August 2, 2025

Title: FEELING MEH INSIDE

Constructors: Beth Rubin & Amanda Rafkin

Editor: Amanda Rafkin

Theme synopsis:

• MEET ME HALFWAY (20A: "Let's compromise on this")
• COME HERE OFTEN (36A: "Is this your usual hangout?"
• I NEED SOME HELP (54A: "Can you give me a hand?")

FEELING MEH INSIDE: Each theme answer contains the word MEH: MEET ME HALFWAY, COME HERE OFTEN, and I NEED SOME HELP.

What I learned from today's puzzle:

• ANNA (17A: "Shogun" actress Sawai) Shōgun is a Hulu TV series that premiered in 2024. The show is based on James Clavell's 1975 novel of the same name. Shōgun features a mostly Japanese cast and much of the dialogue is in Japanese. The cast includes ANNA Sawai, who portrays Toda Mariko. ANNA Sawai won a 2024 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for this role.
• ARI (32A: "The Beat" host Melber) ARI Melber is an attorney and the chief legal correspondent for MSNBC. He hosts MSNBC's news and politics program, The Beat with ARI Melber. 

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• DRAMA (9A: "Portrait of a Lady on Fire" genre) The 2019 French movie, Portrait of a Lady on Fire, is a historical romantic DRAMA. Set in late 18th century France, the movie focuses on an aristocrat and a painter commissioned to paint her portrait. At the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, Portrait of a Lady on Fire won the Queer Palm, an award for LGBT-relevant films.
• PALEO (23A: Co-op board game set in the Stone Age) PALEO is a cooperative board game in which players work together to keep all of the human characters alive, while also completing missions. As the clue mentions, the game is set during the Stone Age, around 10,000 BCE.
• NAT (29A: Sophie Thatcher's "Yellowjackets" character, for short) Showtime describes their TV series, Yellowjackets, as "part survival epic, part psychological horror, and part coming-of-age drama." The show tells the story of a high school girls' soccer team whose plane crashes in the wilderness. The show recounts the time of survival after the crash, as well as events that occur 25 years later. Sophie Thatcher portrays the teenage Natalie "NAT" Scatorccio. Juliette Lewis plays the role of adult NAT.
• TAY (31A: Nickname for Ms. Swift) and DID (46A: "They said, 'Babe, you gotta fake it till you make it' and I ___") We have a pair of Taylor Swift – aka TAY – clues today. "They said, 'Babe, you gotta fake it till you make it' and I DID," is a line from Taylor Swift's 2024 song "I Can Do It With a Broken Heart." The song's music video features footage and behind-the-scenes clips from rehearsals for the Eras Tour.
• R.E.M. (42A: "Losing My Religion" band) "Losing My Religion" is a 1991 song by R.E.M. The song won two Grammy Awards: Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals and Best Short Form Music Video.
• IT'S-IT (50A: Ice cream sandwich brand) An IT'S-IT ice cream sandwich, which I first learned about from the March 18, 2023 puzzle, features vanilla ice cream sandwiched between oatmeal cookies and dipped in dark chocolate.
• CARLE (52A: "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" author Eric) The Very Hungry Caterpillar is a 1969 children's picture book by Eric CARLE. This clue reminds me of reading this classic book to my kids.
• ERIE (5D: Great Lake in many crosswords) This clue chooses to simply tell it like it is. Of the five Great Lakes – Huron, Ontario, Michigan, ERIE, and Superior – Lake ERIE is the one whose name appears in crosswords most often. This is the 12th appearance of our crossword friend ERIE this year.
• REBA (10D: Country singer McEntire) REBA McEntire has had 25 number one hits on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart. She has been called the "Queen of Country."
• MAE (12D: "Rubyfruit Jungle" author Rita ___ Brown) Rita MAE Brown's debut novel was Rubyfruit Jungle, published in 1973. The term "rubyfruit jungle" is used in the book to refer to female genitals. The book is autobiographical, and is notable for being an early literary lesbian novel. Rita MAE Brown has also written numerous mystery novels, including the Mrs Murphy Mysteries series and the "Sister" Jane Mysteries series.
• ATHLETE (30D: Serena Williams, e.g.) There are so many possibilities for examples to use to clue the word ATHLETE. Tennis great Serena Williams is definitely a worthy choice.
• TMI (33D: "I'll never unhear that") TMI = Too Much Information
• ART (34D: Crossword construction, e.g.) This clue made me smile. Merriam-Webster Dictionary describes ART as "an occupation requiring knowledge or skill." Crossword construction is definitely an ART! 
• ORIGINAL (37D: Like musicals not based on existing IPs) The abbreviation IP in this clue stands for "intellectual property," and refers to existing books, plays, and movies. Some examples of ORIGINAL musicals include Come From Away, Redwood, and Something Rotten. (This is definitely not an exhaustive list!)
• SAM (40D: "Cheers" protagonist) Cheers is a TV sitcom that originally aired from 1982 to 1993. The show was set in the titular bar. SAM Malone, portrayed by Ted Danson, is the owner and bartender of Cheers. SAM is a former relief pitcher for the Boston Red Sox.
• A few other clues I especially enjoyed:
• AM I (43A: "___ the only one who thinks this is a bad idea?")
• DYED (66A: Like green hair)
• AHOY MATE (11D: Stereotypical sailor greeting)

In spite of its title, this puzzle did not leave me FEELING MEH INSIDE. The title let me know just what to look for theme-wise. I always feel smart when my initial guess about the theme is correct. Thank you, Beth and Amanda, for this enjoyable puzzle.