March 31, 2023

Title: MADE OF S-T-O-N-E

Constructor: Brooke Husic

Editor: Erik Agard

Theme Answers:

SONNETS (20A: 14-line poems)

NONE TOO SOON (30A: Just in time)

NOSE-TO-NOSE (40A: In direct confrontation)

NO NOTES (55A: "You were perfect")

Theme synopsis: Each theme answer uses (i.e. is MADE OF) only the letters in the word STONE.

And now a word from our constructor:

Brooke: Universal solvers will notice this puzzle is the younger sibling of this Alex Eaton-Salners puzzle! Since I love Alex's work, I felt very validated when I solved it. My favorite answers/clues in my version are 55A, 5D, 8D, 37D, 44D, and 50D.

Things I learned:

• MISTICO (5D: Luchador whose name means "mystic") In Latin America, professional wrestling is known as lucha libra (meaning "free fight") and wrestlers are known as luchadores. Lucha libra is characterized by colorful masks and high-flying maneuvers. MISTICO is a Mexican luchador enmascarado, a masked professional wrestler.
• ONE (37D: Number worn by many hockey goalies) Today I learned that hockey goalies have traditionally worn the number ONE. This practice is believed to have derived because goalies were the first player on a rink, looking from the net onward. In recent years, professional goalies have gotten away from this practice and started to wear other numbers.

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• SPRING (16A: It starts in March) This clue/answer is NONE TOO SOON! It just made it in the month of March.
• PHD (32A: Degree held by MLK) Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (MLK) received a PHD in systematic theology from Boston University in 1955. He also had a BA degree from Morehouse College and a BDiv from Crozer Theological Seminary.
• AGE (48A: Number on a birthday balloon) This clue/answer feels timely, as today is my daughter's birthday. (Happy birthday, Leah!) I did not send her a birthday balloon with her AGE on it, however. (Sorry, Leah!)
• NO NOTES (55A: "You were perfect") I was tempted to just write "55-Across" as my write-up today and see if anyone noticed!
• SPICE TOLERANCE (8D: Ability to withstand heat) Tricky! I definitely fell into the trap here and was thinking of hot weather instead of spicy food.
• EIR (23D: Ey/em/___ pronouns) Ey/em/EIR are gender neutral or gender inclusive pronouns. 
• EERIE (50D: Like meeting your doppelganger) This is a great clue. The word doppelgänger is derived from the German words for "double" and "goer" (or "walker"), and refers to a person that looks like someone else even though the two are not related. 
• INS (59D: The Greensboro sit-___) The Greensboro sit-INS were a series of protests held in 1960 in Greensboro, North Carolina. The sit-INS were held primarily in the Woolworth store, and eventually led to the F.W. Woolworth Company getting rid of its racial segregation policy. 

Geography review:

• MASS (5A: Boston's state, for short) Boston is the capital and largest city of Massachusetts - MASS, for short.
• OHIO (State whose highest point is Campbell Hill) Campbell Hill is located in the city of Bellefontaine, OHIO (about 50 miles northwest of Columbus), and is the former home of an Air Force Station. 
• TIBET (9D: Home of yak butter tea) Yak butter tea is a traditional drink in TIBET. It is made from tea leaves, yak butter, water, and salt. I learned about yak butter tea a couple of years ago. 

In today's theme, the word STONE serves as a letter bank for the theme answers. A letter bank is similar to an anagram, except that in an anagram the letters of a word are rearranged, while in a letter bank, the letters of the original word can be used multiple times. We don't see this theme type often, and I enjoyed it. As Brooke mentioned, a puzzle with a similar theme ran in Universal last month. It's not uncommon for crossword constructors to come up with similar theme ideas simultaneously, and due to the time involved in construction and publication, it's not always discovered until after one puzzle is published and the other is already in the queue to be published. Personally, I think it's fun to see how different constructors approach the same theme. Thank you, Brooke, for this delightful Friday puzzle.

One more thing: I'm on the way to the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament (ACPT), which is happening this weekend in Stamford, Connecticut. If you are at ACPT this weekend, please say hi to me! I'd love to meet you, and I'll give you a Sally's Take sticker if you'd like one.