Stick(y) Figures:
20-Across. Specialized curriculum in a public school: MAGNET PROGRAM. Technically a magnet is anything that carries a static magnetic field
around with it. Here's a scientific definition of why things STICK to a magnet.
35-Across. Expand one's horizons: BRANCH OUT. Why is this clue/answer different from all other theme clues/answers? *
40-Across. Pet with separation anxiety, perhaps: VELCRO DOG. I had never heard the phrase Velcro Dog, but apparently it's a thing. Here's the history of Velcro.
And the unifier:
52. Complicated discussion topic, and an apt description of the start of 20-,
35-, or 40-Across?: STICKY SUBJECT.
Across:
1. Joni Mitchell's "Both __ Now": SIDES. [Name # 1.]
6. Dano of "The Fabelmans": PAUL. I wasn't familiar with the
2022 film, The Fablemans, which is apparently a coming-of-age film, which
stars Paul Dano (né Paul Franklin Dano; b. June 19, 1984) as Burt Fableman.
I was also not familiar with the actor's name, however, I do recognize
his photo. [Name # 2.]
10. Performances: ACTS.
14. Buzzing: ALIVE.
15. Cuatro y cuatro: OCHO. // And 49-Across. Uno y
uno: DOS. A double dose of today's math and Spanish lesson.
16. Pad see ew cuisine: THAI. Yummers! Pad see ew is a stir-fried noodle dish that is commonly eaten in Thailand.
17. Breathable fabric: LINEN.
18. Wharton biz school home: PENN. The Wharton Business School is at the University of Pennsylvania. [Name adjacent.]
19. Nightstand light: LAMP.
23. YouTube spots: ADs.
24. Merry: GAY.
25. Mahalia Jackson's genre: GOSPEL. Mahalia Jackson (née
Mahala Jackson; Oct. 26, 1911 ~ Jan. 27, 1972) was born in New Orleans.
There is a beautiful theater in New Orleans that is named after her: The
Mahalia Jackson Theater for the Performing Arts. [Name # 3.]
28. Yoga surface: MAT.
29. Bouncy gait: TROT.
31. Quartz suffix: -ITE. More than you will ever want to know
about Quartzite.
32. Conspiring clique: CABAL.
37. Mining yields: ORES. A crossword staple.
38. Sir Michael of acting: CAINE. Michael Caine (né Maurice
Joseph Micklewhite; b. Mar. 14, 1933) appeared in over 160 films during his
acting years. He became Sir Michael in 2000. [Name # 4.]
39. Overturn: UNDO.
42. "A Doll's House" playwright Henrik: IBSEN. A Doll's House is a 1879 play by Henrik Johan Ibsen (Mar. 20, 1828 ~ May 23, 1906).
It was quite radical for its time. It's about the fate of a
married woman, who lacked reasonable opportunities for self-fulfillment in a
male-dominated world. One could argue that not that much has changed in
the ensuing 150 years. [Name # 5.]
43. Class for some immigrants: Abbr.: ESL. As in English as a Second Language.
44. Masterpiece: OPUS.
45. Coast Guard rank: Abbr.: ENS. As in Ensign. In
case you have ever wondered about the ranks in the Coast Guard, check
out this site.
46. Comfy cozy: TOASTY.
48. Texter's "No idea": IDK. I Don't Know what this means. **
56. Fuzzy fruit: KIWI. Also a flightless bird found in New
Zealand.
58. AFB truant: AWOL. As in Absent WithOut Leave.
59. Bass of 'N Sync: LANCE. Lance James Bass (b. May 4,
1979) was one of the 5 members of the boy band 'N Sync. [Name # 6.]
|
| Lance Bass is on the far left. |
60. "As far as __ tell ... ": I CAN.
