April 2, 2022

Title: TIME TO PAY UP

Constructor: Mark Valdez

Editor: Amanda Rafkin

Theme Answers:

TAP DANCING (9D: Performance that makes clicking sounds)

CHIP AND DALE (16D: Disney's Rescue Rangers)

SWIPE RIGHT (27D: Express interest on Tinder)

Theme synopsis: The first word of each vertical theme answer indicates a way to PAY using a credit card. When it's TIME TO PAY UP, you may TAP your card (or your phone in some cases), insert the CHIP of your card into the reader, or SWIPE your card through the machine.

Things I learned:

• ANA (24A: SNL alum Gasteyer) ANA Gasteyer was a cast member on Saturday Night Live (SNL) from 1996 to 2002. One of the things she became known for on the show was her Martha Stewart impressions. 
• KITE (11D: Festival of the Winds flyer) The Festival of the Winds is a large KITE festival held annually in September at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia. This video (that was announcing the event wasn't held in person in 2020) gives an idea of some of the unique and amazing KITEs featured at the festival.

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• ALI (14A: Mahershala of "Ramy") Ramy is a TV series starring Ramy Youssef as the title character,   a millennial American Muslim. Mahershala ALI joined Ramy in its second season, portraying the recurring character, Sheikh ALI Malik.
• PUT (17A: "___ Your Records On" (Corinne Bailey Rae song)) "PUT Your Records On" is a song from Corrine Bailey Rae's self-titled 2006 album.
• RIPPON (40A: Olympic figure skater Adam) Adam RIPPON is a retired professional figure skater. At the 2018 Winter Olympics, he was part of the USA team that won a bronze medal. Adam RIPPON competed on season 26 of Dancing with the Stars. Spoiler alert...he and professional dancer, Jenna Johnson, won the competition that season.
• TEENS (44A: Many "Love, Victor" characters, age-wise) Love, Victor is a TEEN comedy drama TV series that I have previously written about. 
• TESSA (55A: Actress Thompson) The TV series, Westworld (based on the 1973 movie of the same name), is about a technologically advanced Wild-West-themed amusement park that features droids as hosts. TESSA Thompson plays Charlotte Hale, Executive Director of the Delos Destinations Board which oversees Westworld. TESSA Thompson also plays the title character in the 2020 movie, Sylvie's Love.
• LGA (63 EWR or JFK alternative) If you are flying to the New York City (NYC) metropolitan area, you have options. LaGuardia Airport (LGA) is located in East Elmhurst in Queens (a borough of NYC). Nearby John F. Kennedy International Airport (LGA) is located in the Jamaica neighborhood of Queens. Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) is located in New Jersey between the cities of Newark and Elizabeth.
• THAT (7D: "And Just Like ___..." ("Sex and the City" revival)) The TV series, Sex and the City, an adaptation of Candace Bushnell's newspaper column of the same name, originally aired from 1998-2004. The show followed the lives of four women - Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte, and Miranda - living in New York City. There were two movies based on the series: Sex and the City (2008) and Sex and the City 2 (2010). And Just Like That... premiered in December 2021. The sequel is set 11 years after the events of the second movie, and features three of the four original characters.
• CHIP AND DALE (16D: Disney's Rescue Rangers) CHIP 'n DALE: Rescue Rangers is an animated TV series featuring the chipmunks CHIP AND DALE as detectives that solve cases "too small" for the police to handle.
• MAYS (35D: Baseball icon Willie) I'm always thrilled when I know the answer to a sports clue. The iconic Willie MAYS is ranked second (behind Babe Ruth) on The Sporting News's "List of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players." Baseball Hall of Famer, Willie Mays, played for the Birmingham Black Barons in the Negro American League from 1948-1950, the San Francisco Giants from 1951-1972, and the New York Mets from 1972-1973. (Two notes: The Giants were based in New York when Willie MAYS joined the team, moving to San Francisco in 1958. In 1952, Willie MAYS was drafted, and served in the U.S. Army for two years during the Korean War.) Willie MAYS still holds the MLB record for career putouts as an outfielder. 

Geography review:

• CHI (13A: The Windy City, for short) Located on Lake Michigan, CHIcago, Illinois is indeed windy! Interestingly, that's not the reason it was originally nicknamed "The Windy City." In 1893, Charles A. Dana, an editor of the New York Sun, used "The Windy City" to refer to CHIcago's "full-of-hot-air politicians, and the name stuck.
• IOWA (31A: State where you can visit the world's largest popcorn ball) Hello from IOWA! Although the world's largest popcorn ball and I live in the same state, I haven't visited it; it's about 185 miles west of where I live. Sac City, IOWA, a town of just over 2,000 people is home to the world's largest popcorn ball. It weighs around 9,370 pounds, and has a diameter of 8 feet!
• LIMA (39A: Capital of Peru) LIMA is located on the coast of Peru, along the Pacific Ocean. LIMA has four sister cities in the United States (a relationship for promoting cultural and commercial ties): Austin, Texas, Cleveland, Ohio, Miami, Florida, and Stamford, Connecticut. There are many crossword folks in Stamford, Connecticut at the moment, as that's the site of the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament (ACPT) happening this weekend. Sadly, I am not in Stamford...maybe next year. Good luck and happy solving to all ACPTers today!
• ARAB (54D: The "A" in UAE) The United ARAB Emirates (UAE) is located on the Arabian Peninsula with coastline on the Persian Gulf. The capital of UAE is Abu Dhabi.

I was extremely relieved to spot the theme in today's puzzle. After yesterday, it made me feel better about my blogging ability. And an enjoyable theme it was, with three great theme answers. In addition to the theme and the answers I've already highlighted, I also liked FRAPPE, IS IT REAL, and ON A ROLL. This puzzle was a great way to begin my Saturday.