August 8, 2023

Title: RIGHT ON YOUR HEELS

Constructors: Alice Liang & Christina Iverson

Editor: Amanda Rafkin

Theme Answers:

BICYCLE PUMPS (19A: Tools used to fill some flat tires)

DIVING PLATFORMS (36A: Structures that are about three stories above the water, in the Olympics)

POTATO WEDGES (52A: Thick-cut alternative to french fries)

Theme synopsis: The RIGHT-most word of all the theme answers are HEELS, that is, shoes that have HEELS: PUMPS, PLATFORMS, and WEDGES.

Things I learned:

• ESSAY (51D: Many a Jamaica Kincaid work) Jamaica Kincaid wrote many an ESSAY during the 20 years she was a writer for The New Yorker. She is currently a Professor of African and African American Studies in Residence at Harvard University. Jamaica Kincaid was born in St. John's, Antigua and Barbuda.

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• SEA (31A: Anglerfish's habitat)  Anglerfish are fascinating creatures. Anglerfish live in the deep SEA, and are named because they use a specially-adapted luminescent fin to lure prey close enough to be eaten - a specific sort of deep-SEA fishing. You might be familiar with the anglerfish if you've seen the movie Finding Nemo.
• DIVING PLATFORMS (36A: Structures that are about three stories above the water, in the Olympics) My first thought when I read the clue was DIVING boards, but then I remembered the theme, which I had figured out from BICYCLE PUMPS, and was able to figure out the correct ending word. DIVING PLATFORMS are used for competitive diving. Their height of 10 meters (33 feet) allows divers enough time to perform acrobatic dives. DIVING PLATFORMS differ from DIVING boards (or springboards) in that they are rigid. PLATFORM divers hit the water at speeds between 30 and 35 miles per hour.
• ERIN (40A: Activist Brockovich)  ERIN Brockovich's lawsuit against Pacific Gas and Electric Company of California was the subject of the 2000 movie ERIN Brockovich. The case involved groundwater contamination in Hinckley, California.
• TALL (44A: Small size at Starbucks) Ah yes, the TALL small.
• ATOM (47A: More than 99% of one is empty space) Hooray for science in crosswords! When you begin to feel important, read this article that will remind you, "When you start to consider that atoms are about 99% empty space and they make up 100% of the universe, you can start to see: you're made up of nothingness." On the other hand, this Forbes article points out that "You Are Not Mostly Empty Space." Rather, "you're mostly a series of electron clouds..."
• SWIMSUIT (7D: Bikini or tankini) and POOL (35D: Place for an inflatable beer pong table) Nice to  have a couple of SWIMSUITs and a POOL to go along with today's DIVING PLATFORMS.
• ICE (10D: What a neat drink doesn't have) and RAD (11D: "Neat!") I really enjoyed the repeated use of the word "neat" in these two consecutive clues.
• SOLES (14D: Shoe bottoms) Whether your HEELS are PUMPS, PLATFORMS, or WEDGES, they will (hopefully) have SOLES.
• HASS (27D: ___ avocado) Depending on the cultivar, the skin of an avocado may be green, brown, purplish, or black. HASS avocados, developed in California by horticulturist Rudolph HASS, have dark green, bumpy skin. HASS avocados are the most popular commercially available avocado.
• ALI (34D: Boxer known as the "Louisville Lip") Muhammad ALI (1942-2016) was a professional boxer. He was born in Louisville, Kentucky. In addition to the "Louisville Lip," Muhammad ALI's nicknames include "The Greatest," and "The People's Champion."
• GENETICS (37D: The science of heredity) and DNA (54D: Double-helix molecule) More science! After I finished my PH.D. (21D: Degree held by many professors), I was happy to be done with school. If I ever did decide to take more classes, however, it would likely be in the field of GENETICS, which fascinates me. Isn't it incredible that GENETIC traits are inherited through DNA? Science is amazing. 
• ADA (56D: Programmer Lovelace) ADA Lovelace was one of the first computer programmers, and is considered to be one of the first to recognize the full potential of computers. I'm always happy to see ADA Lovelace in the puzzle.

Geography review:

• OMANI (17A: Muscat resident) Oman is a West Asian country located on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula. Muscat is the capital and most populous city of Oman.

 This puzzle is a delightful homage to HEELS. I am not graceful enough to wear HEELS, but I appreciate them in a puzzle. In addition to the theme, I enjoyed the answers PEACE-LOVING and ASTROLOGERS. Congratulations to Alice Liang, who is making her USA Today crossword debut today! Thank you, Alice and Christina, for this puzzle that was a fantastic way to start my Tuesday.

One more thing: Although there is no cat mention in today's puzzle, Willow did interrupt my writing this morning to encourage me to tell you that today is International Cat Day. (I encourage you to google "International Cat Day" and click on the pawprint... and then continue to click on the page.) Of course, for Willow every day is Cat Day.

Willow