There are spoilers ahead. You might want to solve today’s puzzle before reading further! Wanna Put My Tender Heart in a Blender
Constructor: Amie Walker
Editor: Amanda Rafkin
What I Learned from Today’s Puzzle
- OCHO (9A: ESPN8 The ___) Not being into sports, I don’t watch much ESPN, and ESPN8 The OCHO – a programming block on ESPN – is new to me. In learning about it, I discovered it has an interesting origin story. In the 2004 movie Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, ESPN8 The OCHO was a fictional channel that showcased obscure competitions that are “almost a sport.” (The OCHO was a nod to ESPN2 being referred to as The Deuce.) In 2017, ESPN paid tribute to its portrayal in Dodgeball and aired a day-long ESPN8 The OCHO marathon on ESPNU. That event was a success, and has led to ESPN8 The OCHO being a recurring ESPN feature. Events aired during ESPN8 The OCHO include dog surfing, speed chess, chess boxing, dodgeball (of course!), jump rope, speed cubing, juggling, cornhole, and many others.
- CHAOS (3D: Word before “agent” or “magic”) I am familiar with the term CHAOS agent, which refers to a person who introduces disorder and instability. However, the term CHAOS magic is new to me. CHAOS magic is a belief system that arose in the 1970s in England. A concept in CHAOS magic is that one’s mind has the power to change reality. CHAOS magic is utilized in the worlds of DC Comics and Marvel Comics. I was grateful that the clue here provided two examples, allowing me to figure out the answers, even though I was only familiar with one of them.
- GOTTA RUN (8D: “I’m outie”) Today I learned that the phrase “I’m outie” can be used to mean “GOTTA RUN.”
Random Thoughts & Interesting Things
- PHIL (16A: “Modern Family” dad) Modern Family is a mockumentary TV series that follows the lives of three families. It originally aired for 11 seasons from 2009-2020. PHIL Dunphy, played by Ty Burrell, is the dad of one of the families. Ty Burrell won multiple Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for his portrayal of PHIL.
- EURO (28A: Irish currency) Like Italy, which we saw referenced in a clue for EURO three days ago, Ireland is one of the 20 member countries of the European Union that uses the EURO as its currency.
- ORA (34A: “Descendants: The Rise of Red” star Rita) Descendants: The Rise of Red is a 2024 Disney+ movie. It is the fourth film in the Descendants franchise. Rita ORA portrays the Queen of Hearts, the mother of the title character Red, the Princess of Wonderland (who is portrayed by Kylie Cantrall).
- TIO (39A: Madre’s hermano) Your madre’s hermano (mother’s brother) is your TIO (uncle).
- INEZ (42A: “You heard the rumors from ___, you can’t believe a word she says”) You heard the rumors from INEZ, you can’t believe a word she says,” is a line from Taylor Swift’s 2020 song, “betty.” In addition to the titular Betty and INEZ, the other person named in the song is James. Fun fact: Taylor Swift named the characters in this song after Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively’s daughters.
- HAKA (60A: Maori dance) The Māori are indigenous people of New Zealand. The HAKA is a ceremonial dance that is usually performed in a group and involves chanting, stamping, hand movements, and facial gestures.
- MOORE (6D: “Tangled” star Mandy) Tangled is a 2010 animated Disney movie loosely based on the fairy tale “Rapunzel.” Mandy MOORE voices Rapunzel.
- HOLY (19D: “What if the way you hold me is actually what’s ___?”) Here’s a second Taylor Swift reference. “What if the way you hold me is actually what’s HOLY” is a lyric from Taylor Swift’s song, “Guilty as Sin,” off of the 2024 album, The Tortured Poets Department.
- TOLEDO (24A: City in Spain or Ohio) TOLEDO, Spain is located in the central part of the country. TOLEDO, Ohio is located in the northern part of the state, on the western end of Lake Erie. TOLEDO, Spain and TOLEDO, Ohio are sister cities.
- SKA (27D: Reel Big Fish genre) SKA is a music genre that originated in Jamaica. It combines elements of mento, calypso, jazz, and rhythm and blues. Reel Big Fish formed as a SKA band in 1991. Their most recent album, released in 2018, is titled Life Sucks…Let’s Dance.
- ROCK STAR (36D: Joan Jett or Debbie Harry) Joan Jett founded Joan Jett and the Blackhearts in 1979. They were inducted into the ROCK and Roll Hall of Fame in 2015. Debbie Harry is the lead singer of the band Blondie, which was inducted into the ROCK and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006. I appreciate the choice to highlight two female ROCK STARs in this clue.
- DEKES (51D: Hockey fake-outs) In hockey, DEKES are feints that draw opposing players out of position. The term is derived from a shortening of the word “decoy.” I learned the word DEKE from a crossword nearly five years ago. It has shown up occasionally since then, and I am always thrilled to be able to fill it in right away.
- THAI (56D: Cuisine with phanaeng) Phanaeng is a type of red THAI curry paste.
- SHE (57D: “___ Used To Be Mine”) “SHE Used to Be Mine” is a song Sara Bareilles wrote for the musical Waitress (which was adapted from the 2007 movie of the same name).
- EAR (58D: Unit of corn) EAR is making back-to-back puzzle appearances. We saw it yesterday clued as [Common piercing spot].
- A few other clues I especially enjoyed:
- NEITHER (55A: “Is there a secret third option?”)
- PATHS (1D: “I’m so glad our ___ crossed”)
- SHOE RACKS (31D: Places for mules, but not horses?)
Crossword Puzzle Theme Synopsis
- THANKS FOR THE ADD (17A: Message of appreciation after an accepted connection request)
- THAT REMINDS ME (35A: “While we’re on the subject…”)
- SECRET HANDSHAKE (57A: Insiders-only greeting that may involve a hip bump)
WANNA PUT MY TENDER HEART IN A BLENDER: Each theme answer contains an anagram of the word HEART: THANKS FOR THE ADD, THAT REMINDS ME, and SECRET HANDSHAKE.
“WANNA PUT MY TENDER HEART IN A BLENDER” is a lyric from the Eve 6 song, “Inside Out.” The song was Eve 6’s debut single, released in 1998. Today it’s the title and theme of this puzzle. The phrase “IN A BLENDER” is serving as an anagram indicator. The following anagrams of HEART are found in the theme answers: RTHEA, HATRE, and RETHA. Thank you, Amie, for this excellent puzzle.
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