March 30, 2026

Title: APRES-SKI

Constructor: Li Ding

Editor: Amie Walker

Theme synopsis:

• LIFT EVERY VOICE (16A: "Black national anthem," informally)
• POLE DANCING (34A: Fitness class with climbs and spins) 
• RUN OUT THE CLOCK (52A: Kill time to preserve a lead)

APRES-SKI: The first word of each theme answer can be placed after (APRÉS) the word SKI to form a new phrase: SKI LIFT, SKI POLE, and SKI RUN.

What I learned from today's puzzle:

• MAO (51A: Golfer Saigo) MAO Saigo is a Japanese professional golfer. Last year she won the Chevron Championship and the U.S. Women's Open. Add this to the sports knowledge I have gained from solving crosswords.
• TAI (10D: "___ Chi Master" (Jet Li film)) Jet Li appeared in the 1993 Hong Kong martial arts movie TAI Chi Master as the title character, a TAI chi master named Junbao. Although I wasn't familiar with this movie, the answer here was fairly inferable.
• PARAGUAY (34D: Country whose official domain extension is .PY) I might have been able to figure this out if I'd thought about it more. Instead, I relied on crossing answers until enough letters were filled in so that I could figure out the name of a country. PARAGUAY is a landlocked country in central South America. Its capital is Asunción.
• GRACIE (43D: "That's So True" singer Abrams) "That's So True" is a 2024 song by GRACIE Abrams, from her second studio album, The Secret of Us. 

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• FAST (1A: Observe Ramadan or Yom Kippur) Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. Muslims around the world observe Ramadan by fasting from sunrise to sunset during the 29 or 30 days of the observance. Yom Kippur is a Jewish holy day known as the Day of Atonement. It is observed by fasting and prayer.
• LIFT EVERY VOICE (16A: "Black national anthem," informally) "LIFT EVERY VOICE and Sing" – or informally "LIFT EVERY VOICE" – has been referred to by the NAACP as the Black National Anthem. The hymn's lyrics and music were written by brothers James Weldon Johnson and J. Rosamond Johnson in 1900 for the 91st anniversary of President Abraham Lincoln's birthday. "LIFT EVERY VOICE and sing, / Till earth and heaven ring, / Ring with the harmonies of Liberty..." 
• GOT (20A: "If I Ain't ___ You" (Alicia Keys song)) "If I Ain't GOT You" is a 2004 song by Alicia Keys. The song was written by Alicia Keys after the death of the singer Aaliyah. In 2023, Alicia Keys recorded a new version of "If I Ain't GOT You," featuring a 70-plus-piece orchestra of women of color. This version was done for the soundtrack of the Netflix series Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story. 
• ENERGY (24A: The "E" in Einstein's special relativity equation) That equation of Einstein's is E=mc2, where E is ENERGY, m is mass, and c is the speed of light. Hooray for science in the crossword!
• MUG (26A: Cup for coffee) I have a significant collection of MUGs, though mine generally hold tea instead of coffee. I choose my MUG with care each morning. Today's MUG is celebrating Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado.

• POLE DANCING (34A: Fitness class with climbs and spins) Although once associated mainly with exotic dancers in nightclubs, POLE DANCING has become a popular fitness activity. POLE DANCING requires muscular endurance, coordination, strength, and flexibility. 
• LOS (46A: "NFL To Move all 32 Teams to ___ Angeles" (The Onion headline)) The Onion is a media company that publishes satirical news articles. I did get a good laugh from this clue. Here's a link to "NFL To Move all 32 Teams to LOS Angeles," if you'd like to read the full (tongue-in-cheek) article. There are, in reality, currently two NFL teams based in LOS Angeles: the LOS Angeles Rams and the LOS Angeles Chargers. 
• ALI (50A: "Single Lady" comedian Wang) Single Lady is a 2024 Netflix comedy special by ALI Wong. The show won her a Golden Globe Award for Best Performance in Stand-Up Comedy on Television.
• ERIE (58A: Great Lake near Niagara Falls) Niagara Falls is located on the U.S.-Canada border between New York and Ontario. The falls are formed by the Niagara River, which flows from Lake ERIE to Lake Ontario. Our crossword friend ERIE is making back-to-back appearances, as we saw it yesterday clued as [Cleveland's Great Lake]. This is the third time we've seen ERIE this month. Perhaps ERIE is trying to make up for the fact that we didn't see it at all in January and February.
• ARIANA (2D: "Wicked" star Grande) I have previously written about ARIANA Grande's role in Wicked.
• BAR (7D: Word after "chocolate" or "salad") Would you rather have a chocolate BAR or a salad BAR? 
• TRIASSIC (30D: Period when dinosaurs first appeared) The TRIASSIC Period is the first period of the Mesozoic Era. It was followed by the Jurassic and Cretaceous Periods. The TRIASSIC period began about 251 million years ago and lasted for about 50.5 million years. As the clue informs us, dinosaurs first appeared in the TRIASSIC Period. They didn't become dominant, however, until the Jurassic Period.
• LEE (32D: "Past Lives" star Greta) Past Lives is a 2023 movie written and directed by Celine Song. The movie centers on Nora (Greta LEE) and Hae (Teo Yoo), who were childhood friends in South Korea until Nora moved to Canada with her parents. The two reconnect later in their lives. Greta LEE received critical acclaim for her portrayal of Nora.
• CCR (33D: "Fortunate Son" band, for short) CCR here stands for Creedence Clearwater Revival. "Fortunate Son" is a 1969 song by CCR that became an anthem for the Vietnam anti-war movement.
• LOU (46D: R&B singer Rawls) LOU Rawls (1933-2006) was an R&B singer who won three Grammy Awards for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance. One of his well-known hits is "You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine."
• ELENA (47D: Justice Kagan) ELENA Kagan has been a Supreme Court Justice since 2010. She was also the first female dean of the Harvard Law School, a position she held from 2003-2009.
• NPR (53D: "All Things Considered" network) The NPR program, All Things Considered, debuted in 1971. The show highlights the news each day, providing analysis, commentary, and interviews. The current hosts of All Things Considered are Ailsa Chang, Mary Louise Kelly, Juana Summers, and Scott Detrow.
• A few other clues I especially enjoyed:
• NEAT (14A: Sarcastic "Fantastic")
• REVERSE (37D: Uno card that switches the order of play)
• NOSE (49D: "___ goes" ("Not it"))

APRÉS-SKI is an umbrella term used to describe activities done after skiing, whether it's relaxing by a fire in the SKI lodge or partying with your friends. Today the term makes a great theme. Thank you, Li, for this enjoyable puzzle.

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