There are spoilers ahead. You might want to solve today’s puzzle before reading further! In (Super)Power
Constructor: Erik Agard
Editor: Amanda Rafkin
What I Learned from Today’s Puzzle
- HOTS (45A: Spicy-pepper-based condiment) HOTS is a spread – some call it a relish – of vinegary crushed chili peppers. HOTS is a colloquial term, not a brand name, and the term appears to have originated in the New England area of the United States. The peppery condiment is often used on sandwiches.
- MAGNETO WAS RIGHT (53A: Catchphrase used by supporters of an “X-Men” mutant) MAGNETO is a Marvel Comics character. He is one of the X-Men, humans born with the X-gene, a genetic mutation that confers superhuman abilities. MAGNETO, as his name might suggest, has the ability to create and control magnetic fields. This much I knew. I have a surface knowledge of superheroes, which has definitely been expanded by solving crosswords and writing about them. I was not familiar, however, with the saying “MAGNETO WAS RIGHT.” Today I learned that MAGNETO believes mutants are superior to humans, and he also believes war is the only way to achieve equality for the X-Men. MAGNETO WAS RIGHT has become a catchphrase and a meme.
Random Thoughts & Interesting Things
- SWAN (5A: Duck relative) SWANs, ducks, and geese are all water birds belonging to the biological family Anatidae. The term for a group of swans depends on where they are located. SWANs in the water are usually referred to as a flock or bevvy. When they’re in flight, a group of SWANs is sometimes called a wedge, and when they’re on the ground, they might be referred to as a bank.
- MANIPULATE LIGHT (17A: Something the superhero The Ray can do) There are multiple DC Comics superheroes named The Ray. All of them have something in common; their superpower is the ability to MANIPULATE LIGHT.
- OBOE (26A: Instrument near a flute in an orchestra pit) OBOEs and flutes are both instruments in the woodwind family. In a typical orchestra seating chart, the OBOE players are seated next to the flute section.
- MISTY KNIGHT (35A: Detective played by Simone Missick in “Luke Cage”) MISTY KNIGHT is a Marvel Comics character. In the comic books, she is a former police officer with a bionic prosthetic arm. MISTY KNIGHT appears in the Marvel TV series Luke Cage (2016-2018), portrayed, as the clue informs us, by Simone Missick. On the show, MISTY KNIGHT is a Harlem NYPD detective with the “superpower” of being able to look at a crime scene and reconstruct what happened. During the course of the show, she loses her arm and receives a bionic replacement.
- TONES (37A: Features of Mandarin and Gwich’in) In tonal languages, various TONES are used to distinguish the meaning of words. A single word may be said with different tones, and each tone will change the meaning of the word. Mandarin is a group of languages that together encompass 70 percent of Chinese speakers. The Gwich’in language is spoken by the Gwich’in, a First Nation / Alaska Native people.
- BETA (46A: Generation after Alpha) Generation Alpha includes people born in the early 2010s to the mid-2020s (in other words, around now). Generation Beta will include those born this year, as well as those born until approximately 2039. Keep in mind that generation demographics often don’t have a firm starting and stopping point, and those on the cusps of a generation (myself, for instance) may identify more with the characteristics of those in a different generation. In looking up the starting date for Generation Beta, I read that many members of this generation will live to see the 22nd century. My logical brain knows that is true, but it still gave me pause.
- NSA (52A: Snowden’s former org.) Edward Snowden is a former National Security Agency (NSA) contractor. He is a whistleblower who leaked classified documents about XKeyscore, a computer system used by the NSA that collects, searches, and analyzes internet data. In a 2013 interview, Edward Snowden revealed the purpose of XKeyscore, raising questions about its legality. The 2016 biographical movie Snowden is about Edward Snowden.
- LEIA (58A: Carrie Fisher’s “Star Wars” character) Carrie Fisher (1956-2016) portrayed Princess LEIA in the Star Wars movies. She wrote a memoir, The Princess Diarist (2016) based on diaries she kept when she was filming the 1977 Star Wars movie. In 2018, she posthumously won a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album for the audiobook of the memoir.
- BLEU (59A: Primary couleur) The primary colors are red, yellow, and blue. The use of the French word for color (couleur) in the clue is a hint to solvers that the answer will be the French word for a primary color, in this case blue (BLEU).
- NESTS (60A: Homes for grackles) and DENS (61A: Homes for grizzlies) Grackle is the common name for 11 species of birds with mostly black plumage, who are native to North and South America. Grackles, like most birds, make their homes in NESTS. Grizzlies are a subspecies of brown bears, and make their homes in DENS. I appreciated the clue echo of “Homes for…” in these consecutive clues, as well as the alliteration of grackles and grizzlies.
- WALK ON BY (6D: Dionne Warwick song about wanting to be left alone while crying in public) Dionne Warwick’s song, “WALK ON BY,” was released in 1964. It is now my earworm for the day. “If you see me walkin’ down the street / And I start to cry each time we meet / WALK ON BY…”
- LEGS (31D: Body parts with gastrocnemius muscles) The gastrocnemius muscles located in the LEGS join with the soleus muscles to form what are commonly referred to as the calf muscles.
- SHAMAN (39D: Traditional healer) In some cultures, SHAMANs are traditional healers who may interact with the spiritual world to tap into spiritual energies.
- IBM (56D: “Big Blue” tech company) International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) was founded in 1911. Since the 1980s, IBM has been known by the nickname “Big Blue,” though the origin of the nickname is unclear. It may be related to IBM’s blue logo adopted in 1972. Some have suggested the nickname may be related to the dark blue suits that used to be worn by IBM salespeople.
Crossword Puzzle Theme Synopsis
- MANIPULATE LIGHT (17A: Something the superhero The Ray can do)
- MISTY KNIGHT (35A: Detective played by Simone Missick in “Luke Cage”)
- MAGNETO WAS RIGHT (53A: Catchphrase used by supporters of an “X-Men” mutant)
IN (SUPER)POWER: Each theme answer is IN the word MIGHT, a synonym of POWER: MANIPULATE LIGHT, MISTY KNIGHT, and MAGNETO WAS RIGHT. Additionally, each answer is related to someone with SUPERPOWERs.
This theme would have worked as IN POWER, featuring answers contained in the word MIGHT. I appreciate the additional link between all of the answers. The SUPERPOWER angle of the theme answers makes the theme even more interesting. Thank you, Erik, for this SUPER puzzle.
