October 29, 2025

Title: LIGHT IT UP

Constructor: Chandi Deitmer

Editor: Amanda Rafkin

Theme synopsis:

• MOROCCAN CIGAR (20A: Stuffed dish also called sigarim)
• JOHN WICK (36A: Keanu Reeves-led action film series)
• MEET YOUR MATCH (53A: Encounter a worthy opponent)

LIGHT IT UP: The last word of each theme answer is something that can be lit: CIGAR, WICK, and MATCH.

What I learned from today's puzzle:

• MOROCCAN CIGAR (20A: Stuffed dish also called sigarim) The dish known as a MOROCCAN CIGAR, or sigarim, is a meat-filled phyllo pastry rolled up to resemble a CIGAR. The meat used is usually lamb or beef. The rolls are then fried and served with a sumac-yogurt dip.
• ADIR (44A: Bob Marley portrayer Kingsley Ben-___) Kingsley-ADIR played the title role in the 2024 movie Bob Marley: One Love. His other acting credits include the role of Malcolm X in the movie One Night in Miami… (2020).
• AUTO (2D: Transport around Delhi, for short) An AUTO rickshaw, informally referred to as simply an AUTO, is a motorized, usually three-wheeled vehicle. The AUTO is a common means of transport in Delhi and other cities in India. 

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• ITALIA (16A: Roma's country) Rome is the capital of Italy. The use of Roma, the city's Italian name, in the clue alerts solvers the answer will be the country's Italian name, ITALIA.
• AS NEEDED (18A: Medication label phrase written as "PRN" on a prescription) Finally, my pharmacy training comes in handy to solve a crossword! "PRN" stands for "pro re nata," a Latin phrase meaning "as the circumstance arises."
• MOTION (23A: Poetry in ___ (public arts program)) Poetry in MOTION is an arts program that launched in New York City in 1992 to display poems by prominent authors on buses and subway trains. The initial program was a collaboration between New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the Poetry Society of America. The program has since spread to other cities. 
• POP (31A: Music genre that's also the name of an *NSYNC song) *NSYNC's 2001 song, "POP," was the first single released from their fourth studio album, Celebrity. The song won four MTV Video Music Awards, including – appropriately – Best POP Video.
• JOHN WICK (36A: Keanu Reeves-led action film series) The JOHN WICK franchise began with the 2014 movie of that name. Keanu Reeves stars as JOHN WICK, a legendary hitman who retires, but then is reluctantly drawn back into the criminal underworld. 
• ASAHI (47A: "Super Dry" beer) ASAHI Breweries was founded as the Osaka Beer Company in 1889. In 1987, the company introduced ASAHI Super Dry, which has become its flagship brand. ASAHI means "morning sun" in Japanese.
• AMEN (56A: Final track of "Cowboy Carter") Cowboy Carter is Beyoncé's eighth studio album, released in 2024. As the clue informs us, "AMEN" is the album's final track. I like this clue, because even if you're not familiar with the album (though if you're not I highly recommend checking it out!), the answer will make sense once you figure it out from crossing answers.
• LOKI (59A: Norse trickster) In Norse mythology, the trickster god LOKI is a shape shifter, sometimes appearing in the form of a salmon, a mare, or a fly.
• STAR (3D: Symbol on Burkina Faso's flag) Burkina Faso is a landlocked country in West Africa. Its capital is Ouagadougou. The flag of Burkina Faso has two equal horizontal bands of color: red on the top and green on the bottom. A yellow five-pointed STAR is in the center of the flag.
• ALAN (5D: Actor Rickman) I just mentioned ALAN Rickman yesterday in reference to the 2003 movie Love Actually.
• DENIM (7D: Canadian tux material) A "Canadian tuxedo" is a term used colloquially to describe wearing a jean shirt or DENIM jacket with jeans. Reportedly the term originated in 1951 after Bing Crosby was denied entrance to a Vancouver hotel because he was wearing a DENIM top and jeans.
• THEATER KID (8D: Fan of high school drama) That's not "high school drama" as in love triangles and who's mad at who, but drama as in a high school play – a perfect outlet for a THEATER KID.
• RODRIGO (9D: "good 4 u" singer Olivia) Olivia RODRIGO released the song "good 4 u" as the third single from her 2021 debut studio album, Sour. 
• TED (11D: "The Good Place" actor Danson) The Good Place (2016-2020) is a TV series about a heaven-like utopia where humans spend their afterlife. TED Danson portrays Michael, an afterlife "architect" who designs the Good Place neighborhood where the main characters of the show reside.
• ALLAH (21D: God in the Shahadah) The Shahadah is a profession of faith that is one of the Five Pillars of Islam (fundamental Islam practices). ALLAH is an Arabic term for God used by followers of Islam.
• PHONE (31D: "E.T. ___ home") This clue made me quite happy. "E.T. PHONE home" is an iconic line from Stephen Spielberg's 1982 movie E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. 
• DRUM (35D: Taiko, for example) In Japanese, the word "taiko" is used to refer to any kind of DRUM. The word is also used to refer to a Japanese drumming style. 
• JODIE (36D: "Killing Eve" actor Comer) Killing Eve (2018-2022) is a BBC series about an investigator, Eve Polastri, who is tracking the psychopathic assassin, Villanelle. Sandra Oh portrays Eve, and JODIE Comer plays the role of Villanelle. The show is based on the Villanelle series of books by Luke Jennings.

This is a fun category theme featuring objects that can be lit. Interestingly, in the last few months we've seen several flame-related themes, all different and distinct. In August we saw "Light My Fire" and in September we saw "Burning Questions." Thank you, Chandi, for the latest in this trio of hot puzzles.