September 26, 2025

Title: TAIL END (YET AGAIN)

Constructors: Sally Hoelscher & Jess Rucks

Editor: Amanda Rafkin

Theme synopsis:

• PHOTO FINISH (17A: Outcome of a close race)
• MAKE A PIT STOP (32A: Swing by the gas station for food and fuel, say)
• GRIND TO A HALT (56A: Gradually slow down)

TAIL END (YET AGAIN): The TAIL (last word) of each theme answer is a synonym for the word END: FINISH, STOP, and HALT.

And now a word from our constructors:

Jess: Surprise! We're back! (Why make one puzzle when you can make two!?) I love that this theme was able to be interpreted in two different ways. I'm also pleased we were able to insert feline references in both of these grids – our KITTY clue is a personal favorite! Sally's clue for ROSE is particularly interesting and is something I didn't know before making this puzzle. Thanks for solving (yet again)!

Sally: I find it fascinating when a theme can be interpreted in multiple ways. When I first had the idea of doing a synonym theme with "TAIL END" as the title, I wondered whether to do synonyms of TAIL or of END; it's kind of fun that TAIL and END are synonyms of each other. Well, why not do both? I'm glad Jess was up for doing two puzzles with me! We hope you found these puzzles to be double the fun.

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• SIM (20A: Virtual "City" resident) SIMCity is the open-ended city-building video game franchise named for the first game in the series, which was initially released in 1989. The cities that players build in these games are inhabited by residents known as SIMs. The word "SIM" is short for "simulated person."
• RNA (21A: "Messenger" molecule) In contrast to double-stranded DNA, RNA is a single-stranded molecule. (Double-stranded RNA can form, but is less common.) Messenger RNA plays a role in the synthesis of proteins.
• MANCALA (27A: Board game that can be played with cowry shells or stones) MANCALA is a two-player strategy board game. The game can be played with a specific game board, or simply by marking out a board on the ground or other surface. Game tokens may be shells, small stones, beans, seeds, or marbles. There is evidence of MANCALA being played as early as the second and third centuries.
• BOP BAG (28A: Play therapy toy that might be a target for pent-up anger) A BOP BAG is an inflatable punching BAG with a weighted base to prevent it from tipping over. In a therapeutic center, BOP BAGs can serve as a safe outlet for the expression of anger.
• TESS (31A: Author Gerritsen) TESS Gerritsen is an author and a retired physician. Her medical thrillers – with the central characters of homicide detective Jane Rizzoli and medical examiner Dr. Maura Isles – were the inspiration for the TV series Rizzoli & Isles (2010-2016).
• PREY (45A: Opposite of 39-down) and PREDATOR (39D: Orca or lion, e.g.) Did you notice that these two answers are crossing in the grid? It's almost as if the PREDATOR has nabbed its PREY. (I know it's the way of nature, but my heart does often go out to the PREY.) 
• CST (46A: Winter hours in IA) Hello from Iowa (IA) where in the winter we observe Central Standard Time (CST).
• NYT (49A: Connections publisher, for short)  Connections is a New York Times (NYT) game that consists of 16 words that must be sorted into four categories of four. (For fans of the British game show, Only Connect, it is reminiscent of the Connecting Wall round.) 
• EKE (51A: Homophone of 40-Down) and EEK (40D: "I saw a mouse!") Here's another fun pair of crossing answers.
• DOOM (63A: Mount ___ (scary-sounding destination for Frodo)) In J. R. R. Tolkien's epic tale The Lord of the Rings, Mount DOOM is a volcano located in Mordor, a dark realm of Middle-earth. Mordor is the realm of Sauron, the tale's evil antagonist, and Mount DOOM responds to his commands. Mount DOOM is where the One Ring was forged and is the only place it can be destroyed.
• OTOH (64A: "But also..." in a text) OTOH = on the other hand
• ESME (66A: Salinger heroine) J. D. Salinger's short story, "For ESMÉ–with Love and Squalor," tells of an American soldier's meeting with a 13-year-old girl before being sent into combat in World War II. The story was originally published in The New Yorker in 1950.
• ROSE (67A: Flower with "Agatha Christie" and "Barbra Streisand" cultivars) There are a multitude of ROSE cultivars, and many of them have been named after real people and fictional characters. The Agatha Christie cultivar is a pink, hybrid tea ROSE. The Barbra Streisand cultivar is also a hybrid tea ROSE and is known for its strong, sweet fragrance. I saw its color described as pink, lavender-mauve, and lavender-blushed purple.
• ENO (5D: Ambient musician Brian) Brian ENO coined the term ambient music to describe music designed to induce calm and be interesting and ignorable at the same time.
• ANNA (7D: Elsa's sister) ANNA and Elsa are, of course, the sisters from the movie Frozen. This upper center section of the grid must be the "frozen" section, as we also find FRAPPE (18D: Frozen coffee drink) and ICE POP (23D: Frozen treat) here. 
• PASTA (9D: Farfalle or fettuccine) Farfalle (whose name is derived from the Italian word for "butterflies") is bow-tie-shaped PASTA. Fettuccine is a flat, thick PASTA noodle. Two days ago we saw PASTA clued as [Capellini or cavatappi]. Apparently the word PASTA inspires constructors to write alliterative clues.
• PHANTOM (15D: "Star Wars: The ___ Menace") and OBI (48D: ___-Wan Kenobi) Star Wars: The PHANTOM Menace (1999) is Episode I of the "Skywalker Saga," which is comprised of a trilogy of trilogies. The PHANTOM Menace is the first movie in the prequel trilogy, but the fourth Star Wars movie to be released (since the original trilogy was released first, then the prequel trilogy, and finally the sequel trilogy). Ewan McGregor portrays OBI-Wan Kenobi in the prequel trilogy. As the role of an older OBI-Wan Kenobi had previously played by Alec Guinness, photos of a younger Alec Guinness were used when casting the role in order for the actor to be a believable younger version of the character. Additionally, Ewan McGregor had a vocal coach to help him make his voice sound similar to Guinness's.
• KITTY (34D: Big ___ (tiger, to a toddler)) You know Jess and I are delighted to include a cat reference in our puzzle. Today Jess's cat, Milo, and my cat, Willow, are doing their best to give off "big KITTY" vibes as they pose for close-ups.

