August 31, 2025

Title: BACKWATERS

Constructor: Dan Hrynick

Editor: Amanda Rafkin

Theme synopsis:

• YOUTUBE CHANNEL (18A: Ms. Rachel's has over 15 million subscribers)
• THE RITE OF SPRING (35A: 1913 Stravinsky ballet)
• REVENUE STREAM (56A: Source of a company's income)

BACKWATERS: At the BACK of each theme answer is found a body of WATER: CHANNEL, SPRING, STREAM. 

What I learned from today's puzzle:

• HONEYBEE (4D: Dulce Sloan voices her in "The Great North") The Great North is an animated TV series that premiered in 2021. The show centers on the family of Beef Tobin, a single father who lives in the fictional town of Lone Moose, Alaska. Beef's children are Wolf, Ham, Judy, and Moon. Wolf is married to HONEYBEE. Dulcé Sloan voices the character of HONEYBEE, who moved to Alaska from Fresno, California.
• UKRAINE (19D: Where Lvivske beer is brewed) Lvivske is a brand of beer produced by the Lviv brewery in UKRAINE. Lvivske is the oldest brand of Ukrainian beer; monks began brewing it in 1715. 

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• HOP (4A: Sock ___ ('50s school dance)) Sock HOPs were dances that were often held in school gymnasiums. The dances earned their name because dancers were required to remove their shoes in order to avoid damaging the gyms' varnished floors. I remember going to a sock HOP when I was in junior high school. That wasn't in the '50s though – it was 1977.
• OUTIE (17A: Lumon employees when they're not at work, on "Severance") Severance is a TV series that premiered in February of 2022. ADAM Scott plays the role of Mark Scout / Mark S, one of the workers at Lumon Industries who agrees to a "severance" procedure that separates work memories from non-work memories. After the procedure, Mark S is the work self, referred to as the "innie," and Mark Scout is the home self, or "OUTIE."
• YOUTUBE CHANNEL (18A: Ms. Rachel's has over 15 million subscribers) I just learned about Ms. Rachel a week ago when we saw YOUTUBE VIDEOS clued as [Ms. Rachel postings, e.g.].
• RIB (26A: Bone in a cage) The RIBs are long, thin, curved bones that form a cage together with the vertebral column and the strernum. The RIB cage protects the vital organs in the chest including the heart and lungs.
• THE RITE OF SPRING (35A: 1913 Stravinsky ballet) THE RITE OF SPRING is a ballet and orchestral piece by Igor Stravinsky, a Russian composer and conductor. The work was considered avant-garde at the time it was composed and redefined 20th century music.
• ASH (46A: "Pokemon" character) ASH Ketchum was the protagonist of the Pokémon anime series for its first 25 seasons. Pikachu was his first Pokémon.
• AARP (62A: Fifty-and-older org.) My favorite fun fact about AARP is that, although it promotes itself as a "fifty-and-older" organization, and advocates for those in that age range, AARP does not have a minimum age requirement for membership.
• IDES (65A: "Beware the ___ of March") In the Roman calendar, IDES referred to a day near the middle of the month – the 15th of March, May, July, or October, and the 13th of any other month. March 15 is the IDES of March. In 44 BC, Julius Caesar was assassinated on the IDES of March, making the date notorious.
• DOSAS (66A: Crispy South Indian dishes) DOSAS are South Indian crepes (thin pancakes) made from a fermented batter of lentils and rice. DOSAS are often served with chutney and sambar.
• BETTE (3D: "The Fabulous Four" actress Midler) The Fabulous Four is a 2024 movie starring Susan Sarandon, BETTE Midler, Megan Mullally, and Sheryl Lee Ralph as life-long friends. The friends are reunited in Key West, Florida for a wedding. Adventures ensue, of course.
• TUB (13D: Ben & Jerry's container) It doesn't take much to make me hungry for ice cream, and this did it.
• TYPO (35D: Theirs one in this clue) The word TYPO is making back-to-back puzzle appearances, as we saw it yesterday clued as [Feature of tihs clue]. Today's TYPO clue is particularly vexing, as the TYPO is also a grammatical error. (It should be "there's" not "theirs.")
• EARDRUMS (37D: Tympanic membranes) The EARDRUM, also known as the tympanic membrane, separates the outer ear from the middle ear. 
• FLAMENCO (38D: Dance style with castanets) FLAMENCO is a style of dance based on the music traditions of southern Spain. FLAMENCO music is characterized by the use of guitar, clapping, and castanets.
• GRAIL (55D: "Holy" Indiana Jones relic) Indiana Jones, portrayed by Harrison Ford, is the protagonist of the Indiana Jones franchise, which began with the 1981 movie Raiders of the Lost Ark. In the 1989 movie Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Indiana is asked to find the Holy GRAIL.

This is a fun category theme. I appreciate that this collection of type of WATERS are similar in that they are all flowing, bodies of WATER. Thank you, Dan, for this enjoyable puzzle.