Goddesslike pop or opera star / MON 11-21-22 / Requiring rare knowledge / Musical symbol resembling an ampersand / QB protection squads

Hello, everyone, it’s Clare for this random Monday in November, filling in for Rex! Hope everyone is having a great November and you’re staying warm wherever you are. As usual, I’ve been busy watching ALL the sports, with tennis, football, skiing, basketball, and now the Men’s World Cup on TV! I’m not at all happy this World Cup is being held in Qatar given the numerous human rights issues, and I absolutely despise FIFA and its rampant corruption, but I find myself happy for the players, as I can only imagine how much this means to them, and they didn’t have any say in where they’d be playing. So, I shall watch some and root on the U.S. men’s team, even though I could probably only name three of the players and think we’re gonna lose very badly. 

Anywho, on to the puzzle…

Constructor: Brandon Koppy

Relative difficulty: Easy

THEME: WORLD CUP (64A: International event where 17-, 28- and 48-Across can be heard) — each of the theme answers relates to the men’s World Cup 

Theme answers:

• VUVUZELA (17A: South African horn that produces only one note) 
• OLE OLE OLE OLE OLE (28A: Repetitive cry of encouragement)
• GOOOOOOOOOOOOAL (48A: Reeeeeeeeally long celebratory cry)

Word of the Day: NEALON (62A: Kevin ___, former "Weekend Update" anchor on "S.N.L.") — 

Kevin Nealon (born November 18, 1953) is an American comedian and actor. He was a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1986 to 1995, acted in several of the Happy Madison films, played Doug Wilson on the Showtime series Weeds, and provided the voice of the title character, Glenn Martin, on Glenn Martin, DDS. (Wiki)

• • •

My thoughts on the puzzle can be summarized easily: Nooooooooooooooooooo! The theme is obviously timely, with the Men’s World Cup starting yesterday and with the U.S. playing today (at 2 p.m. EST), but the execution was disappointing, especially given how much room there was to have fun with this theme! You’ve even got GHANA (48D: Accra's country) already there in the puzzle. They’re in this World Cup and were also in the World Cup in the iconic 2014 group with the U.S., Germany, and Portugal, where the U.S. just made it out of the group before losing in the first elimination game to Belgium when Tim Howard almost saved the whole game by just about standing on his head. I digress. You also have EPIC WIN (26A: Victory of all victories) in the puzzle; how easy would it be to give that a World Cup clue? I can name half a dozen off the top of my head. Maybe put some team nicknames in there (Belgium are the Red Devils, England are the Three Lions, Canada are the Canucks — all of which could be pretty easily clued). Or, talk about some players (more than a few people know Messi, Mbappe, Neymar). 

I know GOOOOOOOOOOOOAL (48A) is fun to say (and sounds even better in Spanish, particularly when announcer Andrés Cantor does his trademark version, which lasts 20 seconds or more and, after a breath, is repeated for even longer). But just throwing a random number of “O’s” in a theme answer (it’s 12; I counted) feels lazy. And using the crosswordese OLE and throwing it in as an across five times feels lazy, too. I do like the word VUVUZELA (17A) and remember seeing those in the World Cup in 2010; I still have nightmares about how obnoxious the sound is and how loud they were. But as a whole, a theme that had so much potential but was boring is as bad as a failed panenka. 

Beyond the theme, the rest of the puzzle didn’t fare a whole lot better, in my opinion. It’s never a good sign when you have to clue your crosswordese off each other like with 27D: Co. honchos as CEOS and 35A: The "E" of 27-Down, for short as EXEC. I also never love clues with quotation marks where it feels like any number of words/phrases could work as the answer, and we had a seemingly uncommonly high number of these in the puzzle today with 2D: "My turn!", 11D: "Unacceptable!", 46D: "___ regret that!", 63D: "___ it on me!", and 15A: "Be quiet!". 

There were still some good spots in the puzzle. 56A: Salsas, e.g. … or salsa moves as DIPS is a cute clue/answer. Same with 71A: What was all about Eve? as EDEN. ESOTERIC (39D: Requiring rare knowledge) is one of my favorite words, so that was nice to see there in the puzzle. I also liked ARCANE (66A: Requiring rare knowledge) and thought EYE CONTACT (30D: Something to maintain during a conversation) was a pretty decent phrase. RUN WILD (9D: Go crazy) is something you don’t usually see in a puzzle, so I, of course, liked that.

Misc.:

• I learned today how to spell VUVUZELA (17A). I was convinced that it was spelled “vuvuzuela,” and that’s how I’ve been pronouncing it, too. 
• With 25D: Latte art medium as FOAM, I remember when I had my first waitressing job and had to learn how to make lattes and the like, because I’m not at all a coffee drinker. The first time someone ordered an Americano, I immediately left the table and Googled what that was. Thankfully, it was quite easy to make. 
• My only experience with the EURAIL (12D: Train service to 33 countries) system was when my sister and I were fortunate enough to take a trip across Europe. We did have one miserable experience trying to get our tickets, and another time we had to sleep outside a train station because we couldn’t get a ticket. But, on the whole, the system was pretty great! 
• If you want to see a true GOOOOOOOOOOOOAL, I’ll share one of the greatest in recent memory. My team (Liverpool) was on the cusp of qualifying for the Champions League and had to win all of our remaining games. We were tied. On the final play of the game, Liverpool had a corner kick. Our goalie — yes, you read that right — came all the way up and scored one of the most beautiful headers ever, and I still don’t think I’ve ever screamed louder. Anyway, here it is so you can all marvel at it, too. (Don’t ask me how many times I’ve watched this clip.)

Signed, Clare Carroll, a USAUSAUSAUSAUSAUSAUSAUSAUSAUSAUSA soccer super fan

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Pale pink vineyard offerings / MON 8-8-22 / Boater or bowler / Wipe out big-time / Rap's Lil __ X

Hello, everyone! It’s Clare filling in for Rex. Hope everyone had a great month of July and found ways to stay nice and cool. D.C. has been 90-plus degrees and humid basically every day, which is… fun…. I played in a charity kickball tournament yesterday and felt like I was going to die of heat stroke (that’s only a slight exaggeration), and on top of that, I’m super sore today! Still, it wasn’t all doom and gloom around here because the Premier League was back this weekend! And because my cousins and I had a “Lord of the Rings” movie marathon yesterday (extended-cut versions), which took about 14 hours and went until the wee hours of the morning. 

