April 7, 2023

Title: START BUTTONS

Constructor: Enrique Henestroza Anguiano

Editor: Anna Gundlach

Theme Answers:

HOLE IN ONE (19A: Perfect mini golf shot)

MUSHROOM KINGDOM (36A: Video game realm ruled by Princess Peach)

NOSE COUNT (52A: Tally of kids on a field trip)

Theme synopsis: The word at the START of each theme answer can follow the word BUTTON. Our START BUTTONS are a BUTTONHOLE, a BUTTON MUSHROOM, and a BUTTON NOSE.

Things I learned:

• HMONG (16A: Like the dessert naab vaam) In HMONG cuisine, naab vaam is a dessert drink that is served on special occasions. Naab vaam consists of coconut, tapioca pearls, cendol (green worm-shaped jellies), and a variety of toppings. Naab vaam is quite colorful; if it tastes as fun as it looks, I'm in. (I have previously written about the HMONG people.)
• MOVIES (25A: Spike Lee's joints) I am familiar with Spike Lee, creator of the films She's Gotta Have It (1986), Do the Right Thing (1989), Malcolm X (1992), as well as many others. What I learned today is that Spike Lee refers to his MOVIES as joints. Since She's Gotta Have It, most of Spike Lee's MOVIES have been credited as "A Spike Lee Joint."
• PIG (57A: The protagonist of Miyazaki's "Porco Rosso," for one) and ANIME (58A: "Porco Rosso," for one) Porco Rosso (meaning "Crimson PIG") is a 1992 ANIME written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki. The main character is an Italian World War I ex-fighter ace who has, as a result of a curse, been transformed into an anthropomorphic PIG.
• MOM (25D: Cardi B, to Kulture) Cardi B is MOM to a daughter - Kulture, born in 2018 - and a son - Wave, born in 2021.
• LOPEZ (46D: "The Inheritance" playwright Matthew) Matthew LOPEZ's play, The Inheritance, premiered in London before opening on Broadway in 2019. The play is inspired by E.M. Forster's novel, Howards End. The Inheritance, which is staged in two parts designed to be viewed sequentially, examines the gay community in New York City a generation after the early days of the HIV/AIDS crisis. The Inheritance won a 2020 Tony Award for Best Play.

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• LINDA (17A: "Somewhere Out There" singer Ronstadt) LINDA Ronstadt and James Ingram recorded the song, "Somewhere Out There," for the 1986 animated movie, An American Tail. The song won Grammy Awards for Song of the Year and Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or Television.
• BEARDS (24A: Mutton chops and goatees) There are so many types of BEARDS. Not only are there mutton chops (jawline hair connected to a mustache and sideburns) and goatees (hair grown on the chin not extending past the corners of the mouth), but also circle BEARDS, horseshoe BEARDS, and ducktails, just to name a few.
• MUSHROOM KINGDOM (36A: Video game realm ruled by Princess Peach) The MUSHROOM KINGDOM, ruled by Princess Peach, is the setting of many video games in the Mario franchise. I recognized Princess Peach as a character in the Mario video games, partly because when my daughter was in high school, one of the show choirs did a Mario-themed show featuring Princess Peach and Bowser. However, it took the help of a few crossing answers to come up with the term MUSHROOM KINGDOM.
• ANDRE (42A: "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" actor Braugher) In the TV series, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, ANDRE Braugher portrays Raymond Jacob Holt, the stoic captain of NYPD's 99th precinct and NYPD's first African American gay police captain.
• NOSE COUNT (52A: Tally of kids on a field trip) I confidently filled in "head COUNT" at first, which threw me off for a bit until crossing answers revealed my error.
• SHEDS (65A: Leaves hair around) and LASAGNA (22D: "___ Cat" ("Garfield" parody)) LASAGNA Cat is a series of videos that consist mainly of live-action recreations of classic Garfield comics. And speaking of one who SHEDS (as I'm sure Garfield does), Willow is delighted that my husband and I returned home yesterday after being gone for two weeks. After her initial greeting, during which she had

  

  Willow making sure I stay home

  much to say ("Meow, meow, meow, meow..."), Willow has been sticking quite close to me since we've been home.

Geography review:

• BALI (24D: Indonesian island) BALI is a province of Indonesia that includes the island of BALI and a few smaller islands. BALI is the only province of Indonesia where Hinduism is the main religion. Over 85% of BALI residents follow Balinese Hinduism. In the remainder of Indonesia, the majority religion is Islam.
• DOMED (49D: Like the Pantheon's roof) The Pantheon is located in Rome, the capital city of Italy. The word "pantheon" comes from the Latin and Greek words meaning "temple of all the gods." The Pantheon in Rome, which has a DOMED roof, is a former Roman temple. Since 609 CE, it has been a Catholic church.

I appreciated that the START BUTTONS of today's theme led to the discovery of different types of things: BUTTONHOLE (part of a fastener), BUTTON MUSHROOM (a type of edible fungus), and BUTTON NOSE (a facial feature). The pairing of DEAGED (9D: Made a 10-Down look younger on the screen) and ACTOR (10D: Cast member) is a helpful reminder that the images we see on screen have often been manipulated. Thank you, Enrique, for this puzzle that was an enjoyable way to start my Friday.