Skip to main content

Off the Grid: Sally breaks down Paste BN's daily crossword puzzle, Start Slow

Sally Hoelscher   Paste BN

There are spoilers ahead. You might want to solve today's puzzle before reading further! Start Slow

Constructor: Sam Cordes

Editor: Jared Goudsmit

What I Learned from Today’s Puzzle

  • TED (23A: "Two" poet Kooser) Former U.S. Poet Laureate (2004-2006) TED Kooser is known for his conversational style of poetry. He won the Pulitzer Prize for poetry for his book Delights & Shadows. His poem, "Two," which you can read on the Poetry Foundation website, paints a visual picture of a father and son walking down a staircase. In learning about TED Kooser, I discovered he is a Midwesterner. He grew up in Iowa, and now lives in Nebraska.
  • ETS (27D: Beings in the song "A TV Show Called Earth" (Abbr.)) "A TV Show Called Earth" is a 2021 song by Philip Labes. The premise of the song is that extraterrestrials (ETS) are real, and the happenings on Earth are a TV show for their entertainment. "What if aliens are real, and they live a trillion years / And they've watched every single one of us since birth..."
  • AMAZON (34D: Rainforest home to the Nomole people) The Nomole people, also known as Cujareño or Mashco Piro, are an indigenous group living in the remote regions of the AMAZON rainforest. They live in a restricted use zone of Manu National Park in Peru. The Nomole are one of several indigenous groups within the park that avoid contact with non-native people.
  • AMY (59D: Rosamund Pike's role in "Gone Girl") The 2014 movie, Gone Girl, is an adaptation of the Gillian Flynn's 2012 novel of the same name. Gone Girl is a psychological thriller about a woman named AMY who disappears. Her husband is suspected of murder. Rosamund Pike portrays AMY, a performance for which she won multiple awards.
  • LEE (60D: Photographer/activist Corky) Corky LEE (1947-2021) was a photographer, journalist, and activist. His work focused on Asian American culture, particularly aspects often overlooked by mainstream media. Corky LEE referred to himself as the "undisputed unofficial Asian American Photographer Laureate." A documentary titled Photographic Justice: The Corky LEE Story was released this year.

