June 16, 2023

Title: DUTY CALLS (Freestyle)

Constructor: Erik Agard

Editor: Erik Agard

Freestyle: This is a themeless puzzle. For me, the title, DUTY CALLS, is a nod to FREEDOM (23A: John Lewis said it's "not some enchanted garden perched high on a distant plateau where we can finally sit down and rest").

And now a word from our constructor:

Erik: This is my final puzzle as crossword editor for USA TODAY. I’m so proud of the body of work we put out over the last 3.5 years, and so thankful to everyone who made it possible. I tried to write a proper goodbye and failed, but if nothing else, I do want to give a special thanks to Sally for choosing this crossword to bless with her extraordinary, brilliant coverage – truly the privilege of a lifetime.
Miss ya already; be good,
erik

Things I learned:

• BAD BEAT (12A: Unfortunate result for a poker player) I don't play much poker, and this is a new term to me. In poker, a BAD BEAT is a situation where a player with strong cards - that appear to be a favorite for winning - ends up losing. Poker games in movies often depict BAD BEATs, because it heightens the drama.
• KURTI (30A: Short South Asian tunic) A KURTI is a waistcoat, jacket, or blouse, which generally falls above or just below the waist. KURTIs are worn by women throughout South Asia.
• BRANT (8D: "Spider-Man" character Betty ___) The Marvel Comics character, Betty BRANT, made her first appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man #4 (1963). She works at the Daily Bugle, and is the personal secretary of J. Jonah Jameson (who we saw in a clue for CIGAR a couple of weeks ago).

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• PUT DOWN THE PHONE (14A: Advice for someone who's in the middle of deeply embarrassing themselves on social media) This answer made me laugh! I'm guessing many of us have been in a situation where we wanted to give this advice.
• ARROWS (16A: Three ___, symbol used to cross out swastikas) The Three ARROWS is a symbol that has been used since 1932 to resist Nazism. It was used in a campaign known as "Three ARROWS against the Swastika." The symbol has continued to be used by anti-fascist, social democratic, and democratic socialist organizations.
• FREEDOM (23A: John Lewis said it's "not some enchanted garden perched high on a distant plateau where we can finally sit down and rest") This quote is from John Lewis's memoir (reprinted in 2017), Across That Bridge: A Vision for Change and the Future of America. "FREEDOM is not a state; it is an act. It is not some enchanted garden perched high on a distant plateau where we can finally sit down and rest. FREEDOM is the continuous action we all must take, and each generation must do its part to create an even more fair, more just society." Inspiring words. What are you doing to create a fair and just society?
• SITH (28A: "Star Wars" side with red lightsabers) In the Star Wars canon, there are eight colors of lightsaber, helpfully explained in this article. The plasma blade of a lightsaber is powered by a Kyber crystal, giving the lightsabers their distinctive colors. Red lightsabers are associated with the SITH.
• HOBBES (38A: Tiger who plays Calvinball) Calvinball is a game played by Calvin and his tiger, HOBBES, the title characters of the Calvin and HOBBES comic strip by Bill Watterson. There's only one consistent rule in Calvinball, and that is that it may never be played with the same rules twice. As Calvin sings in the Calvinball theme song, "Other kids' games are all such a bore! / They've gotta have rules and they gotta keep score! / Calvinball is better by far! / It's never the same! It's always bizarre! / You don't need a team or a referee! / You know that it's great, 'cause it's named after me!"
• RED DOGS (1D: Colorful name for bison calves) Although adult bison are dark brown, bison calves are orange-red in color, which has earned them the nickname of "RED DOGS."
• EVAN (4D: Welsh version of John) and PABLO (14D: Spanish version of Paul) This is a fun clue pair. My husband and I named our son the Irish version of John, Sean.
• LET THERE BE LIGHT (5D: Dramatic pronouncement while switching on a lamp) Ha! I have been known to make this dramatic pronouncement a time or two.
• OREO O'S (7D: Creme-coated chocolate cereal) I've never had OREO O'S, but I feel like I should try them for crossword research.

Geography review:

• INDIES (35A: West ___ (region that includes Barbados)) The West INDIES is a region that includes the archipelagos (groups of islands) known as the Greater Antilles, the Lesser Antilles, and the Lucayan Archipelago. The islands of the West INDIES are surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. The island country of Barbados is in the Lesser Antilles. The capital of Barbados is Bridgetown.

There are so many enjoyable answers in this puzzle, and I had a difficult time choosing which ones to highlight. For example, I haven't yet talked about FOR THE TIME BEING (33A: Not permanently), which is a fabulous answer. I want to mention TRASHES (21D: Reviews very harshly), which is something I try not to do. I did enjoy the rhyming answers of TRASHES and FLASHES appearing next to each other. Okay, I think I'm simply rambling now in order to put off talking about the fact that today is Erik Agard's last editorial byline. (Side note: The USA Today crossword is in great editorial hands going forward, and I'll talk about that tomorrow. Today is for Erik.) I've known this day was coming, and I've written this post in my head multiple times. I am extremely grateful to Erik for a couple of reasons. First of all, I'm thankful for what the USA Today crossword has become under his leadership. It was only after Erik began editing the USA Today puzzle that I began solving it every day. And, of course, about six months after Erik became the USA Today editor, I was so impressed with the quality, diversity, and inclusiveness of the puzzle that, through a series of decisions I still don't completely understand, I began blogging about it. And that leads me to the second reason I'm grateful to Erik. When I first contemplated blogging about the USA Today crossword, I wrote to Erik. I told him I was thinking of starting a blog, and sent him a sample blog post. I often think about the fact that Erik didn't know me at all at that point! I was just a random person telling him I was going to write about the puzzle every day. He didn't have to even respond to my email, and yet, he not only responded, but he was encouraging and supportive. Erik, there are no words to adequately express my thanks for your support during the first three years of SALLY'S TAKE. I appreciate you. I know Erik is on to other great adventures (that have not been made public yet), and I'm sure we'll all be the beneficiaries of whatever he's up to next. Thank you, Erik, for this puzzle that was a delightful way to start my Friday, and more importantly, thank you for your editorial leadership of the USA Today puzzle for the last three and a half years. Take care.