January 4, 2023

 Title: FALLING FLAT

Constructor: Zhouqin Burnikel

Editor: Erik Agard

Theme Answers:

DECAF LATTE (3D: Foamy espresso drink without the jitters)

LINES OF LATITUDE (7D: The equator and the Arctic Circle, for example)

YUSEF LATEEF (26D: "Eastern Sounds" jazz instrumentalist)

Theme synopsis: In each of the vertical (FALLING) theme answers, the word FLAT is found spanning two words.

Things I learned:

• LOTUS (64A: ___ root, ingredient in kinpira renkon) I wrote about LOTUS root in January 2021. The rhizome of the aquatic LOTUS plant has a mild, pleasantly sweet flavor and a crunchy texture. Kinpira is a Japanese cooking technique involving sautéing and simmering. Kinpira renkon is a dish made by cooking LOTUS root using the kinpira method. The LOTUS root is seasoned with soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sesame.
• YUSEF LATEEF (26D: "Eastern Sounds" jazz instrumentalist) YUSEF LATEEF (1920-2013) was a jazz multi-instrumentalist. He played tenor saxophone, flute, oboe, and baboon, as well as the bamboo flute, shanai, shofar, xun, arghul, and koto. YUSEF LATEEF was known for playing "world music" - blending American jazz with the sounds of many countries. Eastern Sounds is YUSEF LATEEF's 1961 album. 
• PEAR (60A: Fruit not shared by Chinese couples) The Chinese word for PEAR sounds the same as the word for leaving or separating. Therefore, according to Chinese folklore, if a couple shares a PEAR, they will separate. It's okay if more than two people share a PEAR, so if you accidentally share a PEAR, give some to a third party! This Chinese practice is new to me, but I can say with absolute certainty that my husband and I have never shared a PEAR. "Foods I don't like" is a relatively short list, but PEAR is number one on the list.

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• PANDA BEARS (18A: Animals that mainly live in Sichuan) Sichuan is a province in China. PANDA BEARS, also known as the giant PANDA, are endemic to China, and mainly live in mountain ranges in Sichuan, though some live in the neighboring provinces of Shaanxi and Gansu. PANDA BEARS living outside of China are in zoos. PANDA BEARS are classified as a conservation-reliant vulnerable species. I couldn't write about PANDA BEARS without sharing some photos of them, so here's a National Geographic video about PANDA BEARS in the wild. 
• LINES OF LATITUDE (7D: The equator and the Arctic Circle, for example) LINES OF LATITUDE are abstract (or imagined) circles around the Earth used for navigation and measurement. There are five major LINES OF LATITUDE, of which the equator and the Arctic Circle are two. The other three are the Tropic of Cancer, the Tropic of Capricorn, and the Antarctic Circle. The other day I saw an interesting map that replaced the names of North American cities with other cities that are on the same LINES OF LATITUDE. Looking at flat maps, as we often do, it's difficult to get a sense (at least for me) of how things line up latitudinally. 
• DEUS (24D: ___ ex machina) DEUS ex machina is a Latin translation of a Greek phrase that means "god from a machine." This phrase originally referred to an actual machine that held a god over the stage in Greek and Roman plays. The phrase DEUS ex machina has come to be used to refer to outcomes resulting from improbable and unlikely mechanisms. 
• SARA (37D: Tegan's twin) SARA and Tegan are the identical twin sisters of the indie pop duo, Tegan and SARA. 
• MILK (54D: Fried ___ (Cantonese dessert)) To make the Cantonese dessert of fried MILK, a mixture of MILK, flour, cornstarch, and eggs is covered with breadcrumbs and deep fried. 

Geography review:

• USA (11D: Country known as EE. UU. in Spanish) In Spanish, United States is Estados Unidos. When abbreviating a plural word in Spanish, a double letter is used. Therefore, the Spanish abbreviation for USA is EE. UU. This ThoughtCo article explains further. 

Sadly, after yesterday's JUMP STARTS, today we're FALLING FLAT - ouch! Fortunately three interesting theme answers, as well as delightful Across answers such as PANDA BEARS, TELL ME MORE, and I MADE IT UP, mean this puzzle is FALLING FLAT in title only. Thank you, Zhouqin, for this puzzle that was a wonderful way to begin my Wednesday.