Random Thoughts & Interesting Things

  • RHO (5A: P-shaped Greek letter) Here's an opportunity to review the shapes of some of the letters in the Greek alphabet. The Greek letter RHO (Ρ,ρ) does indeed resemble the letter P in the Latin alphabet. Let's review the shapes of the three Greek letters whose names begin with the letter P: pi, phi, and psi. The lowercase letter pi (π) is fairly recognizable due to its use in mathematics. The uppercase pi (Π) resembles a doorway. Phi (Φ,φ) looks like a circle with a line drawn through it, and the Greek letter psi (Ψ,ψ) resembles a trident.
  • STEP (13A: "___ Up" (dance film franchise)) STEP Up is a franchise of romantic dance movies that began with the 2006 movie of the same name. There are six movies in the franchise, the most recent of which is STEP Up: Year of the Dance (2020), and a TV series, STEP Up: High Water.
  • WALES (15A: Llanfairpwllgwyngyll's country) Llanfairpwllgwyngyll is a village on the Isle of Anglesey in WALES. Believe it or not, Llanfairpwllgwyngyll is a shortened from of the community's name. The lengthened form has 58 characters (18 syllables): Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch. This translates to "St. Mary's church in the hollow of the white hazel near to the rapid whirlpool of Llantysilio of the Red Cave." This is thought to be the longest place name in Europe, but it's not the longest place name in the world. That honor goes to a hill in New Zealand: Taumata­whakatangihanga­koauau­o­tamatea­turi­pukaka­piki­maunga­horo­nuku­pokai­whenua­ki­tana­tahu (known as Taumata for obvious reasons). To be completely honest, I wasn't familiar with the community of Llanfairpwllgwyngyll, but when I read the clue I thought, "That must be Welsh."
  • DRE (25A: Name that's an anagram of 26-Down) and RED (26D: Ladybug color) When I encounter a cross-reference, I always debate about whether to skip over the clue and come back later or go look at the cross-reference. My decision often depends on the proximity of the two answers. In this case, 25-Across and 26-Down are in the same section of the grid, so it was easy to take a quick look and fill in both answers.
  • DINOSAUR (33A: Creature like Littlefoot in "The Land Before Time") The Land Before Time franchise currently includes 14 animated movies about the adventures of a group of DINOSAURs, as well as a TV series and video games. The group of adventurous friends includes Littlefoot (Apatosaurus), Cera (Triceratops), Ducky (Saurolophus), Petrie (Pteranodon), and Spike (Stegosaurus). The first movie in the franchise, The Land Before Time, was released in 1988. The most recent movie, The Land Before Time XIV: Journey of the Brave, was released in 2016.
  • ELI (50A: 2023 saber World Champion Dershwitz) ELI Dershwitz represents the United States in Men's saber fencing. I learned about him from the November 3, 2021 puzzle. In addition to being the 2023 World Champion in saber, ELI Dershwitz has competed in three Olympics (2016, 2020, and 2024), and has won five individual gold medals at the Pan American Championships. Fun fact: ELI Dershwitz has a twin sister named Sally.
  • YEAST (67A: Kombucha ingredient) Kombucha is a fermented drink made with tea, sugar, bacteria, and YEAST. It is a traditional drink in China, where it is believed to have originated.
  • DOGS (68A: Basenjis, beagles, etc.) Basenjis are a breed of hunting dogs. The breed originated in Africa and is characterized by the unusual yodel-like sound that has earned the breed the nickname, "the barkless DOG." Beagles are small DOGS, and the breed is a popular one for hunting DOGS and for pets.
  • ASK (1D: Pose the four questions, say) The Seder is a ritual meal that marks the beginning of the Jewish holiday Passover. During the Seder, the youngest child ASKs a series of questions, each of which is preceded by the words, "Why is this night different from all the other nights?" The Four Questions involve children in the Seder, and serve as a means of explaining the ritual's significance.
  • PELOTON (3D: Group of racing cyclists, or a brand for cyclists) The term PELOTON is used in road cycling races to refer to the main group of riders. PELOTON Interactive, Inc. is a company that makes stationary bikes and other exercise equipment. 
  • ORTEGA (7D: "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice" actress Jenna) Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is a 2024 movie that is a sequel to the 1988 movie Beetlejuice. Both movies center on a devious ghost named Betelgeuse. In the 1988 movie, Winona Ryder portrays Lydia, a teenage girl who is capable of seeing the ghosts living in the house her father and stepmother have purchased. Betelgeuse attempts to marry Lydia, but – spoiler alert! – is thwarted in his efforts. Winona Ryder reprises her role as Lydia in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. Lydia is now grown and has a teenage daughter of her own, from whom she is estranged at the beginning of the movie. Jenna ORTEGA portrays that daughter, whose name is Astrid.
  • OCD (22D: Condition sometimes treated with Luvox) Luvox is a brand name of the antidepressant drug, fluvoxamine. As the clue indicates, the drug is used in the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Back-to-back puzzle appearances for OCD, as we saw it yesterday clued as [Condition that might be treated with ERP].
  • PET (39D: Bruiser, to Elle Woods) Elle Woods (portrayed by Reese Witherspoon) is the protagonist of the movies Legally Blonde (2001) and Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde (2003). Elle's PET, Bruiser, was a Chihuahua portrayed by the canine actor, Moondoggie (1998-2016).
  • TEA TREE (43D: Rhyming oil source) TEA TREE is a shrub in the myrtle family. It is the source of TEA TREE oil, which is also known as melaleuca.
  • BONITO (49D: Fish aka skipjack) Skipjack tuna is also known as arctic BONITO or katsuo. BONITO flakes, made from the simmered, smoked, and fermented fish, are used to add umami flavor to foods.

Crossword Puzzle Theme Synopsis

  • MOTION DENIED (19A: Judge's "No")
  • JAM-PACKED (36A: Filled to the gills)
  • DOWN AND DIRTY (55A: Extremely unprincipled)

START SLOW: The START – that is, the first word – of each theme answer can be paired with the word SLOW: SLOW MOTION, SLOW JAM, and SLOW DOWN.

This is a classic Paste BN theme. The word START alerts solvers to pay attention to the beginnings of the theme answers. SLOW, the other word in the title, is used to form new phrases. This theme type is classic for a reason. There are a lot of possibilities for this type of theme, and it's interesting to see the new phrases that are created. Thank you, Sam, for this enjoyable puzzle.

For more on Paste BN’s Crossword Puzzles

Facebook Twitter Email