June 10, 2022

Title: ALL-STAR LINEUP

Constructor: Kate Chin Park

Editor: Erik Agard

Theme Answers:

GOLD GLOVES (17A: MLB fielding awards)

FALLING IN LOVE (26A: Succumbing to adoration)

MORNING PERSON (48A: Early bird)

POP AND LOCK (63A: Flowing and freezing dance)

Theme synopsis: The first words of ALL the theme answers can precede the word STAR. Today's LINEUP: GOLD STAR, FALLING STAR, MORNING STAR, and POP STAR.

Things I learned:

• POP AND LOCK (63A: Flowing and freezing dance) I've seen this style of dance, but was not familiar with the term POP AND LOCK. This dance is a combination of two styles of dance that became popular in the 1970s, popping and locking.

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• GOLD GLOVES (17A: MLB fielding awards) Hey, I filled in this sports answer without any help from crossing answers! I can even name a couple of players that have won GOLD GLOVES: Ozzie Smith and Yadier Molina. Yes, those are both St. Louis Cardinals players. My dad was a huge Cardinals fan, so of all the sports things, I probably know most about St. Louis Cardinal baseball, as I kept up on it to talk to my dad about it. Anyway, GOLD GLOVES are awarded annually to a player at each position that has exhibited superior fielding that year. Awards are determined by a combination of voting - managers and coaches vote for the winners (and are not allowed to vote for their own players) and analysis of baseball statistics.
• FALLING IN LOVE (26A: Succumbing to adoration) This clue made me chuckle. "Succumbing to adoration" doesn't quite have the same flow as "FALLING IN LOVE," does it?
• ASL (32A: U.S. language) Did you fall into the trap here and fill in "ENG?" The U.S. language referred to here is American Sign Language (ASL).
• LUCA (34A: 2021 Pixar film) The title character of LUCA is a 12-year-old sea monster/boy that assumes human form while on land. The movie is set on the coast of the Italian Riviera.
• SING (40A: "Lift Every Voice and ___") and ONE (47A: "___ Sweet Day") and GROOVE (49D: "Let's ___" (Earth, Wind & Fire hit)) A nice trio of "fill in the missing word of the song title" clues. I have a feeling these three songs will now be competing to be my earworm for the day. "Lift Every Voice and SING" is a hymn that has been promoted by the NAACP (28D: Grp. co-founded by W.E.B. Du Bois) as the Black National Anthem. It was written in 1900 by brothers James Weldon Johnson and J. Rosamond Johnson. "ONE Sweet Day" is a 1995 song by Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men. Earth, Wind & Fire's song, "Let's GROOVE" was released in 1981. 
• SEIS (65A: Numero antes de siete) My Spanish is minimal and rusty, but I was able to eventually figure out that "numero antes de siete" meant "number before seven," which would be "six," or rather, en Español, "SEIS."
• BODEGA (4D: @___catsofinstagram (account with pics from NYC delis)) I have previously linked to the BODEGA cats Twitter account, but if Instagram is more your thing, check out @BODEGAcatsofinstagram for adorable cats working hard in BODEGAs.

  

  Willow being thankful she doesn't live in a BODEGA

  Willow recommends this Instagram account, though she's glad she doesn't live in a BODEGA, as she's not a fan of very many people. 
• NOVELLAS (10D: Short fiction books such as "Binti") Binti is the first in a trilogy of Afrofuturist NOVELLAS by Nnedi Okorafor 
• BRO (45D: "Dude...") and ARE (46D: "Who ___ you, anyway?") These consecutive clues could be the jumping off point for a NOVELLA.
• VEIL (55D: Niqab, for example) We just saw the answer VEIL [Hijab or litham, e.g.] in yesterday's puzzle. Today we have another example of a VEIL. A niqab is a VEIL worn by some Muslim women. A niqab covers the face while leaving the eyes uncovered.
• LARA (57D: Tomb raider Croft) LARA Croft is the protagonist of the video game franchise Tomb Raider. Angelina Jolie played LARA Croft in the movies based on the video game, LARA Croft: Tomb Raider (2001) and LARA Croft: Tomb Raider - The Cradle of Life (2003).

Geography review:

• OHIO (16A: Dayton's state) Orville Wright was born in Dayton, OHIO. As a result, one of Dayton, OHIO's nicknames is the "Birthplace of Aviation." Wright-Patterson Air Force Base is located just east of Dayton, OHIO.
• CUBA (44A: Ropa vieja is considered its national dish) Ropa vieja is a dish made of shredded beef and vegetables. It's name, "ropa vieja," means "old clothes" in Spanish, perhaps referring to its long stringy appearance resembling a heap of clothing. (There's also an origin story about an old man that shredded and cooked his clothes because he could not afford food for his family. He prayed over the concoction, and it was transformed into ropa vieja.) Although the dish originated in Spain, it has become the national dish of CUBA. 
• OKC (52A: State capital near Seminole, for short) The capital of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City (OKC for short), is located in the center of the state near the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma. 
• LIVERPOOL (53A: City home to Europe's oldest Chinese community) LIVERPOOL, England is located in the northwestern part of the country, not far from the Irish Sea. As the clue informs us, LIVERPOOL is home to Europe's oldest Chinese community. LIVERPOOL's Chinatown has an arch - constructed in the 1990s - that is 44 feet high and features 200 hand carved dragons.

I give this puzzle a GOLD STAR, of course! A classic USA Today theme type with a stellar set of theme answers. A couple of clues I especially liked today: NSFW (10A: "Don't get caught looking at this" letters) and SNAPPED (43A: Broke like a Kit Kat). This puzzle was not NONSENSE as all; it was a treat for this MORNING PERSON. Thank you, Kate, for this puzzle that was a fabulous way to begin my Friday.

Thank you to those of you that left comments on the blog and on Twitter yesterday to celebrate the second birthday of this blog. I could write the blog (and might...) even if nobody read it, but it is extremely gratifying to know it is read and enjoyed. With perfect timing, yesterday I received some stickers I had ordered (quarter for scale). 

Aren't those fun?! Would you like one? There are several ways you can get your very own SALLYS TAKE sticker: 1) See me in person sometime. I will be at the STL Crossword Puzzle Tournament on June 18. 2) Support this blog by making a donation. You can click on the Donate button at the bottom of this page, or donate via Venmo or by mailing a check. I'll be extremely grateful for your support, and I'll also mail you some stickers (if you give me your address). 3) Just ask! If you send me your address, I will happily send you a sticker.