Theme: Zero to hero
Constructor Doug Peterson has constructed a lovely grid with five symmetrically placed theme entries, two of which span the grid from side to side. It is all based on a familiar rags-to-riches story, as revealed at 62-Across.
62-Across. Underdog's feel-good narrative, and where to find the first words of the answers to the starred clues: CINDERELLA STORY. Let's review the starred clues and answers to see the Cinderella elements.
17-Across. *Lead Belly song about a wee-hours train: MIDNIGHT SPECIAL. Cinderella has to leave the royal ball before MIDNIGHT, when her dress will turn back into rags, her coach will turn back into a pumpkin, and her coachmen will turn back into mice. As for the song, MIDNIGHT SPECIAL is a folk song that originated among African-American prisoners in southern states, and was recorded by Huddie William "Lead Belly" Ledbetter in 1934.
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| Lead Belly |
28-Across. *Armless furniture that sits low to the ground: SLIPPER CHAIR. When Cinderella runs away from the ball, one of her glass SLIPPERs falls off, leaving behind a crucial clue for the prince to find her. A SLIPPER CHAIR is an upholstered, armless chair with a low seat, typically placed in a corner of a bedroom so that ladies can sit to put on their SLIPPERs.
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| A 19th century slipper chair. |
39-Across. *Play area with plastic spheres: BALL PIT. Cinderella's stepmother provides her own daughters with elegant gowns and a coach so that they may attend the royal BALL, but Cinderella is left at home in rags to continue her usual chores -- until her fairy godmother provides her with magical garb and transportation. You may never have attended a royal ball, but you've probably seen a BALL PIT, where children crawl around among small plastic balls.
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| Cinderella's ball pit? |
47. *Flavor of many fall lattes: PUMPKIN SPICE. How will Cinderella get to the ball, since her sisters have left without her? Her fairy godmother turns a PUMPKIN into a coach. Think about that next fall when you order a PUMPKIN SPICE latte at Starbucks!
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| Appearing every fall since 2004. |
Who doesn't love a CINDERELLA STORY, in which the good and kind triumph over the wicked and mean? And who can fail to appreciate the beauty of this grid?
Quickly now, before any of us turn into mice, let's address the rest of the clues and answers.
Across:1. Put on: DON. Cinderella had the bright idea to DON her dead mother's dress, but her nasty stepsisters tore it to pieces.
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| Poor Cinderella! |
4. More crafty: SLIER. This answer works in the USA, but Brits are slyer.
9. Red emblem on the English flag: CROSS.
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| Flag of England |
14. Org. concerned with forever chemicals: EPA. Environmental Protection Agency. An abbreviation in the clue calls for an abbreviation in the answer.
15. Trattoria course: PASTA. A trattoria is an Italian eatery, less formal than a ristorante, but more formal than an osteria. Pasta is usually among the dishes labeled Primi, or first, which constitute the first hot course of a meal, often vegetarian. Secondi is the next course, where meat and seafood appear.
16. Flood barrier: LEVEE.
17. [Theme clue]
20. Blooming __: deep-fried appetizer: ONION. DH used to invite clients and prospective clients to dinner at nice restaurants. His then-assistant set up one of these meals at a steakhouse, and the vegetarian entree she arranged for DH was a blooming onion. He was not thrilled with her choice.
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| blooming onion |
21. Large atlas section: ASIA.
22. Broadband letters: DSL. Digital Subscriber Line is high-speed Internet access that uses existing copper telephone lines from homes and businesses to transmit data.
23. Pico de gallo pepper: SERRANO. Pico de gallo is a chunky Mexican salsa made from tomatoes, onions, cilantro, jalapeños or serranos, and lime juice.
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| pico de gallo |
26. Advance, as cash: LEND.
28. [Theme clue]
33. In this spot: HERE.
36. Prefix with classical: NEO. Neo is a prefix meaning "new" or "revived." Neoclassical refers to the revival of classical styles, especially in literature, music, art, or architecture.
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| The U.S. Capitol is an example of neoclassical architecture. |
37. Extreme: ULTRA.
38. GI show gp.: USO. The United Service Organizations Inc. is an American nonprofit-charitable corporation that provides live entertainment to members of the United States Armed Forces and their families.
39. [Theme clue]
42. "Ugh, sounds painful!": OOF.
43. New Zealand native: MAORI.
45. Forever and a day: EON.
46. Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, and Michelangelo, for short: TMNT. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The turtles, Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, and Michelangelo, starred in comic books, animated cartoons, video games, and films.
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| Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, and Michelangelo |
47. [Theme clue]
51. __ Millions lottery: MEGA. Mega Millions is a multijurisdictional lottery game. It is offered in 45 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. For those of you in Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada, or Utah, this will not be your rags-to-riches story.
