There are spoilers ahead. Before you read on, you might want to try solving today’s puzzle.initial animation
Constructor: Sally Hoelscher & Olivia Mitra Framke
Editor: Amanda Lufkin
Comments from Today’s Crossword Constructor
Sally: Today I’m back in the dual role of constructor and blogger. This time it’s a collaboration with my friend Olivia, who I always enjoy working with. The theme came to Olivia while she was rooting for Coco Gauff to win last year’s U.S. Open. That’s what gave me the idea to include Koko Hisa Gauff in the puzzle as an answer to the theme. It took a bit of brainstorming and reorganization, but I finally succeeded.
Olivia: As always, working with Sally was a real pleasure. This theme was so much fun! Possible entries for themes that were not accepted include “TANGLED WEB,” “BRAVE NEW WORLD,” and “HOME IMPROVEMENT.”
sari: Here’s something fun. This puzzle is her eighth collaboration that Olivia and I have co-published (and it won’t be the last!). Earlier this month, we met in person for the first time at the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament.
What I learned from today’s puzzle
- SCATS (9D: Shooby Taylor-like performance) Shooby Taylor (1929-2003) was a jazz vocalist famous for singing SCATS. His nickname was “Human Horn” and he was known for his unique style, using phrases not used in regular SCAT singing. Shubie Taylor has recorded himself singing his SCAT on various recordings. This clue was added by Amanda during editing and we’re glad to know about Shubie Taylor.
Random thoughts and interesting things
- TOON (13A: Betty Boop or Goofy, abbreviated) TOON is short for “cartoon” and refers to an animated character. A satire of the flappers of the Jazz Age, Betty Boop first appeared in a cartoon in 1930 and has since been featured in numerous animated television shows and movies. dizzying cuisine. Goofy the anthropomorphic dog is a Disney character. Goofy has also appeared in numerous television shows and movies.Goofy’s first appearance was in a comic book. mickey review (1932). This is a fun bonus answer to today’s theme, “Early Animation.”
- Card (14A: Requires Magic: The Gathering) Magic: The Gathering (also known as magic or MTG) is a game played using collectible cards. Players collect and trade cards and use those cards to build decks and play the game. magicIt was the first trading card game created by Richard Garfield and first released in 1993. This was Olivia’s clue suggestion, but since my son collects it, I was delighted with it. magic It’s a card, so not only am I familiar with the game, but I’ve also purchased a number of them. magic A card as a present for him.
- Coco Gauff (17A: 2023 US Open Champion) Coco Gauff won her first tennis singles title in 2019 at the age of 15 (Linz Open). Her first major singles title win was when she won by defeating Aryna Sabalenka in 2023. US Open. Hats off to COCO GAUFF for being a great tennis player and the inspiration for this puzzle. Previously, in a puzzle with another theme her mechanism, she has seen COCO GAUFF as the answer to the theme.
- Sue (23A: WNBA Great Bird) Sue Bird is a former professional basketball player. She played for the WNBA’s Seattle Storm from 2002 to 2022. The Seattle Storm won four WNBA championships during Sue Bird’s time with the team. Since Sue Bird was playing for Team Her USA in the Olympics she has won five gold medals. Hey, an athlete I know! (This was a tip from me.) Naturally, I first learned about her SUE Bird from her crossword puzzles.
- Asthma (27A: What can be treated with an albuterol inhaler) Asthma is a disease characterized by inflammation of the airways in the lungs. Symptoms of asthma include wheezing, coughing, and shortness of breath. There is currently no cure for asthma, but symptoms can be controlled by avoiding triggers and treating symptoms with medications. Albuterol inhalers are a first-line treatment for asthma symptoms and can also be used to prevent asthma symptoms (for example, by using them before exercise in people with exercise-induced symptoms).
- Alain (31A: French Chef Ducasse) French-born chef and restaurateur Alain Ducasse owns numerous restaurants around the world, including Alain Ducasse in London’s Dorchester and Le Louis XV in Monte Carlo. Both have three stars (The Dorchester). highest rating) michelin guide.
- Hamm (34A: Mia of Football Famous) Mia Hamm is a retired professional football (aka soccer) player. Mia Hamm was a member of the United States women’s national soccer team, which won gold medals at the Olympics in 1996 and 2004, and silver medals at the 2000 Olympics. In 2013, Mia Hamm became the first woman to be inducted into the World Soccer Hall of Fame.
- Oozing (35A: Choro Choro, like the lava in a chocolate lava cake) Hmm, for some reason I just want a chocolate lava cake with melted chocolate in the center that is melty and delicious.
- Frozen custard (38A: cold snack made with egg yolk) Or maybe what I want to eat is frozen custard (decision, decision!). Frozen custard is similar to ice cream, but the ingredients include egg yolks in addition to cream and sugar. When I think of frozen custard, I think of Ted Drew’s, who has been selling his frozen custard in St. Louis, Missouri since 1930.
