May 10, 2022

Title: TACO TUESDAY

Constructor: Zhouqin Burnikel

Editor: Erik Agard

Theme Answers:

HALF SHELL (15A: Typical oyster presentation)

WHERE'S THE BEEF (23A: '80s Wendy's slogan)

QUEEN OF SALSA (48A: Nickname for Celia Cruz)

BIG CHEESE (61A: Top dog)

Theme synopsis: The last word of each theme answer is a TACO component.

Things I learned:

• EAT (20A: Have some klepon, for example) Klepon is a snack that originated on the Indonesian island of Java. Klepon are boiled rice cake balls with a filling of liquid palm sugar. The rice cake has a green color (due to the addition of a paste made from leaves) and is finished off with a coating of grated coconut.
• BENTOS (36A: Lunchboxes sold at a Daiso store) Daiso is a franchise of Japanese 100-yen shops, similar to dollar stores found in the United States. Daiso has over 3,500 stores in Japan, and over 2,000 stores in other countries. Daiso stores in the United States are located in California, Washington, and Texas. I was unfamiliar with Daiso, so when I read the clue, I started thinking of types of lunchboxes (brown bag, stainless steel, insulated...) Since I already had the T from the crossing answer SENT, it didn't take long to think of a partitioned BENTO box. 
• TRE (8D: NBA guard Mann) TRE Mann is a guard for NBA's Oklahoma City Thunder. Prior to being drafted by the the Thunder in 2021, TRE Mann was a student and played basketball at the University of Florida.
• BEER (26D: Tsingtao product) The second largest brewery in China is Tsingtao Brewery. Founded in 1903, the brewery has had a number of owners and been known by various names. Tsingtao BEER, a pale lager, is the flagship brew of Tsingtao Brewery.

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• COEL (11A: "Chewing Gum" creator Michaela) The TV comedy series, Chewing Gum, created, written by, and starring Michaela COEL, is based on her 2012 play, Chewing Gum Dreams. The show is set in London, and tells the story of a 24-year-old shop assistant who decides she wants to explore the world and have sex.
• WHERE'S THE BEEF (23A: '80s Wendy's slogan) Wendy's first "WHERE'S THE BEEF?" commercial aired in 1984, and featured 82-year-old Clara Peller asking the question that quickly became a catchphrase. The commercial even inspired a song titled "WHERE'S THE BEEF?" by Coyote McCloud, featuring Clara Peller. I remember the WHERE'S THE BEEF? commercials, so this was an easy answer to fill in, and fun to see.
• STOOD (27A: "The Day the Earth ___ Still") The Day the Earth STOOD Still is a 2008 science fiction movie loosely adapted from the 1951 movie of the same name. Keanu Reeves starred in the film as Klaatu, an alien in human form.
• QUEEN OF SALSA (48A: Nickname for Celia Cruz) We have seen Celia Cruz in the puzzle before, in a clue for her birthplace, HAVANA, Cuba. Celia Cruz, nicknamed the QUEEN OF SALSA, won multiple Grammy Awards and Latin Grammy Awards, and in 2016 she was honored with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Celia Cruz died in 2003 at the age of 77.
• ERIN (54A: Speedskating star Jackson) ERIN Jackson began her competitive sporting career with inline skating, winning a gold medal in 2014 at the Pan American Championships. She also played roller derby with the Jacksonville RollerGirls. ERIN Jackson began speed skating on ice in 2016. At the 2022 Winter Olympics she won a gold medal for Team USA in the women's 500 meter speed skating event. Last month I wrote about ERIN Jackson's eventful journey to the 2022 Winter Olympics. 
• SENT (25D: "Heaven Must Have ___ You") "Heaven Must Have SENT YOU" was originally recorded by The Elgins in 1966, and rerecorded by Bonnie Pointer in 1979. 
• HEN (34D: Ginger from "Chicken Run," for one) Chicken Run is a stop-motion animated movie about a group of anthropomorphic chickens trying to escape being turned into meat pies. Julia Sawalha voiced the role of Ginger, the HEN leading the chickens in their efforts. 
• GEESE (10D: Birds that honk in flight) and EAGLE (50D: Bird with 20/5 vision) and SNIPE (52D: Bird with a bill much longer than its head) We have a fun trio of bird facts in today's puzzle! If you enjoyed these clues, you might enjoy the January 14, 2022 puzzle, and the board game that inspired that puzzle. 
• GIF (62D: Blinking Guy is one) The face featured in the Blinking Guy GIF, which has been shared an estimated 1.7 billion times, is Drew Scanlon's. He has used his Internet fame to raise money for charity.

Geography review:

• OSLO (57D: Capital city with floating saunas) OSLO is the capital of Norway. A floating sauna is exactly what it sounds like, a sauna situated on a raft in the fjords of OSLO. Some of the saunas are moored in one spot, and others tour the fjord while you are in them. The idea is to alternate time spent in the hot sauna and the icy waters surrounding it. This Guardian article tells the story of OSLO's first floating sauna, and the somewhat chilly reception it initially received.

We usually see Zhouqin Burnikel's byline on Sundays and Wednesdays, and when that schedule changes, there's usually a reason, as is the case today. Running a puzzle titled TACO TUESDAY on a Sunday or Wednesday might be funny, but not nearly as appropriate. This was a fun theme, and succeeded in making me want to EAT a TACO! SELF-WORTH, ARE WE DONE?, QUEST, and OH SURE were interesting non-theme answers. Thanks, Zhouqin, this puzzle was an enjoyable way to begin my TACO TUESDAY.

One more thing. It's the 10th of the month, and time to TOOT my own horn. (SEE what I did there?) The 10th of each month is my self-designated day to remind you that this blog has a Donate button. This is the 701st post on my blog. It occurred to me that over the not-quite-two-years I have been writing Sally's Take, I and my guest bloggers have essentially written the equivalent of a 700+ page book. If you've read some of our musings (which you obviously have if you're reading this...), perhaps you might share your appreciation by using the Donate button to "buy me a pizza." You can also donate by Venmo or check. Donations are optional, of course, as the blog will always remain free to read. That being said, they are definitely always appreciated.