October 24, 2023

Title: INTENDING 

Constructor: Jared Goudsmit

Editor: Amanda Rafkin

Theme Answers:

FAST FOOD JOINT (20A: Quick-service burger place, e.g.)

THAT'S A GOOD POINT (38A: "Your argument makes sense")

I CAN TAKE A HINT (55A: "You don't have to explain what you mean")

Theme synopsis: Each of the theme answers ends in the letters -INT; that is, they each have an INT ENDING.

Things I learned:

• NAYA (43A: "2 Weeks in Lagos" actress Beverly) Two weeks in Lagos (also stylized as 2 Weeks in Lagos), is a Nigerian movie released in Nigeria in 2019, and in the United States and Canada in 2020. In the movie, Ejikeme is a businessman whose family plans for him to marry a politician's daughter, but he falls in love with Lola, the sister of his friend. Beverly NAYA portrays Lola.
• TAY (44A: "Chocolate Rain" singer Zonday) TAY Zonday is a YouTube personality and singer-songwriter known for his bass singing voice. The YouTube video of his song, "Chocolate Rain" went viral in 2007, and currently has been viewed over 137 million times. If "Chocolate Rain" is new to you, as it was to me (making me wonder where I was in 2007?), I recommend taking time to listen to its provocative message.
• ACHE (69A: Feeling after a pradal serey class) Pradal serey, whose name translates to "free fighting" or "free boxing,"  is a combat sport that originated in Cambodia.

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• CARL (1A: "Up" protagonist) Just five days ago, we were reminded that in Pixar's 2009 animated movie, Up, CARL (voiced by Ed Asher) used balloons to move his house. 
• MEWED (9A: Made a sound like a kitten) and TABBY (42A: Striped cat) and DEN (13D: Bobcat's home) Three cat-related clues - oh happy day! Here's a photo of Willow

  

  Willow

  getting ready to do her workout on the mini-trampoline. In reality, she doesn't weigh enough to make it bounce, but she enjoys climbing on it, lying on it, and hiding under it.
• APE (24A: Terk in "Tarzan," for one) In the 1999 Disney animated movie, Tarzan, Terk is a gorilla (which is a great APE), and Tarzan's best friend. Terk is voiced by Rosie O'Donnell.
• FAN (25A: Swiftie or Sheerio) A Swiftie is a Taylor Swift FAN. A Sheerio is an Ed Sheeran FAN.
• ACT (33A: One of two in the play "Trouble in Mind") Trouble in Mind is a play by Alice Childress that debuted in 1955, and has been produced on Broadway (2021) and in London (2017 & 2021). The two-ACT play deals with racism, sexism, identity, and ego in the world of theater.
• CEO (49A: Sylvia Rhone, for Epic Records) Sylvia Rhone has been the CEO of Epic Records since 2019.
• TACO (5D: It might be filled with barbacoa) Barbacoa refers to a method of cooking meat that originated in the Caribbean. The meat is slow-cooked over an open fire or in a hole dug in the ground. The word "barbecue" is derived from the term "barbacoa."
• MARIE (9D: Physicist Curie) Always a joy to see MARIE Curie in the puzzle. She was the first woman to receive a Nobel Prize, and the first person to win two Nobel Prizes. I have previously written about MARIE Curie. 
• EDEN (10D: "Traplines" author Robinson) EDEN Robinson was born in Kitimat, British Columbia, Canada, and is a member of the Haisla and Heiltsuk First Nations. Her first book, Traplines (1995), is a collection of four short stories about haunting interactions with sociopaths and psychopaths.
• WAIT FOR IT (11D: "Here comes the punchline...") and PUN (46D: Space jokes are out of this world!" e.g.) I really liked the position of these two clues/answers. WAIT FOR IT ... here's a PUN!
• EGG (12D: Khal yat sai ingredient) Khal yat sai means "stuffed egg" in Thai. The dish is a type of Thai omelette.
• TEA (29D: Biluochun or pekoe) Biluochun is a type of green TEA, grown in the Dongting mountain region in China. It is known for its delicate appearance, fruity taste, and floral aroma. Pekoe is a term used in grading black TEA based on the size of the TEA leaves. The term "orange pekoe" is sometimes used as a generic term for black TEA (which, interestingly, is not orange in color or flavor).
• KALE (58D: Veggie that's sometimes massaged) Massaging KALE leaves before using is a way to reduce the vegetable's bitterness. 
• DUA (61D: "One Kiss" singer ___ Lipa) "One Kiss" is a song by Calvin Harris and DUA Lipa. "One Kiss" won the Brit Award for British Single of the Year in 2019.

Geography review:

• ISLA (45A: Menorca, por ejemplo) Menorca es una ISLA española. English translation: Menorca is a Spanish island. Menorca is located in the Mediterranean Sea, off of Spain's east coast, and is one of the Balearic Islands. 
• BUTTE (64A: Landform such as Devils Tower) A BUTTE is an isolated hill with steep sides and a flat top. Devils Tower is a BUTTE located in northeastern Wyoming. Devils Tower is the centerpiece of Devils Tower National Monument, which was established in 1906 as the first U.S. national monument. Before the BUTTE became known as Devils Tower, indigenous people in the region referred to it by a number of names, including Bear Lodge, Bear's Lair, Tree Rock, and The Place Where Bears Live. It's thought that the current name may be the result of an error in translation. Efforts have been made to change the BUTTE's name, but have thus far been unsuccessful.
• SPARTA (37D: Rival of Athens) In ancient Greece, SPARTA and Athens were rivals, vying for political dominance. The two cities were the principal parties in the Pelopennesian War (431-404 BCE), each aided by their own allies. SPARTA was the victor of that war. Just ten years later, the Corinthian War (394-386 BCE) helped Athens regain its independence. In modern-day Greece, Athens is the capital and largest city of Greece, with an urban population of over three million people. SPARTA is a city with a metropolitan area of less than 20,000 people.
• SAHARA (48D: Desert where the Sahrawi people live) The SAHARA is the world's largest hot desert, and extends over much of North Africa. The Sahrawi people are an ethnic group whose name means "from the SAHARA." The Sahrawis are composed of many tribes, and are native to Western SAHARA.

When I saw the title of today's puzzle, INTENDING, my mind immediately went into crossword constructor mode and parsed the word as INT ENDING. When I filled in FAST FOOD JOINT, confirming my suspicion about the theme, I felt smart. I'm a fan of themes that re-parse the title, and enjoyed this puzzle a lot. All three theme answers are fantastic entries. Thank you, Jared, for this puzzle that was a terrific way to start my Tuesday.