November 11, 2021

Title: THE POWERPUFF GIRLS

Constructor: Malaika Handa

Editor: Erik Agard

Theme Answers:

CHERRY BLOSSOM (19A: Flower also known as sakura)

PEANUT BUTTER CUP (33A: Chocolate treat that's geometrically a frustum)

SPEECH BUBBLES (51A: Containers of dialogue in graphic novels)

Theme synopsis: The names of THE POWERPUFF GIRLS - BLOSSOM, BUTTERCUP, and BUBBLES - are found at the ends of the theme answers.

Things I learned:

• ENO (15D: Rapper Barony) ENO Barony is a rapper and songwriter. According to Citi Newsroom, she was the first female rapper to hit a million views on YouTube. ENO Barony was born in Tema, Ghana. Nothing against Brian ENO, but it's refreshing to see another cluing angle for ENO.

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• SEP (4A: Birth mo. for some Virgos) In the Western zodiac, Virgos are those born between August 23 and SEPtember 22.
• POT OF TEA (16A: Drink quantity that gets smaller if you add an S at the beginning) This is a charming clue. SPOT OF TEA is such a fun, quaint phrase.
• CHERRY BLOSSOM (19A: Flower also known as sakura) The sakura, or CHERRY BLOSSOM, is considered the national flower of Japan. The United States has received multiple gifts of CHERRY BLOSSOM trees from Japan, including 3,020 trees in 1912, and 3,800 trees in 1965. In Washington, D.C., the CHERRY BLOSSOM trees are a draw for tourists each spring. Many of the trees prized for their CHERRY BLOSSOMs are ornamental rather than fruit-bearing.
• PEANUT BUTTER CUP (33A: Chocolate treat that's geometrically a frustum) Geometrically, a frustum is the section of a solid figure, such as a cone or pyramid, that is obtained by cutting the top of the figure off. If you turn a PEANUT BUTTER CUP upside down, you can see that it is the shape of a cut-off bottom portion of a cone. (Now I am hungry for a PEANUT BUTTER CUP - one of my favorites!)
• MOSES (39A: Actress Ingram) In the miniseries, The Queen's Gambit, MOSES Ingram played the role of Jolene, Beth Harmon's (Anya Taylor-Joy) friend from the orphanage.
• AMA (46A: Professional org. hidden in "amateur") One hopes that a member of the American Medical Association (AMA) is not an amateur.
• TATTOO (49A: Tavlugun, for example) A chin TATTOO, or "tavlugun" in Inupiaq, was traditionally  placed on a woman's chin to commemorate achievements, such as reaching puberty, the mastery of a new skill, or childbirth. Indigenous women in ALASKA have been revitalizing the tradition that had been nearly lost by colonization. Ash Adams is a photographer who has documented women who have tavlugun.
• TAPE (60A: Washi ___ (Japanese stationery item)) Washi TAPE is a decorative TAPE made from traditional Japanese paper. Washi TAPE is popular for crafting and journaling.
• NETS (7D: Tools used by SpongeBob for "jellyfishing") Jellyfishing is a SpongeBob SquarePants hobby similar to butterfly collection. Necessary tools for jellyfishing are NETS and jars. 
• LES MIS (10D: "I Dreamed a Dream" musical, for short) "I Dreamed a Dream," from the 1980 musical Les Misérables - or LES MIS - is sung in the first act by Fantine, who has been fired from her job at the factory. References to Les Misérables always remind me of a song from another musical, Something Rotten. The song "It's a Musical," mentions many different musicals, including LES MIS. ("That sounds miserable / I believe it's pronounced Misérable.")

Geography review:

• INCA (25D: Cuzco resident of old) Cuzco, a city in southeastern Peru, was the capital of the INCA Empire from the 13th to 16th centuries.
• ALASKA (8D: Inupiat's state) The Iñupiat are a group of indigenous people living in ALASKA. 

THE POWERPUFF GIRLS - BLOSSOM, BUBBLES, and BUTTERCUP - are kindergarten-age girls with superpowers, and the main characters of the animated TV series that first aired in 1998. When I saw the title of today's puzzle, I immediately thought, "Oh, maybe it's going to feature the names of THE POWERPUFF GIRLS." That thought was followed by wondering how the name BUTTERCUP could be disguised in a theme answer. PEANUT BUTTER CUP is a brilliant theme answer that does this job perfectly. (Also, they're delicious.) I also really liked SPEECH BUBBLES that naturally features the plural BUBBLES. I enjoyed the dance craze crossing of NAE NAE and YEET in the lower left corner. Other fun fill: HOT COCOA, CURTSIES, and OH DARN. The grid today reminds me of a pinball game. I can easily imagine a marble careening its way down through this grid. Quite fun. This puzzle was a delightful way to begin my Thursday.