Milo

Willow

• NYE (41D: "Bill ___ Saves the World" (Netflix series)) The Netflix TV series Bill NYE Saves the World (2017-2018) is a sequel of sorts to the TV show Bill NYE the Science Guy (1993-1999). The new show is aimed at adults rather than children, perhaps adults who watched the previous show when they were children. This past Monday, Bill NYE was honored with a star (the 2,821st star) on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
• ANATOMY (44D: Class with makeup tutorials?) Not a class that teaches how to apply makeup, but rather, ANATOMY – a class that teaches the makeup of the human body.
• HARLEM (47D: Langston Hughes poem) The New York City neighborhood of HARLEM is located in Upper Manhattan. Langston Hughes's poem, "HARLEM," was first published in 1951. It begins with the line, "What happens to a dream deferred?" The 1959 play, A Raisin in the Sun, took its name from a line in "HARLEM." You can read "HARLEM" on The Poetry Foundation website.
• B-GIRL (53D: Certain break dancer) Breakdancing originated in the late 1960s and early 1970s among Black and Puerto Rican communities in the South Bronx neighborhood of New York City. A breakdancer is known as a breaker, or a b-boy or B-GIRL.
• BAA (62D: "I'm a sheep!") This is not an uncommon approach for clueing BAA, but it is one I will never get tired of. I feel the same way about ["I'm a cow!] for "moo," ["I'm a lion!"] for "roar," and ["I'm a cat!"] for "meow." There's something about animals declaring their identity that just tickles me.

Did you have a slight feeling of déjà vu when you read the title of today's puzzle? I did do a bit of foreshadowing in the blog for yesterday's puzzle when I told you, "This is my first collaboration with Jess, but it won't be the last." I am grateful to Amanda, not only for her great editing, but for being willing to let Jess and I explore multiple versions of "TAIL END" and then run them back to back. I hope you enjoyed solving this TAIL END (YET AGAIN) puzzle.