event held in Korea) The 1988 Summer OLYMPICS were held in SEOUL, South Korea, and are therefore also known as the SEOUL OLYMPICS. One thing that happened at the SEOUL OLYMPICS: Florence Griffith Joyner won three gold medals and one silver medal for Team USA in track and field. (Note: The 1998 date in the clue was a typo; the Seoul Olympics were in 1988.)
• SILK (51A: Material made by worms) About 2,000 to 3,000 SILK worm cocoons are needed to make one pound of SILK.
• OPOSSUM (30D: Nocturnal marsupial) Note to self: learn how to spell OPOSSUM. I initially typed in this answer as "OPPOSUM," which ended up causing quite a bit of confusion in crossing answers.
• DEVO (58D: "Whip It" band) "Whip It" is a 1980 song by the rock band DEVO. 

A nice humorous puzzle this morning. HELLO LADIES was my favorite theme answer. In addition to the LOL-containing theme answers, I really liked the long downs of PHOTO SHOOT and FLYING SOLO. This puzzle was a delightful start to my Tuesday.