April 1, 2026

Title: RADIOACTIVITY

Constructor: CJ Tan

Editor: Amanda Rafkin

Theme synopsis:

• OLIVIA RODRIGO (20A: "vampire" singer)
• LET YOUR HAIR DOWN (39A: "Loosen up a little!")
• COLORADO RIVER (54A: Waterway that goes through the Grand Canyon)

RADIOACTIVITY: Each theme answer contains an anagram of the word RADIO: OLIVIA RODRIGO, LET YOUR HAIR DOWN, and COLORADO RIVER.

What I learned from today's puzzle:

• MYTHOLOGY (32D: Edith Hamilton work whose first chapter is titled "The Gods") Edith Hamilton (1867-1963) was a writer and educator. She is best known for her essays and books about ancient Greek and Roman civilizations. Her book MYTHOLOGY: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes was originally published in 1942 and has been reissued several times. The book retells stories from Greek, Roman, and Norse MYTHOLOGY. As the clue informs us, the books first chapter is titled "The Gods."
• SAMOA (51D: Country where orator chiefs might wear an ula fala) In SAMOA, ula fala – necklaces made from dried, painted segments of the pandanus fruit – may be worn to signify authority and status. Orator chiefs have the authority to speak for a family or village.

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• APPA (17A: Dad, in Korean) I learned the term APPA from the March 18, 2021 crossword.
• OLIVIA RODRIGO (20A: "vampire" singer) OLIVIA RODRIGO released her song, "vampire," in 2023 as the lead single from her album, Guts. 
• KOOL (24A: ___ and the Gang ("Cherish" band)) "Cherish" is a 1985 song by KOOL & the Gang. "Let's cherish every moment / We have been given / For time is passing by..."
• ASPEN (44A: "Quaking" tree) The quaking ASPEN is named because its leaves appear to tremble in even the slightest breeze. A fun fact about ASPEN trees is they propagate through their roots, so when you see a grove of ASPEN trees, it is often one organism sharing a common root system.
• COLORADO RIVER (54A: Waterway that goes through the Grand Canyon) The COLORADO RIVER flows through five U.S. states (Colorado, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, and California), and two Mexican states (Baja California and Sonora). The COLORADO RIVER flows through the Grand Canyon, which was carved by the river over the course of millions of years.
• MAZE (67A: Puzzle that may be solved using a "hand-on-wall rule") The "hand-on-wall rule" is an effective method for finding your way out of a MAZE. Essentially, when you enter the maze, touch the wall on your right with your right hand (or the wall on your left with your left hand). Then follow the wall, keeping a hand touching the wall, until you reach the exit. A word of warning: There are some MAZEs that can't be solved using this rule.
• AHA (1D: "I get it now!") I have so many "AHA!" moments when solving crosswords.
• FRUITS (5D: Tomatoes and bell peppers, technically speaking) This clue reminds me of the saying (which I've modified to fit): Knowledge is knowing tomatoes and bell peppers are FRUITS; wisdom is not putting them in a FRUIT salad.
• EBOOK (8D: Text on a phone?) The question mark at the end of the clue alerts solvers to trickiness and wordplay. The text here is not a text message, but the text of an EBOOK one might read on their phone.
• TRIO (12D: The Schuyler Sisters, e.g.) The Schuyler Sisters were American socialites: Angelica Schuyler Church (1756-1814), Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton (1757-1854), and Peggy Schuyler (1758-1801). In the musical Hamilton, the TRIO is introduced in the song, "The Schuyler Sisters." 
• TARO (28D: Root vegetable in laing) Laing is a dish that originated in the Philippines. Laing is made of shredded or whole TARO leaves and meat or seafood, cooked in spiced coconut milk.
• EARL (35D: Rapper Sweatshirt) EARL Sweatshirt is the stage name of rapper, songwriter, and record producer, Thebe Neruda Kgositsile. His most recent studio album is Live Laugh Love (2025).
• ANNA (38D: "Shogun" actress Sawai) Shōgun is a Hulu TV series that premiered in 2024. The show is based on James Clavell's 1975 novel of the same name. Shōgun features a mostly Japanese cast and much of the dialogue is in Japanese. The cast includes ANNA Sawai, who portrays Toda Mariko. ANNA Sawai won a 2024 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for this role.
• SVEN (53D: Name hidden in "news vendor") Where's SVEN? He's hanging out with the news vendor.

This hidden anagram theme took me a little bit to spot, which made for (appropriately) a nice "AHA!" moment. To understand the theme, we need to parse the title, RADIOACTIVITY, as to words – RADIO ACTIVITY. The word ACTIVITY is functioning as an anagram indicator. Thank you, CJ, for this enjoyable puzzle.

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