July 5, 2023

Title: SECRET THIRD THING

Constructor: Brooke Husic & Will Nediger

Editor: Amanda Rafkin

Theme Answers:

ACCORDING TO PLAN (17A: As expected)

HOT FUDGE SAUCE (33A: Warm, decadent banana split topping)

DON'T YOU KNOCK (51A: Indignant question to someone who just barged in)

Theme synopsis: The THIRD THING (i.e. word) in each theme answer can be paired with the word SECRET, giving us a SECRET PLAN, SECRET SAUCE, and a SECRET KNOCK.

Things I learned:

• JUDOGI (41D: Uniform for an Olympic martial art) A JUDOGI is the traditional uniform used for Judo practice and competition. It consists of light canvas pants, a heavy jacket, and a cotton belt. Men's Judo has been part of the Olympics since 1964, and women's Judo since 1992.
• DOORS (42D: "Are there more ___ or wheels in the world?") I feel like I spend a significant portion of time (likely more than I should) online. And yet, I often encounter things I know nothing about, and discover (upon googling them...) they are topics that have gone viral on the Internet. This question is one example. Apparently the DOORS vs. wheels debate really took off in March 2022, when New Zealander Ryan Nixon posted a poll asking, "Do you think there are more DOORS or wheels in the world?" The poll sparked a social media debate and resulted in people taking sides. What do you think? Are there more DOORS or wheels in the world?
• ENCORE (44D: Jay-Z track title that aptly rhymes with its lyric "Do you want more?") "ENCORE" is a 2003 song from Jay-Z's album, The Black Album. I was thankful for the lyrical hint here.

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• E-BIKE (26A: Motorized ride with two wheels) I'm always happy to see an E-BIKE reference. I'm a huge fan of mine.
• HOT FUDGE SAUCE (33A: Warm, decadent banana split topping) and PINT (38A: Quantity of ice cream) Oh, look, (an unspecified amount of) HOT FUDGE SAUCE, and a PINT of ice cream - we have the makings of a HOT FUDGE sundae in the middle of the puzzle. Sounds delicious, honestly. Although I like all the individual ingredients of a banana split, I don't generally eat them. The reason for that is they lead me to wonder, "Why is there only HOT FUDGE SAUCE on one-third of my banana split? Just make mine a HOT FUDGE sundae, please.
• DRAG (40A: Art form for Yvie Oddly) Yvie Oddly won the 11th season of RuPaul's DRAG Race in 2019.
• RENE (56A: "Get Shorty" actress Russo) Get Shorty is a 1995 gangster comedy movie starring RENE Russo, John Travolta, Gene Hackman, and Danny DeVito. The movie is based on Elmore Leonard's 1990 novel of the same name. 
• REESE (63A: College basketball star Angel) Angel REESE plays basketball for Louisiana State University (LSU). LSU won the 2023 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament, and Angel REESE was named the Most Outstanding Player. We saw ANGEL REESE as a theme answer a few weeks ago (in a Brooke Husic puzzle).
• SCI (6D: The "S" in education's STEAM (Abbr.)) STEAM is an acronym that stands for Science (SCI.), Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics. 
• SONG (31D: "Be My Baby" or "Always Be My Baby") This is a fun clue. "Be My Baby" is a 1963 song by the Ronettes. It was the Ronettes biggest hit, and in 2006 their recording of the song was inducted into the United States National Recording Registry (a list of recordings that "are culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant, and/or inform or reflect life in the United States"). "Always Be My Baby" is a 1996 song by Mariah Carey. 

Geography review:

• OZARKS (12D: Missouri's Lake of the ___) The OZARKS, also referred to as the OZARK Mountains is a region that includes the southern half of the state of Missouri, part of northern Arkansas, and a section of northeastern Oklahoma. The Lake of the OZARKS is a reservoir of the Osage River located in central Missouri in the northern part of the OZARKS. It was created by the construction of the Bagnell Dam in 1931. The Lake of the OZARKS is serpentine in shape, has a surface area of 54,000 acres, and 1,150 miles of coastline.
• OCEANS (19D: Indian, Pacific, etc.) Earth's five OCEANS, in order from largest to smallest, are the Pacific, the Atlantic, the Indian, the Antarctic (also known as the Southern), and the Arctic.
• DES (60D: ___ Moines, Iowa) Hello from Iowa! DES Moines is the capital and most populous city of Iowa. DES Moines is about 100 miles from where I live. My husband and I were just in DES Moines this past Sunday. We saw the musical Ain't too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations at the DES Moines Civic Center.

Speaking of social media topics that have passed me by... I had to google SECRET THIRD THING to discover it's a catchphrase that went viral on Twitter last summer. It makes a great puzzle theme, and all three of these theme answers are fantastic. I'd say this puzzle went ACCORDING TO PLAN, and I'd like to see an ENCORE. Thank you, Brooke and Will, for this puzzle that was a wonderful way to start my Wednesday.