December 10, 2022

Title: STOP/GO

Constructor: Erik Agard

Editor: Erik Agard

Guest Blogger: Shannon Rapp

Theme Answers:

SCHOOL FIELD TRIP (15A: Occasion for a permission slip)

SOUL GROUP (27A: The Stylistics, for example)

SMOKE SHOP (41A: Place that sells rolling papers)

SOMETHING CAME UP (52A: "It turns out I actually can't make it")

GROSS OUT (3D: Nauseate)

GREEN OLIVE (7D: There's a 15-foot-tall sculpture of one in Corning, California, skewered by a giant toothpick)

GOLF OUTING (28D: Hangout involving putting)

GOOD OMEN (36D: Promising sign) 

Theme synopsis: It's a double theme! There are four G.O.s and four S "to" Ps!

Things I learned:

• SOUL GROUP (27A: The Stylistics, for example) I listened to this album while writing this post. Nice and chill, I recommend! 
• SHA (29A: ___ cha chicken) Sha cha sauce is a mix of soybean oil, green onions, garlic, dried shrimp, and chili. Sounds delicious!
• GREEN OLIVE (There's a 15-foot-tall sculpture of one in Corning, California, skewered by a giant toothpick) This is so funny to me! 

Geography Review:

• OAHU (16D: Hawaiian island) 
• CST (57: KC time zone) And mine, and Sally's. :) And Kelsey's! If you missed her first review here yesterday, go check it out.

Hi readers! I'm Shannon Rapp, and I'm back with another guest blog for Sally's Take today. I'm so pleased with this puzzle. *Eight* themers! The down G.O. themers stood out clearly to me first. The StoP entries were harder for me to see right away. I was trying to spell STOP by a similar mechanism in the across entries, and was delightfully surprised to eventually discover them by an entirely different mechanism, running from S to P. It's rare in easy crosswords to have this sort of surprising aha moment, but there it is! And look, a PURR (58: Happy tabby's sound) calls for a cat. Say good morning, Roxie!

Erik, thanks so much for another fun puzzle! Sally, thanks for letting me fill in today, and I hope you enjoy the rest of your vacation! Readers, please consider supporting Sally's Take if you are able. (See the yellow Donate button to the side or below). If you are interested in talking puzzles with me more, or want to make a puzzle with me, please contact me on twitter.