August 12, 2026

Title: DYNAMIC DUOS 

Constructors: Katja Brinck & Will Eisenberg

Editor: Amanda Rafkin

Theme synopsis:

• RIPPLE EFFECT (20A: Chain reaction in which small actions create a big impact)
• APPLE BRAN MUFFIN (37A: High-fiber baked good)
• SUPPORT STAFF (52A: People who work behind the scenes)

DYNAMIC DUOS: Each theme answer contains a double P and a double F, which are DYNAMIC markings used in musical notation: RIPPLE EFFECT, APPLE BRAN MUFFIN, and SUPPORT STAFF.

And now a word from our constructors:

Katja: As a long-time classical pianist, I had been playing around with different ideas for a puzzle using dynamic markings, but nothing quite worked, until I realized that the phrase "Dynamic Duos" could work for entries that include both a double pp (for pianissimo) and a double ff (for fortissimo). This was an exciting way to bring my love of music to puzzle-making.  Because the puzzle referenced "duos," I also thought this would be fun to work on with another constructor, so I decided to reach out to actual professional musician Will Eisenberg to collaborate.

Will:  I always love a music-themed puzzle, and Katja came to me with a perfect idea! It only took about 20 minutes from when Katja reached out for us to have a pitch email ready, which shows how little I had to do!

Katja: Confirming that my original message proposing this idea to Will was sent at 6:20 pm on a Sunday evening, and by 6:42 pm the same night, we had brainstormed several ideas, and sent off a theme query. Anyways, we hope solvers enjoy this puzzle - and as a recommended accompaniment, please enjoy this video of the Canadian Brass performing by a pond.

What I learned from today's puzzle:

• RAE (23A: ___ Sremmurd (hip-hop duo)) RAE Sremmurd is the hip-hop duo of brothers Swae Lee and Slim Jxmmi. They released their fourth album, Sremm for Life in 2023. It's fun to learn about this hip-hop DUO in this DYNAMIC DUOS puzzle. 
• SAT (63A: "I'm ___" ("Ready to hear the gossip")) The phrase "I'm SAT!" can be used to mean "I'm paying attention," similar to the saying, "I'm all ears!" This phrase is new to me. Thanks to crosswords for expanding my knowledge of modern expressions.
• ABBIE (2D: "Jack Ryan" actress Cornish) Jack Ryan (2018-2023) is a TV series based on characters created by author Tom Clancy. John Krasinski stars as the title character, CIA analyst Jack Ryan. In the first and fourth seasons of the show, ABBIE Cornish portrays Dr. Cathy Mueller, an infectious disease specialist and a spokesperson for the World Health Organization. Dr. Mueller is also Jack Ryan's love interest.