61. Snatch: TAKE.
62. Like draft beer: ON TAP.
63. NBA two-pointer: DUNK.
64. SimCity console, in brief: SNES. As in Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Hand up if you knew this.
65. Overflows (with): TEEMS.
Down:
1. Actress Hayek Pinault: SALMA. She is best known as Salma
Hayek (née Salma Valgarma Hayek Jiménez; b. Sept. 2, 1966). [Name # 7.]
2. Trojan War epic by Homer: ILIAD. Homer was an ancient
Greek poet. Two of his epic poems are known today:
the Iliad and the Odyssey. He didn't have a
surname, so shouldn't be confused with Homer Simpson. [Name # 8.]
3. Demerits: DINGS.
4. Not odd: EVEN.
5. Westernmost country of continental Africa: SENEGAL. The
official name of Senegal, is the Republic of Senegal. The country was in
the news last week when a plane in Dakar skidded off the runway and caught fire.
6. California's state flower: POPPY. The state flower of
Louisiana is legally the Magnolia (see La. R.S. 49:154). What is your state's flower?
7. Dell competitor: ACER.
8. "Never gonna happen": UH, NO.
9. Of the distant past: LONG GONE.
10. Geography book: ATLAS.
11. Victors: CHAMPIONS.
12. Scottish cap: TAM.
13. Small drink: SIP.
21. Tit for __: TAT.
22. Campus mil. group: ROTC. As in Reserve Officer Training Corps.
26. Piano exercise: ÉTUDE. Today's French lesson.
27. Disclose: LET ON.
28. Not fem. or neut.: MASC. Masculine is neither Feminine nor Neutral.
29. Some jazz groups: TRIOS.
30. Pealed: RANG.
32. Really, really want: COVET.
33. "You __ busted!": ARE SO.
34. Edward Cullen's love interest in the "Twilight" series: BELLA SWAN. [Names # 9 and 10, fictional.]
35. "Queen of Neo Soul" Erykah: BADU. Her given name is
Erica Abi Wright (b. Feb. 26, 1971). [Name # 11.]
36. Centers of activity: HUBS.
38. Mimics: COPY CATS.
41. Round flatbread: ROTI. A flatbread found in Indian
cuisine.
42. Rorschach pattern: INK BLOT.
45. School URL ending: EDU.
47. Big to-do: STINK.
48. Tahiti and Bora Bora: ISLES.
49. Al __: firm, as pasta: DENTE. Today's Italian lesson.
The phrase Al Dente literally means to the tooth. Pasta cooked al dente is firm when bitten without being hard.
50. Philosopher who espoused simple explanations: OCCAM.
William of Ockham (1287 ~ 1347) wasn't a barber, but he does have a
razor named in his honor. Occam’s Razor is the principle that says that if you have two competing ideas to
explain the same phenomenon, you should prefer the simpler one. [Name #
12.]
51. Fitness tracker units: STEPS.
53. "Rich People Problems" novelist Kevin: KWAN. Kevin Kwan
(b. Nov. 8, 1973) is a Singapore-born American novelist. He wrote a trilogy of
satirical novels Crazy Rich Asians, China Rich Girlfriend, and Rich People Problems. Crazy Rich Asians was also made into a movie. [Name # 13.]
54. Oxen harness: YOKE.
55. Actress Fonda: JANE. In addition to being an actress,
Jane Seymour Fonda (b. Dec. 21, 1937), is the daughter of actor Henry Fonda
(May 16, 1905 ~ Aug. 12, 1982), and sister to Peter Fonda (Feb. 23, 1940 ~
Aug. 16, 2019). [Name # 14.]
|
| The family Fonda. |
56. Young goat: KID.
57. Hospital dept.: ICU. As in Intensive Care Unit.
Here's the Grid.
* On Passover, we ask, "Why is this night different from all other nights?" We know, of course, what the answer is. My question about why the Branch / Stick was intended in the same vein. The answer is "different" because a Branch is literally a Stick, whereas with the other two answers, something can Stick to Magnet and Velcro.
** Yes, I do know that the letters IDK actually stand for I Don't Know.
חתולה
