October 6, 2022

Title: COINING A PHRASE

Constructors: Matthew Stock & Emet Ozar

Editors: Anna Gundlach & Erik Agard

Theme Answers:

DROPPING DIMES (18A: Dishing out assists, in basketball lingo)

PINCHING PENNIES (33A: Scarcely spending)

LIVING QUARTERS (49A: Rooms where people reside)

Theme synopsis: Each theme answer is a PHRASE ending with a type of COIN.

Things I learned:

• DROPPING DIMES (18A: Dishing out assists, in basketball lingo) This is a new phrase for me. Yet another thing I've learned about sports from crossword puzzles! You can read more about the term DROPPING DIMES, and its application in basketball from this article. 
• CAROL (54A: "Real Live Nude Girl: Chronicles of Sex-Positive Culture" author Queen) CAROL Queen is a sociologist with a doctorate in sexology. Her book, Real Live Nude Girl: Chronicles of Sex Positive Culture was published in 1997. 
• LAO (10D: ___ Gan Ma (chili sauce brand) LAO Gan Ma is a brand of chili sauce made in China.

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• TBS (1A: "Rat in the Kitchen" channel) I learned about the TBS show, Rat in the Kitchen from the August 21, 2022 puzzle. 
• CALLS (7A: Uses a phone's Phone app) and DIAL (12A: Rotary phone's rotary part) and RINGS (5D: Landline phone noises) A lovely trio of phone-related answers found at the top of this puzzle.
• VAYA (15A: "___ con Dios") "VAYA con Dios" is Spanish for "Go with God."
• ERIK (37A: "CHiPs" actor Estrada) TV show references are often unfamiliar to me, as we do not have a TV at our house. However, give me a TV reference from the late 1970s and early 1980s, and it's a different story! The TV series, CHiPs, followed two motorcycle officers of the California Highway Patrol (CHP). CHiPs originally aired from 1977 to 1983, and ERIK Estrada played the role of Officer Francis "Ponch" Poncherello. I remember watching many episodes of CHiPs. (I also remember rotary phones with DIALs and the RINGS of landlines...)
• CENT (41A: One of 100 in a dollar) A bonus COIN!
• PHI (46A: The Flyers or 76ers, on scoreboards) The Philadelphia (PHI) Flyers are an NHL team, and the Philadelphia (PHI) 76ers compete in the NBA.
• AUNT (55A: Solange, to Blue Ivy Carter) Blue Ivy Carter is Beyoncé's daughter. Solange is Beyoncé's sister. Therefore, Solange is Blue Ivy Carter's AUNT. 
• BLIGE (13D: Mary J. ___, Queen of Hip-Hop Soul) Mary J. Blige, the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul, has won nine Grammy Awards. Her 1992 debut album, What's the 411?, and her 1994 album, My Life, are both on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
• KOREAN (43D: Like bibimbap and tteokbokki) Bibimbap is a KOREAN dish of rice topped with vegetables or kimchi. Tteokbokki is a KOREAN dish also known as simmered rice cake.

Geography review:

• IRAN (50D: Nasir ol-Molk Mosque's country) I have previously written about the Nasir al-Mulk Mosque, also known as the Pink Mosque, located in Shiraz, IRAN.

What a fun theme! I appreciated the consistency of all the theme answers consisting of an -ING word followed by the plural of a COIN. Other enjoyable answers: SWITCHEROO (such a great word!), SLAPSTICK, COSMOS, and NADIR. Congratulations to Emet Ozar making their USA Today debut! Thank you, Matthew and Emet, for this puzzle that was a fabulous way to begin my Thursday.