April 6, 2022

Title: DROPPING HINTS

Constructor: Zhouqin Burnikel

Editor: Erik Agard

Theme Answers:

CLEA DUVALL (3D: "But I'm a Cheerleader" actress)

SETTLE A DEBT (9D: Pay up)

AN APPLE A DAY (25D: Intake that "keeps the doctor away," in a proverb)

MOBILE ADS (38D: Free apps often have them)

Theme synopsis: Each vertical theme answer contains the word LEAD.

Things I learned:

• IDLE (16A: ___ No More) IDLE No More is an Indigenous-led social movement founded in Canada in 2012 by four women: Jessica Gordon, Sylvia McAdam, Sheelah McLean, and Nina Wilson. According to the IDLE No More website, it is "an inclusive, continent-wide network of urban and rural Indigenous working hand in hand with non-Indigenous allies to build a movement for Indigenous rights and the protection of land, water, and sky."

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• DUDE (19A: "C'mon, man...") and BRO (1D: "C'mon, man...") This was a fun clue echo.
• ALPHA (36A: Generation after Z) We recently saw "Gen ALPHA" as a theme answer, so you may remember that Generation Z refers to those born between 1996 and 2010, while Generation ALPHA is defined as those born in 2011 or later. 
• ADAB (41A: Islamic etiquette) Islamic ADAB encompasses the good things a Muslim must do, and covers good manners, courtesy, respect, and appropriateness.
• CLEA DUVALL (3D: "But I'm a Cheerleader" actress) But I'm a Cheerleader is a 1999 movie about a cheerleader named Megan, played by Natasha Lyonne. Megan's family suspects she is a lesbian, and sends her to a conversion therapy camp to "cure" her. One of the people Megan meets at the camp is Graham, played by CLEA DUVALL.
• PIE (5D: As easy as ___) and ABC (35D: As easy as ___) Another fun echoed clue!
• RARE (7D: Like a mint condition "Action Comics No. 1") Action Comics No. 1 is considered to be the most valuable comic book in the world. It was published in 1938 by the company eventually known as DC Comics, and sold for 10 cents. The anthology contains 11 stories, including the one by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster that introduced Superman. The cover featured Superman lifting a car over his head. It is estimated there are only 50 to 100 original copies of Action Comics No. 1 still in existence, so a mint condition copy would indeed be RARE. It would also be worth a lot of money. Two separate copies have sold for over 3 million dollars each.

Geography review:

• PARIS (5A: Capital where Emma Watson was born) PARIS is the capital and most populous city of France. As the clue informs us, actress and activist Emma Watson was born in Paris. She moved to England with her family at the age of five.
• LAOS (10A: Country that celebrates Pi Mai) LAOS is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia. Its capital is Vientiane. Pi Mai, also known as Lao New Year, is celebrated annually April 14 to 16. The celebration takes place at the start of the monsoon season, the hottest time of the year in LAOS.

I have a LEAD on a fun puzzle... A great set of theme answers here that are DROPPING HINTS as they are filled into the grid. OPEN SECRET and NEST EGG are fun answers and nothing to SNEER at. The answer CORNED BEEF made me hungry for a reuben, although I originally had "sauerkraut," which also fits.Yesterday we saw the answer LITTLE TOE, and today we have the TOENAILS. We also have an entire FOOT today, though clued as the unit of measure. This puzzle was an enjoyable way to begin my Wednesday.