November 8, 2023

Title: WHERE'S THE VACUUM? (Freestyle)

Constructor: Robyn Weintraub

Editor: Amanda Rafkin

Freestyle: This is a themeless puzzle. WHERE'S THE VACUUM? is a nod to DUST BUNNIES (20A: Fluffy messes with cutesy names).

Things I learned:

• LOWE (26D: Fashion designer Ann) Ann LOWE (1898-1981) began sewing at the age of five. A number of years later, she was the fashion designer that designed the wedding dress worn by Jacqueline Bouvier when she married John F. Kennedy in 1953. A collection of some of Ann LOWE's works are currently on display (until January 7, 2024) at the Winterthur Museum, Garden and Library in Delaware. The Metropolitan Museum of Art also has a collection of Ann LOWE's work, as does the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• MRS (9A: "___ Dalloway") MRS. Dalloway is a 1925 novel by Virgina Woolf. It begins with the line, "MRS. Dalloway said she would buy the flowers herself." The book, set in England after World War I, tells about one day in the life of Clarissa Dalloway, an upper-class woman. During that day, MRS. Dalloway reminisces about her life, while preparing for a party she is hosting that night.
• LEIA (15A: Sci-fi princess who said, "Aren't you a little short for a stormtrooper?") This is a line from the movie Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, which was simply titled Star Wars when it was released in 1977 as the first movie in what would become a franchise. LEIA says, "Aren't you a little short for a stormtrooper?" upon seeing Luke in his stormtrooper disguise. This line (like many Star Wars lines) has been discussed at length by fans. Several years ago, Mark Hamill weighed in on the debate, clarifying that Luke was not actually "too short for a stormtrooper."
• DREAMGIRLS (17A: 2006 musical film starring Jennifer Hudson) The 2006 musical movie, Dreamgirls, is adapted from the 1981 Broadway musical of the same name. Dreamgirls is a fictional story inspired by the Supremes. The movie starred Jennifer Hudson, Beyoncé, and Anika Noni Rose.
• DUST BUNNIES (20A: Fluffy messes with cutesy names) This wonderful clue made me laugh; it's so evocative. Those DUST BUNNIES particularly like to hide under beds. WHERE'S THE VACUUM?
• ALAIN (24A: Locke known as the "Dean of the Harlem Renaissance") In 1907, writer, philosopher, and educator ALAIN Locke (1885-1954) was the first Black Rhodes Scholar. As the clue informs us, he is referred to as the "Dean of the Harlem Renaissance." His 1925 book, The New Negro: An Interpretation, is an anthology of essays by Black writers, that includes works by Zora Neale Hurston, Langston Hughes, Claude McKay, as well as others.
• SHOOFLY PIE (29A: Rhyming, molasses-based dessert) SHOOFLY PIE consists of a filling made from molasses served in a PIE crust with a crumb topping. It has been described as "part PIE, part coffee cake, and absolutely delicious."
• FAIRWAY (35A: Golf course area between a tee and a green) I actually surprised myself by knowing this sports answer!
• STEPLADDER (37A: Aid for reaching a high shelf) At 5' 6", I don't consider myself short, but I'm definitely not tall either. I happen to be the shortest one in my family, and others in my family sometimes forget that I don't have their height advantage. My husband is currently in the process of making all new cabinets for our kitchen. The upper cabinets have now been installed, and they are beautiful. However, the new cabinets are just a little bit deeper than the old cabinets, and that means that I can't reach the back of some of the shelves, even when I am standing on the stool I use for such purposes. It appears a STEPLADDER might be just what I need.
• FINAL (41A: "Space: the ___ frontier") "Space: the final frontier." These are the first words of the title sequence of the original Star Trek TV series (1966-1969). 
• SHIATSU (45A: Japanese massage technique) SHIATSU techniques include massage, acupressure, assisted stretching, and joint manipulation. SHIATSU, which became popular in the twentieth century, evolved from another Japanese style of massage known as anma, which dates back to the 1300s. SHIATSU means, "finger pressure" in Japanese.
• ELECTRIC CAR (47A: Vehicle that gets plugged in) I enjoyed this answer! My husband and I are a one-CAR family, and since July of 2022, that one has been an ELECTRIC CAR. When the battery level falls below a certain level, we plug in our car in our garage. We've traveled extensively in our ELECTRIC CAR, putting over 20,000 miles on it so far, and driving it to both the east and west coasts of the U.S., as well as across Canada. We are ELECTRIC CAR fans, and I'll stop talking about it now, but I'm happy to discuss it further with anyone that's interested.
• BEA (51A: "Maude" actress Arthur) BEA Arthur (1922-2009) portrayed the character of Maude Findlay in the TV series All in the Family (1971-1972), and then in the spin-off series, Maude (1972-1978). BEA Arthur went on to play the role of Dorothy Zbornak on The Golden Girls (1985-1992).
• MATT 53A: Actor and LGBT rights activist Bomer) MATT Bomer made his TV debut on the soap opera All My Children. He has gone on to have an extensive filmography, but my favorite MATT Bomer role is Neal Caffrey on the TV series White Collar (2009-2014). MATT Bomer is openly gay, and has been honored with a GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network) Inspiration Award for his LGBTQ advocacy.
• BLUE (56A: Robin's egg color) Always happy to see my favorite color in the grid. I also smiled at the fact that Robyn got a homophone of her name in this clue.
• SPIT TAKES (1D: Messy slapstick reactions) You know the drill, someone takes a big drink, and then something funny or shocking happens, and liquid is spewed everywhere. SPIT TAKES are a classic part of slapstick routines.
• ABDUL (5D: "American Idol" alum Paula) Paula ABDUL was one of the original judges on the singing competition show, American Idol when it first aired in 2002. She has also been a judge on The X Factor, Live to Dance, So You Think You Can Dance, and The Masked Dancer.
• POET (7D: Amanda Gorman or Maya Angelou) I am a fan of both of these POETs. I have previously written about Amanda Gorman and Maya Angelou.
• SMU (14D: Fort Worth sch.) Southern Methodist University (SMU) is located in University Park, Texas, a suburb of the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area.
• LINNEY (15D: "Love Actually" actress Laura) In the 2003 movie, Love Actually, Laura LINNEY plays the role of Sarah.
• A few other clues I really liked:
• KING (28A: Piece that gets checkmated)
• WIRED (55A: Hopped up on coffee)
• PIG (22D: Wilbur or Spider-Ham)

Geography review:

• ALPS (59A: Swiss mountain range) The Swiss ALPS are the portion of the ALPS that is in Switzerland. The Swiss ALPS are just 14% of the mountain range. The ALPS also cover portions of Monaco, France, Italy, Liechtenstein, Germany, Austria, and Slovenia.

Today is a great day; it's Robyn Weintraub's USA Today crossword debut! If you are a New York Times (NYT) crossword solver, you are undoubtedly familiar with Robyn Weintraub's work. She's especially known for her NYT Friday themeless puzzles. I've been a fan of Robyn's work for a long time, and was delighted to find her name when I opened today's puzzle. The puzzle did not disappoint. Thank you, Robyn, for this puzzle that was a terrific way to start my Tuesday.