June 9, 2026

Title: BOAT BUILDING

Constructor: Stella Zawistowski

Editor: Amanda Rafkin

Theme synopsis:

• B VITAMINS (17A: Nutrients like niacin and riboflavin)
• BO DIDDLEY (29A: Rock 'n' roll legend who played a rectangular guitar)
• BOA CONSTRICTOR (41A: Snake that squeezes its prey)
• BOATLOADS (60A: Oodles and oodles)

BOAT BUILDING: The word BOAT is being "built" at the beginning of the theme answers: B –> BO –> BOA –> BOAT.

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• IOWA (15A: State with the most pigs) Oh, hey, I know this one. Hello from IOWA! It's true, IOWA has a lot of pigs. In fact, IOWA has more pigs than people.
• B VITAMINS (17A: Nutrients like niacin and riboflavin) There are eight B VITAMINS. They each play a distinct and important role in cell metabolism. Niacin is VITAMIN B3. Riboflavin is VITAMIN B2.
• BO DIDDLEY (29A: Rock 'n' roll legend who played a rectangular guitar) BO DIDDLEY (1928-2008) was a rock and roll musician. He was honored with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1998. As the clue mentions, one of the things BO DIDDLEY was known for was his distinctive rectangular guitars. He had several rectangular guitars custom-made for him. 
• EASEL (39A: It stands up for artists?) The question mark in this clue means it isn't referring to something that defends artists or speaks out in their favor, but rather is referring to an EASEL that literally stands up to hold an artist's work.
• INES (40A: Name hidden in "Elaine Stritch") This is a fun name within a name clue. Elaine Stritch (1925-2014) was an actress known for her work on Broadway and TV. She originated the role of Joanne in the 1970 Broadway musical Company. The song, "The Ladies Who Lunch," from Company became a signature song for Elaine Stritch. 
• NAACP (47A: Image Awards grp.) The NAACP Image Awards are presented annually to honor the year's best television, music, films, theater, literature, and music. The individual who has won the most individual NAACP Image Awards is Beyoncé.
• GAS (51A: Explorer's fuel?) That would be a Ford Explorer that is fueled by GAS.
• MODEM (62A: Device that screeched in the '90s) This clue made me laugh! If you used a MODEM in the '90s, you know exactly the sound this clue is referencing. If you're feeling nostalgic, or you weren't connecting to the Internet in the '90s, you can listen to "The Sound of dial-up Internet."
• BAT (64A: Piece of cricket equipment) As I have mentioned previously, everything I know about cricket I have learned from the Lord Peter Wimsey novels by Dorothy L. Sayers, the BBC game show Only Connect, and crossword puzzles. Thanks to those things, I know cricket uses a BAT. A cricket BAT resembles a flat wooden blade with a handle. 
• TNT (4D: Explosive invented in the 19th century) Trinitrotoluene (TNT) was invented in 1863. It was originally used as a yellow dye. Because TNT is somewhat difficult to detonate, its potential as an explosive wasn't recognized for almost thirty years. TNT is poisonous and handling it without protection can cause the skin to turn a bright yellow-orange color.
• NASA (8D: Artemis org.) The long term goal of NASA's Artemis program is to establish a sustainable presence on the Moon and, ultimately, send humans to Mars. The first mission, Artemis I, was an uncrewed test flight in 2022 that successfully launched an Orion spacecraft into lunar orbit for six days. Artemis II, which launched April 1 of this year, was a crewed mission that orbited the Moon. 
• LENO (32D: Comedian Jay who owns Big Dog Garage) Jay LENO hosted The Tonight Show on NBC from 1992 to 2009, and from 2010 to 2014. Since 2015, Jay LENO has starred in the TV show, Jay LENO's Garage, first on CNBC, and now on YouTube, on which he reviews cars. Jay LENO has an extensive car collection that includes over 180 cars and 160 motorcycles. His collection is housed in his Big Dog Garage, located in Burbank, California.
• ARABS (48D: Many Lebanese people) and CEDAR (49D: Tree on Lebanon's flag) I liked the pairing of these two consecutive clues. Lebanon is a country in Western Asia. Beirut is its capital. Approximately 95% of Lebanese people are ARABs. The CEDAR tree is the national emblem of Lebanon, and is pictured on its flag. In ancient times, Lebanon was covered by large forests of CEDAR trees. Few old CEDAR trees remain, but reforestation efforts have resulted in over 600,000 trees (not all CEDARs) being planted since 2011.
• JET (59D: Sister publication of Ebony) Both Ebony (focusing on the lifestyles and accomplishments of influential Black people) and JET (focusing on news culture, and entertainment related to the Black community) magazines were founded in Chicago, Illinois by John H. Johnson of Johnson Publishing. Ebony was founded in 1945, with JET following in 1951. Johnson Publishing sold both magazines in 2016 to the private equity firm Clear View Group. 
• Other clues and answers I especially enjoyed:
• EMOJI (58A: Bit of graphic language?) 
• LEGEND (10D: "You're an icon!")
• CENTER (36D: WNBA team's tallest player, often)

I like this type of build-a-word theme. It depends, of course, on being able to find good theme answers for all the partial parts of the word being built. The theme answers here are great – all worthy of being highlighted. Thank you, Stella, for this delightful puzzle.

One more thing today: Today is this blog's birthday! SALLY'S TAKE is six years old, as I posted the first blog post on June 9, 2020. I have written 2,147 blog posts in the last six years. (Additionally, there have been 45 guest blog posts.) It's definitely been an interesting six years. I continue to enjoy writing this blog. There have been a few moments recently when I've wondered whether I should continue writing ... and just when my spirits flag, a kind comment or email has buoyed me up. So thank you for reading, whether you've been here since the beginning or have joined in along the way! Your presence and support means a lot to me.

Speaking of support ... I really enjoy writing this blog, but one thing I don't enjoy and am not good about is asking people for money. However, since this blog is funded entirely by donations (since it's back to my personal blog and not affiliated with USA Today), I know I should be better about this. So, this is me saying that if you enjoy reading this blog – whether you read it every day or only when the theme stumps you – or if you're a constructor who uses the blog as a resource, I'd be grateful if you'd occasionally consider "buying me a pizza or some ice cream" as a token of your appreciation. You can do so by clicking the "Donate" button on the blog's home page or sending a check by snail mail. Of course this is optional (see how bad I am at this!), but if you're able, I'd be grateful. Regardless of whether you're able to financially support the blog, I appreciate you taking the time to read it, and I value your comments and emails.

Here's to another year!

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.)