May 1, 2022

Title: COLORFUL CHARACTERS

Constructor: Zhouqin Burnikel

Editor: Erik Agard

Theme Answers:

MARGARET WHITING (16A: "A Tree in the Meadow" singer)

HENRY GOLDING (27A: Actor who played Nick Young in "Crazy Rich Asians")

OTIS REDDING (62A: "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" singer)

Theme synopsis: Each theme answer is the name of a person whose last name is an -ING form of a COLOR: WHITING, GOLDING, REDDING.

Things I learned:

• THA (6A: "Make ___ Trap Say Aye") "Make THA Trap Say Aye" is a 2008 song by rapper OJ da Juiceman. The song features rapper Gucci Mane.
• MARGARET WHITING (16A: "A Tree in the Meadow" singer) MARGARET WHITING had a successful career singing popular and country music in the 1940s and 1950s. "A Tree in the Meadow" was a number one hit in the summer of 1948. Because the song was recorded during a musician's strike in the U.S., MARGARET WHITING sang vocals to an orchestral track recorded in Europe by Frank DeVol and his Orchestra. MARGARET WHITING died in 2011 at the age of 86. This was the only one of the theme answers I was unfamiliar with, so I was grateful for help from crossing answers, and being able to infer the last name once I recognized the theme.
• CHEER (21A: Perform like Jada Wooten) Jada Wooten is one of the cheerleaders featured in Season 2 of the Netflix docuseries, CHEER. During the filming of CHEER, Jada Wooten was cheering for Trinity Valley Community College in Athens, Texas. Jada Wooten is currently a student and part of the CHEER team at Sam Houston State University. 
• WIIG (33A: "Barb and Star" star Kristen) Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar is a 2021 movie starring Kristen WIIG (Star) and Annie Mumolo (Barb) as best friends from Nebraska on vacation in Florida. Kristen WIIG and Annie Mumolo also wrote the screenplay for the movie. Although I wasn't familiar with this movie, I knew of Kristen WIIG, and was able to fill her name in once I had some help from crossing answers.
• GAI (44A: ___ choy) GAI choy, also known as Chinese mustard, is a variety of mustard greens, and a member of the cabbage family. This was a new one to me. I confidently put "bok" here, which caused a bit of confusion until HOW DID IT GO made it clear that answer was incorrect.
• SPEED (51D: Allyson Felix's forte) Allyson Felix is a track and field athlete. Her events are the 100, 200, and 400 meters, and the 4 x 100 and 4 x 400 meters relays. At the 2020 Summer Olympics (held in 2021), Allyson Felix won her 11th Olympic medal and became the most decorated American track star, a title previously held by Carl Lewis. Along with fellow runners Alysia Montaño and Kara Goucher, Allyson Felix has also spoken out against Nike's treatment of pregnant athletes, resulting in the company changing its maternity policy. Time magazine named Allyson Felix as one of "The Most Influential People of 2021," her second year in a row to be named to the list. 

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• PITA (9A: Bread for shawarma) Shawarma is a dish in Middle Eastern cuisine consisting of thinly sliced meat stacked in a cone-like shape and roasted on a spit. It is often served in a PITA, sandwich-style.
• AFRO (34A: ___-indigenous) AFRO-Indegenous is a term used for people with both Indigenous and African lineage. If you'd like to learn more about AFRO-Indigenous people and the complexities of this identity, I recommend these two articles: this High Country News article by two AFRO-Indigenous scholars, and this Aspen Institute article about Black-Indigenous and Afro-Indigenous youth.
• RAT (46A: Nearsighted rodent) Although a RAT can only focus on an object one to two feet away from it, the nearsighted rodent has exceptional distance vision, being able to discern movement at a distance of up to 45 feet. This distance vision helps a RAT avoid predators. 
• SALES (70A: Singles' Day events) I have previously written about the unofficial Chinese holiday, Singles' Day, a day when many companies have SALES. 
• NEON CARROT (29D: Bright orange Crayola color) Well, this is definitely a COLORFUL CHARACTER. As expected from its name, NEON CARROT is a bright orange hue.

Geography review:

• LAOS (14A: Country where lamb originated) LAOS is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by Myanmar, China, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand. The capital of LAOS is Vientiane. Larb, a type of meat salad, is the national dish of LAOS.

This puzzle does indeed feature some COLORFUL CHARACTERS. After figuring out the theme, it was fun to discover the names that fit the pattern. Enjoyable answers not previously mentioned: HOW DID IT GO, LET DOWN, ALGEBRA, FIRE DRILL, and NO IDEA. This puzzle was a COLORFUL way to start my Sunday.