June 8, 2023

Title: PASS THE TIME

Constructor: Brooke Husic

Editor: Erik Agard

Theme Answers:

SECRET CRUSH (19A: Romantic interest that might only be told to a diary)

BASE COACHES (26A: They might encourage stealing)

ROSE CUT (38A: Gem style named for a flower)

INTERSECTS (48A: Forms a crisscross)

TRIPLE SEC (58A: Orange-flavored liqueur)

Theme synopsis: Each theme answer contains the letter string SEC, the abbreviation for SECond, a unit of TIME. The SEC PASSes from left to right as we move from the top to the bottom of the puzzle.

And now a word from our constructor: 

Brooke: i had a great time cluing this one; there are so many that i really love! highlights include 19a, 26a, 45a, 5d, 34d, 35d, and 62d

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• BASE COACHES (26A: They might encourage stealing) This is my favorite clue in the puzzle! When I first read it I was thinking something along the lines of "primal urges?" When crossing answers made the answer evident, it provided a nice "Aha!" moment. In a baseball game, BASE COACHES might indeed encourage stealing.
• TDS (32A: QB-to-TE scores, for short) Moving from baseball to football, QB (quarterback)-to-TE (tight end) scores are touchdowns (TDS, for short).
• LIN (66A: Vietnam Veterans Memorial architect Maya) Maya LIN won a public design competition held to select a design for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. At the time, she was an undergraduate at Yale University. She has designed numerous other memorials and public buildings, including the Civil Rights Memorial in Montgomery, Alabama.
• PURR (4D: Happy cat sound) Willow is certainly happy to see this clue!

  

  Willow

  She's not happy with me at the moment, however, as I'm traveling again. When I called my husband last night she heard my voice and gave me a piece of her mind!
• URDU (5D: Language in which "thank you" is "shukriya") URDU is the national language of Pakistan. It also has official status in several other countries, including India, Nepal, and South Africa. This is a fun way to clue URDU.
• ANKLE BELLS (27D: Jingling parts of a grass dance outfit) The grass dance is performed at some Native American pow wows. The ANKLE BELLS help keep the rhythm.
• CDC (29D: The People's ___ (public health collective)) The People's CDC is "a coalition of public health practitioners, scientists, healthcare workers, educators, advocates and people from all walks of life working to reduce the harmful impacts of COVID-19." The volunteer-run, nonpartisan organization provides guidance and policy recommendations to the government and the public.
• FLUTE SOLO (34D: Feature of some Lizzo performances) This is a great clue for FLUTE SOLO. Lizzo is an accomplished and well-known FLUTE player. Here's a video of Lizzo playing a FLUTE SOLO on James Madison's crystal flute.
• THE (41D: "Plastic Off ___ Sofa") "Plastic Off THE Sofa" is a track on Beyoncé's 2022 album, Renaissance. This is an excellent way to add interest to an answer that's a common word such as THE.

Geography review:

• ASIA (23A: Korea's continent) Korea is a peninsular region in East ASIA, that is home to the countries North Korea and South Korea.
• UAE (54A: Dubai's country) Dubai is the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, one of seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Dubai is the most populous city in the UAE.
• ORE (63A: Portland's state (Abbr.)) Portland is the most populous city in Oregon (ORE).

This theme is nicely executed. I appreciate that the SEC shifts over exactly three spaces with each successive theme answer. I can tell Brooke had fun cluing this puzzle, as there were so many great clues. In addition to BASE COACHES, which I've already mentioned, I especially enjoyed the clues for SANS SERIF (35D: Like fonts whose T's don't have little feet) and SECRET CRUSH (19A: Romantic interest that might only be told to a diary). Thank you, Brooke, for this puzzle that was an excellent way to start my Thursday. 

One more thing today: If you're in the mood to solve another puzzle, Wendy L. Brandes and I constructed today's Universal puzzle titled "Big Shoes to Fill."