Thursday, May 18, 2023, Adam Wagner & Rebecca Goldstein

Today's constructors are veterans Adam Wagner and Rebecca Goldstein who challenge us with 4 themers embedded with

EMULSIFIED WORDS

While some of you will be delighted that these words aren't enclosed in little round things, the rest of us may need a little help finding them.  So to assist you, here's a brief tutorial on emulsification, its uses and techniques ...

... which should now make it quite easy to separate them from the fill ...

18A. *Pronoun for a spokesperson: EDITORIAL WE. 

23A. *Decorative touch made with a small paintbrush, e.g.: DETAIL WORK.

36A. *What "we are living in," per a Madonna hit song: MATERIAL WORLD.

51A. *Wraps at a spa: HAIR TOWELS.

Hair Towel

... still don't see them?   Luckily there's a reveal ...

57A. Substances that never mix, except in the answers to the starred clues?: OIL AND WATER. 

Not so fast!  There is another place where OIL and WATER mix: inside our bodies' cells!   Oils (aka lipids), water, and other substances such as proteins, sugars, and ions mix as a part of the exquisitely controlled metabolism of biological cells (e.g. 62A OVA).  Their entrance into, and exit from, cells is carefully regulated by the cell membrane, consisting primarily of a lipid bilayer. As the term implies, each layer has two parts consisting of a lipophylic end ("fat loving") and a hydrophilic end ("water loving").  This bilayer enables the cell to interact with both fatty and aqueous components ...  

... emulsion on the fly, you might say.

Here's the grid ...

Across:

1. Possesses: HAS.

4. Participate in the gig economy, say: TEMP.

8. Hornet's defense: STING.  The best STING defense is romance.  But you may have to deal with THORNS ...

13. Moody genre: EMO.  Or this Moody genre ...

Justin Haywood was just 19 when he wrote that song.


14. Added to the staff: HIRED.

16. Youngest Kardashian sister: KHLOE.  Khloé Alexandra Kardashian born June 27, 1984) is an American media personality and socialite. Since 2007, she has starred with her family in the reality television series Keeping Up with the Kardashians. Its success has led to the creation of spin-offs, including Kourtney and Khloé Take Miami (2009–2013) and Kourtney and Khloé Take The Hamptons (2014–2015).

Khloé Kardashian

17. Legged it: RAN.

18. [Theme clue]

20. Missouri's __ Mountains: OZARK.  The rock band OZARK Mountain Daredevils are from Missouri, but I don't think they're especially skeptical.  Here's their If You Wanna Get to Heaven (lyrics)

22. Land by the sea: COAST.

23. [Theme clue]

26. Text incessantly: SPAM.

30. Mexico's national flower: DAHLIA.  One of my sisters' favorite flowers.  Here are some DAHLIA's in bloom at the Ladew Topiary Gardens in Jarrettsville, MD.

31. Upscale cosmetics chain: SEPHORA.

33. Boyos: LADS.

35. Time capsule object: RELIC.

36. [Theme clue]

41. Head-scratcher: POSER.  We get a lot of these every morning.  And some real toughies on Saturdays.

42. Polite title: MAAM.

43. "You free?": GOT A SEC.

46. Universal basic __: INCOME.   Pros and Cons of Universal Basic Income (UBI).

50. Symbol on the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant cooling towers: ATOM.  Not the one in Springfield, IL, but the one where Homer Simpson works in sector 7G ...

Springfield Nuclear Power Plant

51. [Theme clue]

54. Skin and bones: GAUNT.

56. Not satisfied: UNMET.

57. [Theme reveal]

62. Egg cells: OVA. 

63. Word with number or time: PRIME.  PRIME time is becoming an anachronism, as more people watch shows on demand via streaming.  A PRIME number is defined as a whole number greater than 1 that cannot be exactly divided by any whole number other than itself and 1 (e.g. 2, 3, 5, 7, 11).  Primes have applications in information technology, such as public-key cryptography, which relies on the difficulty of factoring large numbers into their prime factors.  A CSO to -T, who is in his PRIME.

64. "Cats" poet: ELIOT.  In 1939, T. S. ELIOT published Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, book of light verse which served as the basis of Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical Cats.  Here is the song Memory (lyrics).
 

