February 21, 2023

Title: SECOND STRING

Constructor: Rafael Musa

Editor: Erik Agard

Theme Answers:

THAT'S SILLY (17A: "You're such a goof")

AIR GUITAR (33A: Invisible "instrument")

CHRISTMAS HAM (47A: Holiday dish often served glazed)

Theme synopsis: The SECOND word of each theme answer can precede the word STRING, giving us SILLY STRING, GUITAR STRING, and HAMSTRING.

Things I learned:

• OCHOA (14A: Mexican goalkeeper Guillermo) Professional footballer (soccer player) Guillermo OCHOA is a goalkeeper for the Italian football club, Salernitana, and for the Mexican national team. In reading about Guillermo OCHOA, I learned that he is the most capped goalkeeper in the history of the Mexican national team. I did not understand that, so then I learned what a cap is in soccer. So much to learn!
• ARGON (29D: Gas used in insulating windows) ARGON is a noble gas, and is the third-most abundant gas in the Earth's atmosphere. One of the uses of ARGON is to fill the space between the two panes of energy-efficient windows.

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• BATHE (1A: Have a soak in a tub) and CLAW (6A: ___-foot tub) It's nice that after the puzzle suggests a soak it immediately provides a CLAW-foot tub to BATHE in.
• THAT'S SILLY (17A: "You're such a goof") As I have previously mentioned, I chose SILLY as my word for this year. No surprise then, that I adored THAT'S SILLY as a theme answer.
• GERUND (24A: Verb form that acts as a noun) You may know the GERUND form of a verb more familiarly as the "-ing form." Writing is a GERUND, as is reading. In English, a GERUND can act as a noun (taking an object) or a verb (being modifiable by an adverb). That's about the extent of my ability to explain grammar!
• LLAMA (27A: Wooly animal) and ALPACA (49D: Wooly animal) I enjoyed this wooly clue echo.
• CAPER (30A: Salty item on a lox bagel) A CAPER is an edible flower bud of the CAPER bush, also known as Flinders rose. The fruits of the bush are referred to as CAPER berries. Salted and pickled CAPERs are often served on bagels with lox and cream cheese.
• UNITED (35A: Airline headquartered in Chicago) and DELTA (36D: Airline headquartered in Atlanta) It was fun to see the "flight path" of these two answers intersect. 
• KING KONG (37A: Fictional creature from Skull Island) The gorilla-like monster known as KING KONG made his first appearance in the 1933 movie, KING KONG. Since then, he has become a movie icon, appearing in multiple movies, as well as in other media. On Skull Island, KING KONG lived alongside other oversized animals, including dinosaurs.
• LICKS (67A: Signs of a cat's affection) I first filled in "purrs" here, but that was quickly corrected. If your cat LICKS you, it may be their way of showing affection, and also a way of marking you as belonging to them. It can also be a way to get your attention. (It certainly does that!) Willow frequently LICKS me. Part of her bedtime routine is to LICK my face before

  

  Willow LICKS my nose

  settling near my legs to sleep. I did not think I had a picture of Willow licking me, but I happened to find this one of her licking my nose. THAT'S SILLY!
• HOT (4D: "___ Ones" (show where celebrities eat spicy wings) HOT Ones is a YouTube talk show that began in 2015. Created by Christopher Schonberger and Sean Evans, the show features Sean Evans interviewing guests while they eat increasingly spicy chicken wings (or a vegetarian/vegan alternative). Each season of the show features a different line-up of HOT sauces. The latest lineup features 10 HOT sauces  ranging from 1,600 to over 2,000,000 Scoville units. If you'd like to try the HOT Ones challenge at home, you can purchase a set of the current season's HOT sauces. 
• CHINUA (6D: "Arrow of God" novelist Achebe) CHINUA Achebe (1930-2013) was a Nigerian writer sometimes referred to as the "father of African literature." Arrow of God (1964) was the third book of CHINUA Achebe's "African trilogy," following Things Fall Apart (1958) and No Longer at Ease (1960). I have previously written about CHINUA Achebe. 
• ALL (8D: The A in AYCE) As I learned from the March 16, 2021 puzzle, AYCE stands for "ALL-you-can-eat" as in a restaurant with an AYCE buffet.
• PIXAR SHORT (32D: "Bao" or "Lava") A PIXAR SHORT is, as the name implies, a short film. Since A Bug's Life, which was PIXAR's second film, most PIXAR movies shown in theaters have been accompanied by a PIXAR SHORT. Bao is a 2018 PIXAR SHORT about a steamed bun (bao) that comes to life. Bao, which preceded Incredibles 2 in theaters, won an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. Lava, a 2014 PIXAR SHORT, is a musical love story about a lonely volcano. Lava was released alongside the movie Inside Out. We saw PIXAR SHORT as a theme answer May 17, 2021.

Geography review:

• GENEVA (39A: Swiss city close to France) Lake GENEVA is situated on the border of Switzerland and France. The city of GENEVA, Switzerland is located at the southwestern end of the lake. GENEVA, which is sometimes referred to as the "Peace Capital," hosts the highest number of international organizations in the world, including the headquarters of many United Nations agencies and the Red Cross. 

Make no mistake, this puzzle is first-rate, even though it's titled SECOND STRING. In addition to the answers I've highlighted, I also enjoyed EASTER EGGS, LIKE LIKE, EDUCATORS, and MUPPET. Thank you, Rafa, for this puzzle that was a terrific way to start my Tuesday.