Anywho, on to the puzzle!

Constructor: Kathy Lowden

Relative difficulty: Easy

THEME: MAKEUP (50D: Reconcile after a quarrel … … or a hint to the starts of 17-, 25-, 52- and 61-Across) — The first word of each theme answer is an item of makeup.

Theme answers:

• BLUSH WINES (17A: Pale pink vineyard offerings) 
• SHADOW BOX (25A Practice punches with an imaginary opponent) 
• POWDER KEG (52A: Barrel of explosive stuff, or a situation that's ready to blow) 
• LINER NOTES (61A: Writings on an album sleeve or jewel case insert)

Word of the Day: SALK (40D: Vaccine pioneer Jonas)) —

Jonas Edward Salk (October 28, 1914 – June 23, 1995) was an American virologist and medical researcher who developed one of the first successful polio vaccines. He was born in New York City and attended the City College of New York and New York University School of Medicine. In 1947, Salk accepted a professorship in the School of Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh. It was there that he undertook a project to determine the number of different types of poliovirus, starting in 1948. For the next seven years, Salk devoted himself toward developing a vaccine against polio. (Wiki)

• • •

This was one of the easier Mondays I’ve done in a while. The MAKEUP theme was nice, and I felt I had a slight leg up as someone who does indeed wear MAKEUP. Now, the theme doesn’t entirely work because, well, I’ve only ever referred to it (or heard it referred to) as “eye shadow,” not just SHADOW, or LINER — it would be “lip liner” or “eyeliner” or something like that. I also thought the revealer was in a slightly weird place at 50D. Usually, if the theme is just a single word, it’ll be the last across or maybe the last down; but the second-to-last down? 

In all, I felt the puzzle was pleasant. The fill was a bit uninspired, but it also wasn’t bad. The solve went so quickly that I felt like I didn’t even have time to process some of the clues/answers, and it’s only when I went back that I developed both an appreciation for some answers and a meh feeling for others. On that note, I didn’t like ART I (26D) or IF I (62D). A SEC (21A) is also pretty ugly. 38D: "The way I see it," to texters could’ve been IMHO or just “imo.” There were both ODE (63D: Poem of praise) and ODD (44A: Quirky) in the puzzle. A lot of it felt crosswordese-y (crossword-easy?). There was also a strong religious current, with PRIEST (6D: One officiating at communion or hearing confession), DEACON (27D: Subordinate of a 6-Down), VESPER (34D: Evening prayer), and LOT (61D: Biblical fellow with a salty wife?) all in the puzzle. 

From a tweet, I was clued into the fact that LAPP (37D: Reindeer herder of Scandinavia) is considered a slur by some people. A Wikipedia entry says, “The Sámi have historically been known in English as Lapps or Laplanders, but these terms are regarded as offensive by the Sámi, who prefer the area's name in their own languages, e.g. Northern Sámi Sápmi. Their traditional languages are the Sámi languages, which are classified as a branch of the Uralic language family.” I couldn’t find a ton of information about this issue, but because the people seem to not want to be referred to in this way, I wish this hadn’t been in the puzzle. 

I liked SNOW SUIT (39D), POWDER KEG (52A), and AMNESIAC (42A), in particular, which just felt off the beaten path for a crossword. For 9D: Atlanta-based TV channel, I originally put TNT, which is also based in Atlanta, but when I got to 13D: Explosive stuff, in brief and knew the answer for that one was TNT, I realized I must’ve made an error at 9D. I do know TNT and TBS are related, because NBA analysts move between the sets. (And, yes, Ernie Johnson is the MVP of both.) 

Got nothing much else to say about the puzzle! I’ll be back again tomorrow, and I hope everyone has a great Monday.

Misc.:

• The only thing I could think of when I saw POWDER KEG was the line in Hamilton in the song “Right Hand Man”: “We are a powder keg about to explode.” So that song will be stuck in my head for a while now. 
• I liked seeing STIR (30A) quite close to VESPER (34D). They’re seemingly unrelated, but in “Casino Royale” Ian Fleming invented the Vesper martini, named after the main female character in the novel. So it felt fitting to have this drink right next to the Bond clue/answer about martinis at 30A, even if the placement wasn’t intentional. 
• 48A: Metrical foot in poetry as IAMB takes me back to 12th grade English class where I had to learn about poetry and rhyme schemes and write my own poems — and ugh. I did not enjoy that segment of class. 
• I wish I could’ve eaten the NAAN (16A) from our Indian food order last night, but I’m newly gluten-free because it seems I have a gluten allergy that’s been affecting my breathing😞😞😞 Oh, well.

Signed, Clare Carroll, someone who knows Liverpool is going to finish at the top of the table this season

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Stockpile / MON 11-1-2021 / Southern Siberian city / "Toe" of the Arabian Peninsula / Some angels ... or some newspapers

Constructor: Fiona Taylor

Relative difficulty: Medium

THEME: NFL — Theme answers end in NFL teams. 

Theme answers:

• PHONE CHARGERS (20A: Things modern travelers pack)
• GUMMY BEARS (32A: Forms of some kids' multivitamins) 
• HASH BROWNS (41A: Breakfast side at a diner)
• TREASURY BILLS (52A: Government-backed investments)

Word of the Day: SCARP (10A: Steep embankment) —

1. the steep artificial slope below a fort's parapet
2. (geology) a cliff at the edge of a plateau or ridge caused by erosion or faulting; the steeper side of an escarpment

(Wiktionary)  

• • •

It's an August Monday once again! I'm extra tired this time because we're in the height of midterms at school and pre-Christmas stuff is starting at work. Like, we're reaching Squidward levels this time. 

