February 1, 2022

Title: YEAR OF THE TIGER

Constructor: Zhouqin Burnikel

Editor: Erik Agard

Theme Answers:

SHARK TANK (17A: Reality show based on "Dragons' Den")

CUB REPORTERS (28A: Newsroom newbies)

BALM OF GILEAD (52A: Medicinal resin with a biblical name)

LILYPICHU (65A: Creator of "comfi beats")

Theme synopsis: The first word of each theme answer can be placed after the word TIGER, to give us TIGER SHARK, TIGER CUB, TIGER BALM, and TIGER LILY.

Things I learned:

• ATTA (14A: Patanjali ___ Noodles) Patanjali ATTA Noodles are an instant noodle product packaged by the Indian company, Patanjali.
• LILYPICHU (65A: Creator of "comfi beats") LILYPICHU is a musician, voice actress, animator, and internet personality. Comfi beats is her YouTube channel. She is part of a group of social media content creators known as Offline TV.
• SLIMY (31D: Like yamaimo) Yamaimo, also known as Japanese mountain yam, is a type of long, slender yam. Yamaimo can be cooked, but in Japan it is usually eaten raw. Finely grated yamaimo has a slippery, SLIMY texture.
• RAP (33D: Genre for Tierra Whack) Tierra Whack's debut RAP album, Whack World, was released in 2018. Each song on the album is about a minute long. To accompany the album, Tierra Whack created a video for each song that she debuted on Instagram.

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• SHARK TANK (17A: Reality show based on "Dragons' Den") SHARK TANK is a reality TV show during which entrepreneurs make pitches to a panel of investors, attempting to get them to invest in their company. The show is a version of the Japanese show, Dragons' Den. We've seen SHARK TANK as a theme answer previously, almost a year ago. 
• MOVIE (19A: "Us" or "Up") Other than both containing only two letters in their titles, the MOVIEs Us and Up don't have much in common. Us is a 2019 horror MOVIE, written and directed by Jordan Peele, about a family attacked by a group of doppelgängers. Up is a 2009 animated movie (wait...has it really been 13 years since Up?!) about a widower named Carl who turns his house into an airship with the use of helium balloons.
• CUB REPORTERS (28A: Newsroom newbies) We've seen CUB REPORTERS as a theme answer previously.
• BALM OF GILEAD (52A: Medicinal resin with a biblical name) As you might guess, the resin, BALM OF GILEAD, which comes from a tree, is named after the historical region of GILEAD where the tree grew. The resin was used for its antibacterial and antifungal properties. I associate BALM OF GILEAD with the spiritual, "There Is a BALM in GILEAD."
• STALE (3D: Like old baozi) Baozi, also known as bao, is a type of filled steamed bun made of yeasted dough. Baizo originated in Chinese cuisine, and are filled with a variety of sweet or savory fillings. Baizo are best eaten fresh, before they become STALE.
• NON (7D: The N in GNC) GNC here is short for gender-NONconforming, or gender NONconformity.
• ODIN (12D: Allfather in Norse Myth) ODIN is a god in Norse mythology portrayed as one-eyed, long-bearded, wearing a cloak and broad hat, and wielding a spear named Gungnir. One of ODIN's name is Allfather, or Father of All.
• OREOS (25D: Creme-filled cookies) I really should keep OREOS on hand, so when the puzzle makes me hungry for them they're available. Or, considering how often we see OREOS in the puzzle, maybe it's best that I don't have them around!
• BRIEF (52A: Like Rita Moreno's Oscars speech) EGOT winner Rita Moreno won her Academy Award in 1962 for Best Supporting Actress in West Side Story. Her BRIEF, 15-second acceptance speech was, "I can't believe it! Good Lord! I leave you with that." In 2019, on Live with Kelly and Ryan, she was given the opportunity for a do-over, which she did while wearing the same dress she did in 1962.

Geography review:

• SELMA (20A: National Voting Rights Museum and Institute city) The National Voting Rights Museum and Institute is located in SELMA, Alabama, near the Edmund Pettus Bridge. The museum  commemorates and chronicles events of 1965, including Bloody Sunday (when voting rights marchers were beaten by Alabama State Troopers as they tried to march to Montgomery), the SELMA to Montgomery march, and the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
• IDAHO (63A: U.S. state that produces the most potatoes) IDAHO has earned its nickname of "The Potato State" by its production of one-third of the United States's potato crop. The capital of IDAHO is Boise.
• PERTH (26D: Australian city known for its pristine coastline) PERTH is the capital of the Australian state of Western Australia. The northern coastline of PERTH features many white sand beaches, and is marketed as the Sunset Coast.

Last night I solved today's New York Times crossword, which is also by Zhouqin Burnikel, and is also a nod to the fact that today is the Chinese New Year, also known as the Lunar New Year. Therefore, I was somewhat expecting to see Zhouqin's name this morning (even though it's not Wednesday or Sunday), and I was not disappointed. As the puzzle's title lets us know, we are entering the YEAR OF THE TIGER. Last year Zhouqin treated us to a puzzle in honor of the Year of the Ox, which has now ended. In addition to the answers I highlighted above, I enjoyed RIM SHOT, I'M ALL EARS, and OPEN AIR. I give this puzzle a RAVE REVIEW; it was a great way to begin my Tuesday.