Annual event since 1949 / SAT 1-13-24 / Friendly video game setting / Trip before a delivery / Half of the iconic 1/22/81 Rolling Stone cover / Guardians, in the box score / Half of a Godfather cocktail, along with whisky / ___ Stroker, Tony-winning actress for 2019's "Oklahoma!" / Their notable behavior is actually involuntary, like fainting

Constructor: Hoang-Kim Vu

Relative difficulty: Easy

THEME: none 

Word of the Day: Godfather cocktail (7A: Half of a Godfather cocktail, along with whisky => AMARETTO) —

 

The Godfather is a duo mixed drink made of Scotch whisky (especially smoky Scotch) and amaretto. Typically, the drink is served with ice in an old fashioned glass. // As with many cocktails, the origin of the Godfather's name is uncertain. The amaretto brand Disaronno claims the drink was the favorite cocktail of American actor Marlon Brando, known for playing the titular character in the popular American film adaptation of Mario Puzo's The Godfather, which prominently features the Italian mob. This may be an allusion to the cocktail's prominent use of amaretto, an Italian liqueur. This drink was also a favorite of the Rat Pack. // Disaronno recommends a one-to-two ratio of amaretto to whisky (25 ml amaretto to 50 ml whisky) // The godmother cocktail uses vodka in place of whisky, while the French Connection uses brandy. (wikipedia)

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***ATTENTION: READERS AND FELLOW SOLVERS*** : Hello from the first properly wintry week of the season in Central New York! It's early January, which means it's time once again for my annual week-long pitch for financial contributions to the blog. Every year I ask readers to consider what the blog is worth to them on an annual basis and give accordingly. So ... 17 years ... not bad. At this time last year, I was recovering from COVID and still dealing with the very fresh grief brought on by the untimely death of my cat, Olive. I was very grateful for the blog at that point, since it grounded me in routine and gave me a place where I could lose myself in a pastime I love, and share that love with others. OK, yes, true, I don't always *love* crosswords. Sometimes it's more hate-love or love-hate or "Why are you being like this, you stupid puzzle!?" It ain't all positive vibes, as you know. But I realized last year that part of what makes this blog so fun for me, and what makes it a solace to many readers, is the sense of commiseration it provides. Sometimes the puzzle thrills you, and maybe I agree with you, and maybe I don't; and sometimes it infuriates you, and maybe I agree with you, and maybe I don't. But either way, the blog is here; it's *always* here. You get to have your feelings validated, or you get to shake your head at my errant judgment and often breathtaking ignorance, but either way, you get to share an experience that's an important part of your daily life, and maybe you learn something new. Above all, I hope you feel that there is a real person with a real life and real emotions and (very) real human flaws who's telling you what it was *really* like for him to solve the puzzle. I never wanted to be an expert, offering some kind of bloodless know-it-all advice and analysis. I wanted blood. Blood on the page. There will be blood! ... But also, music videos. And Words of the Day. And, if you hang around long enough, cat pictures. Like this one:

This is Ida (she put herself in the bin, I swear). Ida is the happy sequel to last year's grief. At the beginning of January, I was mourning. By the end of January, I was still mourning, but now I had a new companion (as did my other cat, Alfie, who *really* needed one). Why am I talking about my cats? Because they are constant, they give shape and rhythm to my day, and I love them even if they sometimes drive me crazy. Just like crossword puzzles! (See that! Segue! This is why you should pay me the big bucks!) 

However much I love writing this blog (and I do, a lot), it is, in fact, a job. This blog has covered the NYTXW every day, without fail, for 17 years, and except for two days a month (when my regular stand-ins Mali and Clare write for me), and an occasional vacation or sick day (when I hire substitutes to write for me), it's me who's doing the writing. Every day. At very ... let's say, inconvenient hours (my alarm goes off most mornings at 3:45am). Over the years, I have received all kinds of advice about "monetizing" the blog, invitations to turn it into a subscription-type deal à la Substack or Patreon. But that sort of thing has never felt right for me. I like being out here on Main, on this super old-school blogging platform, just giving it away for free and relying on conscientious addicts like yourselves to pay me what you think the blog's worth. It's just nicer that way. 

How much should you give? Whatever you think the blog is worth to you on a yearly basis. Whatever that amount is is fantastic. Some people refuse to pay for what they can get for free. Others just don't have money to spare. All are welcome to read the blog—the site will always be open and free. But if you are able to express your appreciation monetarily, here are three options. First, a Paypal button (which you can also find in the blog sidebar on the homepage):

Second, a mailing address (checks can be made out to "Michael Sharp" or "Rex Parker"):

Rex Parker c/o Michael Sharp
54 Matthews St
Binghamton, NY 13905

The third, increasingly popular option is Venmo; if that's your preferred way of moving money around, my handle is @MichaelDavidSharp (the last four digits of my phone are 4878, in case Venmo asks you, which I guess it does sometimes, when it's not trying to push crypto on you, what the hell?!)

All Paypal contributions will be gratefully acknowledged by email. All Venmo contributions will get a little heart emoji, at a minimum :) All snail mail contributions will be gratefully acknowledged with hand-written postcards. I. Love. Snail Mail. I love seeing your gorgeous handwriting and then sending you my awful handwriting. It's all so wonderful. My daughter (Ella Egan) has once again designed my annual thank-you cards, and once again those cards feature (wait for it) cats! My cats: Alfie & Ida. This year, an elegant set of five!