65. Cartoonist Sorensen who was the first woman to win the Herblock Prize:JEN.  JEN Sorensen (born September 28, 1974, in Lancaster, Pennsylvania) is an American cartoonist and illustrator who authors a weekly comic strip that often focuses on current events.  In 2014 she became the first woman to win the Herblock Prize, and in 2017 she was named a Pulitzer Finalist in Editorial Cartooning.  Here's a selection of her cartoons.

Jen Sorensen

66. "Nothing gets past me": I KNEW.

67. Cravings: YENS.

68. Stuff in a pen: INK.

Down:

1. Judean king: HEROD.  Despite the negative evaluation of Herod in traditional Jewish sources, archaeological evidence seems to suggest that, with some notable exceptions, Herod saw himself as tied to the Jewish religion and tried, to a certain extent, to uphold its laws, even in his own lifestyle.

2. Gobsmacked: AMAZED.

3. Handel bars?: SONATA.  Here's the 3rd movement ("Passacaille") from Handel's Trio Sonata in G Major Op. 5 No.4 with the great Trevor Pinnock at the harpsichord.

4. "Mr. Brightside" band: THE KILLERS.  Thumper.

5. Holiday on which it's forbidden to fast, familiarly: EID.  Today's Arabic lesson #1. EID al-Fitr is an Islamic festival that marks the end of Ramadan, the holy month of fasting when Muslims fast from dawn to dusk each day. It is the first time Muslims can eat during daylight hours after fasting during Ramadan. The translation of “Eid al-Fitr” from Arabic sums up the holiday as it means “festival of breaking the fast.”

6. Picture of health?: MRI.  Magnetic Resonance Imaging, or MRI is a type of diagnostic test that can create detailed images of nearly every structure and organ inside the body.   MRI uses magnets and radio waves to produce images on a computer.  MRI does not use any radiation.  Images produced by an MRI scan can show organs, bones, muscles and blood vessels.
 
7. Place to buy fish: PETCO.  Not a place to buy sushi.  Petco Health and Wellness Company, Inc. is an American pet retailer with corporate offices in San Diego and San Antonio. Petco sells pet food, products, and services, as well as certain types of live small animals.

8. Gear for Mikaela Shiffrin: SKIS.

9. "She's the one!": THAT'S HER.  E.g. Clara Bow, the original IT girl from 1927.
 

10. Not well: ILL.

11. "And make it snappy": NOW.

12. "Huh!": GEE.

15. Some portals: DOORS.  E.g. The DOORS of Perception, the 1954 autobiography by Aldous Huxley, which borrows it's title from a line in poet William Blake's 1793 book The Marriage of Heaven and Hell.  Huxley's book is the namesake for the 60's psychedelic band The Doors, here with their Crystal Ship (lyrics) ...

Shortly before his death from laryngeal cancer, Huxley requested that his wife Laura inject him with LSD, as related in her book This Timeless Moment.    Approximately 6 hours later he died at the age of 69 on  November 22, 1963.  Two other famous people died that day.

19. Lawn tool: RAKE.

21. Cheer syllable: RAH.

24. "I don't believe you!": LIAR.

25. Silicon __: Israel's counterpart to California's Silicon Valley: WADI.  Arabic lesson #2.  The term Silicon WADI is a pun on the similarly named high-tech center of technology in the US. The word "wadi" derives from the Arabic "واد", meaning 'valley'.

27. Opinion survey: POLL.

28. Parched: ARID.

29. Cheese partner: MAC.

32. Where teens are treated like royalty?: PROM COURTS.

34. Richardson of "The Afterparty": SAM.  The Afterparty is an American murder mystery comedy television series created by Christopher Miller that premiered on Apple TV+ on January 28, 2022. In March 2022 the series was renewed for a second season, which is set to premiere on July 12, 2023.  SAM plays the role of Aniq ...

Sam Richardson

36. Academic: MOOT.  See definition number 2.

37. Concerning: AS TO.

38. Bughouse chess, but not classic chess: TEAM GAME.  DNK this game.  Bughouse chess is a popular chess variant played on two chessboards by four players in teams of two. Normal chess rules apply, except that captured pieces on one board are passed on to the teammate on the other board, who then has the option of putting these pieces on their board.

Bughouse Chess

39. Hibernation spot: LAIR.

40. Crave: WANT.

41. Org. with carts and drivers: PGA.

44. Barak of Israel: EHUD.  EHUD Barak (Hebrew: אֵהוּד בָּרָק‎, born Ehud Brog; 12 February 1942) is an Israeli general and politician who served as the tenth prime minister from 1999 to 2001. He was leader of the Labor Party until January 2011. He previously held the posts of defense minister and deputy prime minister under Ehud Olmert and then in Benjamin Netanyahu's second government from 2007 to 2013.

