Off the Grid: Sally breaks down Paste BN's daily crossword puzzle, Side Dishes
There are spoilers ahead. You might want to solve today's puzzle before reading further! Side Dishes
Constructor: Prasanna Keshava
Editor: Jared Goudsmit
What I Learned from Today’s Puzzle
- APR (40A: National Frog Month) Today I learned that April (APR.) is National Frog Month. During April, many frogs emerge from hibernation. Frogs are semiaquatic amphibians. Frogs start out as tadpoles, who possess tails and gills and live in the water. They undergo metamorphosis from tadpoles to tailless adult frogs with lungs. Frogs have existed for millions of years. Precursors of modern frogs coexisted with dinosaurs during the Jurassic Period.
- BACON (9D: Meat in clams casino) Clams casino is a dish that consists of clams served on the half shell with breadcrumbs and BACON. The dish originated in Rhode Island. There are many variations of clams casino, but BACON is a consistent ingredient.
Random Thoughts & Interesting Things
- FDR (23A: Four Freedoms prez) Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) was president of the United States from March 4, 1933 to April 12, 1945. The Four Freedoms were goals laid out by FDR in January 1941. In a State of the Union speech before Congress, FDR proposed that people everywhere in the world should be able to enjoy: freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want, and freedom from fear. The shortening of the word president to prez in the clue alerts solvers the answer will be an abbreviation.
- AHS (28A: Spooky TV show with a season titled "Hotel") AHS here stands for American Horror Story, a TV series that first aired in 2011. AHS is an anthology TV series, meaning each season is a self-contained miniseries with a different set of characters and story lines. AHS: Hotel is the show's fifth season, which originally aired October 2015-January 2016. The season centers on mysterious events at a hotel in Los Angeles, California.
- ORE (49A: Rock like bauxite) The sedimentary rock known as bauxite was first discovered in the early 1800s near the village of Les Baux in southern France. The reddish brown , white, or tan ORE is a source of aluminium and gallium.
- RINA (60A: "Hold the Girl" singer Sawayama) RINA Sawayama is a singer-songwriter and a model. She was born in Japan, and currently lives in England. Hold the Girl is her second studio album, released in 2022.
- EPEE (62A: Olympic sword) ÉPÉE is making back-to-back appearances in the puzzle. We saw it yesterday clued as [Sword for Koki Kano].
- SERB (8D: Person from Kraljevo or Belgrade) Serbia is a landlocked country in Europe. Kraljevo and Belgrade are cities in Serbia, making their residents SERBs. Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia.
- MOOD RINGS (11D: Pieces of jewelry with color-changing "stones") MOOD RINGS contain a thermochromic element – that is, one that changes color dependent on temperature. MOOD RINGS were first sold in 1975, and experienced a period of popularity. This was during my childhood, and my sister and I both had MOOD RINGS. A couple of years ago I bought a pair of MOOD RINGS – one for my sister and one for me – so we could reminisce together. This clue is reminding me that I never gave my sister her MOOD RING, and the RINGS are safely tucked away somewhere in my house!
- SEED (27D: Bit inside a loquat) A loquat is a yellow or orange fruit from a tree native to south-central China. Loquats may be oval, round, or pear-shaped. Each fruit contains one to four SEEDs.
- ALOES (29D: "Spiral" succulents) Spiral ALOES are a specific species of the plant distinguished by their symmetrical spiral growth.
- BOP IT (32D: Hasbro game that requires quick reflexes) The interactive game BOP IT has buttons, handles that can be pulled, switches, and cranks. As the game is played, the toy gives instructions to the player. The speed of the instructions increases as the game progresses. Multiple versions of BOP IT have been made since its original release in 1996.
- ELLA (34D: "Blue Moon" singer Fitzgerald) ELLA Fitzgerald (1917-1996) was known as the "Queen of Jazz." The song "Blue Moon" was written by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart in 1934. It has been covered by many artists over the years, including ELLA Fitzgerald in 1957.
- YONDER (35D: "Wander Over ___" (Disney series with a rhyming title)) Wander Over YONDER is an animated TV series that aired on the Disney Channel and Disney XD from 2013-2016. The sci-fi adventure show follows its title character, Wander, as he travels from planet to planet along with Sylvia, his best friend. Sylvia is a Zbornak, a horse/dinosaur-like alien with blue skin, a long tail, and pink hair.
- IDES (54D: Fateful day for Caesar) In the Roman calendar, IDES referred to a day near the middle of the month - the 15th of March, May, July, or October, and the 13th of any other month. March 15 is the IDES of March. In 44 BC, Julius Caesar was assassinated on the IDES of March, making the date notorious.
Crossword Puzzle Theme Synopsis
- FLESH AND BLOOD (20A: Close relatives)
- FOR THE LOVE OF GOD (37A: Furious "PLEASE!")
- FOOLING AROUND (53A: Acting goofy)
SIDE DISHES: The word FOOD is found at the SIDEs of each theme answer: FLESH AND BLOOD, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, and FOOLING AROUND.
It took me a bit to catch on to the theme today, making for a satisfying "Aha!" moment when I finally saw it. I appreciate that each possible break of the word FOOD is represented: F/OOD, FO/OD, and FOO/D. Thank you, Prasanna, for this enjoyable puzzle.