September 7, 2023

Title: WOOD FINISH

Constructors: Emma Lawson & Hoang-Kim Vu

Editor: Amanda Rafkin

Theme Answers:

CATCH MY DRIFT (18A: "You get me?")

BACKLESS SANDAL (38A: Slide or flip-flop)

SEEING EYE DOG (56A: Service animal for some visually impaired people)

Theme synopsis: Each theme answer FINISHes with a word that can be paired with the word WOOD. We have DRIFTWOOD, SANDALWOOD, and DOGWOOD.

Things I learned:

• MICAH (12: Leo Sheng's character in "The L Word: Generation Q") The L Word was a Showtime TV drama that aired from 2004-2009. A sequel series, The L Word: Generation Q, aired from 2019 to January 2023. Leo Sheng played the role of MICAH Lee, an adjunct professor and therapist. Leo Sheng is a trans man. When he was 18, he documented his medical transition on Instagram and YouTube.

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• MEALY (12A: Like bad apples) I had "wormy" at first. Both MEALY and wormy apples sound quite unappealing.
• NEO (16A: "The One" in "The Matrix") In The Matrix movies - of which there have been four to date - Keanu Reeves portrays computer programmer Thomas Anderson, who operates as a hacker using the name NEO. The name NEO is an anagram of "one." In The Matrix, "The One" refers to a randomly selected human that carries a special code.
• SIA (22A: Novelist and poet Figiel) I learned about SIA Figiel and her debut novel, Where We Once Belonged, from the May 20, 2023 puzzle.
• YALE (32A: New Haven college) YALE is located in New Haven, Connecticut. It was founded in 1701 as the Collegiate School, and is the third-oldest college in the United States, following Harvard and College of William & Mary. In 1718, the Collegiate School was renamed YALE College after Elihu YALE, who was persuaded to donate money to construct a new building for the school.
• NBA (37A Nuggets' org.) and ARENA (64A Large venue for a rapper or the Raptors) The Denver Nuggets are an NBA team. They play their home games at Ball ARENA in Denver, Colorado. The Toronto Raptors are an NBA team. They play their home games at Scotiabank ARENA in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Fun fact: Rapper Connor Price mentions Scotiabank ARENA in the song, "21 Raps." "Scotiabank ARENA got the seats filled..."
• SEEING EYE DOG (56A: Service animal for some visually impaired people) This is my favorite of today's theme answers. SEEING EYE DOGs are amazing. One time I was in Nashville with my friend, Diane, and her SEEING EYE DOG, Grant. We were walking on the sidewalk in front of some businesses, and a car suddenly cut right in front of us to turn into the driveway of one of the businesses. Before the two of us had even registered that the car was turning, Grant positioned himself in front of both of us, blocking our way forward. It was incredible to see him in action. (I have other Grant stories, but I'll save them for another day. He took his job seriously, but was a bit of a goof.)
• NAS (69A: "Industry Baby" rapper Lil ___ X) "Industry Baby" by Lil NAS X and Jack Harlow, was released in 2021. The song addresses issues facing the music industry, including gatekeeping and LGBTQ+ representation.
• TESS (70A: Cher's character in "Burlesque")  In the 2010 movie, Burlesque, Cher portrays TESS Scali, the owner of a burlesque club. Cher's performance of the song, "You Haven't Seen the Last of Me," won a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song.
• ALEC (3D: "Star Wars" actor Guinness) ALEC Guinness (1914-2000) played the role of Obi-Wan Kenobi in the original Star Wars trilogy.
• KENYAN (5D: Like Wangari Maathai, ethnically) I have previously written about Nobel Peace Prize winner, Wangari Maathai (1940-2011). I highly recommend the beautiful picture book by Claire Nivola, Planting the Trees of Kenya: The Story of Wangari Maathai.
• PRETTY (8D: "The Summer I Turned ___" (Jenny Han book and TV series)) The Summer I Turned PRETTY is an Amazon Prime TV series based on Jenny Han's book of the same name. The TV show is about a 16-year-old girl's summer at a beach with her family.
• BAND LEADERS (24D: Count Basie and Duke Ellington, for two) I have also previously written about both of these BAND LEADERS, Count Basie and Duke Ellington.
• SKA (34D: Reel Big Fish genre) and EMO (61D: Paramore's genre)  Reel Big Fish formed as a SKA band in 1991. Their most recent album, released in 2018, is titled Life Sucks...Let's Dance. The EMO band, Paramore, formed in 2004. Their most recent album, This Is Why, was published earlier this year.
• BREA (38D: La ___ Tar Pits) Hancock Park in Los Angeles, California was formed around the La BREA Tar Pits. For tens of thousands of years, natural asphalt has seeped up from the ground in this area. The tar preserved the bones of animals unlucky enough to get caught in the pits centuries ago.
• NADA (58D: ___ colada (nonalcoholic cocktail)) NADA colada is a great name for a cocktail. Here's a link to a NADA Colada recipe from Dole. 

Geography review:

• NEPAL (17A: Country that celebrates Teej) NEPAL is a landlocked country in South Asia. The capital of NEPAL is Kathmandu. Hinduism is the most prominent religion in NEPAL, followed by over 80% of its population. Teej is the combined name of three Hindu festivals: Haryali Teej, Karjari Teej, and Hartalika Teej. The primary focus of Teej is the Hindu deities, Parvati and Lord Shiva. In NEPAL and North India, Teej is celebrated by women and girls to wish for the long life of their husband or future husband, as well as to welcome the arrival of monsoon season.
• ERIE (59D: Lake between Ohio and Ontario) In addition to Ohio and Ontario, Lake ERIE also borders the U.S. states of Michigan, Pennsylvania, and New York. Our crossword-friend ERIE is making its second appearance this month.

SEEING EYE DOG was the first theme answer I had completely filled in. I looked at it for a long moment before I thought of DOGWOOD. "Aha! Nice." In addition to the answers I've already highlighted, I enjoyed MISTLETOE, EASTER CANDY, and IN ESSENCE. Congratulation to Emma Lawson making a USA Today debut today! Thank you, Emma and Kim, for this puzzle that was a great way to start my Thursday.