October 22, 2021

Title: FRESH STARTS

Constructor: Erik Agard

Editor: Erik Agard

Theme Answers:

RESERVATION DOGS (25A: TV show starring Pauline Alexis, Lane Factor, D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, and Devery Jacobs)

REVOLVING DOOR (36A: Metaphor for high turnover)

REASONABLE DOUBT (47A:Something might be proven beyond one)

Theme synopsis: The  first word of each theme answer STARTs with RE-, and the second word STARTs with DO-. Therefore, each theme answer features a FRESH START, a REDO.

Things I learned:

• MVTO (1A: Mvskoke for "thank you") Mvskoke, also known as Creek, is the language spoken by the Mvskoke, a group of related indigenous peoples also known as the Muscogee or the Muscogee Creek. Although the "MV-" pattern at the beginning of the word is not seen often in English, I was reassured since it matched the pattern at the beginning of "Mvskoke." MVTO for that hint.
• RESERVATION DOGS (25A: TV show starring Pauline Alexis, Lane Factor, D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, and Devery Jacobs) RESERVATION DOGS is a TV series that appropriately premiered on August 9, 2021, the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples. The show revolves around four Indigenous teenagers in rural Oklahoma: Elora Danan Postoak (Devery Jacobs), Bear Smallhill (D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai), Cheese (Lane Factor), and Willie Jack (Paulina Alexis). Known as the Rez DOGS, the four are grieving the death of the fifth member of their gang, and have a dream of going to "the exotic, mysterious and faraway land of California." RESERVATION DOGS is filmed on location in Okmulgee, Oklahoma, and features all Indigenous writers and directors, and a predominantly Indigenous cast and crew. 
• ADINA (49D: "Freak Like Me" singer Howard) "Freak Like Me" was the 1995 debut single from Adina Howard. The song reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100. 
• ALI (61D: Actress Tatyana) As with many TV stars, Tatyana ALI has a face I recognize, but I wasn't able to remember her name without the help of crossing answers. She played the role of Ashley Banks on The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, and played Tyana Jones on the TV series Love That Girl. Fun fact: At the age of six, Tatyana ALI began her acting career as a regular performer on Sesame Street. Her time there included this delightful sketch with Herbie Hancock. 

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• HOLE (16A: Problem with a sock or a plot) This clue was fun and made me chuckle.
• OREO (18A: Big name in cookies) and AMOS (19A: Big name in cookies) This is the first pair of four echoed clues in today's puzzle. I fell right into the trap here and typed AMOS in as the first answer. Quickly corrected by a glance at crossing answers, I repurposed AMOS when I encountered the next clue.
• ONE (40A: Single-digit perfect square) and NINE (62A: Single-digit perfect square) A perfect square is a number that is the square of another number - that is the result of multiplying a number by itself. ONE is the square of ONE, and NINE is the square of three. The only other [Single-digit perfect square] is four.
• NED (66A: Nickname for Edward) and EDDIE (48D: Nickname for Edward) In addition to NED and EDDIE, nicknames for Edward include ED, TED, TEDDY, and Ward. According to baby names hub, from 1880 to 2012, 1,274,725 babies born in the United States were named Edward.
• ITSY (67A: "___ Bitsy Spider") This clue pairs well with RAINS (47D: Wet weather events). This clue/answer immediately made me think of Carole King's "Coming Around Again/ITSY Bitsy Spider."
• ARE (7D: "The Kids ___ Alright" (Chloe x Halle album)) We saw sisters Chloe and Halle Bailey in Wednesday's puzzle. The Kids ARE Alright was the duo's 2018 debut studio album.
• EL GRECO (13D: Painter whose name means "The Greek") EL GRECO is the more widely known name of Greek painter, Doménikos Theotokópoulos. His works include El Expolio (The Disrobing of Christ) which hangs in the Toledo Cathedral in Toledo, Spain. 
• AVA (22D: Palindromic first name) and ANA (24D: Palindromic first name) Our fourth clue pair. I learned from my previous mistakes and waited for crossing answers to put me on the right track.
• ELEVEN SIDES (26D: What a hendecagon has) I was glad this clue answer pair wasn't reversed. I recognized "hendecagon" as a polygon with ELEVEN SIDES, but if asked to name a polygon with ELEVEN SIDES, I'm not sure I could have come up with the correct term. In case you're wondering, in a regular hendecagon, each internal angle measures 147.27 degrees.
• LEANS ON (37D: Uses for support) Although it's not the same tense, this answer reminded me of the 1972 song by Bill Withers, "LEAN ON Me." This one goes out to my KIN (59D: Family), particular my mom and sister (my "Seester" as I call her!)

After yesterday's BAKED FRESH puzzle, today we have a FRESH START. I really liked this clever theme. It took me a minute after completing the puzzle to fully see it. While solving I noticed the RE- at the beginnings of all the theme answers. "Is that it? Oh no, wait...REDO!" Great theme answers, too. I enjoyed learning about the show RESERVATION DOGS. Smooth fill all around, as is usual for USA Today puzzles, but I try to remember to mention it occasionally so we don't take it for granted. The repeated clues all made me smile, and I liked the long down of WHAT DO YOU DO? and it's first-date-related clue (8D: Common first date question). Also, it's a silly thing, but this is one of my favorite grid shapes. The L-shaped blocks at the top and bottom of the grid remind me of boots and antennae. Today we have some ear-shaped blocks on the sides to add to the imagery. This puzzle was a delightful way to begin my Friday.