But I'll be fine. You know what else was fine? The puzzle! Okay, yeah, the theme was kind of boring (sports teams...snzzzzzz) and okay, yeah, left middle had some unnecessarily hard crosses, but other than that the puz was great. Beautiful fill like UMIAK, OMSK, HERALDS and SCARB, decently fun clues ("caws" for concern for a farmer, haha!), limited crosswordese and minimal OREOs. ACE crossing ALL AS was perfect. Was trying to somehow make something Flintstones-related fit into 32A and was a little disappointed about GUMMY BEARS, to be quite honest. 

Yeah, like I said, I'm afraid the theme bored me. Anyone can list off a buncha sports teams, you know? And of all sports, football is the one where you definitely already know all the teams. America's other, colder pastime. I don't know. I just didn't really care for this one. 

Bullets:

• ESSES (51D: Twisty curves) — This one just seemed so fake to me, but I looked it up in the Merriam-Webster dictionary and yeah, something shaped like an S can be called an "ess." Language is a beautiful thing. 
• NERDS (27D: Jocks' counterparts, stereotypically) — Do you remember that era where everyone was dressing like a nerd for Halloween? Granted, it's a pretty easy costume, you just need a button-down, glasses and suspenders. Which, come to think of it, isn't too different from how I dress now, minus the suspenders. 
• UMIAK (33D: Inuit boat) — I had "kayak" here, and kind of assumed they were the same thing, but they're not! For one thing, oars rather than paddles are used when women drive them. They can also have a sail attached, or even an outboard motor! Pretty cool. I should ask my dad if he knows anything about umiaks, he used to be big into boat building.  
  
  
  
• GOTHS (6D: High schoolers who dress in black, maybe) — Also the title of my third favorite Mountain Goats album. Give the first track a listen! It's your Monday earworm. I saw them live a few weeks ago (first concert since COVID!) and the lead singer jumped around the stage like a frog the whole time, it was awesome. 
  
  

Signed, August Thompson, tired graduate student. 

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____ and Crake (Margaret Atwood novel) / MON 10-4-2021 / Corner pieces in chess / Airport guesses, for short / ___ Gay (W.W.II bomber) / Bird on the Mexican flag

Constructor: Christina Iverson and Andrea Carla Michaels

Relative difficulty: Easy

THEME: HERE COMES MY BABY — Theme answers started with words related to delivering a baby.

Theme answers:

• LABOR DAY WEEKEND (17A: Traditional end of summer)
• PUSH THE ENVELOPE (27A: Dare to exceed normal limits)
• DELIVERY SERVICE (46A: FedEx or DHL)
• HERE COMES MY BABY (56A: 1967 hit by the Tremeloes suggested by the starts of 17-, 27- and 46-Across)

Word of the Day: ARTIE (33A: Swing clarinetist Shaw) —

Artie Shaw (born Arthur Jacob Arshawsky; May 23, 1910 – December 30, 2004) was an American clarinetist, composer, bandleader, actor and author of both fiction and non-fiction.

Widely regarded as "one of jazz's finest clarinetists",^[1] Shaw led one of the United States' most popular big bands in the late 1930s through the early 1940s. Though he had numerous hit records, he was perhaps best known for his 1938 recording of Cole Porter's "Begin the Beguine." Before the release of "Beguine," Shaw and his fledgling band had languished in relative obscurity for over two years and, after its release, he became a major pop artist within short order. The record eventually became one of the era's defining recordings. Musically restless, Shaw was also an early proponent of what became known much later as Third Stream music, which blended elements of classical and jazz forms and traditions. His music influenced other musicians, such as Monty Norman in England, with the vamp of the James Bond Theme, possibly influenced by 1938's "Nightmare".^[2]

 (Wikipedia)

• • •

It's another August Monday! This review is going up a little late (my deadline is 9AM, but I try to get 'em up by 12AM) because yesterday was my birthday! I mostly celebrated with online friends, because, y'know, COVID-19. But I'm playing a board game tonight which is really exciting! It's called Betrayal: Legacy. Anyway, enough about me, puzzle time! 

I thought this was a solid little Monday. Smooth fill, no tough crosses, a great intro to puzzling for any curious newcomers! I'm not sure I would have gotten the ORYX/GAS-X cross without being a bookseller, but one hard cross does not a bad Monday make. I was especially impressed by the cluing; it's really easy to do a blah Monday in terms of cluing, but the little cryptics were lovely and still perfectly acceptable for new solvers. And "to Miss Piggy" is such a welcome change from "in [insert random French city]" for MOI. Do people say BUB, though? I had BUD, which feels way more like something someone would actually say. Had SCAM for SPAM for awhile but SPAM's a better fit anyway and the cross made it an easy mistake to catch. Hanging out with an ABBOT in a SAUNA sounds like kind of an awkward experience, but you'd probably get some good insights about the nature of the universe. 

Theme was cute, no issues, not a whole lot to say honestly. So, how was everyone's September? Mine was pretty good, mostly class and work and reading. I'm in two book clubs now and it's hard to keep up with that and my pleasure reading and my homework reading and my "being a well-rounded bookseller" reading. It's a tough job devouring a bunch of awesome books, but someone has to do it!

Bullets:

• WVA (45D: State with the words "Wild Wonderful" on its license plates: Abbr.) — I went to summer camp in WV, and let me tell you, they did not let us forget it. It's been probably about a decade and I still have all the words to "Take Me Home, Country Roads" memorized. One of our counselors once did a parody about her own hometown of Washington, DC; it was mostly about the traffic, which, fair enough. All I can remember of it is "the radio reminds me of the traffic back home." 
• DALI (34A: Salvador who painted melting watches) — What's your favorite Dali painting? Mine has to be, pardon my language, "The Great Masturbator" (1929). Dunno why, but something about that weird melting fleshy thing just gets me. 
  
