January 19, 2024

Title: MEASURE UP

Constructor: Max Schlenker

Editor: Jared Goudsmit 

Theme Answers:

METER MAID (3D: Person writing parking tickets)

FOOT THE BILL (17D: Pay a tab)

YARD SALES (32D: Events for bargain hunters)

Theme synopsis: The top (UP-most) word of each vertical theme answer is a UNIT of measure: METER, FOOT, and YARD.

Things I learned:

• EDDY (41A: Steady ___ (comedian with a rhyming name)) Steady EDDY is the stage name of Australian comedian Christopher Widdows. His comedy often incorporates the topic of cerebral palsy, a condition he was born with. I was thankful for the "rhyming" hint here.
• SAMBA (10D: Genre for Alcione Nazareth) Alcione Nazareth is a Brazilian SAMBA singer that gained international recognition in the 1970s. In 2003, her album, Ao Vivo, won a Latin Grammy Award for Best SAMBA/Pagode Album.
• RAW (57D: Like the beef in yukhoe) Yukhoe is a dish in Korean cuisine. Made of marinated RAW beef, yukhoe resembles the French dish steak tartare.

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• OMELET (13A: Egg dish such as khai chiao) Khai chiao is the name used in Thai cuisine to refer to an OMELET. To make khai chiao, eggs are mixed with a bit of fish sauce and deep fried in oil. The Thai OMELET is served over rice.
• STEVE (19A: Actor Carrell) STEVE Carrell is well-known for his portrayal of Michael Scott on the TV show The Office. I especially enjoyed him in the 2008 movie Get Smart. STEVE Carrell also does voice acting. He voices the character Gru in the Despicable Me movies.
• RETINOL (22A: Anti-aging vitamin used in eye creams) RETINOL is a type of vitamin A, a family of vitamins that play a role in vision, immune function, and the maintenance of skin tone. RETINOL is added to skin-care products to reduce wrinkling.
• FRATS (24A" Groups such as Delta Lambda Phi) Delta Lambda Phi is a social fraternity, aka FRAT for short, founded in Washington, D.C. in 1986 by openly-queer men in an attempt to create a more diverse FRAT experience. The tagline on Delta Lambda Phi's website is "Justice focused, queer informed."
• NUTELLA (27A: Chocolaty spread whose first syllable is pronounced "new," not "nuh") This is a fun clue for NUTELLA. The Italian company, Ferrero, first introduced the chocolaty hazelnut spread NUTELLA in 1964. I was first introduced to NUTELLA in 1982 by an exchange student from Germany that my family was hosting. At the time, NUTELLA was not widely available in the U.S. I am glad that has changed.
• OPI (35A: Maker of Alpaca My Bags nail polish) If you're wondering what color OPI's Alpaca My Bags nail polish is, I can tell you that OPI describes it as "green." There are many variations of green, of course; I would describe it as a shimmery blue-ish green.
• TUNA ROLL (56A: Tsunamayo maki, e.g.) A TUNA ROLL is a type of sushi made with RAW TUNA and spicy mayo or sriracha. Tsunamayo maki is one type of TUNA ROLL.
• ROSS (1D: "I'm Coming Out" singer Diana)  "I'm Coming Out" is a 1980 song by Diana ROSS. The song has been used as a gay anthem. It has also been my earworm since I read this clue!
• OLIVES (4D: Kalamata fruits) Kalamata OLIVES are named after the city of Kalamata, Greece. The OLIVES were originally grown in the region around the city. The dark purple OLIVES are a staple ingredient in Greek salads, alongside feta cheese and sweet peppers.
• ENOLA (40D: ___ Holmes (sleuthing role for Millie Bobby Brown)) ENOLA Holmes, the younger sister of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's fictional detective, Sherlock Holmes, was introduced in a series of books by Nancy Springer, The ENOLA Holmes Mysteries. Thus far, two movies have been adapted from the books, ENOLA Holmes (2020) and ENOLA Holmes 2 (2022). Millie Bobby Brown plays the role of ENOLA Holmes in the movies. I enjoy these movies, and am delighted that a third movie is in the works. 
• APOLLO (44D: NASA moon landing program) The APOLLO program, which lasted from 1962-1972, was the NASA program that ultimately led to astronauts walking on the Moon. An ongoing NASA program known as Artemis, has a long term goal of establishing a sustainable presence on the Moon. 
• UVULA (47D: "That lil' dangly thing that swing in the back of my throat," per Cardi B) The UVULA is the tissue that can be seen hanging down at the back of your mouth when you open wide and look in a mirror. It plays a role in preventing food from entering your nasal cavity when you eat, and is also used in articulation of certain sounds. The lyric used in this clue is from the 2020 Cardi B song (featuring Megan Thee Stallion), "WAP."

This puzzle really MEASUREs UP. It's a delight when constructors provide me with the perfect phrase to describe their puzzle. All three units of MEASURE featured in the theme answers are units of length. Congratulations to Max Schlenker making a USA Today debut! It's been a big week for debuts. Thank you, Max, for this excellent puzzle.