November 27, 2023

Title: SET DOWN

Constructors: Rafael Musa & Chandi Deitmer

Editor: Amanda Rafkin

Theme Answers:

VR HEADSET (2D: Gaming equipment that includes goggles)

WALK-IN CLOSET (5D: Spacious place to keep clothes)

SELLING SUNSET (17D: Reality TV show focused on L.A. real estate)

Theme synopsis: The word SET is found at the bottom of each vertical theme answer, and is moving DOWN in the puzzle from left to right.

Things I learned:

• EZRA (22A: ___ ("Pretty Little Liars" teacher)) Pretty Little Liars is a TV series loosely based on Sara Shepard's novel series of the same name. The series centers around the lives of four high school friends who drift apart after the leader of their clique disappears, and then are reunited a year later when they begin receiving anonymous messages. I have written about Pretty Little Liars before, but not about EZRA Fitz, a teacher played by Ian Harding.
• BETSEY (69A: Designer Johnson) BETSEY Johnson is a fashion designer who got her start by winning the Mademoiselle magazine Guest Editor Contest in the 1960s. She is known for her whimsical and flirtatious designs. She's also known for doing a cartwheel ending in the splits at the end of her fall and spring shows.
• SHIV (29D: Sarah Snook's "Succession" role) Succession is a TV series that focuses on the Roy family, the owners of a global media and entertainment conglomerate, Waystar RoyCo. Siobhan "SHIV" Roy, portrayed by Sarah Snook, is the youngest child of the Roy family, and the only daughter.

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• ALPHA (15A: First Greek letter) and PSI (23A: Trident-shaped Greek letter) We're brushing up on our Greek alphabet today. ALPHA (α) is the first of 24 letters in the Greek alphabet. The trident-shaped PSI (ψ) is the twenty-third (and penultimate) letter, coming just before omega (ω).
• KEN (20A: Name combined with "enough" on "Barbie" merch) If you haven't seen any "KEN enough," – combined as "KENough" – merch, here's a link for you.
• OSTRICH (33A: Bird that lays the largest egg of any animal) I always enjoy an animal fact with my crossword. The egg of an OSTRICH is about six inches long, and weighs three pounds, on average. That's equivalent to the weight of about two dozen chicken eggs. Here's another fun OSTRICH fact: Ostriches are communal, and several OSTRICHes lay their eggs in the same nest. Once the eggs are laid, one female and one male take turns incubating them.
• NECK (40A: Long part of a giraffe) Speaking of animal facts: The NECK of a giraffe makes up nearly half of its height, and can reach seven feet in length. Amazingly, giraffes have the same number of cervical vertebrae (NECK bones) as humans and other mammals.
• SALONGA (62A: Filipina actress Lea) Lea SALONGA has appeared in a number of Broadway stage productions, including Miss Saigon, for which she won a Tony Award, a Drama Desk Award, on Outer Critics Circle Award, and a Theatre World Award. She also supplied the singing voices for Disney princesses Jasmine and Mulan. Lea SALONGA was born in Manila, Philippines.
• CATSUIT (64A: Form-fitting garment that might have a tail) and PET (41D: Fur baby) A CATSUIT is a one-piece, tight-fitting bodysuit covering the torso, legs, and arms. The "tail" here was a nice hint. My PET, Willow, says she wears a CATSUIT every day, though I

  

  Willow

  
  tried to explain to her that's not what this clue is talking about. Willow was definitely being a fur baby today, insisting on being held while I was trying to write this blog post. 
• ACROSS (68A: Direction of this clue) Bring on the self-referential clues. I am a fan.
• RAP TRIO (1D: Musical group like Run-DMC) Run-DMC is the RAP TRIO that was comprised of Joseph Simmons, Darryl McDaniels, and Jason Mizell. Run-DMC was active from 1983-2002. The RAP TRIO has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (2007), and been honored with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (2016).
• VR HEADSET (2D: Gaming equipment that includes goggles) As I was solving this puzzle via the Across clues, I saw the VRH- emerge at the beginning of this answer and though, "What is that?" Aha! a VR HEADSET, of course. The VR stands for "virtual reality." A VR HEADSET covers the EYES (21A: "All ___ on me!") completely, and utilize stereoscopic displays, accelerometers, gyroscopes, magnetometers and proximity sensors,  to immerse the wearer in a virtual reality. 
• WALK-IN CLOSET (5D: Spacious place to keep clothes) I dream about having a WALK-IN CLOSET, but then I would probably just buy more clothes to fill it up, so it's probably just as well I don't have one.
• EYRE (10D: Fictional Jane who said "I need not sell my soul to buy bliss") As I mentioned last week, we have been accumulating Jane EYRE dialogue recently. So far we've been reminded that the title character of Charlotte Bronte's 1847 novel said, "I am no bird; and no net ensnares me," and "I would always rather be happy than dignified," and now "I need not sell my soul to buy bliss."
• SELLING SUNSET (17D: Reality TV show focused on L.A. real estate) SELLING SUNSET is a reality TV series featuring the high-end real estate brokerage firm, the Oppenheim Group. I have written about SELLING SUNSET before, and we previously saw it as a theme answer on September 27, 2021. 
• ARE (42D: "___ You There God? It's Me, Margaret" (2023 film)) The 2023 movie, ARE You There God? It's Me, Margaret, is based on the 1970 book of the same name by Judy Blume.
• MR. BEAN (Rowan Atkinson character) MR. BEAN, portrayed by Rowan Atkinson, is the title character of the British TV series, MR. BEAN, which first aired in 1990. An animated spin-off series and a couple of movies have also been made about MR. BEAN. Although MR. BEAN is an adult, he is childlike and immature, and his juvenile behavior often gets him into trouble. 
• NOUNS (55D: People, places and things) Anytime NOUNS are mentioned, I feel the need to link to the Schoolhouse Rock song, "A NOUN is a Person, Place Or Thing." "Well every person you can know / And every place that you can go / And anything that you can show / You know they're NOUNS..."

Geography review:

• STL (25A: Gateway Arch city (Abbr.)) The Gateway Arch in St. Louis (STL), Missouri is the world's tallest arch. The arch was designed by Eero Saarinen, an architect with a crossword-friendly first name. 

A straightforward theme today with a great theme SET. Thank you, Rafa and Chandi, for this puzzle that was a marvelous way to start my Monday.