There are spoilers ahead. You might want to solve today’s puzzle before reading further! Potion Explosion
Constructors: Amie Walker & Amanda Rafkin
Editor: Amanda Rafkin
What I Learned from Today’s Puzzle
- PIRATES (25A: Disneyland ride that features a dog with keys in its mouth, for short) The PIRATES of the Caribbean (PIRATES, for short) ride at Disneyland originally opened in 1967. It was the last ride Walt Disney personally helped design, and the ride opened three months after he died. The PIRATES ride tells the story of a band of pirates in the 17th and 18th centuries. In one of the ride’s scenes, a dog with keys in its mouth is seen. The PIRATES ride was the inspiration for the PIRATES of the Caribbean movies, and the dog with the keys is a character in those movies. I have been to Disneyland, and I have seen the PIRATES of the Caribbean movies. However, it’s been years since those things happened, so I needed the help of crossing answers here.
- ETHIC (51D: Word after “work” or “hacker”) I was familiar with the phrase “work ETHIC,” but the idea of a “hacker ETHIC” was new to me. The hacker ETHIC originated in the 1950s and 1960s at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The informal code aims to make sure hacks are amusing and well-received. According to the hacker ETHIC, a hack must “be safe, not damage anything, not damage anyone, either physically, mentally, or emotionally, and be funny, at least to most of the people who experience it.”
Random Thoughts & Interesting Things
- RAFT (10A: “Lost” rescue vessel (or was it?)) Lost was an ABC sci-fi TV series that originally aired from 2004-2010. The series followed the aftermath of a plane crash on a mysterious island. Although I have not seen Lost, I have a number of friends who are fans. I was able to infer RAFT as the answer here from the bits and pieces about the show I’ve picked up from listening to my friends talk about it.
- ERRED (17A: Made a tpyo) This is a cute clue. It’s also painful for me to look at the intentional typo.
- AMES (18A: College town in Iowa) AMES, Iowa is the home of Iowa State University. Living as I do in Iowa City, Iowa – home of the University of Iowa – AMES is “that other college town in Iowa.” (I kid! My husband and son are both Iowa State alums.)
- CATS (19A: Black ones are sometimes called “voids”) The nickname of “voids” for black CATS is due to their ability to seemingly disappear against black backgrounds. When I was a kid, a black CAT adopted our family, so I have a soft spot for black CATS. My current CAT, Willow, is not a black CAT, as you probably know by now. My husband and I returned home yesterday after a two-week road trip. Willow has a lot to say about our absence. She is sticking quite close to me and letting me know exactly how she feels about us being gone!
- LHASA (44A: Capital of Tibet) Tibet is an autonomous region located in the southwestern part of China. The capital of Tibet is LHASA.
- SHE-RA (62A: He-Man’s twin sister) In Mattel’s Masters of the Universe franchise, SHE-RA and He-Man are twins that battle their own foes, and sometimes make appearances together, as in the 1985 animated movie, He-Man and SHE-RA: The Secret of the Sword.
- RACHEL (10D: Jennifer’s “Friends” character) The TV sitcom Friends originally aired on NBC from 1994-2004. The character of RACHEL Green was played by Jennifer Aniston. The use of the first name in the clue alerts solvers that the answer will be the character’s first name.
- PATTI (25D: Broadway star Lupone) PATTI LuPone’s acting career spans six decades. She is most known for her work in musical theater, and was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 2006. In the 2020-2022 revival of Stephen Sondheim’s musical Company, PATTI Lupone played the role of Joanne. She won a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical for her performance. My husband and I were fortunate enough to see PATTI Lupone in Company on Broadway in June 2022. She was amazing.
- ILHAN (26D: Representative Omar) ILHAN Omar is the U.S. representative for Minnesota’s 5th congressional district. ILHAN Omar was born in Somalia, and immigrated to the United States with her family when Somalia was in the midst of a civil war. Along with Rashida Tlaib, she is one of the first two Muslim women to serve in Congress.
- SUMO (28D: Honbasho sport) A honbasho is a professional SUMO tournament.
- IF/THEN (46D: Idina Menzel musical about the consequences of our choices) IF/THEN is a musical about Elizabeth (played by Idina Menzel), a 38-year-old woman moving back to New York City to make a new start. Elizabeth adopts a new name for her new life, and the musical tells the story of two possible paths, one taken by Liz, and one by Beth. PATTI Lupone and Idina Menzel in the same puzzle? This must be my lucky day; I’m a fan of both of these women. On our recent vacation, my husband and I were fortunate enough to see the musical Redwood on Broadway, which stars Idina Menzel. I was thrilled to be able to see her perform in person.
- STORE (52D: Daiso or Target, e.g.) Daiso is a franchise of Japanese 100-yen shops, similar to dollar STOREs found in the United States. Daiso has over 3,500 STOREs in Japan, and over 2,000 STOREs in other countries. Daiso STOREs in the United States are located in California, Washington, and Texas. Target is an American retail chain. Since the clue gives two examples, solvers only need to be familiar with one of these STOREs to be successful.
- OSLO (55D: Norwegian Nobel Institute city) OSLO is the capital of Norway. OSLO has been the home of the Norwegian Nobel Institute – which assists the Nobel Committee in selecting the Nobel Peace Prize recipient – since 1904. (At that time, OSLO was known as Kristianaia.) The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded in OSLO in December of each year.
- OP-ED (56D: Opinion piece) At first glance, it might seem that the word “opinion” in the clue is a dupe of the OP part of OP-ED. However, OP-ED is short for “opposite the editorial page,” a nod to the location of OP-EDs in printed newspapers.
- A few other clues I especially enjoyed:
- ENABLER (48A: Person whose “advice” should probably be ignored)
- ELEPHANT (4D: The ___ in the room)
- IT’S A GIFT (9D: Words that might precede “…and a curse”)
Crossword Puzzle Theme Synopsis
- STOP IN TO SAY HI (20A: Pay someone a quick visit)
- THAT’S A MOOT POINT (38A: “No use discussing it now”)
- HOT BUTTON TOPIC (54A: Sensitive issue)
POTION EXPLOSION: Each theme answer contains an anagram of the word POTION: STOP IN TO SAY HI, THAT’S A MOOT POINT, and HOT BUTTON TOPIC.
POTION EXPLOSION is the name of a board game. Today, it serves as title and revealer for this puzzle. The word EXPLOSION is serving as an anagram indicator. The word POTION has “exploded,” resulting in a rearrangement of its letters to OPINTO, OTPOIN, and ONTOPI. It took me a few moments to identify the theme today, making for a nice “Aha!” moment. Thank you, Amie and Amanda, for this delightful puzzle.
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