Off the Grid: Sally breaks down Paste BN's daily crossword, First Amendment Freedoms
There are spoilers ahead. You might want to solve today's puzzle before reading further! First Amendment Freedoms
Constructor: David Steinberg
Editor: Amanda Rafkin
Random Thoughts & Interesting Things
- ARIAL (15A: Apt-sounding font for an in-flight magazine) I admit that when I saw the word "font" I immediately filled in ARIAL, and then spent a few moments confused about why ARIAL is an apt font for an in-flight magazine. I was a little slow to figuring out that "ARIAL" is a homophone of "aerial" – "Aha!" I trust that it did not take you as long to figure this out as it did me.
- EDIE (16A: "Bupkis" actress Falco) The TV series, Bupkis (2023) is described as a fictionalized version of Pete Davidson's life. EDIE Falco portrays Pete Davidson's mother, Amy Davidson.
- PRESS YOUR LUCK (35A: Game show whose mascot is the Whammy) PRESS YOUR LUCK is a game show that originally aired from 1983-1986. A revival of the game show has aired on ABC since 2019, with Elizabeth Banks as the host. Contestants answer questions to earn spins on the "big board." The board contains 18 spaces that correspond to cash, prizes, or a cartoon mascot known as the Whammy. If a player lands on a Whammy, a cartoon animation plays and wipes out any cash and prizes they've accumulated. I dug deep into my memory banks to come up with this answer. I haven't seen the revised version of PRESS YOUR LUCK, but I did see the original version a few times. I was able to conjure up a memory of contestants shouting, "No Whammy!" and impressed myself by being able to come up with the name of the show.
- PANDA (49A: Bear such as Xin Bao) Xin Bao is a giant PANDA who, along with Yun Chuan, currently resides at the San Diego Zoo. The two PANDAs arrived at the San Diego Zoo in June of this year, on loan from China. Xin Bao is a four-year-old female PANDA whose name means "precious treasure of prosperity and abundance."
- ARIES (5D: Sign after Pisces) In the zodiac, ARIES (March 20-April 19) is the first astrological sign and Pisces (February 19-March 20) is the last. Since the cycle begins again at the end of Pisces season, ARIES follows Pisces. People born under the sign of ARIES include Mariah Carey, Lady Gaga, my mom, and my daughter. People born under the sign of Pisces include Rihanna, Millie Bobby Brown, and my sister.
- SCORE (28D: Scrabble calculation) There are many ways to clue the word SCORE, and I am delighted to see it scored in relation to Scrabble. The word SCORE would SCORE seven points in Scrabble without any bonuses.
- RED (42D: Raspberry's color) RED is making its third appearance in the puzzle in four days. We saw it yesterday clued as [Ladybug color] and on Sunday clued as [Like fire trucks].
- APACHE (43D: Southwestern Native) The APACHE have lived in the area that is the Southwestern United States and Northern Mexico for nearly 3,500 years.
- LUGE (54D: Sled that can travel 87 mph) A LUGE is a small sled holding one or two people. Riders lie face up and sled feet first. Lugers compete on artificial tracks that have specially designed banked curves and walled-in straight sections. As the clue notes, a LUGE can reach speeds of over 87 mph. The top speed recorded on a LUGE was 96 mph on a track in Canada prior to the 2010 Winter Olympics.
- A few other clues I especially enjoyed:
- HERO (62A: Any of Marvel's Avengers)
- EDEN (65A: Adam and Eve's starter home)
- SLOB (8D: Person who leaves dirty dishes everywhere, say)
Crossword Puzzle Theme Synopsis
- SPEECH BUBBLE (20A: It surrounds certain text in a comic strip)
- PRESS YOUR LUCK (35A: Game show whose mascot is the Whammy)
- ASSEMBLY LINE (52A: Efficient factory process)
FIRST AMENDMENT FREEDOMS: The FIRST word of each theme answer is a FREEDOM protected by the FIRST AMENDMENT to the U.S. Constitution: the FREEDOM of SPEECH, the FREEDOM of the PRESS, and the FREEDOM of ASSEMBLY.
This is an interesting theme. I appreciate that the word FIRST is serving a dual purpose here, referring to the FIRST AMENDMENT, but also signaling to the FIRST part of the theme answers. This feels like a timely theme, too, as we near election day in the United States. Thank you, David, for this excellent puzzle.