October 14, 2023

Title: BETWEEN THE SHEETS

Constructors: Brooke Husic & Amanda Rafkin

Editor: Amanda Rafkin

Theme Answers:

REWARDS PROGRAM (15A: Marketing device that encourages customer loyalty)

READING ROOM (38A: Place to enjoy a book)

RUNS OUT OF STEAM (60A: Loses momentum)

Theme synopsis: Each theme answer is BETWEEN (contained in) THE word ream (as in SHEETS of paper). 

And now a word from our constructors:

Brooke & Amanda: this is the eighth episode in our saga! see our notes on this blog post for the recap. thanks to sally for this theme idea so long ago that we don't remember where exactly we talked about it!

Things I learned:

• IGGY (40D: Nickname for Andre Iguodala) Andre Iguodala is a professional basketball player. He most recently played for NBA's Golden State Warriors, and has also played for the Philadelphia 76ers, the Denver Nuggets, and the Miami Heat. Andre Iguodala has won four NBA championships with the Golden State Warriors, and was part of USA's gold-medal-winning team at the 2012 Summer Olympics. About the nickname IGGY, Andre Iguodala says he doesn't love it, but he doesn't mind it. 

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• PANEER (1A: Cheese in many Indian dishes) PANEER is a fresh cheese made from cow or buffalo milk. PANEER is a soft cheese, resembling cottage cheese.
• L'CHAIM (13A: Toast at a Jewish wedding) Three days ago we saw L'CHAIM in a clue. Time to once again cue the Fiddler on the Roof song, "To Life." "To life, to life L'CHAIM / L'CHAIM, L'CHAIM, to life..."
• I'LL (28A: "___ Be Lovin' U Long Time" (Mariah song)) "I'LL Be Lovin' U Long Time" is a 2008 song from Mariah Carey's album, E=MC². 
• STAR SIGN (41A: Virgo, for Beyonce) People born between August 23 and September 23 have the STAR SIGN, or astrological SIGN, Virgo. Beyoncé's birthday is September 4.
• SALAAM (67A: Greeting that means "peace") SALAAM is an abbreviated form of a Muslim greeting meaning, "Peace be upon you."
• AME (2D: Black church letters) The African Methodist Episcopal (AME) church was founded in 1816 by Richard Allen, who became the denomination's first bishop.
• MELON (17D: Fruit that always seems to be the majority of a fruit cup) This clue made me laugh! It's the truth, though, isn't it?
• PAM (21D: Actress Grier) PAM Grier has appeared in so many movies and TV shows that I would lose your attention if I listed them all here. Quentin Tarantino has described PAM Grier as the first female action star. PAM Grier has a role in Pet Seminary: Bloodlines, a horror movie released a week ago.
• BONG (25D: Director Joon-Ho who called the Oscars "very local") BONG Joon-ho is a South Korean movie director whose credits include the movie Parasite (2019). Parasite won four Academy Awards, including Best Director. When BONG Joon-ho was asked if it was odd that no Korean film had ever been nominated for an Oscar before, he said, "It's a little strange, but it's not a big deal. The Oscars are not an international film festival. They're very local."
• GONNA (32D: "Never ___ Give You Up") "Never GONNA Give You Up" is the 1987 debut single by Rick Astley. The song was a number one hit at the time it was released, and gained additional popularity in the 2000s when it was used in an Internet meme. Rickrolling is the unexpected appearance of the music video for "Never GONNA Give You Up," when one is expecting something different.
• GO-GO (48D: ___ boots ('60s dance shoes) The original GO-GO boots were introduced in the mid-1960s, and were white, had a low heel, and a mid-calf height. Over time, the term expanded to include knee-high boots and those with a block heel.
• TESSA (54D: "Sorry to Bother You" actress Thompson) Sorry to Bother You is a 2018 movie directed by Boots Riley, who describes it as "an absurdist, dark comedy with magical realism and science fiction inspired by the world of telemarketing." TESSA Thompson plays the role of a performance artist, telemarketer, and activist named Detroit.
• EBT (64D: Grocery payment method) Electronic benefit transfer (EBT) is a system used to purchase food through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

Geography review:

• NEW (3D: The "N" in NJ, NY, NH and NM) Here we have the "NEW" states: NEW Jersey, NEW York, NEW Hampshire, and NEW Mexico. It's been a little bit since we've had a Geography Review Quiz. Here's a two-part quiz for you today. Part 1: In addition to the four "NEW" states, there are four additional states that begin with the letter N. Can you name them? Part 2: In addition to N, there is one other letter of the alphabet that is found at the start of eight state names. Can you name the eight states that begin with the same letter that isn't N? Answers to the Geography Review Quiz are found at the end of this blog post.
• ALPS (7D: Swiss mountain range) Yesterday we saw a single ALP in the puzzle, and today we have the entire Swiss ALPS represented. Sixty percent of Switzerland is covered by the ALPS.
• ALA (22D: Selma's state (Abbr.)) The capital of Alabama (ALA) is Montgomery. Located about 50 miles west of Montgomery is the city of Selma. Located on the banks of the Alabama River, Selma has a population of just over 20,000.
• UAE (63D: Dubai's country, for short) Dubai is the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, one of seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Dubai is the most populous city in the UAE.

It's been a few months since we saw Brooke and Amanda MAKING UP, and now things have heated up again, I see. When they sent me their constructor's note yesterday, they didn't tell me what the title of today's puzzle was, so I was intrigued to find out what exactly I had suggested! I do have a vague memory of commenting somewhere along the journey of Brooke and Amanda's puzzle saga that I had wondered if the next theme would be BETWEEN THE SHEETS. However, I also can't find evidence of that comment, so who knows! At any rate, it's a fun theme. I appreciate the extra level of trickiness when a title hints at the theme, but doesn't provide the exact wordplay involved. In addition to the theme, I enjoyed MAY I COME IN, and COURAGEOUS. Thank you, Brooke and Amanda, for this puzzle that was a great way to start my Saturday.

Answers to the Geography Review Quiz: Part 1: The four other states whose names begin with the letter N are Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina and North Dakota. Part 2: There are eight states that begin with the letter M: Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, and Montana.