February 8, 2022

Title: WIDE OPEN

Constructor: Mark McClain

Editors: Mollie Cowger & Erik Agard

Theme Answers:

WINDOW DECAL (16A: Sticker in a storefront)

WISE DECISION (27A: Well-considered choice)

WITHOUT DELAY (44A: Posthaste)

WINE DEALERS (59A: Merchants with cabs and pinots)

Theme synopsis: The word WIDE is OPEN in each theme answer, with WI- appearing at the beginning of the first word in the answer, and DE- appearing at the start of the second word.

Things I learned:

• TILE (11D: Stone piece in zellij) Zellij (also seen spelled zellige) is a style of mosaic made from individual TILEs set in a plaster base. TILEs of a variety of colors and shapes are placed together in geometric patterns. Zellij is an Islamic art that is often a feature of Moroccan architecture and medieval Moorish architecture. 
• ETUDE (30D: Unsuk Chin's "Piano ___ No. 6 (Grains)") Unsuk Chin is a composer of contemporary classical music. She was born in Seoul, South Korea, and now lives in Berlin, Germany. Unsuk Chin composed "Piano ETUDE No. 6 (Grains)" in 2000 for Pierre Boulez's 75th birthday. (Pierre Boulez is a French composer, conductor, and writer.) Although I was unfamiliar with Unsuk Chin, this answer was inferable, and I'm happy to learn about her.

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• SILK (1A: Traditional fiber for koto strings) The koto is a stringed instrument. It is part of the zither class of instruments, and consists of a wooden half-tube with the strings strung over movable bridges. A koto may have 13 or 17 strings that are plucked with fingerpicks worn on the first three fingers of the right hand. SILK, traditionally used to make the koto's strings, is still preferred by some musicians, though strings made from a variety of materials are now available. The koto is the  national instrument of Japan. Here's a video of Fuyuki Enokido playing "Sakura, Sakura" on a koto. 
• OTC (10A: Like nonprescription meds (Abbr.)) OTC = over the counter, and refers to medications that can be purchased without a prescription. This clue brought back memories of my days working as a pharmacist. It's been 32 years since I last worked as a pharmacist. My husband is also a pharmacist (but it's only been a year since he last worked in the profession), and he and I were recently discussing the many medications that are now available OTC that were prescription meds when we began our pharmacy careers. These include Motrin (ibuprofen), multiple antihistamines such as Allegra and Zyrtec, and the acid reducer Pepcid. 
• KYLO (33A: "Star Wars" character ___ Ren) The Star Wars' antagonist KYLO Ren was played by Adam Driver in The Force Awakens (2015), The Last Jedi (2017), Star Wars Resistance (2018-2020), and The Rise of Skywalker. 
• OTTO (43A: ___ Octavius aka Doctor Octopus) Dr. OTTO Gunther Octavius also known as Doctor Octopus, or Doc Ock, is a Marvel Comics mad scientist character. Doc Ock, who has four mechanical appendages, debuted as an enemy of Spider-Man in The Amazing Spider-Man #3, published in 1963.
• PAWS (48A: Feline feet) Sometimes I find Willow in poses that suggest
  
  she's not sure what to do with her PAWS. 
• APPLE (64A: Rosh Hashanah fruit) Part of Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) celebrations often include eating an APPLE dipped in honey in hopes of a sweet new year.
• IKEA (65A: Seller of Vedbo armchairs) In case you're interested, the Vedbo armchair from IKEA is available in dark gray, blue, light green, or light brown-pink.
• DUET (6D: Irving Berlin's "Anything You Can Do (I Can Do Better)," for one) This is a fun clue for DUET! Irving Berlin composed "Anything You Can Do (I Can Do Better)" for the musical Annie Get Your Gun. Last year the song was used in a Gatorade commercial featuring Abby Wambach and Usain Bolt.
• POLARIS (9D: Star also known as Alpha Ursae Minoris) POLARIS, also known as Alpha Ursae Minoris, is commonly referred to as the North Star, or the Pole Star. POLARIS is part of the constellation Ursa Minor, also known as Little Bear. The stable position of POLARIS in the north sky made it historically useful for navigation. 
• AIDA (47D: Comedian Osman) AIDA Osman is one of the co-hosts of the podcast, Keep It. She has written for the TV series Betty and Big Mouth. In the upcoming HBO Max comedy series Rap Sh*t, produced by Issa Rae, AIDA Osman will star as a rap artist. 

Geography review:

• IRAN (26A: Where Farsi is the national language) IRAN, officially the Islamic Republic of IRAN, is a country in Western Asia. As the clue informs us, Farsi is the national language of IRAN. The capital of IRAN is Tehran.

From the title, I was expecting to see the word WIDE split OPEN with the letters bookending the the theme answers. Fun to be surprised with a different split. Some nice long bonuses in OVERNIGHT, TOWAWAY, and LOST POWER. Don't you agree solving this puzzle was a WISE DECISION? This puzzle was an enjoyable way to begin my Tuesday.

One more thing today. Yesterday, a reader emailed me about something I'd written that was, while correct, not clear. (Thank you!) This is not the first time this has happened, but it reminded me to tell you I welcome such feedback. (Truly!) I do my best, but self-editing is a difficult thing to do. If you happen to notice something unclear, incorrect, or even simply a typo in one of my posts, I appreciate you (kindly) letting me know. You can email me, send me a message on Twitter, or simply leave a comment. Of course, you can also reach out to me in any of those ways just to say hello!