Ehud Barak

45. "Let us!": CAN WE.

47. __ goal: bit of self-sabotage: OWN.  (in soccer) when a goal is scored inadvertently when the ball is struck into the goal by a player on the defensive team.  Not an EMPTY NET goal, just an ERROR.  Must be embarrassing.

48. iOS personal avatar: MEMOJI.  A portmanteau of ME and EMOJI?

49. Gridiron number: ELEVEN.  The number of people on a football team.

52. European boot?: ITALY.  Così ...

53. Wasn't fresh, in a way: STANK.

55. Fresh: ANEW.

57. Nail polish brand: OPI.

58. Bug: IRK.

59. "We Don't Talk About Bruno" songwriter __-Manuel Miranda: LIN.  It's a catchy tune ...

This song is part of the sound track for the 2021 Disney movie Encanto about the adventures of the Madrigal family who live in Columbia, SA ...

This link can help clarify the meaning of We Don't Talk About Bruno (who can foretell the future)  but I think to understand him and the film completely, you'll have to see it yourself.

60. Connection: TIE.

61. Geological span: EON.


Cheers,
Bill

As always, thanks to Teri for proof reading, for her constructive criticism.

waseeley

Wednesday, May 19, 2021, Adam Wagner

Theme: TWO CAN PLAY AT THAT

 17. Kiefer Sutherland and Ashley Olsen each has one: TWIN SISTER. 

23. Window washing aids: CHERRY PICKERS.

40. Memorable "Twilight Zone" feature: OPENING NARRATION.

50. Pressure that won't quit: CHRONIC STRESS.

65. Sleights-of-hand with cups, or a hint to this puzzle's circles: SHELL GAMES.

Each set of circled letters spells a GAME: TWISTER, CHECKERS, OPERATION, CHESS.

Melissa here. An extra column makes this grid 15x16, to accomodate the 40A grid-spanning themer OPENING NARRATION. Some publications won't accept odd-sized grids. For reference, you can see a list of odd-sized grids that were published in the NYT on XWord Info, here.

Across: 

1. Overwhelm: SWAMP.

6. Perfectly: PAT. Tricky. To know something so well that you can say or do it without having to try or think: I'd given the talk so many times I had it down pat.

9. Scenery chewers: HAMS. Ha.

13. "End of discussion": CASE CLOSED.

16. "Bike faster!": PEDAL.

18. Tiny cake, maybe: EMOJI. Another tricky one, could be almost anything besides cake - there are emoji's for almost everything now.

19. Movers but not shakers, ideally: VANS. Hee.

20. "Blade Runner" genre: NEO NOIR. Neo-noir is a revival of the genre of film noir. The film noir genre includes stylish Hollywood crime dramas, often with a twisted dark wit. Neo-noir has a similar style but with updated themes, content, style, visual elements and media. 33 Essential Neo-Noirs.

22. Go quickly: BOP. True, as in, 'I'm going to bop down to the store.' But in my line of work I cannot see BOP without thinking Bureau of Prisons, which is the Federal prison system.

26. Advanced sci. class: AP CHEM. AP = Advanced Placement.

29. It carries a charge: ION.

30. Confucian path: TAO. The "way," or "path" to be followed.

31. Three-sided pastry: SAMOSA. Wikipedia: South Asian fried or baked pastry with a savory filling like spiced potatoes, onions, peas, beef and other meats, or lentils. It may take different forms, including triangular, cone, or half-moon shapes, depending on the region.

 
36. Plenty o': LOTSA.

43. Upset with: MAD AT.

44. Tchaikovsky's "Souvenir de Florence," e.g.: SEXTET. In this case, a string sextet scored for 2 violins, 2 violas, and 2 cellos. It's over 30 minutes long, and starts out quite energetic. Might be good in the background while solving crosswords.

 

45. CPR pro: EMT. Emergency Medical Technician

46. "Illmatic" rapper: NAS. Montero Lamar Hill, known by his stage name Lil Nas X, was the most-nominated male artist at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards, where he ultimately won awards for Best Music Video and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. Time named him as one of the 25 most influential people on the Internet in 2019,

48. '90s White House Press Secretary Myers who wrote "Why Women Should Rule the World": DEEDEE.