  
  
• GLEE (54A: Extreme happiness) — Also a title of the wildest show of my adolescence. Who could forget Rachel showing up to school in a dress made of Beanie Babies (for Lady Gaga Day, of course)? Quinn giving birth to the tune of a teen a capella "Bohemian Rhapsody"? Santana wearing a t-shirt that said "Lebanese" because her sorta-best-friend-sorta-girlfriend was bad with words and thought it meant "lesbian"? A true classic. 
• HERB (52D: Basil or dill) — Weirdly enough, this reminds me of a character from the hit mobile gacha game Cookie Run, and now I have another character's theme song stuck in my head. You wouldn't think a silly game about cookies would produce such a fandom or such good music. 
  
  

Signed, August Thompson, tired graduate student. 

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Cowboy's rope / MON 9-6-2021 / Split in two / Italian city where Columbus was born / Bishop's hat / Disturb, as sediment

Constructor: Joshua Rosenblatt

Relative difficulty: Medium 

THEME: In Vogue — Theme answers are celebrities whose first names are the names of designers, whose work you might find "in Vogue." 

Theme answers:

• CHLOE ZHAO (17A: *Asian American who became only the second woman to win the Oscar for Best Director)
• CHANEL IMAN (24A: *Runway model famous for her work as a Victoria's Secret Angel)
• CELINE DION (50A: *Longest resident performer at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace)
• GUCCI MANE (61A: *Atlanta rapper featured on Lizzo's Grammy-nominated "Exactly How I Feel")
• IN VOGUE (38A: Fashionable ... or, where you might find the answers to starred clues)

Word of the Day: YMHA (34A: Jewish community center, for short) —

The first Young Men's Hebrew Association (YMHA) was founded in New York City on October 10, 1874, with Lewis May as its first president.^[7] The first official headquarters were at 112 West 21st Street in Manhattan.^[7] Young Women's Hebrew Association (YWHA) was first established as an annex to the YMHA in 1888.^[8] YWHA was founded to provide spiritual and material support for the young Jewish women who were moving to cities at the time.^[9] YMHA helped young Jewish women find housing and employment.^[9] Fannie Liebovitz was one of the founders.^[10] The first independent YWHA was established in 1902.^[8] The New York YMHA and YWHA now operate together as the 92nd Street Y. (There are two other YM–YWHA organizations in Manhattan, which are not affiliated with the 92nd Street Y. They are the 14th Street Y, and the YM & YWHA of Washington Heights and Inwood. The 14th Street Y, in the Gramercy/East Village neighborhood, is a branch of the Educational Alliance. The Washington Heights organization serves a diverse community uptown.) In 1917, these organizations were combined into a Jewish Welfare Board.

Following a merger of the Young Men's Hebrew Association, Young Women's Hebrew Association, and the Jewish Education Alliance, the organization was renamed Jewish Community Center (JCC) in 1951.^[4] Many member organizations adopted the new name, but some other member organizations did not do so, particularly in the New York metropolitan area.

(Wikipedia) 

• • •

It's another August Monday! We've passed the month where you all get to make jokes about my name, so, hooray for me! I'm starting my third semester (of five) of graduate school, and it's going well so far! I didn't make it to my first in-person class because there were tornadoes, but I'm still having a fun time doing the readings. We're actually talking about some pretty cool stuff this semester, like the effect grief has on archivists. Let me nerd out for the next three paragraphs--

Just kidding. The puzzle! Bonus word of the day is RIATA which is a synonym for "lasso" that I've never heard in my life. "DC squad member" for AOC is cute, especially since the first DC Squad I thought of was of the comic book variety (Suicide Squad: Harley Quinn, Killer Croc et al). Beyond that, though, some of the clues were a little hard for a Monday: did we need PAD, AGGRO, UGH or CRUMB to be like that? Same vibe for some of the crosses, like RIATA/LEGIT and honestly that whole top middle. Would have been fine on a harder day or clued differently, but especially on a puzzle made so proper-noun-heavy by the theme, I'm not sure that this one really felt like a Monday. I still put it at a medium for solve time, it just felt a little off. 

As for the theme, you know I prefer revealers that, well, reveal something. I figured out that we were dealing with brands by the time I got to GUCCI MANE, but I still didn't really get much after it was revealed. And there were just too many celebrities-I-half-know for me to really get into it. Shoutout to CELINE DION, though. My heart will go on! 

Bullets:

• PRISCILLA (29A: Elvis's wife) — Did you know Priscilla Presley is still alive? And a very successful businesswoman, too. Plus she looks amazing for 76. Shoutout to her. 
• OSHA (26A: Agcy. dealing with workplace accidents) — Ooh, time to plug one of my favorite video creators, Brian David Gilbert! This is a little long, but a good one. Plus, he's from Baltimore, so y'know, gotta support his content. The point is that Smash Bros. owes millions of dollars in OSHA violations. 

• OSHA, again: One of my friends (Tin, actually, of TINS fame) has a story to tell about an OSHA violation. His great-great-grandfather was a Croatian immigrant to Chicago, and worked on the skyscrapers there. That was before regulations were as tight, so every time he worked on one he risked falling to his death. Instead, he died by falling off a six-foot-high wall while visiting his home country. Is that ironic? I feel like it's at least Alanis Morrissette ironic, which is to say, not really, but he insisted it go in the writeup so there it is. 
• ROE (30D: ___ v. Wade) — I'd be remiss if I didn't bring up the major Roe-related news this week. I'm not going to say much (or argue in comments), just uplift the voices of those affected by reproductive justice issues in your life right now. 
• KUGEL (59A: Baked pudding of potatoes or noodles in Jewish cooking [specifically Ashkenazi, but hey I'm being nitpicky -AT]) — My camp friends and I went to war over whether this food is pronounced KOO-gul or KUH-gul. So, CrossWorld: what say you? 

Signed, August Thompson, tired graduate student. 

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Gripe / MON 8-2-2021 / Contacting privately via Twitter or Instagram / Country singer Lynn / Classic Corvette alternatives / Laugh ____ (something very funny)

Constructor: Kyra Wilson

Relative difficulty: Easy

\

THEME: Weather front — Theme answers start with a weather-related word. 

