August 11, 2023

Title: TAKE A T.O.

Constructor: Matthew Stock

Editor: Amanda Rafkin

Theme Answers:

TALL ORDER (17A: Big ask)

TAWNY OWL (38A: Nocturnal bird with brownish-gray feathers)

THAT'S OKAY (61A: "No problem at all")

Theme synopsis: Each of the theme answers has the initials T.O.

Things I learned:

• TICHA (64A: WNBA great Penicheiro) TICHA Penicheiro is a former WNBA player. From 1998-2009, she was a point guard for the WNBA's (now defunct) Sacramento Monarchs. During that time she was a four-time WNBA All-Star player. TICHA Penicheiro is second only to Sue Bird in Career Assists. TICHA Penicheiro was born in Portugal and became a U.S. citizen in 2013. 
• OPAL (9D: "The Final Revival of ___ & Nev" (Dawnie Walton novel)) Dawnie Walton's novel, The Final Revival of OPAL & Nev, won the 2022 Aspen Words Literary Prize, an award presented to a book that "illuminates a vital contemporary issue and demonstrates the transformative power of literature on thought and culture." The Final Revival of OPAL & Lev is a fictionalized history of a 1970s interracial rock duo.

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• PO'BOY (16A: New Orleans sandwich) A PO' BOY is a sandwich of meat served on New Orleans French bread.
• NCAA (28A: Org. with the Big 12 and Pac-12) I am sure it will not surprise you that I am not an expert on the NCAA. However, I do have a suggestion for the NCAA. They should choose conference names that don't include a number. The Big 12 Conference currently has 14 members, but soon two member universities are leaving (great - back to 12!) and three are joining (...okay, 15). Meanwhile, the Pac-12 has had 12 members (perfect!) but eight of the universities have recently announced their plans to leave the Pac-12 conference.
• TAWNY OWL (38A: Nocturnal bird with brownish-gray feathers) The TAWNY OWL lives among forest habitat across Europe. Although found in most of Great Britain, the TAWNY OWL is absent from Ireland, probably from competition with the long-eared OWL.
• AFLAC (42A: Insurance company with a quacking mascot) I hope the marketing person that came up with the idea of the AFLAC duck has been properly recognized and compensated. What a successful marketing campaign it has turned out to be. The idea came from the Kaplan Thaler Group, an ad agency in New York City. Apparently one of the agency's art directors was wandering around Central Park trying to come up with an idea, and while muttering "AFLAC, AFLAC," realized it sounded like quacking.
• TOWEL (45A: Hair ___ wrap (post-shower item)) and TOM (56A: Male cat) and TOWER (34D: Tall structure) Did you notice this TO trio hanging out in the grid like a little mini-theme?

  

  Willow

  Willow noticed the cat reference, although she's not a TOM. 
• ABBA (65A: "Dancing Queen" band) and KARMA (8D: Taylor Swift song whose remix features Ice Spice) "Dancing Queen" and "KARMA" is a great Friday play list! "You can dance / you can jive / having the time of your life..." "...Sweet like honey, KARMA is a cat..."
• ROLODEX (10D: Old-timey card file) Sure, a digital contact list is extremely convenient, but flipping through a ROLODEX - a portmanteau of "rolling" and "index" - was very satisfying.
• CELLISTS (31D: Musicians such as Yo-Yo Ma and Alisa Weilerstein) I have previously written about CELLISTS Yo-Yo Ma and Alisa Weilerstein. 
• MARIO KART (37D: Racing video game with a Rainbow Road course) It's been about three weeks since I've written about MARIO KART's Rainbow Road. 
• SITAR (53D: String instrument in Hindustani music) The SITAR was invented in India in the 13th century. It is a plucked string instrument used widely in Hindustani classical music. A SITAR has 18, 19, 20, or 21 strings. The instrument is played by plucking the six or seven strings which run over raised frets. The remainder of the strings are under the frets, and are "sympathetic strings" that resonate with the played strings.

Geography review:

• ASIA (15A: Iraq's continent) Iraq is located in West ASIA. Yesterday's Geography Review Quiz asked you to name the seven countries that bordered Iran. Can you name the six countries that border Iraq? I'll give you a hint: Iraq was one of the answers to yesterday's quiz. The answer to today's Geography Review Quiz will appear at the end of this blog post.
• USSR (52A: Cold War country) From 1922 to 1991, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), also known as the Soviet Union, was a country comprised of 15 national republics. The USSR was governed by the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. The Cold War refers to a period of political tension between the USSR and the United States that lasted from 1947 until the dissolution of the USSR in 1991.
• ST. LOUIS (3D: Midwest city with a renowned chess club) ST. LOUIS, Missouri is home to the World Chess Hall of Fame. (I previously shared a photo of the outside of the building.) The city is also home to the ST. LOUIS Chess Club, which has hosted the U.S. Chess Championship since 2009.

Let's TAKE A T.O. It's a TALL ORDER, but THAT'S OKAY. Maybe we can go to Europe and search for a TAWNY OWL. I was ON A ROLL, but SADLY, YES, the TAWNY OWL tie-in was a bit of a stretch. Thank you, Matthew, for this puzzle that was a delightful way to start my Friday.

Answer to Geography Review Quiz: Iraq has coastline along the Persian Gulf, and is bordered by these six countries: Iran, Turkey, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Syria.