57. Camping gear brand: REI. Recreational Equipment, Inc., is the largest consumer coop in the country - owned not by shareholders but by members — people who use the business.

58. Internal airway: TRACHEA. Windpipe.

59. Works on roofs, say: TARS.

63. Canvas-angling device: EASEL. I think of it more of a propping-up device, but angling is useful, too, when painting.

67. Big name in labels: AVERY.

68. Go through the wringer: SWEAT IT OUT.

69. Actress Sedgwick: KYRA. Married to Kevin Bacon.

70. Headphone jack letters: AUX.

71. U. of Md. team: TERPS. Maryland Terrapins commonly referred to as the Terps, consist of 19 men's and women's varsity intercollegiate athletic teams.

Down:

1. 1970s-'80s sketch show: SCTV. Second City Television was a Canadian television sketch comedy show that ran intermittently between 1976 and 1984.

 2. "SNL" parody Baba __: WAWA. Gilda Radner's imitation of Barbara Walters.

3. Words that clarify spelling: AS IN. D as in dog.

4. Good sort: MENSCH. A person of integrity and honor. The term is used as a high compliment, expressing the rarity and value of that individual's qualities.

5. Mac rivals: PCS. When it comes to Apple vs. Windows - most people have a decided preference.

6. Baffling question: POSER. Not familiar with this definition, although Merriam Webster includes it. I usually hear it as a term referring to a person who acts in an affected manner in order to impress others.

 7. Fur tycoon: ASTOR. John Jacob Astor was a German-American businessman, merchant, real estate mogul, and investor who made his fortune mainly in a fur trade monopoly, by smuggling opium into China, and by investing in real estate in or around New York City.

8. Super small: TEENY.

9. Clothes line: HEM. Nice clue.

10. Photoshop maker: ADOBE.

11. Serious: MAJOR.

12. Loses one's footing: SLIPS.

14. Football offense position: LINEMAN. A player who specializes in play at the line of scrimmage. Also a power line technician, made famous in Glen Campbell's Wichita Lineman. I lived in Canada for a short time when I was very young, and my parents were fans of both him and Anne Murray (both Canadian). [Correction! Was thinking of Gordon Lightfoot, Glen Campbell is not Canadian.)

 15. Little bit: DROP.

16. Prepares, in a way, as coffee: PERCOLATES. Is there anything else besides coffee that is prepared by percolating?

21. King Richard __: III.

24. With pause: HESITANTLY.

25. Sheepshank, e.g.: KNOT. Had to look this one up. From Wikipedia: A shank is a type of knot that is used to shorten a rope or take up slack, such as the sheepshank. The sheepshank knot is not stable. It will fall apart under too much load or too little load. 26. Elemental unit: ATOM.

27. Dad: PAPA.

28. Like Oberlin College since the 1830s: COED.

32. Dosage amts.: MGS. Milligrams.

33. Gender-neutral pronoun: ONE.

34. Doo-wop horn: SAX.

35. Works on walls: ART. Misdirection - was assuming adjective, not noun.

37. Like a 25-Down: TIED. I know some of you don't like these kinds of clues.

38. Vague amount: SOME.

39. Chip in a pot, maybe: ANTE.

41. Billionth: Pref.: NANO.

42. Remedied a distribution error: RE-DEALT. Needed perps for everything after the RE.

47. Dubbing title: SIR.

49. Will focus: ESTATE. Ohhhh ... that kind of will.

50. Loose floorboard sound: CREAK.

51. Like anvils: HEAVY.

52. Early __: RISER. I visited my daughter in Arizona over Mother's day weekend. I think everyone in Arizona is an early riser, you have to be. The sun fills up the whole house very early. It makes for an early bedtime, too.

53. Mama of music: CASS. From the Mamas and Papas.

54. Sound that starts "around": SCHWA.

55. Brexit target org.: THE EU. The European Union.

56. Stretch out, maybe: RELAX.

60. Don Juan's love: AMOR. Not a person, the word love in Spanish.

61. Do another stint: RE-UP.

62. Former Mach 2 fliers, briefly: SSTS. Super Sonic Transport. Air France and British Airways blamed low passenger numbers and rising maintenance costs for retiring the Concorde. Passenger numbers fell after an Air France Concorde crashed minutes after taking off from Paris in July 2000, killing all 109 people on board and four on the ground. 

64. Part of BCE: ERA. Before the Common Era.

66. "Scram!": GIT.