June 14, 2023

Title: COFFEE BREAK

Constructor: Zhouqin Burnikel

Editor: Anna Gundlach

Theme Answers:

JOIN THE RACE (17A: Announce a candidacy)

JOB PERFORMANCE (27A: What a manager might evaluate before giving a raise)

JOSHUA TREE (61A: Yucca that gives its name to a California national park)

Theme synopsis: Each theme answer BREAKs the word JOE, a synonym for COFFEE.

Things I learned:

• BETTE (43A: "In This Our Life" actress Davis) In This Our Life is a 1942 movie based on Ellen Glasgow's book of the same name. BETTE Davis and Olivia de Havilland star as sisters.

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• ICES (6A: Treats with a bag of frozen peas, for example) This clue made me chuckle. A bag of frozen peas is our ICE pack of choice. It has the added benefit of providing humor; it feels quite silly to hold a bag of peas against an injured part of your body.
• RAW (19A: Like sashimi) In Japanese cuisine, sashimi is a delicacy of thinly-sliced RAW fish or meat (or sometimes vegetables). RAW fish is cut into different thicknesses to highlight its delicate flavor.
• TEAS (21A: Hongcha and matcha) Hongcha is a type of black TEA, and matcha is green TEA.
• SULU (43A: George Takei's "Star Trek" role) George Takei played the role of Hikaru SULU, helmsman of the USS Enterprise in the Star Trek TV series and movies. George Takei has an active social media presence, and continues to act in movies and TV shows. He's also written several books. I was trying to decide which of his current activities to highlight, when I was reminded of this fun fact: On April 1, 2020, it was announced that George Takei would be the final torchbearer to light the flame at the delayed Olympic Games in Tokyo. The next day, it was announced that this story was an April Fools joke.
• YANKEE (23D: Big Apple baseball player) The Big Apple is, of course, a nickname for New York City. Two Major League Baseball teams have their home in the Big Apple, the New York YANKEEs and the New York Mets.
• HRT (25D: Treatment for menopausal and trans women) HRT = hormone replacement therapy.
• FUNK (30D: George Clinton genre) I learned about George Clinton from the August 11, 2022 puzzle. George Clinton, James Brown, and Sly Stone are regarded as innovators of FUNK music. George Clinton is the leader of Parliament-Funkadelic (P-FUNK), a collective of musicians whose style draws on psychedelic culture, outlandish fashion, science fiction, and surreal humor.
• SAGE HEN (42A: Female grouse of the western U.S.) SAGE HENs, aka SAGE grouse, live (as the clue informs us) in the western United States, as well as in the Canadian provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan. These HENs build their nest under SAGEbrush. They are chicken-like birds known for their spiky tail, fluffy chest, and distinctive strut. Due to loss of the environment required for mating, SAGE HEN populations are in decline. At times, the SAGE HEN has been at the center of some congressional discussions. 
• SALMA (49A: "Eternals" actress Hayek) The 2021 movie, Eternals is the 26th movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In the movie, the Eternals are immortal alien beings that have emerged from hiding to protect Earth. SALMA Hayek plays the role of Ajak, the spiritual leader of the Eternals.

Geography review:

• LYON (22A: Interpol's city in France) Interpol is the common name for the International Criminal Police Organization, an organization that facilitates cooperation among police around the world. Interpol, which currently has 195 member countries, is headquartered in LYON, France. LYON is the third-largest city in France, after Paris and Marseille.
• JOSHUA TREE (61A: Yucca that gives its name to a California national park) The scientific name of the JOSHUA TREE is Yucca brevifolia. This member of the genus Yucca is also known as yucca palm, tree yucca, and palm tree yucca. The JOSHUA TREE is native to the Southwestern United States. As noted in the clue, it gave its name to JOSHUA TREE National Park, located in southeastern California. JOSHUA TREE National Park includes parts of two deserts, the Mojave Desert, where the JOSHUA TREE forests are located, and the Colorado Desert. The namesakes of JOSHUA TREE National Park are in danger of losing nearly 80 percent of their suitable habitat over the next 80 years due to climate change. My husband and I are on a quest to visit as many national parks as we can. JOSHUA TREE is on the "to be visited" list; perhaps next year.
• FIJI (1D: Island nation west of Tonga) FIJI is an island country in the South Pacific Ocean, where it lies west of Tonga and east of Vanuatu. About 110 of FIJI's 330 islands are permanently inhabited. The capital of FIJI is Suva.
• RAIN (3D: Common PNW forecast) The PNW is the Pacific Northwest, a geographic region that includes the U.S. states of Oregon, Washington, and Idaho, and the Canadian province of British Columbia (though there's no official boundary, so definitions of the PNW vary). Plentiful RAIN is a characteristic of much of the PNW, resulting in the area being known for its lush and extensive forests.
• MTN (4D: K2 or Fuji) K2 is the second-highest mountain (MTN.) on Earth, following Mount Everest. K2 is located on the border of Pakistan and China. Mount Fuji is located on the island of Honshū in Japan, and is an active volcano.

A straightforward theme type today. From the title, I wondered if the COFFEE "broken" by the theme answers would be "java" - I was close. I enjoyed the answers HEROIC ACTS, I CAN RELATE, and HEAR ME OUT. Thank you, Zhouqin, for this puzzle that was a wonderful way to start my Wednesday.