February 11, 2022

Title: FOUR OF A KIND

Constructor: Brooke Husic

Editors: Mollie Cowger & Erik Agard

Theme Answers:

FLAVOR OF THE WEEK (16A: Rotating posting at a gelato shop)

TYPEWRITER (23A: Keyboard for Snoopy)

VARIETY SHOW (46A: Performance that might feature burlesque)

SORT YOURSELF OUT (57A: "Come back to me when things are less hectic")

Theme synopsis: Each of the FOUR theme answers begin with a synonym for KIND: FLAVOR, TYPE, VARIETY, SORT.

And now a word from our constructor:

Brooke: i love the starburst in the middle of this grid! i feel like the clues have an amazing cast of characters: carmen sandiego, snoopy, squidward, alexandra trese, lil mariko, and misty knight. 57a was tough to clue but i like how it turned out! my other favorite clues are 40a, 8d, 46d, and 53d.

Things I learned:

• SORT YOURSELF OUT (57A: "Come back to me when things are less hectic") This is a new phrase to me. I initially read this clue as if the speaker was busy, so I wanted something like "SORT of busy here," which didn't fit. SORT YOURSELF OUT is equivalent to "Pull YOURSELF together," "Take a moment to SORT out your emotions," or, of course, "Come back to me when things are less hectic."
• TRESE (10D: Filipino komik series hero Alexandra) The protagonist of the Filipino komik series, TRESE, is Alexandra TRESE, a detective specializing in cases of crimes with a supernatural aspect. TRESE was adapted to a Netflix TV series that premiered in June 2021.
• LIL (36D: "Don't Touch" rapper ___ Mariko) LIL Mariko released her debut self-titled EP in 2021. This interview with LIL Mariko describes her music as "a crossover between ear splitting and hypnotic sounds...a peculiar combination of metal, hyper pop, and techno." LIL Mariko responds to this description with the comment, "Honestly, I'm still baffled that people listen to my music unironically!"
• BLOOM (51D: Supermodel Leyna) In 2021, Leyna BLOOM appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, becoming the first openly transgender woman to do so. 

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• PSA (4A: The ad "Unspeakable" is one) "Unspeakable" is a public service announcement (PSA) featuring individuals of the Deaf community proclaiming that Black Lives Matter. I encourage you to take a minute of your day to watch this powerful PSA. I also recommend this article that discusses how Emmai Alaquiva got the idea for the PSA.
• NESTS (7A: Gorillas make them using branches) Gorillas build NESTS out of branches to provide comfort, warmth, and protection. They may build NESTS on the ground or in trees, and most NESTS are single-use. Gorillas are nomadic creatures, and will build new NESTS (sometimes on the site of previous NESTS) with fresh bedding material each day.
• ALL (13A: "___ Boys Aren't Blue" (memoir-manifesto)) ALL Boys Aren't Blue is a series of essays by George M. Johnson about his experiences growing up, and is also a message of support to Black queer boys. The memoir-manifesto is being adapted and developed into a TV series. 
• RED (22A: Color of Carmen Sandiego's hat) Just as happened previously when Carmen Sandiego (who wears a RED hat) was featured in a puzzle, I now have the theme song of the Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? quiz show as an earworm!
• TYPEWRITER (23A: Keyboard for Snoopy) This is a fun clue! Snoopy began using a TYPEWRITER on top of his doghouse on July 12, 1965 (just a bit over a month before I was born!) Many of his stories begin with the words, "It was a dark and stormy night..." This clue makes me think of my sister, who is a major Peanuts fan.
• NOSE (29A: Prominent facial feature for Squidward) Squidward is a character in the animated TV series SpongeBob Square Pants. The anthropomorphic octopus's full name is Squidward Q. Tentacles.
• BASKET (30A: Successful shot for A'ja Wilson) This is the second time this week we've seen A'ja Wilson in a clue. A'ja Wilson shoots BASKETs for WNBA's Las Vegas Aces.
• ALAN (54A: Mathematician/philosopher Turing) I have previously written about ALAN Turing. 
• SAN (64A: The "S" in UTSA) and LAS (59D: The "L" in UNLV) A pair of University clues is a nice way to add interest to these frequently-seen three-letter answers. UTSA is the University of Texas at SAN Antonio. UNLV is the University of Nevada, LAS Vegas.
• ALFRE (6D: "Clemency" actress Woodard) Clemency is a 2019 movie in which ALFRE Woodard portrays a prison warden overseeing death row. 
• TEA EGG (27D: Marbled night market treat) A TEA EGG is a savory snack made by cracking hard boiled EGGs and then boiling them again in TEA and spices, resulting in a marbled pattern.
• BID (30D: Bridge game opening) and ACE (31D: Powerful card in bridge) When my husband and I were just out of college, we attempted to learn how to play bridge, mentored by a patient and kind older couple. Our attempt was unsuccessful, but at least I learned enough to help solve crosswords!
• AFRO (56D: Hairstyle for Misty Knight) Misty Knight is a character in Marvel Comics. She is an NYPD police officer who loses her right arm and is fitted with a bionic arm. Simone Missick plays the role of Misty Knight in the TV series, Marvel's Luke Cage, Marvel's The Defenders, and Marvel's Iron Fist.

Geography review:

• ASIAN (19A: Cambodian, e.g.) Cambodia is a country in Southeast Asia. Cambodia has coastline along the Gulf of Thailand, and shares borders with Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam. The capital of Cambodia is Phnom Penh.
• KEA (33D: Mauna ___) Mauna KEA is one of five volcanoes that form the island of Hawai'i. To the chagrin of crossword solvers everywhere, another of those five volcanoes is named Mauna Loa. (Of course KEA and Loa are both three letters in length and end in the letter A!) Although the active volcano Mauna Loa is larger in mass and volume than the dormant Mauna KEA, Mauna KEA's peak is about 125 feet higher than that of Mauna Loa, and is the highest point in Hawaii.
• SYRIA (50D: Country south of Turkey) In addition to Turkey, SYRIA's neighbors are Iraq, Jordan, Israel, and Lebanon. SYRIA has coastline on the Mediterranean Sea. The capital of SYRIA is Damascus.

The unusual large block of black squares is the first thing I noticed about the grid. It's visually appealing and is quite fun! How would you characterize this TYPE of puzzle? Is its VARIETY of topics the SORT of thing that adds FLAVOR to your solve? (Okay, I admit my use of FLAVOR isn't really used in a way to be synonymous with KIND...) In addition to the theme, I enjoyed the cluing so much today. Favorites are the clues for FLAVOR OF THE WEEK, DETAIL (40A: Easter egg in a Taylor Swift video, e.g.), and STEER (11D: Use a wheelchair's joystick), as well as the clues for RED and TYPEWRITER which I highlighted above. This puzzle was a delightful way to begin my Friday.