52. Lose one's footing: STUMBLE.
56. One of the Manning brothers: ELI. Eli Manning played in the National Football League for 16 seasons with the New York Giants. He led the Giants to underdog Super Bowl victories against the New England Patriots in Super Bowls XLII (2008) and XLVI (2012). Those were zero-to-hero seasons for the Giants!
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| Eli Manning |
61. Bit of mint: SPRIG.
62. [Theme clue]
66. Mombasa's country: KENYA. Mombasa is a coastal city in southeastern Kenya along the Indian Ocean. Centered on an island, the city extends onto the mainland. It was the first capital of British East Africa, before Nairobi.
67. JPEG, e.g.: IMAGE. A JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) file is a popular, compressed image format (.jpg, .jpeg) ideal for digital photos.
68. Dispenser at a bar: TAP.
69. Beginning stage: ONSET.
70. Took to the impound lot: TOWED.
71. Pres. before DDE: HST. Before Dwight D. Eisenhower, there was Harry S. Truman.
Down:
1. Tech expo presentations: DEMOS.
2. Share a view: OPINE.
3. Lowest point: NADIR.
4. Backbone-related: SPINAL.
5. Delay in a livestream: LAG.
6. "Kinda": ISH.
7. Gospel great James: ETTA. Crossword puzzles love this songstress.
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| Etta James |
8. Grapple, slangily: RASSLE.
9. Neat and well-groomed: CLEAN CUT.
10. "Parks and __": REC. Parks and Recreation (also known as Parks and Rec) is a political satire mockumentary television sitcom that aired on NBC from 2009 to 2015. The series stars Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope, a mid-level bureaucrat in the Parks and Recreation Department of the fictional town of Pawnee, Indiana. I found the first few episodes unbearable, but apparently it improved.
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| Amy Poehler in Parks and Recreation |
11. Poet of ancient Rome: OVID.
12. Bodies of water: SEAS.
13. Exchange for cash: SELL.
18. Like myths about Asgard: NORSE.
19. Walkway over water: PIER.
24. Girl, in Guatemala: NIÑA.
25. Autobahn auto: OPEL. Opel began as a sewing machine manufacturer founded by Adam Opel in 1862 in Rüsselsheim am Main. They began making bicycles in 1886 and produced their first automobile in 1899. The company was responsible for the world's first rocket-powered flights in 1928 and 1929. In 1929, General Motors took a majority stake in Opel and then full control in 1931, establishing American ownership of the German automaker for nearly 90 years. In 2017, PSA Peugeot Citroën acquired Opel, which is still headquartered in Rüsselsheim am Main.
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| Opel's 2026 all electric auto will sell for 25,000 euros. |
27. FedEx alternative: DHL. DHL (named after founders Dalsey, Hillblom and Lynn) is a multinational logistics company, founded in the United States and headquartered in Bonn, Germany. It provides courier, package delivery, and express mail services.
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| DHL in the USA |
30. Basic particle: ATOM.
31. Mineral in leafy greens: IRON. And protein! DH is cooking up fresh spinach as I type.
32. River float: RAFT.
33. Camel feature: HUMP.
34. Biblical twin: ESAU. His fraternal twin was Jacob. Esau sold his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of lentils. He was hungry!
35. Suite part: ROOM.
39. Pedaler's perch: BIKE SEAT.
40. Opens, as a trunk: POPS.
41. Still a competitor: IN IT. Still with me? You are IN IT to win it!
44. LP fig.: RPM. An LP (Long Play) record typically plays at 33 1/3 RPM (revolutions per minute).
46. Tantalize: TEMPT.
48. Classical composer Stravinsky: IGOR. Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971) was a Russian composer and conductor with French citizenship (from 1934) and American citizenship (from 1945). He is widely considered one of the most important composers of the 20th century and a pivotal figure in modernist music. His third ballet, The Rite of Spring, caused a near-riot at the premiere in 1913 due to its avant-garde nature. But then, there were four near-riots in European concert halls that year!
49. "Anything you want!": NAME IT.
50. Was a potty mouth: CUSSED.
53. Soup liquid: BROTH.
54. Turkish coins: LIRAS.
55. Red Sea nation: EGYPT. My cousin's wife is currently climbing pyramids. DH's best bud cruised the Nile recently. It's trending.
56. Fashion designer Marc: ECKO. Marc Ecko followed his artistic inclination into T-shirt design and made a name for himself with hip-hop and skater fashions. He's an emeritus member of the Board of Directors of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) and is known for charitable works.
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| Marc Ecko |
57. Bank's property claim: LIEN.
58. Cozy lodgings: INNS.
60. Red friend of Grover: ELMO.
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| Oscar the Grouch, Grover, Elmo, and Cookie Monster |
64. Statute: LAW.
65. Get on in years: AGE. Presumably, this is what the prince and Cinderella did when they lived happily ever after.
