November 21, 2023

Title: HERE'S TO YOU

Constructor: Emily Carroll

Editor: Amanda Rafkin

Theme Answers:
VACUUM SEALER (20A: Air-removing tool often used for food preservation)
HIKARU UTADA (38A: J-pop icon who recorded Japan's bestselling album "First Love")
ON A CONTINUUM (56A: How gender and sexuality are said to exist)

Theme synopsis: Each theme answer contains two consecutive U's.

Things I learned:
  • HIKARU UTADA (38A: J-pop icon who recorded Japan's bestselling album "First Love") HIKARU UTADA is one of the top-selling musical artists in Japan. HIKARU UTADA's album, "First Love," was released in 1999. Internationally, HIKARU UTADA is known for the songs she wrote and produced for the video game series Kingdom Hearts. 
  • ABE (63A: Midge Maisel's dad) I have previously written about the period TV series set in the 1950s and 1960s, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. I have also written about Midge Maisel, played by Rachel Brasnahan, who is pursuing a career in stand-up comedy. ABE, portrayed by Tony Shalhoub, is Midge Maisel's dad. ABE is a math professor at Columbia University and a researcher at Bell Labs.
Random thoughts and interesting things:
  • ACLU (10A: Org. that defends LGBTQ+ rights) I'm always happy to highlight the excellent work of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). The ACLU believes "every person in this country should have the same basic rights, and works to "defend the rights of all people nationwide."
  • VACUUM SEALER (20A: Air-removing tool often used for food preservation) As I have a VACUUM SEALER stashed away in one of my kitchen cupboards, I was able to plonk in this answer right away. It's not a tool I use often, but it is handy. A fun coincidence is that the word VACUUM is one of the words in today's New York Times Connections game. (This isn't a spoiler, you'll have to figure out the connections on your own!)
  • TEA EGG (28A: Boiled Chinese snack with a marbled pattern) A TEA EGG is a savory snack made by cracking hard boiled EGGs and then boiling them again in TEA and spices, resulting in a marbled pattern.
  • LION (46A: Big cat in a pride) Willow isn't a big cat, and she's not really
    A calico cat in profile.
    Willow

    fond of other cats, so I think she's happy she's not part of a pride. She does look rather regal, though, like her LION cousins.
  • ON A CONTINUUM (56A: How gender and sexuality are said to exist) Recent scientific studies suggest that gender and sexuality exist ON A CONTINUUM, rather than being binary. Here's an article that discusses the CONTINUUM of gender identity, gender expression, biological sex, and sexual orientation.
  • RAT (3D: Animal seen as the vehicle of Ganesha) Ganesha is a Hindu deity whose image is recognizable by his elephant head and four arms. Ganesha is a widely revered and worshipped deity who is thought to bring good luck. Some incarnations of Ganesha depict him sitting on a rat, said to symbolize his ability to overcome obstacles. Many Hindu gods are associated with an animal referred to as their vehicle or Vahana.  (Some sources refer to Ganesha's vehicle as a mouse rather than a RAT.)
  • STRANGER (5D: "___ Things" (Netflix series)) I wrote about the Netflix TV series STRANGER Things yesterday. I hope you were paying attention.
  • EVA (29D: Actress Longoria) EVA Longoria began hosting a CNN show this year called EVA Longoria: Searching for Mexico. The show explores the cultures, cuisines, and history of Mexico.
  • ATE (33D: Enjoyed an ice cream cone) and LICKED (46D: Enjoyed an ice cream cone) I certainly enjoyed these two identical clues, particularly since they referenced ice cream, one of my favorite foods.
  • NSFW (57D: "Don't open this link if your boss is around" letters) NSFW = not safe for work

    Geography review:

    • KIEV (4D: Ukraine's capital) KIEV is the capital of Ukraine. The city's name can also be spelled Kyiv. Why the two spellings? Kyiv is a transliteration of the Ukrainian name for their capital, while KIEV is a transliteration base on the Russian name for the city.
    I enjoy a theme that requires a reinterpretation of the title. Today, instead of HERE'S TO YOU, we need to read the title as HERE'S TWO U in order to see the theme. I saw it shortly after I filled in VACUUM SEALER, making for a nice "Aha!" moment. Thank you, Emily, for this puzzle that was a great way to start my Tuesday.


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