February 28, 2023

Title: TWO IF BY SEA 

Constructors: Nancy Serrano-Wu & Nate Cardin

Editor: Anna Gundlach

Theme Answers:

PNEUMATIC TUBE (25A: Bank drive-thru's compressed air conduit)

SONIC TOOTHBRUSH (39A: High-frequency dental device)

MUSIC TO MY EARS (53A: "Just what I wanted to hear!")

Theme synopsis: Each theme answer contains a different letter combination that sounds like "TWO," and in each case the TU/TOO/TO is BY the letter C (that sounds like SEA).

Things I learned:

• EL CAMINO (6D: "Breaking Bad" epilogue named after a Chevrolet car) EL CAMINO: A Breaking Bad Movie is a 2019 film that is a sequel and epilogue to the TV series, Breaking Bad. The movie centers on the character of Jesse Pinkman, played by Aaron Paul, who was a former student of the main character in Breaking Bad. And yes, an El Camino also features in the movie. (Side note: In reading about this, I learned that Breaking Bad originally aired 15 years ago, in 2008. It does not seem like it was that long ago to me, proving once again I have a terrible sense of time.)

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• AGAVE (14A: Succulent used to make tequila) AGAVE are spiky-leaved succulents that grow in the hot and arid regions of the Americas and the Caribbean. The sap of AGAVE plant is fermented to make an alcoholic beverage called pulque, which is distilled to produce the spirit, mezcal. Tequila is mezcal made from a variety of the plant known as blue AGAVE. (All tequila is mezcal, but not all mezcal is tequila.) If you are a fan of tequila, you might be interested to note that the climate crisis is threatening tequila production. 
• AREPA (22A: Colombian corn cake) AREPA is made of ground maize dough. Associated with the cuisines of Columbia, Venezuela, and Bolivia, AREPA may be served with cheese and meats, and can be split to make sandwiches.
• ORG (24A: www.thetrevorproject.___) I'm always happy to highlight The Trevor Project, a national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services, as well as other mental health support services, to LGBTQ+ youth. The Trevor Project is definitely an organization worthy of support, and here's a bonus. If you make a donation to the Trevor Project, you can receive a packet of puzzles from Grids for Kids, a project raising money for youth charities. The Grids for Kids puzzles were made by constructors who are parents, including Nancy Serrano-Wu and myself.
• PNEUMATIC TUBE (25A: Bank drive-thru's compressed air conduit) A PNEUMATIC TUBE system has such a characteristic "Woosh!" sound. Did you hear it in your head when you read this clue? Just me...? The system used for PNEUMATIC TUBE transport was invented by Scottish inventor, William Murdoch, in 1799. Although in many instances the use of PNEUMATIC TUBEs has been replaced by electronics, they are still widely used in bank drive-thrus. 
• SONIC TOOTHBRUSH (39A: High-frequency dental device) SONIC TOOTHBRUSHes are a subset of electric TOOTHBRUSHes. Electric TOOTHBRUSHes, which make automatic bristle motions, are classified by the speed of those movements as either power, SONIC, or ultrasonic. Many rechargeable electric TOOTHBRUSHes are classified as SONIC TOOTHBRUSHes.
• RICCI (33D: "Wednesday" actress Christina) I wrote about the TV series, Wednesday, earlier this month. On the show, Christina RICCI portrays the botany teacher at Nevermore Academy, who is Wednesday Addams' dorm mother.
• SUNISA LEE (37D: Hmong American gymnast who was the 2020 Olympic all-around champion) Since her Olympic win, SUNISA LEE has won a gold medal in the balance beam at the 2022 NCAA Championships, and competed on season 30 of Dancing with the Stars. We saw SUNISA LEE as a theme answer on October 6, 2021. 
• CHICANAS (40D: Dolores Huerta and Norma Cantu, culturally) CHICANA (or Chicano) is a chosen identity for people of Mexican descent born in the United States. Dolores Huerta is a labor leader and civil rights activist. She is a co-founder of the National Farmworkers Association, which became United Farm Workers (UFW). Dolores Huerta originated the phrase, "Si, se puede" ("Yes, it is possible"), which is the UFW motto. The state of California celebrates Dolores Huerta day on April 10. Norma E. Cantú is a CHICANA writer and a professor at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. Norma V. Cantu is a civil rights lawyer and educator who was the chair of the United States Commission on Civil Rights until December 2022. From 1993-2001, she was the Assistant Secretary of Education for the Office of Civil Rights. Interesting that there are two Norma Cantus that fit this clue.

Geography review:

• BAYOU (11D: Louisiana water body) The term BAYOU is used to refer to slow-moving streams or rivers in low-lying areas. Because it is slow-moving, BAYOU water tends to be brackish (with a salinity between freshwater and seawater). BAYOUs are home to a variety of animals, including alligators, crocodiles, shrimp, salamanders, catfish, and heron. BAYOUs are commonly found in the Gulf Coast region of the United States. One of Louisiana's nicknames is "The BAYOU State."
• SEA (21D: 21D: PNW airport code) PNW here stands for Pacific Northwest. The Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, whose code is SEA, is located in the PNW in the Seattle Metropolitan area. It is located between the downtown areas of Seattle and Tacoma in SeaTac, a city named after the airport's nickname.

This is a fun and clever theme. It's interesting that both a PNEUMATIC TUBE and a SONIC TOOTHBRUSH have a characteristic sound, though I don't know that I'd describe either as MUSIC TO MY EARS. I appreciate that each theme answer had a different spelling of the TWO sound. CELL PHONE, THEY/THEM and CATACOMB are nice answers I haven't highlighted yet. Congratulations to Nancy Serrano Wu, who is making her USA Today debut today! Thank you, Nancy and Nate, for this puzzle that was a terrific way to start my Tuesday.