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• FBI (24A: "The Silence of the Lambs" org.) The Silence of the Lambs is a 1991 movie adapted from a 1988 novel of the same name by Thomas Harris. Jodie Foster portrays Clarice Starling, an FBI trainee who is hunting a serial killer known as "Buffalo Bill" (played by Ted Levine). In order to catch him, she seeks the advice of Hannibal Lechter (Anthony Hopkins), a psychiatrist and cannibalistic serial murderer who is in prison. The Silence of the Lambs was the first (and so far only) horror movie to win an Academy Award for Best Picture. The movie won four other Academy Awards: Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Adapted Screenplay. I remember when this movie came out, and have heard quite a bit about it. I haven't seen it, however, since I know myself well enough to know it would give me nightmares for years. 
• LOS (31A: The "L" of LACMA) LACMA is the LOS Angeles County Museum of Art. It is located in the LOS Angeles neighborhood known as the Miracle Mile, near the La Brea Tar Pits.
• SOUSA (36A: "The March King") John Philip SOUSA (1854-1932) was a composer primarily known for his military marches, including "The Stars and Stripes Forever" and "Semper Fidelis." These marches earned him the nickname "The March King." 
• RAT (47A: Pet that might have ruby-colored eyes) The eyes of RATs with ruby eyes may at first appear black, but are, in fact, a deep, dark red. This eye color is a genetic trait. RATs with ruby-colored eyes may have reduced vision or decreased depth perception. Many of them compensate for this by swaying their head back and forth.
• ROSA (49A: "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" detective Diaz) In the TV series Brooklyn Nine-Nine (2013-2021), detective ROSA Diaz is portrayed by Stephanie Beatriz.
• MEEPLE (57A: Person-shaped board game token) I really like the word MEEPLE. The word is a portmanteau of the words "my" and "people." The term was introduced in 2000 by the board game Carcassonne.
• TORTILLA (60A: Chilaquiles ingredient) Chilaquiles are a traditional dish in Mexican cuisine, often made from leftover TORTILLAs and served for breakfast. Crisp TORTILLA triangles are topped with salsa (either green or red) and the mixture is simmered to soften the tortillas. Other toppings are added such as chicken, cream, queso fresco, onion, avocado, refried beans, or scrambled eggs.
• SCREAM (7D: ___ Queen (horror icon)) It's easy to understand how the term "SCREAM Queen" came to be used as a nickname for an actress who appears frequently in horror movies. Notable SCREAM Queens include Fay Wray, Jamie Lee Curtis, Neve Campbell, and Jenna Ortega.
• SYD (12D: "The Bear" chef) The Bear is a TV series about Carmy Berzatto – portrayed by Jeremy Allen White – a chef from New York City who returns to his hometown of Chicago to run his family's Italian beef sandwich shop, The Beef. Ayo Edebiri portrays sous-chef Sydney "SYD" Adamu.
• OPAL (18D: Birthstone for some Libras) Libra is the astrological sign for people born between September 23 and October 23. OPAL is the birthstone for those born in October.
• BOB (28D: Animated dad who loves making burgers) This is a reference to the animated TV series BOB's Burgers, which I have written about previously.
• OPERA (32D: "The Phantom of the ___") The Phantom of the OPERA is a musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber. After its 1986 premiere in London, The Phantom of the OPERA opened on Broadway in 1988. It ran on Broadway until 2023, and is the longest running show on Broadway, with 13,981 performances. My husband and I are theater fans, and we have seen a lot of musicals. And yet, although I am familiar with the story and music of The Phantom of the OPERA, I've never seen a production of it. However, that will change soon, as we have tickets to see The Phantom of the OPERA next March.
• ASPEN (44D: Source of many matches) ASPEN wood is commonly used to make matches because ASPEN is a soft, straight-grained wood that is easy to cut into thin sticks.
• SALSA (50D: It might be a dip, or include a dip) I like this clue that plays on different meanings of "dip."
• AFLAC (51D: Duck sound in some insurance ads) The success of the AFLAC duck is something I imagine all marketing executives dream of.
• RODE (54D; Participated in RAGBRAI) RAGBRAI is short for Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa. It is an annual week-long noncompetitive bike ride that happens the last full week of July. As the name says, the bike ride is across the state of Iowa. Although the route changes each year, it always goes from the western side of Iowa (near the Missouri River) to the eastern side of Iowa. At the end of the ride, bicyclists dip their tires in the Mississippi River. RAGBRAI began in 1973, when two Des Moines Register feature writers (John Karras and Donald Kaul) decided to bike across Iowa and write about it. The newspaper published the route, and a few hundred riders joined in on the ride. This year was the 53rd year for RAGBRAI, which has now grown into an event in which 20-40,000 people participate. People come from all over the U.S. and the world to participate in RAGBRAI. I was so excited to see this clue! Obviously, I appreciate any Iowa angle, but also, this year, for the first time, I RODE in RAGBRAI! I have always enjoyed biking, and I have watched RAGBRAI whenever it came through Iowa City. One year my husband and I even hosted riders in our back yard. But I've always said I had no interest in riding RAGBRAI, because the thought of all those people made the introvert in me shudder. However, our son (who lives in Seattle) talked my husband and I into riding RAGBRAI with him this year. (The things I do for my children!) It was an absolutely amazing week and an incredible experience. Even though my husband and I did train for RAGBRAI, there was a part of me that wondered whether I would be able to do it. I did do it; over the course of the week, I RODE 421 miles (with an elevation gain of over 16,000 feet). I have a ton of photos, but I'll just share one. Here's my husband, our son, and me dipping our tires in the Mississippi River in Dubuque, Iowa. (Thank you to Katja and Will for writing this clue!)

• MRS. (57D: "Mr. and ___ Smith") Mr. and MRS. Smith is a 2005 movie starring Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie as assassins working for competing agencies. The TV series of the same name was loosely inspired by the movie. On the TV series, Mr. and MRS. Smith are portrayed by Donald Glover and Maya Erskine.
• A few other clues and answers I especially enjoyed:
• TSO (48A: He's generally associated with chicken?)
• WALL SAFES (4D: They might be hidden behind portraits)
• ALICE (8D: Disney girl with a surreal imagination)

It took me a few minutes to figure out the theme of today's puzzle. I saw the PP and FF in each theme answer, but was initially thrown off by the EE in RIPPLE EFFECT. After I figured out that was just coincidence, it took me a bit to figure out the significance of PP and FF as the featured DUOS. Thanks to my five years of piano lessons as a kid, I eventually had a lovely "Aha!" moment. "Oh, it's a music thing!" I do appreciate that this DYNAMIC DUOS puzzle was constructed by a DYNAMIC DUO. Thank you, Katja and Will, for this delightful puzzle.

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