September 15, 2023

Title: HITS DIFFERENT

Constructor: Emily Carroll

Editor: Anna Gundlach

Theme Answers:

SITH LORDS (19A: "Star Wars" antagonists titled "Darth)

THIS IS SPINAL TAP (39A: 1984 mockumentary about a fictional heavy metal band)

TISH HYMAN (61A: "Subway Art" singer)

Theme synopsis: The first word of each theme answer is an anagram of HITS; that is, in each case the letters of the word HITS are arranged in a DIFFERENT order.

Things I learned:

• SODA (5A: Cheerwine or Dr. Brown's) I clearly need to ramp up my SODA game. Although these two brands sound vaguely familiar now that I know the answer, I didn't recognize them to be able to fill in the answer without the help of crossing answers, and I've never had either of these brands of SODA. Cheerwine is a cherry-flavored SODA. It has been around since 1917, and is produced by the Carolina Beverage Company. Cheerwine has a burgundy color and is more carbonated than other SODAs. Cheerwine is available in the southeastern United States, and in some specialty stores throughout the country. Dr. Brown's is a SODA brand made by J & R Bottling. Dr. Brown's is kosher, and available in Jewish delis in New York City, as well as in specialty stores across the U.S. Dr. Brown's comes in five flavors: Black Cherry, Cream Soda, Cel-ray (dubbed "Jewish champagne" in the 1930s), Root Beer, and Ginger Ale.
• YOKO (28A: "The Memory Police" author Ogawa) The Memory Police by YOKO Ogawa, was published in Japan in 1994. In 2019, it was translated into English, resulting in renewed interest in the novel. The Memory Police is set on an island controlled by the Memory Police. Residents of the island are made to collectively "forget" objects and concepts. Although The Memory Police was originally written over 25 years ago, many have discovered that the concepts in the book relate to current concerns. After reading about this book, I'm intrigued by the premise, and interested in reading it. Adding it to my list of books to look for on my next library trip.
• TISH HYMAN (61A: "Subway Art" singer) TISH HYMAN is a singer-songwriter and RAP artist. "Subway Art" was her first single, released in 2015. 

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• AREA (13A: "Pi r squared" calculation) The formula for calculating the AREA of a circle is πr² (pi r squared).
• SITH LORDS (19A: "Star Wars" antagonists titled "Darth) What do Darth Vader, Darth Maul, Darth Bane, and Darth Plagueis the Wise have in common? They are all SITH LORDS in the Star Wars franchise. We recently saw Star Wars references in the puzzle three days in a row. Now, after a short break, we are treated to a Star Wars theme answer. 
• NATO (22A: Alphabet system in which "D" is 3-Down) and DELTA (3D: Atlanta-based airline) It was fun to see NATO crossing the cross-referenced DELTA. (Please don't ask how my quest to brush up on the NATO alphabet is progressing.) As for DELTA, if you read the blog yesterday, I (unknowingly) provided the answer to this clue in my write up of ATL.
• TOSCA (23A: Classic Puccini opera) Giacomo Puccini's opera, TOSCA, premiered in Rome in 1900. The title character, TOSCA, is the only female character in the opera. Set in 1800, the opera relates TOSCA's attempts to save her lover from a sadistic police chief. 
• THIS IS SPINAL TAP (39A: 1984 mockumentary about a fictional heavy metal band) THIS IS SPINAL TAP was Rob Reiner's feature directorial debut. Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer portray the members of SPINAL TAP. The movie has developed a cult following, and is credited with launching the mockumentary genre. (Side note: My computer keeps wanting to autocorrect "mockumentary" to "rockumentary." Funny, but not helpful!)
• MENACE (43A: "Dennis the ___") Hank Ketcham (1920-2001) originally created, wrote, and illustrated the comic strip Dennis the MENACE, which debuted on March 12, 1951. Dennis the MENACE is still in production, and is now written by Hank Ketcham's former assistants and his son, Marcus Hamilton, Ron Ferdinand, and Scott Ketcham.
• MAR (50A: Endometriosis Awareness Day mo.) Endometriosis Awareness Day is observed on MAR. 1, launching Endometriosis Awareness Month. The day and month are focused on bringing awareness to endometriosis, an inflammatory condition of the uterus, in which endometrial tissue (which makes up the uterine lining) begins growing outside the uterus. Symptoms of endometriosis include pelvic pain, heavy periods, and infertility. There is currently no cure for endometriosis.
• ITS (36D: Part of FWIW) FWIW = For what IT'S worth
• RAP (37D: GloRilla's genre) I learned about GloRilla from the September 12, 2022 puzzle.
• EPA (38D: Org. concerned with the ozone layer) This clue isn't wrong. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is concerned with the ozone layer, a part of the Earth's stratosphere that absorbs most of the Sun's ultraviolet radiation. I just want to take this opportunity to note that we should all be concerned with the ozone layer, and climate change, and take steps to take care of our planet.

I adore an anagram theme, and this is a great one! HITS DIFFERENT is a perfect title. A few moments after filling in SITH LORDS, I had a nice "Aha!" moment. I also enjoyed the lovely answer MAKE A WISH (21D: Instruction before blowing out a birthday candle). Congratulations to Emily Carroll making her USA Today crossword debut. It's been a great week for debuts! Thank you, Emily, for this puzzle that was a fantastic way to start my Saturday.