December 6, 2025

Title: SLEEP IN 

Constructor: Matthew Stock

Editor: Amanda Rafkin

Theme synopsis:

• CORE MEMORY (17A: Recollection that shapes one's worldview and sense of self)
• BARE MINIMUM (38A: It's the least you can do!)
• MERE MORTAL (61A: Being that's puny compared to a god)

SLEEP IN: Each theme answer contains the SLEEP stage REM (rapid eye movement): CORE MEMORY, BARE MINIMUM, and MERE MORTAL.

What I learned from today's puzzle:

• BRYANT (46D: College gymnastics star Haleigh) Haleigh BRYANT is a former gymnast. Currently she is an assistant gymnastics coach at Louisiana State University, which is where she attended college from 2021-2025. At the 2024 NCAA Gymnastics Championship, Haleigh Bryant won gold medals in the team and individual all-around. In 2021 she was the NCAA Champion on vault.

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• SAMUS (1A: Metroid protagonist) In the Nintendo game, Metroid, the player controls bounty hunter, SAMUS Aran, and protects the galaxy from Space Pirates.
• ICED TEA (21A: Half of an Arnold Palmer) The ingredients in the drink known as an Arnold Palmer are ICED TEA and lemonade. The drink is named for golfer Arnold Palmer (1929-2016), who was known to request this drink. Some attribute this drink combination to Arnold Palmer, but my dad also mixed his ICED TEA and lemonade. In our house this combo was known as a half-and-half.
• NIGERIA (32A: Home nation of author Akwaeke Emezi) Akwaeke Emezi is a writer and video artist. Akwaeke Emezi was born and raised in NIGERIA, and moved to the United States at the age of 16 to attend New York University. Their books include Freshwater (2018), Pet (2019), and The Death of Vivek Oji (2020).
• ROMANIA (41A: Bucharest's country) ROMANIA is a European country whose neighbors are Ukraine, Hungary, Serbia, Bulgaria, and Moldova. ROMANIA also has coastline along the Black Sea. Bucharest is the capital and largest city of ROMANIA. 
• OLUO (63A: "The Badass Feminist Coloring Book" author Ijeoma) Self-described "writer, speaker, and internet yeller" Ijeoma OLUO is the author of Mediocre: The Dangerous Legacy of White Male America (2020), and So You Want to Talk About Race (2018). In 2015, Ijeoma OLUO self-published The Badass Feminist Coloring Book, raising funds for the book on Kickstarter. 
• PETA (64A: Org. against fur and leather) People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA, is a nonprofit organization founded in 1980. As the clue informs us, PETA opposes the use of fur and leather.
• BURT'S (8D: ___ Bees (lip balm brand)) The personal care company BURT'S Bees makes more than lip balm. However, their lip balm – in its classic golden-colored tube – is perhaps its best known product. Since 2007, Clorox has been the parent company of BURT'S Bees.
• SIR (30D: "___ Cumference and the Great Knight of Angleland" (children's book)) SIR Cumference and the Great Knight of Angleland is one of a series of punny math books by Cindy Neuschwander, illustrated by Wayne Geehan. Other books in the series include SIR Cumference and the Dragon of Pi, and SIR Cumference Gets Decima's Point. SIR Cumference's wife is named Di of Ameter, and their son is named Vertex.
• TOM (51D: ___ kha kai) TOM kha kai is a spicy Thai soup made with coconut milk, galangal, lemongrass, lime leaves, mushrooms, and chicken.
• TULSA (53D: Oklahoma city once home to the WNBA's Shock) From 2010-2015, the WNBA team TULSA Shock called TULSA, Oklahoma home. The team began as the Detroit Shock in 1998, before moving to TULSA. In 2015, the team moved from TULSA to Dallas and became the Dallas Wings.
• A few other clues I especially enjoyed:
• GOTHAM (42A: Fictional city with a Bat-Signal)
• HEIRLOOM (11D: Keepsake passed down through generations)
• RIM (35D: Where trails at the Grand Canyon begin)

I always think it sounds lovely to SLEEP IN, but my morning-person body thinks otherwise. That's okay; I enjoyed the opportunity to SLEEP IN (in a way) by solving this puzzle. Looking at the grid, it makes me chuckle to see that (although it's not the case in real life) NIGERIA and ROMANIA are nearly neighbors, separated only by the BARE MINIMUM. Thank you, Matthew, for this excellent puzzle.