May 11, 2023

Title: SPA DAY

Constructor: Martha Kimes

Editor: Anna Gundlach

Theme Answers:
WAX MUSEUM (16A: Madame Tussauds establishment)
FACIAL FEATURE (37A: Eyes, nose or mouth)
WRAP PARTY (62A: Post-filming celebration)

Theme synopsis: The first word of each theme answer is a SPA treatment. Our SPA DAY includes a WAX, a FACIAL, and a WRAP.

Things I learned:
  • IPA (6A: Beer measured with International Bitterness Units) Since I'm not a beer drinker, I was not familiar with International Bitterness Units (IBU). The IBU measures the amount of bitterness compounds present in beer. The IBU of an IPA can range from 40-120. For comparison, IBUs of wheat beer range from 8-18. Because the IBU measurement is based on the amount of iso-alpha acids present, it is not an accurate measurement of perceived bitterness, which can be affected by other ingredients. According to The Oxford Companion to Beer, IBU "should be of far more interest to the commercial brewer and brewing scientist than to the consumer, who will learn relatively little about beer flavor from a number."
Random thoughts and interesting things:
  • DREW (9A: "The Hidden Staircase" sleuth Nancy) In 1930, the first four Nancy DREW mysteries, written under the pseudonym Carolyn Keene, were released. They were The Secret of the Old Clock, The Hidden Staircase, The Bungalow Mystery, and The Mystery at Lilac Inn. In 1959, The Hidden Staircase was adapted into a movie titled Nancy DREW and the Hidden Staircase. Another movie adaptation was released in 2019. I have previously written about the Nancy DREW mysteries, which deserve at least partial credit for my love of the cozy mystery genre.
  • WAX MUSEUM (16A: Madame Tussauds establishment) Marie Tussaud (1761-1850) was a French artist known for her life-size WAX sculptures. The first Madame Tussauds WAX MUSEUM was opened in London (on Baker Street) in 1835. Since then, similar WAX MUSEUMs have been opened around the world. The Madame Tussauds London even features a WAX sculpture of Marie Tussaud.
  • DANCE (18A: Shmoney or shimmy) Rapper Bobby Shmurda is credited with popularizing the shmoney DANCE. The shimmy is a DANCE characterized by shaking your body from the shoulders down.
  • GEAR (20A: PRNDL selection) PRNDL here stands for Park, Reverse, Neutral, Drive, and Low, the GEAR choices in many cars with automatic transmission. If you were a fan of the Disney TV series, The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, you might remember the PRNDL scene. 
  • ERRED (64A: Crossed the I's and dotted the T's, for example) This clue made me laugh!
  • TESS (67A: Model Holliday) TESS Holliday is a model, author, and self-described "body-positive activist." She originated the hashtag #EffYourBeautyStandards after strangers left cruel comments on her Instagram account.
  • OHS (68A: "Ex's & ___" (Elle King song) Elle King's 2014 song, "Ex's & OH'S" reached number one on both Billboard's "Hot Rock Songs" and "Alternative Songs" charts.
  • PAWED (1D: Played with, cat-style) Here's a photo of Willow and her PAW taking a break from playing.
    Willow
  • SUI (30D: Fashion designer Anna) I have previously written about Anna SUI.
  • AFT (35D: Second-largest U.S. teachers union) The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) was founded in Chicago in 1916. If you're wondering about the largest U.S. teachers union, that would be the National Education Association (NEA).
  • FOOT (37D: Body part that reflexology focuses on) Reflexology involves the application of pressure to specific points on the FOOT, based on the premise that those areas affect specific areas of the body. As some SPAs offer reflexology, I think we can count this as a bonus theme answer.

    Geography review:

    • MAINE (59A: Northeasternmost state) In addition to being the northeasternmost state, MAINE is the only U.S. state that only borders one other state. New Hampshire shares a border with MAINE, as do the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec. The capital of MAINE is Augusta.
    • ITALIA (2D: Roma's country, to Romans) We just saw the English word for ITALIA in yesterday's puzzle. 
    • DRAGON (9D: Mythical creature on the Welsh flag) The country of WALES is part of the United Kingdom. Its capital and largest city is Cardiff. The Welsh flag features a red DRAGON on a green and white background. The DRAGON represents the fierceness of the Welsh people.
    • IDAHO (15D: Boise's state) Boise is the capital and largest city of IDAHO.
    I hope you enjoyed your SPA DAY. It occurs to me that a SPA DAY might be especially welcome if one has recently completed an IRONMAN (31A: 140.6 mile triathlon). Here's a fun fact about today's constructor (who I recently met in person at the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament!): Martha Kimes constructed the first puzzle I blogged about for Sally's Take! It's been a bit since we've seen Martha's byline, and it's great to see her back! Thank you, Martha, for this puzzle that was an excellent way to start my Thursday.

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