October 13, 2023

Title: SUGAR HIGH

Constructor: Sara Cantor

Editor: Jared Goudsmit

Theme Answers:

POWDERED WIG (3D: 18th-century hairpiece)

CANE SWORD (5D: Walking stick with a hidden blade)

PALM READER (9D: Type of fortuneteller)

BROWN BUTTER (11D: Dairy product with a nutty flavor)

Theme synopsis: The HIGHest word of each vertical theme answer is a type of SUGAR. We have POWDERED SUGAR, CANE SUGAR, PALM SUGAR, and BROWN SUGAR.

Things I learned:

• HAGS (47A: Acronym written in a school yearbook) In yearbook parlance, HAGS stands for "have a great summer." It has admittedly been many years since anyone has written in my yearbook, but this acronym was unfamiliar to me. 
• TORI (12D: Hip-hop artist ___ Fixx) TORI Fixx is a hip-hop artist and record producer based in St. Paul, Minnesota. As one of the first openly gay hip-hop artists, TORI Fixx has been instrumental in helping other gay rappers. 

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• ICE CAPS (4A: Glacial polar masses) Polar ICE CAPS, which are not unique to Earth, form at the highest-latitude areas of a planet that receive less solar radiation than other parts of the planet. On Earth, the North Polar ICE CAP is a floating mass of sea ice over the Arctic Ocean. The South Polar ICE CAP is formed over land, specifically, over Antarctica. As a result of climate change, the Earth's polar ICE CAPS are melting, which is a significant and urgent issue with ramifications we probably don't completely comprehend. A thorough discussion of the melting ICE CAPS is beyond the scope of this blog post, however.
• BTS (11A: "Black Swan" K-pop band) "Black Swan" is a song by BTS from their fourth studio album, Map of the Soul: 7. The music video for "Black Swan," described as an "art film," was inspired by the 2010 movie Black Swan, and features interpretive dance performed by a Minnesota Dance Company. 
• I AM (22A: "___ woman, hear me roar") "I AM woman, hear me roar," is the first line of Helen Reddy's 1971 song, "I AM Woman."
• RYAN (27A: Sharpay's brother in "High School Musical") In the High School Musical movies, Sharpay and RYAN are twins. The sister-brother duo is portrayed by Ashley Tisdale and Lucas Grabeel.
• EYRE (29A: Fictional Jane who said "I am no bird; and no net ensnares me") Jane EYRE is the title character of Charlotte Bronte's 1847 novel. I like this clue, because although it could just as easily be simply [Fictional Jane], the addition of the quote adds extra interest. The full quote, by the way, spoken to Edward Rochester, is "I am no bird; and no net ensnares me; I am a free human being, with an independent will; which I now exert to leave you."
• DADS (39A: Roy and Silo, to Tango the penguin) This clue makes me happy! Roy and Silo were two male penguins that lived at New York's Central Park Zoo. In the late 1990s, the two penguins formed a bond, and after zookeepers noticed they were incubating a rock as if it were an egg (and attempting to steal eggs from other penguin couples), Roy and Silo were given an egg from a pair of penguins that were unable to hatch it themselves. Roy and Silo successfully incubated the egg, and raised the penguin chick, a female named Tango. The story of Tango and her DADS is the subject of the children's book, And Tango Makes Three by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson.
• CLEOPATRA (51A: She ruled Egypt from 51 to 30 BCE)  From 51 BCE to 30 BCE, CLEOPATRA was the queen of the Ptolemaic Kingdom, an Ancient Greek state based in Egypt.
• CORTADO (58A: Drink similar to a macchiato) A CORTADO is a coffee drink made my mixing espresso with warm milk in approximately equal portions. A macchiato is an espresso with a dash of milk.
• ANYA (8D: "The Menu" actress Taylor-Joy) The Menu is a 2022 movie about a celebrity chef hosting a dinner at his exclusive restaurant on a private island. The Menu is a horror movie, and things take a morbid turn as the dinner progresses. ANYA Taylor-Joy plays the role of Margot, one of the dinner guests.
• BROWN BUTTER (11D: Dairy product with a nutty flavor) BROWN BUTTER is made by melting unsalted BUTTER over low heat, causing the separation of butterfat and milk solids. As the BUTTER continues to cook, the milk solids turn a deep BROWN, and take on a nutty flavor. My favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe uses BROWN BUTTER.
• URSULA (32D: "The Left Hand of Darkness" author ___ K. Le Guin) The Left Hand of Darkness is a 1969 science fiction novel by URSULA K. Le Guin. The effect of sex and gender on society is a major theme in the book. All of the inhabitants of Gethen - a planet visited by the novel's main character, Genly Ai - are ambisexual, with no fixed sex.
• INCA (38D: Worshipper of Pariacaca) In Incan mythology, Pariacaca was the god of rain and storms. 
• DEPOP (39D: App where vintage clothes are resold) DEPOP is an e-commerce site that allows users to buy and resell items. Many of the items sold on DEPOP are used clothing. DEPOP was founded in 2011, and acquired by ETSY in 2021.
• EMO (56D: Fall Out Boy genre) Fall Out Boy is a band that formed in 2001 in Wilmette, Illinois (a suburb of Chicago). The band's music has been characterized as pop rock, EMO, pop-punk, and alternative rock.

Geography review:

• ALP (1A: Swiss peak) The ALPs are Europe's highest and most extensive mountain range. The portion of the range located in Switzerland is conventionally referred to as the Swiss ALPs. Most of the highest mountains in the ALPs are part of the Swiss ALPs.
• COW (17A: National animal of Nepal) Nepal's constitution, adopted in 2015, made the COW the country's national animal. As such, the COW has protected status, and it's illegal to kill them. COWs are utilized in Nepal in dairy farming, and for pulling farm machinery. Although Nepal is a secular country, over 80% of its residents are Hindu. The COW is a sacred animal in Hinduism.

I'm not usually on a SUGAR HIGH this early in the morning, but I'll make an exception for this puzzle. I appreciate the choice to arrange all of the theme answers touching the top of the grid. Because of this, the bottom third of the puzzle has almost no theme material in it. This was used to treat us to great answers like the previously mentioned CLEOPATRA and CORTADO, as well as REDHEAD, MODESTY, SHODDY, and REBOUND. Thank you, Sara, for this puzzle that was a fabulous way to start my Friday.