August 19, 2025

Title: DENTIST'S ORDERS

Constructor: Mark Budovitch

Editor: Amanda Rafkin

Theme synopsis:

• DRAW TO A CLOSE (20A: Wind down gradually)
• SOUND BITE (37A: Short audio clip)
• OUT IN THE OPEN (57A: For all to see)

DENTIST'S ORDERS: The last word of each theme answer is something a DENTIST might ask (ORDER) a patient to do: CLOSE, BITE, and OPEN.

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• CATTY (9A: Like a spiteful remark) Willow, makes a lot of CATTY remarks (teehee).

Willow

• IVAN (14A: ___ Pavlov (physiologist who discovered classical conditioning))  IVAN Pavlov was a Russian physiologist known for his studies on classical conditioning. He studied the "conditioned reflex" by noticing that if dogs heard a bell before they were fed, the dogs could be then be conditioned to begin salivating upon hearing the bell, even before food was presented. Hooray for science in the crossword!
• ERIE (15A: Spooky-sounding Great Lake) Our eerie-sounding crossword friend Lake ERIE is making its second appearance of the month today.
• ELISE (16A: Beethoven's "Fur ___") Although "Für ELISE" (aka Bagatelle No. 25 in A minor) is one of Ludwig van Beethoven's most popular pieces, the song was not published until forty years after his death. There isn't consensus on the identity of the ELISE in the title. If you're not familiar with "Für ELISE," I invite you to take a listen. Chances are you've heard the song played at a piano concert, in a music box, or as a ringtone.
• PISA (18A: Leaning Tower city)  The Leaning Tower of PISA in Italy is known for its famous slant. The tower is a campanile - a freestanding bell tower - that houses seven bells. Its nearly 4° lean is a result of a soft foundation. Amazingly, the Leaning Tower of Pisa has survived at least four strong earthquakes. Scientists discovered that the same soft soil that caused the tower to lean influences the tower's ability to withstand earthquakes.
• ATLAS (19A: Titan holding up the heavens) In Greek mythology, ATLAS is a Titan (a pre-Olympian God). Following a 10-year war between the Titans and the Olympians, which the Olympians ultimately won, ATLAS was condemned to stand at the western edge of the earth and hold up the sky.
• OMANI (22A: Person wearing a khanjar, often) A khanjar is a type of dagger that originated from Oman. A khanjar has a short curved blade that's shaped like the letter "J." The khanjar is pictured on the reverse side of the OMANI rial (the currency of Oman).
• BEE (36A: Barry B. Benson, for one) Barry B. Benson is the main character of the 2007 animated film, BEE Movie. Barry is a BEE who has the ability to talk to humans. Jerry Seinfeld voices Barry, who has just graduated from college as the movie begins.
• RITUAL (52A: Enjoying coffee and a crossword every morning, say) Make mine TEA (43D: "High noon" beverage), but I think a beverage and a crossword is a lovely morning RITUAL.
• MAJOR (61A: The French Open or Wimbledon) In tennis, the MAJOR tournaments are the French Open, Wimbledon, the Australian Open, and the US Open.
• MOLD (65A: Shape, like Silly Putty) What do chocolate chip cookies, Post-it Notes, penicillin, and Silly Putty have in common? Their discoveries were the results of accidents. Although it's unclear exactly who gets the credit for inventing Silly Putty in the 1940s, it was Peter Hodgson who had the idea to market the substance as a toy. It was spring when he first marketed Silly Putty, and Easter was approaching, so he put the substance in an egg. I spent numerous hours playing with Silly Putty as a kid; I would MOLD it, pop it, and transfer newspaper comics onto it. I used to have my original egg of Silly Putty around here somewhere, but I'm not sure where it is...
• ASIA (67A: Continent home to China and India) It's always fun (to a crossword geek like me) to see our crossword friends ASIA and ERIE together in the same grid. This is the first appearance of ASIA this month. Currently this year, ERIE has a slight edge over ASIA. In 2025, we've seen ERIE 13 times and ASIA 12 times. This is the second time this year we've seen these two answers in the same puzzle. 
• SEPT (70A: National Cheeseburger Day mo.) National Cheeseburger Day this year is Thursday, SEPT. 18. You have just under a month to decide how you're going to celebrate.
• MIND MAP (1D: Visual brainstorming tool) A MIND MAP is a visual way to illustrate links between ideas. Generally, a central concept is written or illustrated in the middle of a page, and other ideas or concepts are written around it, with lines used to show connections.
• YES (13D: "Owner of a Lonely Heart" band) "Owner of a Lonely Heart" is a 1983 song by the British rock band YES. The song was the only single by YES to reach the top of Billboard's Hot 100 chart.
• AIR (42D: ___ Supply (soft rock duo) AIR Supply is the soft rock duo of Graham Russell and Russell Hitchcock. AIR Supply has been active since 1975, and many of their most popular songs were released in the late 1970s, early 1980s. That time period coincides with my high school years, and the mention of AIR Supply immediately reminded me of that time in my life. So "Here I Am," (1981) taking a trip down Memory Lane with the AIR Supply songs, "All Out of Love" (1980), "Even the Nights Are Better" (1982), and "Making Love Out of Nothing at All" (1983).
• MAN (61D: "___! I Feel Like a Woman!") "MAN! I Feel Like a Woman!" is a 1999 song by Shania Twain. The song won Shania Twain a Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance.

I'm going to be honest, going to the DENTIST is one of my least favorite things to do. So the title of today's puzzle made me just a bit anxious. No need to worry, the puzzle is much more enjoyable than a visit to the DENTIST. Thank you, Mark, for this splendid puzzle.