May 14, 2022

Title: ATM INSIDE

Constructor: Claire Rimkus

Editor: Amanda Rafkin

Theme Answers:

GREAT MINDS (20A: "We had the same idea!")

WHAT MORE CAN I SAY (39A: "I have nothing else to add")

LOWFAT MILK (59A: Dairy item that might be 1% or 2%)

Theme synopsis: INSIDE each theme answer we find the letters ATM spanning two words. 

Things I learned:

• NEED (17A: "Everything I ___" (Melissa Ferrick song)) "Everything I NEED" is the title track of Melissa Ferrick's 1998 album. Although I was unfamiliar with Melissa Ferrick and this song, the answer was easy to infer, and now I know about them.
• RYAN (26D: "Black Panther" director Coogler) RYAN Coogler not only directed the 2018 movie, Black Panther, he also co-wrote the screenplay. He also co-wrote and directed the 2015 movie, Creed, the seventh film in the Rocky franchise.

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• LEGO (15A: Toy brick brand with a "Flower Bouquet" kit) I do not have a 

  

  LEGO bonsai tree

  LEGO "Flower Bouquet" kit (though it occurs to me this is a good option that would not set off my allergies...), but I do have another LEGO botanical. Last year for my birthday my son gave me a LEGO bonsai tree. It comes with two sets of leaves, so you can decide whether your tree is flowering (mine is at the moment, as you can see).
• GREAT MINDS (20A: "We had the same idea!") It was fun to see GREAT MINDS in the puzzle, as I frequently say this - often in the longer form, "GREAT MINDS think alike," or "GREAT MINDS and all that" - to my sister.
• HER (36A: "It's in ___ Kiss" (The Hollies song)) If you tried to put "his" here, that would be understandable, as we just saw IT'S IN HIS KISS as a theme answer two days ago. The British group, The Hollies, recorded their version of the song, "It's in HER Kiss," in 1964. 
• EARS (53A: Large features of Abyssinian cats) and OREO (67A: Apt name for a black-and-white cat) and PET (50D: Animal companion) My cat, Willow, is pleased to see a trio of cat clues today.

  

  Willow approves of this puzzle

  
  (Yes, she's aware that some people have a PET other than a cat...) Abyssinian cats are named for the area from which they are believed to have originated, which is now called Ethiopia. Abyssinians are thought to be one of the oldest breeds of domesticated cats. As the clue tells us, Abyssinian cats have large ears; this gives them a wildcat-like appearance. Abyssinians usually have a deep reddish-brown coat, making OREO not an apt name for this cat breed.
• OPERA (2D: Space ___ (film genre)) Space OPERA has no relation to music, but rather is a play on the term "soap OPERA." A space OPERA emphasizes melodramatic adventure, interplanetary battles, and romance. Spaceballs, written and directed by Mel Brooks, has many space OPERA characteristics. 
• SLIME (56D: Nickelodeon goo) Nickelodeon's iconic green SLIME made its first appearance in 1979 on the Canadian sketch comedy show, You Can't Do That on Television. If you'd like to learn more, take a minute and a half to watch, "A Brief History of Nickelodeon SLIME."

Geography review:

• SAN (45A: ___ Diego) SAN Diego is in southern California, along the Pacific Ocean, and adjacent to the United States/ Mexico border.
• IRAN (31D: Tabriz's country) Tabriz is a city in northwestern IRAN. It is home to the UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Bazaar of Tabriz, a historical market that is the largest covered bazaar in the world.

You often see the sign ATM INSIDE at convenience stores or other businesses. Today it was a sign that told me exactly what to expect from this puzzle's theme answers. Enjoyable fill: WHO IS THIS, CAREFREE, DAY TRIP, and BOOBOO. This crossword was certainly not AWFUL. I really liked everything about this puzzle, making it difficult to choose what to highlight! Thank you, Claire, for a puzzle that was a fantastic way to begin my Saturday. WHAT MORE CAN I SAY?