January 2, 2022

Title: IMPERFECT ROUND

Constructor: Zhouqin Burnikel

Editor: Erik Agard

Theme Answers:

CHIP-IN BIRDIE (20A: PGA Tour Shot of the Day, often) 

NICK FALDO (38A: Knight who's a three-time Masters champion) 

SCRATCH GOLFER (59A: Player who shoots 72 regularly)

Theme synopsis: Today we have a ROUND of golf-related theme answers with first words that are synonyms for IMPERFECT. Our IMPERFECT ROUND features a CHIP, a NICK, and a SCRATCH.

Things I learned:

• SONS (1A: "Letters to the ___ of Society" (Shaka Senghor book)) Letters to the SONS of Society: A Father's invitation to Love, Honesty, and Freedom is Shaka Senghor's second book. His first book, Writing My Wrongs: Life, Death, and One Man's Story of Redemption in an American Prison, was published in 2016, and is the story of Senghor's life growing up in an abusive childhood, getting involved in drug-dealing, and being incarcerated for second degree murder at the age of 19. Since being released from prison in 2010, Shaka Senghor has been an advocate for criminal justice reform. In his second book, Senghor writes letters to his two SONS - one born while he was in prison, and the other born after he was released. 
• CHIP-IN BIRDIE (20A: PGA Tour Shot of the Day, often) In golf, a CHIP is a short shot. A CHIP-IN BIRDIE is a short shot that results in a BIRDIE - a score of one under par.
• NICK FALDO (38A: Knight who's a three-time Masters champion) During his golfing career, NICK FALDO has had 43 professional wins, including the Masters Tournament in 1989, 1990, and 1996. He was ranked number one on the Official World Golf Ranking for 97 consecutive weeks. He was awarded the MBE (the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) in 1988 for his services to golf.
• GEORGE (57A: Dream collaborator) GEORGE (GeorgeNotFound) and Dream are YouTubers and frequent collaborators, known for their videos of Minecraft creations. (Minecraft is a world-building video game.) Together with Sapnap, they have a YouTube channel called Dream Team.
• SCRATCH GOLFER (59A: Player who shoots 72 regularly) A SCRATCH GOLFER is a player whose handicap equals zero. (In golf, a handicap is a score adjustment that allows players of varying abilities to compete against each other.)
• STACK (1D: Pile of cong you bing) Cong you bing are scallion pancakes originating from China. Cong you bing are made from dough and pan-fried, resulting in crisp edges and a chewy texture.

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• GOAT (19A: Farm animal that burps a lot) Burping and belly rumbling are signs of a healthy GOAT digestive system. GOATs, like cows, have multiple stomachs. As food is broken down in the first stomach - called a rumen - a lot of gas is produced, which is released by burping. 
• ALTO (44A: Chaka Khan's vocal range) Chaka Khan's singing career began in the 1970s as the lead vocalist of the funk band Rufus, and has so far spanned five decades. Chaka Khan has won 10 Grammy Awards, including a 2008 win for Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals for "Disrespectful" (with Mary J. Blige).
• SNL (51A: Sarah Sherman's show) Comedian, actress, and screenwriter Sarah Sherman was cast as a featured player on SNL in 2021.
• SENSEI (55A: Ikebana instructor) Ikebana is the Japanese art of flower arrangement. An ikebana instructor is referred to as a SENSEI.
• OREO (65A: Cookie with a Sakura Matcha flavor) Hello to OREO making its first puzzle appearance of 2022. 
• NFL (35D: Vikings' org.) That's NFL's Minnesota Vikings. It amused me to see this football reference in this golf-themed puzzle.
• OLDS (58D: "Stag's Leap" poet Sharon) I have previously written about Pulitzer-Prize winning author Sharon OLDS.

Geography review:

• IOWAN (41A: Person with a 319 area code, for example) Hey, it's me! I am in IOWAN, and I do in fact have a phone number with a 319 area code. Iowa currently has five different assigned area codes. 

(Almost) Everything I know about sports I have learned from crossword puzzles. Today's golf-themed puzzle featured three theme answers that were new to me. Good thing I'm always up for learning new things! I enjoyed the cleverness of finding three golf-related answers with IMPERFECT synonyms. There was a bit of a gloomy, pet-related collection of answers in  DOG EAT DOG, LONG GONE extinct animals, CAGED parakeets, and a kenneled PET. This puzzle, which taught me many new things, was an enjoyable way to begin my Sunday.