April 26, 2026

Title: ON THE MARKET 

Constructor: Sala Wanetick

Editor: Amanda Rafkin

Theme synopsis:

• OPEN HOUSE (15A: "Selling Sunset" event)
• STOCK OPTION (34A: Compensation package component)
• TINDER USER (55A: Certain person who's "on the apps")

ON THE MARKET: Each theme answer is a reference to a type of MARKET: the real estate MARKET, the STOCK MARKET, and the dating MARKET.

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• VIVA (1A: "___ Forever" (Spice Girls song)) "VIVA Forever" is a 1998 song by the Spice Girls. The song's music video features stop motion animation of the Spice Girls as fairies.
• OPEN HOUSE (15A: "Selling Sunset" event) Selling Sunset is a reality TV show that focuses on the Oppenheim Group, a high-end real estate brokerage firm in the Los Angeles, California area. The show features many an OPEN HOUSE. Side note: SELLING SUNSET was a theme answer in the September 27, 2021 and November 27, 2023 puzzles.
• ALI (24A: "Tuca & Bertie" voice actress Wong) Tuca & Bertie is an animated sitcom that originally aired on Netflix (2019) and the Cartoon Network's Adult Swim programming (2021-2022). Tuca and Bertie are anthropomorphic birds The show centers on their relationships with each other and with their friends. Tiffany Haddish voices Tuca, a newly sober toucan working odd jobs and relying on her wealthy aunt's financial support. Bertie, voiced by ALI Wong, is a career-minded song thrush and an aspiring baker. 
• STRAVA (30A: Social network for many runners, bikers and swimmers) STRAVA is a fitness tracking service. It helps keep track of workouts and also allows users to share their workouts publicly or with a selected group. 
• EILEEN (37A: Olympic freestyle skier Gu) EILEEN Gu is a freestyle skier. She was born in San Francisco, but has represented China in freestyle skiing since 2019. At the 2026 Winter Olympics, EILEEN Gu won a gold medal in women's halfpipe and silver medals in big air and slopestyle. She also won three medals (two gold and one silver) at the 2022 Winter Olympics and is the most decorated freestyle skier in Olympic history.
• EMO (53A: In one's feelings) I'm most familiar with the word EMO being used as the name of a music genre. However, EMO, which is a clipping of the word "emotional" can also be used as an adjective. This section of the grid does indeed seem to be "in its feelings," as we see ANGST (62A: Moody feeling) just a few clues later.
• ISLA (54A: ___ Mujeres (Mexican island)) ISLA Mujeres is an island located about 8 miles off of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, where the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea meet. The island is part of the Mexican state of Quintana Roo. "ISLA Mujeres" is Spanish for "Women Island." The island received its name from Spanish people in the 16th century who noted many images of goddesses, particularly Ixchel, the Maya goddess of childbirth and medicine. 
• HOODS (59A: Car parts that can be "popped") I put "tires" here at first. "Popped" HOODS are perhaps less stressful than "popped" tires, depending on the reason for popping the HOOD.
• AWAY (63A: "Cast ___" (Tom Hanks film)) Do you remember when the movie Cast AWAY was released? Tom Hanks stars in the movie as a FedEx systems analyst who is stranded on a deserted island (with a volleyball he names Wilson). I ask if you remember when the movie came out, because I'm always shocked to discover that movies I remember as being just a few years old are, in fact, much older than that. Cast AWAY is 26 years old; it was released in 2000. 
• VIOLET (1D: ROYGBIV part) ROYGBIV is a mnemonic used to remember the colors of the rainbow in order: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and VIOLET. Four of those colors could have fit here – orange, yellow, indigo, or VIOLET. That's where crossing answers prove helpful.
• IMPALA (2D: Animal whose name comes from the Zulu for "gazelle") The IMPALA is a species of antelope that lives in eastern and southern Africa. I have learned from a previous crossword that IMPALAs are often born around midday. Hooray for fun animal facts in the crossword!
• THE (8D: "___ Pitt" (HBO series)) Fun use of the popular TV series, THE Pitt, to clue this common 3-letter word.
• FREDDIE (17D: Queen singer Mercury) FREDDIE Mercury (1946-1991) was one of the founding members of the British rock band, Queen, along with Brian May and Roger Taylor. (They were later joined by John Deacon.) The 2018 movie, Bohemian Rhapsody, is a biographical film about FREDDIE Mercury's life. Rami Malek portrays FREDDIE Mercury in the movie.
• CASTE (22D: "___: The Origins of Our Discontents") Isabel Wilkerson's 2020 book, CASTE: The Origins of Our Discontents, discusses racism as a CASTE system. The book won the Goodreads Choice Award and the Los Angeles Times Book Award. The 2023 movie Origin, directed by Ava DuVernay, is based on the life of Isabel Wilkerson while she was writing CASTE: The Origins of Our Discontents.
• BAKERS (27D: Experts in laminating and proofing) Ah, this clue is tricky. Laminating and proof(read)ing could be tasks related to a manuscript. But in this case they are the actions of BAKERS. Laminating – as done by BAKERS – is the process of repeatedly folding and rolling the dough to create multiple layers of dough separated by butter. Proofing – again, as done by BAKERS – is allowing dough to rest and rise (as a result of the action of yeast).
• SINGULAR (34D: Like a cat, but not dogs) Here's another tricky clue. This one made me laugh! Cat is indeed SINGULAR, unlike dogs, which is plural. My cat, Willow, approves of this clue. Last night while my husband and I were eating dinner, Willow put herself in the corner of the dining room. Is there something we need to know?

• TED (35D: "How I Met Your Mother" protagonist) How I Met Your Mother is a TV sitcom that originally aired from 2005 to 2014. The series focuses on TED Mosby (Josh Radnor) and his friends. The framework of the show is that TED is recounting to his children the events that led to him meeting their mother.
• LEGO SET (36D: The 7,541 piece Millennium Falcon kit, e.g.) The Millennium Falcon is the starship commanded by Han Solo and his Wookiee first mate, Chewbacca. If you'd like to build a model of the Millennium Falcon, you can purchase the 7,541 piece LEGO SET for $849.99. 
• CAR (47D: Lightning McQueen, e.g.) Lightning McQueen is an anthropomorphic animated CAR featured in Disney's CARs franchise. Lightning McQueen is a red stock CAR with yellow and orange lightning bolt stickers and the number 95 on the side.
• PATE (49D: Spread similar to terrine) Both PÂTÉ and terrine are French dishes that consist of a ground meat (or vegetable) mixture that is molded, cooked, and then generally served cold.
• USA (57D: Team for Chloe Kim) Chloe Kim is a professional snowboarder. Earlier this year she represented Team USA at the 2026 Winter Olympics, where she won a silver medal in the women's halfpipe event. Her performance was especially amazing since she dislocated her shoulder a month prior to the Olympics. Chloe Kim has two previous gold medals in halfpipe from the 2018 and 2022 Winter Olympics.
• A few other clues I especially enjoyed:
• ALLY (19A: Person supporting their friend at a Pride event)
• TOUCHE (31D: "Fair point you've made there")
• SEESAW (42D: Playground fixture that's a lever)

It took a little while for me to see what was happening with today's theme. There was a nice "Aha!" moment when I realized this is a category theme and all of the theme answers refer to a type of MARKET. Thank you, Sala, for this enjoyable puzzle.

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