Theme answers:

• CLOUD STORAGE (20A: Service offered by Dropbox)
• LIGHTNING BUG (29A: Firefly)
• THUNDERBIRDS (43A: Classic Corvette alternatives)
• WEATHER FRONT (52A: What precedes a storm ... or a hint to 20-, 29- or 43-Across)

Word of the Day: STANS (Is a huge fan of, in modern slang) —

The origin of the term stan is often credited to the 2000 song "Stan", about an obsessed fan, by American rapper Eminem featuring British singer Dido.^[1][2] The word has also been described as a portmanteau of "stalker" and "fan".^[3] The word itself was added to the Oxford English Dictionary^[4] in 2017.^[5] The term was originally a noun, but over time evolved and began to be used as a verb as well.^[6]

Stan (noun): an extremely or excessively enthusiastic and devoted fan

Stan (verb): to exhibit fandom to an extreme or excessive degree : to be an extremely devoted and enthusiastic fan of someone or something. 

From Stan, name of such a fan in the song "Stan" (2000) by the American rap artist Eminem (Marshall Bruce Mathers III)

   (Merriam-Webster)  

• • •

It's an August August Monday! My first August August, actually. I hope people make jokes about my name all month. 

I liked this puzzle a lot! No crosswordese really and not many proper nouns. I'm partial to easy Mondays because they're meant for new solvers. I suppose the clues were a little bland--none really stuck out to me as especially interesting--but hey, gotta find something to nitpick, right? Loved OAHU OVUM and TATA ATTA. Had MEDIUM for PINKER, GET for EKE and CLOUD SHARING for CLOUD STORAGE. Speaking of which, didn't love the DropBox namedrop either, it just felt ad-y; I would have clued it differently. But the puzzle remains nice.  

The theme was perfect for a Monday: simple, solid, cute. I do like themes that have a little more to them, but hey, when it works it works, you know? And I like storms a lot, too. When there's a thunderstorm my roommate likes to go outside with her dog, sit in the covered part of our yard and just watch the rain. I think that's really lovely. 

Bullets:

• LUC (38A: Jean-____ Picard, Starfleet commander) —  I'm doing this puzzle with some friends and being made fun of for being a "Trekman" because of how much I liked this clue. I'm trying to explain that it's "Trekkie" but my tormentor will not listen. Anyway, here's a compilation of Jean-Luc's "Make it so"s. 

• HALE (53D: Patriot Nathan) — I got this one immediately, and not because I know absolutely anything about history, but because I'm a bookseller and we've sold about a gazillion copies of the "Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales" series, which is a children's book series about American history. I learned today that the author's name is actually Nathan Hale (I'd assumed it was a pen name), and he's "channeling his namesake" when he writes. Pretty cool piece of trivia!  
• META (41D: Self-referential) — I love love love metafiction!!! My favorite is Nightwood by Djuna Barnes, and my most recent read is Little Blue Encyclopedia (For Vivian) by Hazel Jane Plante. There's just something about it that I really like, I can't explain it. Do you like metafiction, CrossWorld? 
• DRAGON (8D: Figure seen in Chinese New Year) — I've never seen a dragon dance in person, so I decided to look it up. This one is technically a lion dance I think, but still very cool! I might go into DC and try to see one next Chinese New Year. 

Signed, August Thompson, tired graduate student.

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Tool for preparing apples / MON 6-7-2021 / Actor Diggs / Tennis' ____ Cup / Kitchen utensil brand / Desi of "I Love Lucy"

Constructor: Erika Ettin

Relative difficulty: Easy

THEME: Roll With It — You can add "roll" to the last word of each theme answer and make a phrase. (EYE roll, FORWARD roll, etc)

Theme answers:

• PRIVATE EYE (17A: Sleuth for hire)
• PAY IT FORWARD (23A: Perform an act of kindness, in a way)
• HOTEL CALIFORNIA (36A: 1977 #1 Eagles hit)
• HIDDEN CAMERA (46A: It might catch a thief or a speeder) 
• ROLL WITH IT (57A: Be willing to accept whatever...or a hint to the ends of 17-, 23-, 36- and 46-Across)

Word of the Day: UPCS (10A: Lines at the cash register, for short?) —

The Universal Product Code (UPC; redundantly: UPC code) is a barcode symbology that is widely used in the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and other countries for tracking trade items in stores.

UPC (technically refers to UPC-A) consists of 12 numeric digits that are uniquely assigned to each trade item. Along with the related EAN barcode, the UPC is the barcode mainly used for scanning of trade items at the point of sale, per GS1 specifications.^[1] UPC data structures are a component of GTINs and follow the global GS1 specification, which is based on international standards. But some retailers (clothing, furniture) do not use the GS1 system (rather other barcode symbologies or article number systems). On the other hand, some retailers use the EAN/UPC barcode symbology, but without using a GTIN (for products sold in their own stores only).

(Wikipedia)

• • •

It's another August Monday! Dear readers, I have moved! I'm trying the whole "living on my own" thing again since my last attempt got cut short by COVID. So far it's going well. I made ramen for dinner tonight with a side of roasted Brussels sprouts, so that makes me half real adult, half student, I think. But the Brussels sprouts were tasty so I'm counting it as a victory. 

Right, the puzzle! Erika Ettin had a really sweet note in the NYT's puzzle notes about how excited she is to be in the NYT, so I just want to extend her a heartfelt congrats (and a belated but no less heartfelt congrats to every other new-to-the-NYT constructor for whom I have neglected to do this). Zipped through the puzzle itself; I didn't note any tough crosses or obscure pop culture/sports trivia. Well, aside from ARNAZ, but I know I should know more about "I Love Lucy." Minor gripes: Musk feels like too obvious of a clue for ELON, and I'm gonna throw in the typical Rex-grouse on the lack of accent on CHERI's cross. Other than that, though, a nice solid little Monday. The berry/Berry thing was cute, and I admire the Cran-Apple bait-and-switch (we all thought it was some tech thing about Apple the corporation, right?).

