April 11, 2026

Title: I'M SO DOWN

Constructor: Kiran Pandey

Editor: Amie Walker

Theme synopsis:

• CRIMSON TIDE (4D: College football powerhouse whose mascot is Big Al)
• CUT HIM SOME SLACK (6D: "Go easy on the poor guy!")
• THE SIMS ONLINE (18D: Video game with virtual people and multiplayer interaction)

I'M SO DOWN: Each vertical theme answer has I'M SO going DOWN the answer: CRIMSON TIDE, CUT HIM SOME SLACK, and THE SIMS ONLINE.

What I learned from today's puzzle:

• GEISHA (34A: Performer wearing oshiroi) GEISHA are Japanese women trained in traditional dance, music, and singing styles. Oshiroi is the white powder make-up traditionally used by GEISHA.
• DOLLAR SLICE (53A: Offering at some New York City pizza parlors) The first DOLLAR SLICE pizza shop in New York City opened in 2001. It was called 99 Cent Fresh Pizza. 2 Bros. Pizza is another chain that specializes in DOLLAR SLICEs; they opened in 2008. These businesses sell their pizza at a low profit margin and make money by selling a large quantity of pizzas. Many of the DOLLAR SLICE pizza parlors struggled during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some increased their price to $1.50. 

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• ISSUE (23A: "Action Comics No. 1," e.g.) Action Comics #1, published by DC Comics in 1938, was the first ISSUE of the comic book series Action Comics. It is notable for introducing the superhero Superman. The ISSUE sold for 10 cents in 1938. In 2014, a copy of Action Comics #1 sold for over $3 million.
• TRINKETS (32A: Items in a kid's "treasure box") I really like this clue. Also, TRINKETS is a great word.
• MEOW (39A: "Why did you leave me, you cat, home alone?") Oh my goodness – I definitely hear this MEOW from my cat, Willow, whenever I come home! Since I am currently at the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament (ACPT) in Stamford, Connecticut, I imagine I will get an earful when I return home.

• DODO (44A: Bird whose last widely accepted sighting was in 1662) The DODO was a flightless bird that lived on Mauritius, an island in the Indian Ocean east of Madagascar. As the clue notes, DODOs have been extinct since the 1600s. Their extinction was a result of being hunted by sailors and invasive species, as well as destruction of habitat.
• FBI (50A: "Twin Peaks" org.) The TV series Twin Peaks (1990-1991, 2017) is set in the fictional Pacific Northwest town for which the show is named. The series follows an FBI investigation into the murder of a local teenager. In addition to having characteristics of detective fiction, Twin Peaks incorporates surreal and supernatural elements.
• CRIMSON TIDE (4D: College football powerhouse whose mascot is Big Al) The University of Alabama is located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The school's nickname is CRIMSON TIDE, and its colors are crimson and white. The CRIMSON TIDE mascot, Big Al, is an elephant. Not an actual elephant, to be clear, but a person in an elephant costume. In the past, the University has had a live elephant mascot that would make appearances on game days, but fortunately they don't anymore.
• THE SIMS ONLINE (18D: Video game with virtual people and multiplayer interaction) THE SIMS ONLINE was a massively multiplayer online game released in 2002. Similar to the non-multiplayer SIMS games, players set up virtual characters. In THE SIMS ONLINE, these characters interacted with the SIMS of other players. The game received mixed reviews, and was closed down in 2008. A fan-made version of the game was available from 2017-2024.
• OINK (20D: "I love rolling in the mud!") This clue has a similar personality to the MEOW clue, and I really like it.
• UAE (24D: Dubai's country, for short) Dubai is the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, one of seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Dubai is the most populous city in the UAE.
• DRUID (26D: D&D class with nature-themed magic) In the role-playing game, Dungeons & Dragons (D&D), the DRUID is a playable character class. The DRUID gains its spells and magical powers from nature. Some DRUIDs are able to take on animal forms.
• DINGO (27D: Wild Australian dog) The Australian DINGO is basically a feral dog, having descended from dogs introduced from Asia 5,000 to 8,000 years ago.
• GED (34D: H.S. diploma equivalent) GED here stands for General Educational Development. The tests are used to certify academic knowledge equivalent to a high school diploma.
• BILE (51D: Gallbladder fluid) This is an example of how reading this blog can make you better at crosswords. Just yesterday when we saw LIVER in the puzzle, I wrote: "Bile is a substance that aids in the digestion of fats. In humans, bile is produced in the LIVER and stored in the gallbladder."
• COWS (56D: "Click, Clack, Moo" animals) "Click, clack, moo. Click, clack, moo. Clickety, clack, moo." This is a repeated line in the delightfully silly children's book, Click, Clack, Moo: COWS That Type. If you are not familiar with this book, please do yourself a favor and find a copy to read! 
• KEN (59D: "Barbie" character played by multiple actors) It's not unusual for a character to be played by multiple actors in different movies. In the 2023 movie Barbie, KEN is played by multiple actors all in one movie. Here are the actors who portrayed KEN in Barbie: Ryan Gosling (Beach KEN), Simu Liu (Rival KEN), Kingsley Ben-Adir (Basketball KEN), Ncuti Gatwa (Artist KEN), Scott Evans (Stereotypical KEN), and John Cena (Merman KEN).
• A few other clues I especially enjoyed:
• ACE (10A: It's high in War, but low in cribbage)
• MINI (16A: Size for some crosswords and candy bars)
• PAW (38A: Foot with toe beans)

The title of today's puzzle allowed me to guess correctly that the theme would be found in the DOWN answers. It's always fun to make a correct guess. Thank you, Kiran, for this enjoyable puzzle.

A note about comments: I welcome your comments on the blog! For one thing it's nice to know folks are reading what I've written. My goal for this blog has always been for it to be informational, conversational, and kind. I ask that you keep those goals in mind when commenting. Unkind comments will be deleted. Note that I am more likely to delete a negative comment if it is posted anonymously. (P.S. You can point out when I make a mistake – in fact, I appreciate that so I can correct it.)