November 29, 2023

Title: SPLITTING TENS

Constructor: Darby Ratliff

Editor: Jared Goudsmit

Theme Answers:
TEMUERA MORRISON (19A: "The Book of Boba Fett" star)
TEAM PHYSICIAN (24A: Dr. Kelly McInnes, for the Boston Red Sox)
TONKOTSU RAMEN (42A: Noodle dish with pork bone broth)
TWENTY-FOUR SEVEN (49A: All day, every day)

Theme synopsis: Each theme answer is SPLITTING the word TEN.

Things I learned:
  • TEMUERA MORRISON (19A: "The Book of Boba Fett" star) The Book of Boba Fett is a TV miniseries that is part of the Star Wars franchise. It's a spin-off from The Mandalorian. New Zealand actor TEMUERA MORRISON stars as the title character. Boba Fett is a clone of his father, Jango Fett. TEMUERA MORRISON's first role in the Star Wars franchise was playing Jango Fett in the 2002 movie Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones.
  • TEAM PHYSICIAN (24A: Dr. Kelly McInnis, for the Boston Red Sox) The position of TEAM PHYSICIAN is exactly what it sounds like. It's the person that coordinates medical services for a sports TEAM. Doctors that are TEAM PHYSICIANs are generally trained in orthopedic surgery, internal medicine, family medicine, or emergency medicine, and have usually completed a fellowship in sports medicine. Dr. Kelly McInnis is the TEAM PHYSICIAN not only for the Boston Red Sox, but also for the New England Patriots. 
  • HAIKU (25D: Kobayashi Issa poem) Kobayashi Issa (1763-1828) was a Japanese poet. He wrote under the pen name Issa, which means "cup of tea." He is known for HAIKU (
    A calico cat sitting on a chair.
    Willow
    a poetic form with three lines that have syllable counts of 5, 7, 5). Issa, along with Bashō (who I have written about previously), Buson, and Shiki, are regarded as the four HAIKU masters of Japan. I discovered an Issa HAIKU that I particularly like. It reads "Goes out, / comes back– / the love life of a cat." (Willow enjoyed this HAIKU as well.) You can read more HAIKU written by Kobayashi Issa on the Poetry Foundation website.
  • LATOYA (35D: ___ Forever (YouTuber)) LATOYA Forever, aka LATOYA Howard, is known for her YouTube channel that has over 1.5 million subscribers. 
Random thoughts and interesting things:
  • LOTR (13A: Series with Frodo, for short) Frodo Baggins is a hobbit of the Shire in J.R.R. Tolkien's epic tale, The Lord of the Rings, or LOTR, for short. In the LOTR movie trilogy, Frodo is portrayed by Elijah Wood (who was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, just fyi).
  • FETA (14A: Cheese in ktipiti or on a Greek salad) Ktipiti is a cheese-based spread made by adding ingredients such as hot peppers, roasted peppers, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, yogurt, and oregano to FETA cheese. Ktipiti is often eaten with pita bread. FETA cheese is also a staple ingredient in Greek salad, often alongside Kalamata olives and sweet peppers. 
  • MONAE (15A: "Dirty Computer" singer Janelle) "Dirty Computer" is the title track of Janelle MONÁE's third studio album, released in 2018. The album's release was accompanied by the release of a narrative film that Janelle  MONÁE called an "emotion picture."
  • I, TOO (16A: Langston Hughes poem) Langston Hughes (1901-1967) wrote the poem, "I, TOO" in 1925. It's always a good day to (re)read this still relevant poem. 
  • PARK (40A: The "P" of PRNDL) PRNDL here stands for PARK, Reverse, Neutral, Drive, and Low, the gear choices in many cars with automatic transmission.
  • TONKOTSU RAMEN (42A: Noodle dish with pork bone broth) TONKOTSU RAMEN is a type of RAMEN made by boiling pork bones until a creamy, rich broth is attained.
  • TWENTY-FOUR SEVEN (49A: All day, every day) This is my favorite of today's theme answers. TWENTY-FOUR SEVEN is a great grid-spanning phrase. 
  • DILL (60A: "I'm kind of a big ___" (pickle-themed pun)) Did this pickle pun jar you out of your solving complacency? Any way you slice it, I'm here for the pickle puns. 
  • AIN'T (28D: "___ Too Proud to Beg") "AIN'T Too Proud to Beg" is a 1966 Motown hit by The Temptations.
  • MLS (46D: St. Louis City SC's org.) St. Louis City SC is a Major League Soccer (MLS) team based in St. Louis, Missouri. The team was founded just four years ago in 2019, and played their first MLS game in February of this year. I might not have known this sports item if I didn't have family ties to St. Louis.

    Geography review:

    • AIRES (45D: Buenos ___, Argentina) Buenos AIRES is the capital of Argentina, and its largest city. Buenos AIRES is located on the eastern coast of Argentina, and along the Rio de la Plata (La Plata River). One of the nicknames of Buenos AIRES is "The Queen of El Plata." 
    SPLITTING TENS is a Blackjack term. It refers to the scenario when a player is dealt two TENS. In such a scenario, the play may decide to SPLIT the TENS and play two hands. If you google the term "SPLITTING TENS" you'll see articles advising you to never do this, and other articles advising you to always take this option. Fortunately, we don't have to make that decision to enjoy this delightful puzzle. In addition to the answers I've already highlighted, I also enjoyed SMARTIES (my husband's favorite candy), and the crossing pair of ROUSED (44D: Woke up) and AROSE (58A: Got out of bed). Thank you, Darby, for this puzzle that was a wonderful way to start my Wednesday.


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