As for the theme...I couldn't quite ROLL WITH IT. I think the reveal should at least theoretically help you solve the rest of the puzzle, at least on a Monday when it's literally clued as "a hint to" the other theme answers. It definitely didn't do that here because there are so many possible words you can combine with "roll" to make a phrase. I dunno, it just felt a little silly and not very coherent. 

Bullets:

• PTSD (55D: Possible condition for a war vet, for short)  — Alright, soapbox of the week: PTSD's association with war and only war can help mask the fact that it can result from any kind of trauma. 49 percent of sexual assault victims develop PTSD, and 1 in 13 people will develop PTSD at some point in their lifetime. All of which is to say that if you or someone you love experiences trauma, it's important to educate yourself on signs and treatment. 
  Off the soapbox now, thanks for reading!
• NERDS (62A: Crunchy, colorful commercial candies) — My sister used to be obsessed with these. I remember her having Nerds pillows, Nerds sweatpants, a Nerds plushie...who knew a candy could be such a thing? 
• HOTEL CALIFORNIA (36A: 1977 #1 Eagles hit) — Is there some sort of law that this needs to be playing on every alternative radio station in the country every time you flick on the radio in the car? I swear, it feels constant. 
• AXEL (61A: Skating leap) — And an impressive one at that. 
  
  

Signed, August Thompson, tired graduate student (on summer break--woohoo!)

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Tennis great Andre / MON 5-2-2021 / Senator Mike of Idaho / God, in the Torah / Kind of reasoning

Constructor: Ross Trudeau

Relative difficulty: Easy 

THEME: FEE FI FO FUM — Theme answers smell the blood of an Englishman. Er, that is to say they end in FEE, FI, FO or FUM. 

Theme answers:

• ICED COFFEE (17A: Joe cool?)
• AIRPORT WIFI (30A: Amenity for jet setters?)
• THE INSIDE INFO (37A: What investigators really want to know) 
• EAU DE PARFUM (46A: Aromatic fragrance with a French name) 
• FEE FI FO FUM (60A: Fairy tale chant from a giant...or the ends of the answers to the starred clues)

Word of the Day: IRENA (38D: "The Faerie Queene" woman) —

The Faerie Queene is an English epic poem by Edmund Spenser. Books I–III were first published in 1590, then republished in 1596 together with books IV–VI. The Faerie Queene is notable for its form: it is one of the longest poems in the English language; it is also the work in which Spenser invented the verse form known as the Spenserian stanza.^[1] On a literal level, the poem follows several knights as a means to examine different virtues, and though the text is primarily an allegorical work, it can be read on several levels of allegory, including as praise (or, later, criticism) of Queen Elizabeth I. In Spenser's "Letter of the Authors", he states that the entire epic poem is "cloudily enwrapped in Allegorical devices", and that the aim of publishing The Faerie Queene was to "fashion a gentleman or noble person in virtuous and gentle discipline".^[2]

(Wikipedia) 

• • •

It's the last August Monday of the semester! Which means that finals are kicking my butt. Don't worry though, I'll be okay. These finals don't have anything on me! I'm going to kick their butt right back. 

Honestly I breezed through this one so fast it's hard to have many thoughts on it. I was disappointed at the lack of new vocab, but I guess that's to be expected for a Monday. It's not that IM MAD or anything, it's nice to have a puzzle every once in a while that's as relaxing as a HOT BATH. Big fan of the lack of namedrops and sports trivia. Less of a big fan of POTFUL (uh, is that a word? It doesn't feel like a word). Also, not sure how to feel about ADONAI. Is it oversensitive to say I think it's just a tad too sacred to show up as crossword fill? Had USC for UNC which is a tragedy because my stepmom went there for grad school. Light blue is such a nice color. 

My only beef with the theme was that I forgot whether it was spelled FEE FI FO FUM or FI FYE FO FUM. The puzzle wasn't hard enough for that to be an issue, though. AIRPORT WIFI would be a good band name. As far as ICED COFFEE, I'm more of a hot cappuccino from Royal Farms kind of dude. CrossWorld, do you like your coffee hot or iced? 

Bullets:

• SOY (29A: Word before sauce or milk) — Oh my God does anyone remember that pseudoscience going around about soy milk containing so much estrogen that it was physically feminizing men? Like, can you imagine? 
• MAA (65D: Goat's bleat) — For some reason the only thing I could think of was that chaotic Honda Element commercial from a few years ago and now I have to show it to all of you. 
  
  
• ORCA (41D: Apex predator of the ocean) — I just read the sweetest middle grade book about orcas. One of the perks of working in a bookstore. The orcas get separated from their family...can they ever get home again?!? I'm not gonna tell you! Spoilers! Just go buy A Whale of the Wild yourself! 
• TUTTI (22D: ___-frutti) — Nostalgia hit me like a freight train when I saw this one so here, have this scene. 
  
  

Signed, August Thompson, tired graduate student. 

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For two, in music / MON 4-5-2021 / Hip-hop producer who founded Aftermath Entertainment / Put on hold / Home of many a courthouse / Nevada city on the Truckee River

Constructor: Zhouqin Burnikel 

Relative difficulty: Easy

THEME: Take That — Theme answers all end in words that can be used in an expression starting with "take". 

Theme answers:

• ACID TRIP (16A: *Certain psychedelic experience)
• POODLE CUT (34A: *Hairstyle popularized by Lucille Ball)
• LOCAL DIVE (44A: *Cheap neighborhood bar)
• TAKE THAT (63A: "So there!" ... or what you can do to the ends of the answers to the starred clues?)
• INFIELD HIT (9D: *Bunt single, e.g.)
• COUNTY SEAT (29D: *Home of many a courthouse)

Word of the Day: POODLE CUT (34A: *Hairstyle popularized by Lucille Ball) —

Made popular by actresses like Peggy Garner, Faye Emerson and Lucille Ball, the poodle cut was given its name due to the fact that the permed, tight curls closely resembled the curly hair of a poodle.

(BeautyLaunchPad)

• • •

Spring has sprung and it's time for another August Monday! Happy belated Easter and Passover to everyone who celebrates! Did you eat lots of jellybeans and/or matzo? I skipped Passover this year--I know, I know, but it's hard to keep it by yourself, and I didn't get to go to a seder because I had too much homework. Next year in non-pandemic times!

