October 3, 2023

Title: ICK FACTOR

Constructor: Nate Cardin

Editor: Kelsey Dixon

Theme Answers:
TICK TICK ... BOOM (20A: 2021 musical biopic starring Andrew Garfield as composer Jonathan Larson)
CLICK IT OR TICKET (38A: Rhyming slogan promoting seat belt use)
PICK-UP STICKS (55A: Manual dexterity game also known as jackstraws)

Theme synopsis: The letter string I-C-K appears twice in each theme answer.

Things I learned:
  • ALEXIS (49A: "A Little Bit ___" ("Schitt's Creek" song)) Annie Murphy portrays ALEXIS Rose on the TV sitcom, "Schitt's Creek." In season 5 of the show, on an episode titled "The Hospies," she performed the song, "A Little Bit ALEXIS." The song was later released as a single, and went viral on TikTok.
  • MARIACHI (5D: Music genre with a guitarron mexicano) A guitarrón mexicano is a six-string acoustic bass instrument similar to a guitar, but with a larger and deeper body. (Although similar to the guitar, the two instruments are not related, but developed independently.) Traditional MARIACHI groups consist of violins, trumpets, a guitar, a vihuela (a high-pitched string instrument), and a guitarrón mexicano. The large size of a guitarrón mexicano means that it doesn't require amplification when used in small venues.
Random thoughts and interesting things:
  • GAMED (9A: Played Zelda, for example) The Legend of Zelda is a video game franchise. The original Legend of Zelda was released by Nintendo in 1986.
  • TICK TICK ... BOOM (20A: 2021 musical biopic starring Andrew Garfield as composer Jonathan Larson) TICK TICK ... BOOM! is a 2021 movie directed by Lin Manuel Miranda. The film is a semi-biographical story about Jonathan Larson, who wrote the stage musical on which it is based. Jonathan Larson also wrote the musical Rent. I knew I had written about TICK TICK ... BOOM! before, and in looking to see what I've said about it, I discovered one time when I discussed a minor moment in the movie involving cat litter. I don't remember this scene! It's clearly time to watch TICK TICK ... BOOM! again.
  • CLICK IT OR TICKET (38A: Rhyming slogan promoting seat belt use) CLICK IT OR TICKET is a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration campaign. The campaign began at the state level initially, and began to be used more widely after it proved effective in increasing seat belt usage.
  • PICK-UP STICKS (55A: Manual dexterity game also known as jackstraws) PICK-UP STICKS is a game that has been around for hundreds of years, and has been played with STICKS made of wood, bamboo, straw, ivory, bone, and plastic. The game has a simple premise. A bundle of STICKS is dropped and allowed to fall into a random pile. Players take turns removing the STICKS one at a time, without moving any of the other STICKS in the process. One of my grandmas had a game of PICK-UP STICKS at her house (of the plastic variety), and I have memories of playing the game with my siblings when we visited. 
  • ADOPT (64A: Bring into the family) I like that this clue is broad enough to be interpreted in a number of ways. I'm interpreting it in the sense of ADOPTing a pet.
    A cat placing its paw on a woman's face
    Willow

    Willow has had a great deal to say to me since my husband and I returned from vacation Sunday night. I think it's safe to say that she's happy to have us back.
  • ORG (22D: immigrationequality.___) Immigration Equality is a non-profit organization founded in New York in 1994. Immigration Equality promotes "justice and equality for LGBTQ and HIV-positive immigrants through direct legal services, policy advocacy, and impact litigation." I always enjoy when answers such as ORG are used to call attention to worthy groups.
  • ALOHA (33D: ___ spirit (Hawaiian ethos)) ALOHA spirit is a concept deeply rooted in Hawaiian culture. ALOHA is more than a greeting. It encompasses love, affection, peace, compassion, and mercy. In 1986, Hawaii passed the ALOHA Spirit Law, which instructs state officials to treat the public with ALOHA. 
  • TEAMSTER (40D: Member of a large American labor union) The International Brotherhood of TEAMSTERs is a union in the United States and Canada. The union, which is one of the largest labor unions in the world, represents workers in a number of professions. 
  • DINOS (52D: "The Land Before Time" creatures, for short) The Land Before Time franchise currently includes 14 animated movies about the adventures of a group of DINOS. The group of adventurers includes Littlefoot (Apatosaurus), Cera (Triceratops), Ducky (Saurolophus), Petrie (Pteranodon), and Spike (Stegosaurus). The first movie in the franchise was The Land Before Time, released in 1988.

Geography review:

  • RENO (18A: Nevada's "Biggest Little City in the World") RENO, Nevada, whose nickname is "The Biggest Little City in the World," is located north of Lake Tahoe, along the Nevada-California border. RENO is known for its casino and tourism industry.
  • ERIE (36D: Southernmost of the Great Lakes) The southernmost point of Lake ERIE is located near Huron, Ohio, at the mouth of the Huron River.
In spite of the puzzle's title, my response to this puzzle was not at all "ICK!" Quite the opposite, in fact. In addition to the answers I've highlighted above, I liked SHAKES (which I enjoy a lot!), AROMATIC, and I CANT. Thank you, Nate, for this puzzle that was a terrific way to start my Tuesday.


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