There are spoilers ahead. You might want to solve today’s puzzle before reading further! Trail Mix
Constructor: Larry Snyder
Editor: Anna Gundlach
What I Learned from Today’s Puzzle
- IRAN (18A: Country where Narges Mohammadi was born) Narges Mohammadi is the vice president of the Defenders of Human Rights Center, an Iranian human rights organization. She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2023 for “her fight against the oppression of women in IRAN and her fight to promote human rights and freedom for all.” She is a proponent of mass feminist civil disobedience against mandatory hijab laws in IRAN. Narges Mohammadi is currently imprisoned in IRAN for running “a human rights movement that campaigns for the abolition of the death penalty.” I was happy to learn about Narges Mohammadi today.
- THAI (7D: Cuisine with phrik nam pla) Phrik nam pla is a condiment in THAI cuisine that consists of fish sauce, lime juice, and chopped THAI chilies.
Random Thoughts & Interesting Things
- OBOE (1A: Woodwind instrument in “Kiss From a Rose”) Singer-songwriter Seal released the song “Kiss From a Rose” in 1994. The song was a huge hit, reaching the top ten in several countries, and winning three Grammy Awards: Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance. The song was part of the soundtrack for the 1995 movie Batman Forever. “Kiss From a Rose” is one of the few hit songs that feature an OBOE solo.
- STUART LITTLE (20A: Children’s book about a mouse-looking boy born to a human family) STUART LITTLE, published in 1945, was E.B. White’s first published children’s book. I got a bit distracted while writing this, because I went and dug up my copy of Stuart Little so I could take a picture of the cover, and I started reading the book! It begins, “When Mrs. Frederick C. Little’s second son arrived, everybody noticed that he was not much bigger than a mouse.”
- SESAME (53A: Seed in jian dui) Jian dui is a type of fried Chinese pastry that is coated with SESAME seeds.
- WRECK-IT RALPH (55A: 2012 Disney movie about an arcade game villain who wants to be a hero) In WRECK-IT RALPH, the title character, voiced by John C. Reilly, is the villain of the fictional arcade game Fix-It Felix Jr. Unhappy with being the villain, RALPH sneaks off from his game into another game. Adventures ensue.
- CLAWS (66A: Feline weapons) My cat, Willow, is looking quite peaceful and innocent in this photo, isn’t she? She says, “I would never use my CLAWS as weapons…”
- WHITE TEA (5D: Brewed beverage with silvery leaves) Leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant are used to make WHITE TEA, green TEA, oolong, and black TEA. The different types of TEA are a result of different processing methods and levels of oxidation. WHITE TEA is generally minimally processed, resulting in a flavor profile that is lighter than green TEA or black TEA.
- EARL (6D: Jazz pianist Hines) EARL Hines was a pianist and bandleader, and is recognized as an innovator in the development of jazz piano. He played with Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie, and many others.
- BUGLES (9D: Cone-shaped corn chips) The correct way to eat BUGLES is to put them on the tips of your fingers as if they were little finger hats, and then eat them. (In case you were wondering…)
- ELLE (10D: “Maleficent” actress Fanning) ELLE Fanning plays the role of Princess Aurora – aka Sleeping Beauty – in Maleficent (2014) and Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (2019). Angelina Jolie plays the title role in the movies.
- CUKE (25D: Fattoush salad ingredient, for short) Fattoush salad is a dish that originated in the Levant (an Eastern Mediterranean region). It consists of fried pieces of khubz (Arabic flat bread) with mixed greens and vegetables. Vegetables often used are cucumber (CUKE, for short), radish and tomato.
- ACROSS (44D: Opposite direction of this clue’s answer) I enjoy a nice self-referential clue.
- BALEEN (47D: Bristly filter feeding system in whales) There are currently 16 species of BALEEN whales. These whales use BALEEN plates in their mouths to filter plankton from the water. A BALEEN whale opens its mouth underwater to take in water. The whale then partly closes its mouth and pushes the water out of its mouth. The BALEEN – which is arranged in plates on the whale’s upper jaw – acts as a filter, leaving prey behind, which the whale swallows.
- IMPALA (48D: Antelope also called a rooibok) The IMPALA, or rooibok, is a medium-sized antelope found in eastern and southern Africa. This reminds me of the time a couple of years ago when we saw IMPALA clued as [Animal often born around midday], and I confused myself greatly by reading the clue as “Animal often bored around midday.”
- GEHRIG (49D: Baseball Hall-of-Famer Lou) Lou GEHRIG (1903-1941) was a professional baseball player who played 17 seasons for MLB’s New York Yankees (1923-1939). He played first base, and was known for his hitting ability; he is one of 18 players who have hit four home runs in a single game. Lou GEHRIG was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1939. Fun fact: Lou GEHRIG was the first player to have his uniform number retired by a team. The New York Yankees retired number 4 in his honor.
- SCUBA (52D: Diving acronym) SCUBA is an acronym for “Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus.”
- IDOL (57D: Immunity ___ (“Survivor” item)) The reality TV series, Survivor, first aired in 2000. Each season, a group of strangers are placed in an isolated location, and must provide themselves with food and shelter, while competing in challenges. Contestants are eliminated from the show by being voted out by their fellow contestants. The 48th season of Survivor premiered on February 26 this year. Some seasons of Survivor feature hidden immunity IDOLs. Once found the players can use the IDOLs to save themselves or others from elimination.
- NPC (58D: Video game figure with scripted behavior) In video game lingo, NPC stands for non-player character or non-playable character. NPCs are controlled by the computer rather than by the players of the game. They often have a set of actions or dialogue that affect the game’s play.
- A few other clues I especially enjoyed:
- DELI (65A: Place to get matzo ball soup)
- SANTA (8D: He’s known as Pere Noel in France)
- PITCH (31D: Sinker, slider or curveball)
Crossword Puzzle Theme Synopsis
- STUART LITTLE (20A: Children’s book about a mouse-looking boy born to a human family)
- ANIMAL TRAINER (37A: Person who teaches companion dogs, say)
- WRECK-IT RALPH (55A: 2012 Disney movie about an arcade game villain who wants to be a hero)
TRAIL MIX: Each theme answer contains an anagram of the word TRAIL: STUART LITTLE, ANIMAL TRAINER, and WRECK-IT RALPH.
The word MIX in the title alerts us this is going to be an anagram theme. Anagrams of the word TRAIL – ARTLI, LTRAI, and ITRAL – are hidden in the theme answers. Sometimes hidden anagram themes sneak up on me, but today the word MIX tipped me off nicely. Thank you, Larry, for this enjoyable puzzle.
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