May 13, 2026

Title: POWER PLAY

Constructor: CJ Tan

Editor: Amanda Rafkin

Theme synopsis:

• TIGHTROPE WALKER (16A: Entertainer who is on-line a lot?)
• EYEBROW PENCIL (34A: Makeup tool that helps outline arches)
• LOW PRESSURE AREA (53A: Region in which cyclones are likely to form)

POWER PLAY: Each theme answer contains an anagram of the word POWER: TIGHTROPE WALKER, EYEBROW PENCIL, and LOW PRESSURE AREA.

What I learned from today's puzzle:

• ALT (30A: ___-J (rock band named after a keyboard shortcut)) ALT-J is an English indie rock band formed in 2007. Their fourth studio album, The Dream, was released in 2022. ALT-J is new to me, so I was thankful for the "keyboard shortcut" hint.
• SKATE (60A: Go longboarding) Longboarding is a variation of skateboarding. As one might guess by the name, longboarders SKATE on longer boards (called "decks") with longer wheelbases and softer wheels. Longboards range from 32 to 40 inches in length, compared to standard street skateboards that are typically 28 to 34 inches long. Longboarding is inspired by surfing (which is what I thought of when I read the clue).

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• JUDO (1A: Martial art that focuses primarily on grappling) JUDO is a Japanese martial art created in 1882 by Kanō Jigorō. JUDO differs from some other martial arts in its emphasis on grappling and throws rather than strikes and weapon training. JUDO has been an Olympic sport since 1964 and a Paralympic sport since 1988.
• FRAN (5A: "The Nanny" actress Drescher) The Nanny is a TV sitcom that originally aired from 1993-1999. FRAN Drescher portrays the title character, FRAN Fine, a Jewish fashionista who becomes a nanny.
• FADS (9A: Flappy Bird and Tamagotchi, for two) Flappy Bird was an arcade-style mobile game that became popular in 2014. Players controlled a baby bird through obstacles. Tamagotchis are handheld digital pets from Japan that were popular in 1996 and 1997. Remembering these FADS was a nice walk down memory lane.
• TIGHTROPE WALKER (16A: Entertainer who is on-line a lot?) This is a fun question mark clue. The question mark here is alerting solvers to take the words "on line" literally. A TIGHTROPE WALKER literally walks on a line.
• CAT TREE (25A: Climbable feline structure) I believe I've mentioned before that my CAT, Willow does not have a CAT TREE. As a result, she considers our entire house a CAT TREE. Here she is on our piano.

• GOATEE (45A: Walter White's beard) Walter White is a fictional character, the protagonist of the TV series Breaking Bad (2008-2013). Bryan Cranston portrayed Walter White, and he did indeed have a GOATEE. 
• ANKARA (10D: Turkish city known for its pears, honey and muscat grapes) ANKARA is the capital of Turkey and is the country's second-largest city, after Istanbul. It's fun to have the added trivia here about the things ANKARA is known for.
• MEME (22D: "6-7," e.g.) The numbers 6-7 have been all over social media (and in real life – the numbers are particularly popular with young people) recently. The 6-7 MEME has its roots in the song, "Doot Doot" by Skrilla.
• ANTE (26D: The A of a.m.) The abbreviation "a.m." stands for "ANTE meridiem" ("before midday"), the period of time between midnight and noon.
• ALEC (28D: Name hidden in "partial eclipse") Where's ALEC? He went to see the partial eclipse.
• CONAN (32D: "___ O'Brien Needs a Friend" (podcast)) As the name suggests, the weekly podcast CONAN O'Brien Needs a Friend is hosted by former talk show host and SNL writer CONAN O'Brien. Each week, CONAN O'Brien is joined by a guest, with the underlying premise being that CONAN is looking to make friends with that person. When the podcast was announced in 2018, CONAN O'Brien wrote in a press release, "After 25 years of extensive market research, we have learned that people want to hear my voice without seeing my face."
• GENRE (45D: Future bass or bedroom pop, e.g.) Future bass is a style of EDM (electronic dance music) that became popular in the mid-2010s. Bedroom pop is a GENRE of music characterized by being created at home and then uploaded to platforms such as YouTube, Spotify, TikTok, and SoundCloud.
• EMU (57D: "New Strategy in a War on the ___" (Australian headline)) This clue made me laugh! the "Australian headline" is a great hint to the answer here, as the EMU is native to Australia. Although the EMU is considered a national symbol of Australia, these large flightless birds have, at times, caused difficulties. In Western Australia, for example, EMUs have destroyed crops, posing difficulties for farmers. In 1932, a military operation was undertaken to address concerns about the number of EMUs. This nuisance wildlife management operation came to be known as the EMU War or the Great EMU War. I didn't know a lot about the EMU War of 1932 (which lasted one month, one week, and one day), and I greatly enjoyed going down this Wikipedia rabbit hole. I am amused to report that the EMUs were the victors in this war. Twenty-one years later,  on July 5, 1953, the article "New Strategy in a War on the EMU" appeared in Sydney, Australia's Sunday Herald. From what I can tell, these new strategies involve barrier fencing instead of military action.
• A few other clues and answers I especially enjoyed:
• STREET (12D: One might be blocked off for a farmers market)
• TRAILBLAZER (17D: Innovator)
• CALF (52D: Baby hippo) 

The word PLAY in today's title is functioning as a hidden anagram indicator. Each theme answer contains a PLAY on the letters in the word POWER. Thank you, CJ, for this enjoyable puzzle.

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