August 12, 2022

Title: OUTER CORE

Constructor: Claire Rimkus

Editor: Erik Agard

Theme Answers:

CANDY STORE (17A: Shop that has sweet deals)

CORNY JOKE (33A: Quip that makes people groan)

CARNIVORE (40A: Meat-eating animal)

CORAL SNAKE (59A: Reptile with red, yellow and black coloring)

Theme synopsis: The letters of the word CORE are found at the outer edges of each theme answer.

Things I learned:

• ELLE (65A: YouTube star Mills) ELLE Mills began making home videos when she was eight years old. When she was in high school, she began posting videos to her YouTube channel, ELLEoftheMills. Her channel currently has over 1.7 million subscribers. One of her most popular videos, "Coming Out," has been viewed over 5.6 million times. (That includes me...I just watched it!) ELLE Mills has been open about the anxiety and burnout she has experienced due to her YouTube channel's popularity. ELLE Mills directed a music video for Joshua Bassett, "Doppelgänger." You can watch the trailer for a short film she is directing, titled "Reply," on her Twitter feed. 
• PERK (57D: Word that's short for "perquisite") I'm not sure I've heard or seen the word "perquisite" before. According to Merriam-Webster, it means "a privilege, gain or profit incidental to regular salary or wages." That's definitely one meaning of PERK, and the short form has become so commonly used that we rarely see "perquisite" used anymore. That's probably okay, since the word "perquisite," is similar to "prerequisite." Using PERK probably avoids some confusion. PERK has two other meanings with different origins. It can be used to mean "smarten up" or "liven up." That usage may have derived from the word "perch," though the exact etymology is unclear. PERK can also be used as an abbreviated form of "percolate." 

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• LOKI (16A: Marvel character shipped with Mobius) "Shipped" here is used in the sense of putting together in a relationship, or hoping for a relationship between two people. I have previously written about LOKI, the gender fluid god in the Marvel Cinematic Universe portrayed by Tom Hiddleston in the Disney+ TV series, LOKI. On the show, Owen Wilson portrays Mobius, an agent specializing in investigating time criminals. Lokius is the name fans have given to a LOKI-Mobius ship.
• CORNY JOKE (33A: Quip that makes people groan) This is my favorite of the theme answers. I'm always up for a CORNY JOKE, and was delighted with the clues for NESTS (47D: "Cheep"-ly built homes) and CANDY STORE.
• ALIAS (36A: Fake name) and LIAR (62A: Dishonest person) and ALIBI (10D: Excuse in a mystery novel) A LIAR might be using an ALIAS and be providing a false ALIBI for an accomplice. Also, I really like the clue for ALIBI (and I am not a LIAR).
• SLED (48A: Downhill glider) and SKIED (30D: Did part of a biathlon) and SANK (3D: Didn't float) and SINK (37D: Garbage disposal's place) This puzzle is going downhill fast... (To be perfectly clear, I do not really think that. I simply couldn't resist a CORNY JOKE!)
• CORAL SNAKE (59A: Reptile with red, yellow and black coloring) A CORAL SNAKE has the second-strongest venom of any snake. (The black mamba snake has the most deadly venom.) However, not to worry, CORAL SNAKEs account for less than one percent of SNAKE bites in the United States each year, as they are generally not aggressive and their venom-delivery system is not efficient.
• SPEAK (66A: Laurie Halse Anderson novel) I have previously written about Laurie Halse Anderson's novel, SPEAK. When I wrote about it, the novel was used to clue the word TREE.
• ORCA (1D: Willy in "Free Willy" was one) Free Willy is a 1993 movie about the friendship between Willy, an ORCA in captivity, and Jesse, a 12-year-old boy in foster care.
• EID (4D: ___ al-Adha) I have previously written about EID-al-Adha.
• HAIR SALONS (27D: Workplaces for locticians) A loctician is a hairdresser who specializes in the starting, care, and styling of locs (a style of braided or twisted hair).
• TREE (28D: California redwood, for example) California redwoods are the

  

  My husband among the redwoods

  tallest living TREEs on Earth, growing to a height of 380 feet. Being among the redwoods is an amazing experience, and can make you feel small. It's hard to convey their height in photos, but we always try. 
• TEAM (50D: Kings, Royals or Monarchs) There are multiple TEAMs around the world that share these royal names. They include: Los Angeles Kings (hockey - NHL), Sacramento Kings (basketball - NBA), Kansas City Royals (baseball - MLB), and the former Sacramento Monarchs (basketball - WNBA). My apologies if I have neglected to mention your favorite TEAM that sports one of these names - feel free to drop the TEAM's name in the chat!

Geography Review

• IKEA (56D: Furniture chain whose first store was in Almhult) Älmhult is a town in Sweden. Ingvar Kamprad opened the first IKEA store there in 1958.

I know the Earth has an OUTER CORE, but doesn't a CORE sound like something that should be inner? This is an example of the strange thoughts that run through my head sometimes... Anyway, strange thoughts aside, OUTER CORE is an enjoyable theme for a puzzle, and this is a great set of theme answers. As I mentioned above, CORNY JOKE is my favorite...send me all your CORNY JOKEs! I also enjoy this grid pattern. Those fun shapes formed by the black square in the center of the puzzle...I'm not sure what to call them...open-jawed SNAKEs, perhaps? I like them, whatever we choose to call them. Thank you, Claire, for this puzzle that was a fabulous way to begin my Friday.