- Thanos (42A: Marvel villain who wears the Infinity Gauntlet) Thanos is a Marvel Comics supervillain. THANOS and Infinity If you want to know more about her gauntlet, we highly recommend reading about her July 2, 2022 puzzle “Running the Gauntlet” by Amanda Lufkin.
- EPICS (60A: “Shahname” and “Odyssey” etc.) Shahnameh This is an epic poem by the Persian poet Ferdowsi. Written between 977 and 1010 AD, Shahnameh It consists of approximately 50,000 couplets that tell the ancient history of Iran. This is his longest EPIC poem written by a single author. Olivia recommends: empire To learn more about the importance of Ferdowsi’s work, check out our podcast episode, “Ferdowsi: How One Poet Saved Persian Civilization.” Odyssey is an ancient Greek epic poem written by Homer. Written around the 8th century BC or his 7th century, the poem follows Odysseus’ journey to his homeland after the Trojan War.
- CANE (66A: Props to Karl Fredrickson) Another bonus answer related to today’s theme. Karl Fredrickson is a character from the 2009 Pixar film. Up (The movie at the beginning of the theme answer is UP TO SPEED). Carl, voiced by Ed Asner, is a spirit ball salesman who loses his girlfriend’s husband. Oh, and he uses a cane as a walking aid. He used the cane to hit a construction worker in the head, resulting in Carl being declared a public menace. And…for those who haven’t seen the movie yet, I highly recommend it!
- PETA (67A, an organization that boycotts fur) and SPCA (59A, an organization that advocates for pet adoption) We didn’t intend to include two animal rights organizations in this puzzle, but in the end… It happened. The abbreviation is “organization.” The on each clue indicates that the answer is an abbreviation. PETA stands for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. SPCA stands for Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
- CICADA (3D: Brood X Insect) CICADA is an insect with prominent eyes, short antennae, and membranous front wings. Cicadas are known for their extremely loud calls. Living in Iowa, I am familiar with the sound of cicadas. Cicadas spend most of their lives underground, coming above ground to mate and lay eggs (in the case of females). They die within a few weeks after emerging from the ground. Some cicadas appear every year, while others only appear periodically. Brood X is a member of the periodic cicada family that emerges every 17 years. Brood X last appeared in 2021. This year is a monumental year for cicadas, as his Brood XIII (his CICADA offspring of 17 years) and Brood XIX (her CICADA offspring of 13 years) will emerge together for the first time since 1803. It is expected that it will be a year. These are both large individuals, but fortunately, Brood XIII and Brood Masu. I did a little research on his CICADA there, but if you want to know more, check out this (appropriate for today’s theme) animated guide to his CICADA co-emergence in 2024.
- IOU (6D: “Venmo later” note) Venmo is a mobile payment system that allows users to send money to each other (and thus repay IOUs) using their mobile phones.
- Iguana (33D: Reptile with Dewlap) The dewlap is a flap of skin that hangs below the lower jaw. Male iguanas may extend and retract their delaps during courtship. Moose also have delaps.
- FUNKO POP (38D: Vinyl Collectible with Oversized Head) FUNKO POP is a large-headed collectible figure manufactured by FUNKO, Inc. The company manufactures His FUNKO POPs with a number of popular characters and also offers the opportunity to create customized His FUNKO POPs. Olivia says, “Funko Pops shouldn’t live in a box. They deserve to be played with.” Here, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Vader face off, and Ahsoka Tano collects them from nearby ruins. I’m watching over you.”
- Sweden (48D: Country with a Blue and Yellow Flag) The Swedish flag consists of a yellow Nordic cross on a blue field. Sweden is located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The capital of Sweden is Stockholm.
- Basra (50D: Birthplace of Iraqi human rights activist Reham Yacob) Reham Yacob (1991-2020) was a doctor and human rights activist. Born in Basra, Iraq, Reham Yacoub campaigned against human rights violations in Iraq and protested against the Iraqi government. In August 2020, Reham Yacob was killed by unidentified gunmen in Basra.
- HIS (52D: “Killing Me Softly With ___ Song”) “Killing Me Softly With ___ Song” was a number one hit for Roberta Flack in 1973 and for the Fugees in 1996.
- CAT (61D: =^.^= Living Things) I am always happy to feature the word CAT in the grid. This answer had a longer clue written, but when Olivia had to trim some clues to meet the character limit, Olivia came up with the idea to use this her CAT emoji. Perfect, as is my cat, Willow.
Overview of crossword puzzle themes
- Coco Gauff (17A: 2023 US Open Champion)
- Frozen custard (38A: cold snack using egg yolk)
- UP TO SPEED (62A: Complete description)
The first word of each theme answer (the EARLY word) is the name of the animated movie. Here (2017), frozen (2013), and Up (2009).
As I mentioned, Olivia and I started this puzzle by answering the Coco Gauff theme. Then we did a lot of brainstorming to come up with other famous animated movies with her one-word titles. We are happy with the theme set we came up with and the movies featured. I hope you enjoy this puzzle. Olivia, thank you for being such an amazing collaborator. And, Amanda, thank you for the great editing.