This was a perfectly sweet little Monday, and I flew through it, until I got stuck on the center left for a really long time. I'm not sure what it was, something about the combination of vague-ish clues (and me confusing PASSing and FOLDing) and not knowing what an SST is. Also had HOP IN for YOU IN? for the longest time, which didn't help. We have both NANA and PAPA, and SLEAZEs are known to PUSH. Is LOCAL DIVE really a term? I mean, I've definitely been to local dives, but I don't know that it's really a term in its own right? I don't know. 

The theme was a typical Monday, can't really complain, can't say a lot. I'm currently doing this writeup with my friends and they are complaining that there wasn't enough "pun B.S." in the longer answers, which I think just means they should be doing British crossword puzzles instead. "Psychedelic experience that's less than basic?" could be a good ACID TRIP clue. And "Bar, or perhaps coral reef?" for LOCAL DIVE. 

I have just been informed that "Bar, or perhaps coral reef?" is "B.S." and "less than nothing." I think the moral of the story here is not that Zhouqin Burnikel made any construction mistakes, rather that my friends enjoy making fun of every crossword clue. 

.....And that's what I talk about when I don't have much to say about the theme! On to bullets :) 

Bullets:

• WII FIT (18A: Nintendo game featuring balance exercises) — What a trip down memory lane! I remember standing on the balance board at around age 12 getting told god knows what about my weight, then trying and failing to make it across the virtual tightrope in the tightrope walking game.  Good times. 
• TATER (68A: Item that may be baked or mashed, informally) — It was criminal to not clue this with simply "Tots." 
  
  
• RAPS (23A: Performs like Iggy Azalea) — Interesting choice of rapper. That's all I'll say. Anyway I'm gonna go listen to some Angel Haze now. 
• PINA (13A: ___ colada) — And getting caught in the rain! 
  
  

Signed, August Thompson, tired graduate student. 

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TV channel for college sports / MON 3-1-2021 / Laudable Lauder / "And you?" to Caesar / Sweetheart, in Salerno

Constructor: Michael Lieberman

Relative difficulty: Easy

THEME: World's Fairs — Theme answers were exhibits at the World's Fair. 

Theme answers:

• SPACE NEEDLE (18A: Seattle, 1962)
• EIFFEL TOWER (27A: Paris, 1889)
• FERRIS WHEEL (45A: Chicago, 1893) 
• WORLD'S FAIRS (58A: Events for which the answers to the three italicized clues were built)

Word of the Day: EDSEL (33D: '50s Ford flop) —

Edsel is a brand of automobile that was marketed by the Ford Motor Company from the 1958 to the 1960 model years. Deriving its name from Edsel Ford, Edsels were developed in an effort to give Ford a fourth brand to gain additional market share from Chrysler and General Motors. Established as an expansion of the Lincoln-Mercury Division to three brands (re-christened the Mercury-Edsel-Lincoln Division), Edsel shared a price range with Mercury; the division shared its bodies with both Mercury and Ford.

 (Wikipedia)

• • •

Happy August Monday! I think we need one of those right now. It's been so snowy and rainy and cold here. Where's the sunshine? 

Breezed right through this one, despite the ESPNU/UTE cross being nigh impossible for me as someone who doesn't like sports unless I'm the one playing 'em. East side had me saying wheeeeeeeee thanks to all the E's. I complained about AXE/AXLE in the crossword discord and was quickly reminded that the words don't actually share a root, which, fair. But they sound so similar! Also, yeah, I had POSTAL for PARCEL too despite sort of knowing in my heart that it wasn't gonna be right. 

This was a really cute theme for a Monday! Learned a little World's Fair trivia. It's wild to me that the Space Needle was completed as recently as 1962. Does anyone remember reading about it in the paper, or maybe even going to see it in person soon after construction? Or ever? I've never been, myself. 

Speaking of the World's Fair, did you know the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair boasted human zoos? Exhibits consisting of people? Yeah. 

Bullets:

• EIFFEL TOWER (27A: Paris, 1889)  — Ah, the top of le tour d'Eiffel. That was where I first got to know my high school sweetheart. (We then proceeded to get separated from the rest of our school group and wander around a metro station for two hours trying to find them again before giving up and going back to the hotel. Never did see Notre Dame...)
• SNAIL (50A: Word before shell or mail) — Do you want to watch a snail eat for four minutes with me? 
  
  
• AXE (61A: Jack Nicholson's weapon in "The Shining") — I can't think of this movie without thinking of my stepfather scaring the living bejeezus out of me by sticking his head through the staircase slats and yelling HEEEEEERE'S JOHNNY! at the top of his lungs while I was watching with a friend. 
• OSCAR (29D: ____ the Grouch) — This dude loves trash. 
  
  

Signed, August Thompson, tired graduate student.

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Jessica of "Fantastic Four" / MON 2-1-2021 / Bête ___ / Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, for two / ___ Reader (magazine with the slogan "Cure ignorance")

Constructor: Soleil Saint-Cyr

Relative difficulty: Easy

THEME: HIVE MIND — Theme answers end in...bee-related words? Types of bee?  

Theme answers:

• ESSENTIAL WORKER (19A: One on the front lines during a crisis)
• HOMECOMING QUEEN (35A: Crown wearer at fall football game)
• US MILITARY DRONE (52A: Unmanned Dept. of Defense aircraft)
• HIVE (57A: With 58-Across, collective consciousness ... or a hint to the ends of 19-, 35- and 52-Across)
• MIND (58A: See 57-Across)

Word of the Day: EMIR (60A: Qatari leader) —

An emir (/əˈmɪər, eɪˈmɪər, ˈeɪmɪər/; Arabic: أمير‎ ʾamīr [ʔaˈmiːr]), sometimes transliterated amir, amier, or ameer, can refer to a king or an aristocratic or noble and military title of high office used in a variety of places in the Arab countries, West Africa, Afghanistan and in the Indian subcontinent. The term has been widely used to denote a "commander", "general", or "leader" i.e. Amir al-Mu'min. The feminine form is emira (أميرة ʾamīrah). When translated as "prince", the word "emirate" is analogous to a sovereign principality. In contemporary usage, the term may indicate a Muslim head of state of an Emirate or a leader of an Islamic organization.