These really capture the combination of beauty and goofiness that I love in cats (and puzzles, frankly). I'd say "Collect All Five!" but every snail-mail contributor will get just one and (hopefully) like it! Please note: I don't keep a "mailing list" and don't share my contributor info with anyone. And if you give by snail mail and (for some reason) don't want a thank-you card, just indicate "NO CARD." Again, as ever, I'm so grateful for your readership and support. Please know that your support means a lot to me and my family. Now on to today's puzzle... 

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Once again, the puzzle is running in EASY MODE. This one had a little more bite than yesterday's did, but then again it's Saturday, and Saturday's *supposed* to have more bite than Friday. There were only two things that truly stumped me. The first, as frequently happens, was a name—the ultracommon crossword name ALI, coming at us today in some Broadway form I've never heard of (41D: ___ Stroker, Tony-winning actress for 2019's "Oklahoma!"). I mean, win a Tony, I think that makes you crossworthy, though I'm guessing I would be Hard Pressed to name most Tony winners, of any year. Anyway, that's what crosses are for. You need a name, you don't know a name, you work the crosses, bada bing, there you go. I was lucky enough to have JIA Tolentino's most recent book on my shelves earlier this year (I think I've since lent it out or given it away), so that particular name helped rather than hurt. The only thing that stumped me was also the only thing in the grid I didn't like. Truly, this is an exquisite Saturday grid, with long answers to die for and smooth, clean, interesting fill all around ... except. And yet. But. Then. Then there was BABYMOON (16A: Trip before a delivery). Look, people need to stop inventing nonsense. I can infer what this term means—like a "honeymoon," but taken before a baby arrives. But did it have to have this stupid cutesy name, a name that seems more apt to refer to a baby's bottom than a soon-to-be parent's vacation?! What company / brand / other corporate entity invented the BABYMOON? Surely some industry is behind this. Never saw or heard of BABYMOON before finding it in this puzzle. Or else I did see it but my brain wisely chose to repress it. I don't mind not knowing terms. I mind *learning* *dumb* ones, especially ones with ugly names like BABYMOON, which cloys like a Godfather cocktail made with half amaretto. Half!? What am I, a child? If I want candy, I'll eat candy. Turn up the scotch, please. (Even Disaronno, the amaretto *maker*, recommends a 2-to-1 ratio of Scotch to amaretto) (see Word of the Day, above).

But As I Was Saying, I love this puzzle despite its BABYMOON. There's a certain world-weary tone that I find endearing, and to which I'm more than vaguely sympathetic. "THIS IS POINTLESS"—been there. Lots. PLAY CATCH-UP? Ask me about the fact that my semester starts on Tuesday, LOL, ugh. How many times have you TOOK IT ON THE CHIN? Or been asked to do things—or were left out of things—that were ABOVE MY (your) PAY GRADE? But then there's also a kind of carefree and agreeable spirit to the puzzle as well. "YES I DO!" "ONCE MORE!" And little flourishes, like the pleasing and apparently paradoxical juxtaposition of NO-SHOW and GO LIVE. The only roughish parts were in the connective tissue—those little answers linking the larger sections together—IWO OWETO ONS EPS, stuff like that. But those less pleasing answers are kept to a minimum. They're functional. They support the good stuff, which is good enough that you don't really notice there was any short gunk to begin with. There's no stunt grid, no architectural showing off, no stacks or super-low word count. Just a fine, well-crafted, nicely polished puzzle. My favorite of the (admittedly young) year so far. 

Explainers etc.:

• 27A: Who might mistakenly respond to a statement beginning "Seriously ..." (SIRI) — oh, it's a "who" now? The AI creep is real. . . (presumably "she" might respond because the first two syllables of "seriously" sound like "SIRI")
• 55A: Guardians, in the box score (CLE) — Did you know that the CLEveland Indians (finally) changed their name (and logo) in 2022? Well, if not, now you do. 

• 2D: Their notable behavior is actually involuntary, like fainting (OPOSSUMS) — so they're not "playing" then? Good to know. I'll stop bothering them.
• 11D: Annual event since 1949 (EMMYS) — "event" was supervague and the date 1949 was not helpful at all, although in retrospect I can see that it does mark the very beginning of the so-called "Golden Age of Television."
• 24D: Wounded (STUNG) — another one where I had to wait out the crosses. Actually wanted STUNK before I ran the alphabet and hit on STUNG. The connection between [Wounded] and STUNG feels ... tenuous. I think of a wound as a gash and a sting as ... a sting. I guess the equivalence is more in the figurative use of the words, to describe feelings / emotions. Unkind words, for instance, might "sting" or "wound." 
• 30D: Where the Brahmaputra flows (TIBET) — no idea, but had "T---T" in place. TRENT seemed wrong, so I went with TIBET.
• 34D: Oscar nominee for "Iris" and "Philomena" (DENCH) — Judi DENCH (whose first name has somehow not appeared in the puzzle in almost a decade) won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for playing Queen Elizabeth I in 1998's Shakespeare in Love.
• 44D: Paese di Napoli (ITALIA) — "Paese" just means "country" or "nation"; it can also mean "village." "Paesano" (which can be heard in The Godfather Part II) is a fellow countryman or compatriot, someone who shares your place of origin.

Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld

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