(Wikipedia)

• • •

Before we get started, it's Black History Month, and this week is all Black constructors! Soleil Saint-Cyr is also a high school student, so 1) BE NICE TO HER ON TWITTER and 2) that's the coolest thing ever, I wish I was getting published in the NYT in high school! I hope she knows how awesome she is!

\

It's a very snowy August Monday! I'm writing this with my pajamas inside out and an ice cube flushed down the toilet hoping that I get to stay home from work tomorrow. Just kidding--I love my job. Who wouldn't want to work somewhere surrounded by books? Sigh. 

On to the puzzle! I'm gonna say it: US MILITARY DRONE is crosswordese, you'd normally call it an "unmanned drone," and also please don't get me started on the way the U.S. military actually uses the things. Are Yale students really called YALIES? Oof. I like the nod to OREO without actually putting OREO in the puzzle; I think my opinions on the amount of STUF the cookies should have in them have been well-stated over the years. Overall, pretty solid Monday despite the one gripe. 

The theme was simple and, well, sweet. (Like honey? Anyone?) BEAR HUG is good in a bee-themed puzzle too. I did a presentation on bees in sixth grade where I had to present in character as a bee and my best friend told me I was weird for getting so into it and for saving pictures of bees as "selfies" on my computer, but you know what, Kyra, I still think bees are cool, so take that. 

Bullets:

• NSYNC (20D: "Bye Bye Bye" boy band) — The boy band craze just about missed me. I did have a favorite Jonas brother (Joe, of course, he had the best smile) but 'NSync was a little before my time. The craze is kind of back, though, with K-Pop. I don't have a favorite member of BTS but I'm actually really impressed by the vocal and dance talent some of these groups have! Don't get me started on Loona's choreography...
• OSHA (34A: Factory-inspecting org.) — I'm just linking this video because it's really fun to watch a guy do a lot of work about something that really doesn't matter at all in the real world. 
  
  
• AHAB (29D: "Moby-Dick" captain) —  My favorite Moby Dick quote: "Wherefore, for all these things, we account the whale immortal in his species, however perishable in his individuality. He swam the seas before the continents broke water; he once swam over the site of the Tuileries, and Windsor Castle, and the Kremlin. In Noah's flood he despised Noah's Ark; and if ever the world is to be again flooded, like the Netherlands, to kill off its rats, then the eternal whale will still survive, and rearing upon the topmost crest of the equatorial flood, spout his frothed defiance to the skies." ....Well, sperm whales are now considered "vulnerable [to endangerment/extinction]" by the IUCN, but in Melville's defense he was writing in 1851, so.
• IMMA (31D: "___ Be" by the Black-Eyed Peas) — Throwback time! 
  
  

Signed, August Thompson, tired graduate student. 

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Flat-topped hill / MON 1-11-21/ Letters between thetas and kappas / Actress Donovan of "Sabrina the Teenage Witch" / Hilton alternative / Soccer star Hamm

Constructor: Martha Kimes

Relative difficulty: Medium

THEME: Deli-ghtful — Theme answers begin with sandwiches.

Theme answers:

• WRAP PARTY (18A: Cast celebration at the end of filming)
• CUBAN CIGARS (26A: Souvenirs from Havana)
• CLUB HOPPING (44A: Going from nightspot to nightspot)
• SUBREDDIT (59A: Certain online board for discussion of a topic)
• DELI (58D: Where you might find the starts of 18-, 26, 44- and 59-Across)

Word of the Day: STOLI (67A: Popular vodka brand, for short) —

Stolichnaya (Russian: Столичная, also known as Stoli) is a vodka made of wheat and rye grain. A well-known Soviet brand, since the dissolution of the Soviet Union the ownership of Stolichnaya has been disputed between the Russian state-owned company FKP Soyuzplodoimport and SPI Group, a private company founded and owned by Russian billionaire Yuri Shefler.

(Wikipedia)

• • •

I liked this one overall, seemed like just about the right challenge level for a Monday with some interesting fill, but I had a few nitpicks. SUBREDDIT is total crosswordese, I only got it because I'm what the kids call "too online." Good joke on BAR NONE. Weird discrepancy with the foreign language clues; why is CASA "house in Mexico" but OEUF is "Egg: Fr."? I'm not a fan of the whole "in ____" style for foreign language clues anyway, but adding "Fr." is just kinda lazy...there must be another way. I've had enOEUF of this. Oh, and did anyone else have CZAR for TSAR? Took me ages to find and correct that. 

What do you call a sorceress at the beach? A sand witch! As usual, I find very little to say about this Monday theme. My favorite sandwich is a classic grilled cheese. Make it with cheddar and throw some green apple on that bad boy and you've got yourself a gourmet meal. What about you, CrossWorld?  

Bullets:

• MCRIB (1A: Periodically sold fast-food item) — I'll admit it. I've had one of these recently just to see what the hype was all about. Took one bite and it was like enjoying a fresh wad of wet newspaper with some barbecue sauce. Took another because surely I had to be missing something, and realized that what I was missing was that it was actually more like an old tire slathered in sugary tomato. Seriously, no idea why people like this gross sandwich. At all. 
• OYL (23A: Olive ___ [Popeye's sweetie]) — Who doesn't love Popeye? Couldn't find very many great cartoon clips, so here's Shelley Duvall as Olive Oyl. 
  
  
• MORAL (64A: Ethical) — I thought there was some big philosophical difference between ETHICAL and MORAL? Any philosophers out there able to educate me on that one? 
• PUTS (19D: "Nobody ___ Baby in a corner" [line from "Dirty Dancing"]) — I think I legally have to post this. 
  
  

Signed, August Thompson, tired graduate student.  

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