Off the Grid: Sally breaks down Paste BN's daily crossword puzzle, Double Up
There are spoilers ahead. You might want to solve today's puzzle before reading further! Double Up
Constructor: Bill Conner
Editor: Anna Gundlach
What I Learned from Today’s Puzzle
- BIC (1D: Clic Stic pen maker) Clic Stic is the brand name BIC uses for their retractable pens. I wasn't familiar with this brand name, but it was easy enough to figure out since: 1) BIC rhymes with Clic Stic, and 2) How many 3-letter pen companies are there?
Random Thoughts & Interesting Things
- OATMEAL (22A: Hot breakfast often served with brown sugar) OATMEAL is having a moment, as we just saw it in the puzzle two days ago.
- YELLOW (27A: The "Y" in ROYGBIV) ROYGBIV is a mnemonic used to remember the colors of the rainbow in order: red, orange, YELLOW, green, blue, indigo, and violet.
- RAMOS (31A: "In the Heights" actor Anthony) In the Heights is a 2005 musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda. It was adapted into a musical film of the same name in 2021. Anthony RAMOS stars in the film as Usnavi de la Vega, the owner of a bodega in the Washington Heights neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan.
- COOKIE (49A: Macaroon or macaron) I have yet to meet a COOKIE I didn't like, so I would be happy with either a macaroon or a macaron. A macaroon is a mounded COOKIE usually made with coconut. Sometimes the bottoms of macaroons are dipped in chocolate once they're baked. A macaron is a sandwich COOKIE made of a meringue-like mixture and filled with jam, ganache, or buttercream. Fun fact: Both of these COOKIEs are gluten-free, as neither one contains flour. This clue is reminding me of the one time I have made macarons. I made them to look like cats (of course I did).
- CABIN (54A: Cruise ship room) and CASINO (55A: Cruise ship amenity) This row of the puzzle is cruising.
- MIXED DRINK (58A: Manhattan or Long Island iced tea) There are so many MIXED DRINK options that could have been used as examples here. I appreciate the choice to choose two cocktails with New York City-related names. A Manhattan is a MIXED DRINK made with whiskey, sweet vermouth, and bitters, and garnished with a maraschino cherry. A Long Island iced tea is made with vodka, tequila, rum, triple sec, gin, and cola. Yes, you read that correctly; it doesn't contain any iced tea! This MIXED DRINK got its name because it is the same color as iced tea. Like its namesake, it's often garnished with a lemon slice.
- ERNIE (5D: Bert's roommate on "Sesame Street") I'm always happy to see a Sesame Street reference in the puzzle. ERNIE and Bert live in a basement apartment at 123 Sesame Street. If you've ever wondered whether the correct way to refer to this duo is "Bert and ERNIE" or "ERNIE and Bert," that topic is discussed on Muppet Wiki. The answer is that there's no right or wrong answer. There isn't consistency in the billing order, so either order is correct.
- LAP CAT (11D: Purring snuggle buddy) Willow is definitely a LAP CAT. My LAP, in particular, is one of her favorite places to be. The other day she was sitting on my LAP while I was working at my desk, and suddenly she reached her paws up and put them over my mouth. I wasn't even talking at the time, but apparently she wanted to make sure I didn't start talking (or singing, perhaps).
- TOMB (24D: The Great Pyramid at Giza, for one) The Great Pyramid of Giza, also known as the Pyramid of Khufu, is the oldest and largest of the pyramids in the Giza pyramid complex near Cairo, Egypt. It is believed the pyramid was built as a TOMB for the pharaoh Khufu around 2560 BC.
- POOH (25D: Bear often depicted wearing a shirt but no pants) This clue made me chuckle. It's true – Winnie the POOH, A. A. Milne's beloved teddy bear character, is most often depicted wearing a red shirt, but without pants. Perhaps he and Donald Duck could form a club of cartoon characters that don't wear pants. Mickey Mouse would not be able to join their club, as he generally wears pants, but no shirt.
- TRATTORIA (34D: Casual Italian restaurant) If you're dining out in Italy, you have a number of choices. A TRATTORIA is generally mid-range in formality, being less formal than a ristorante, but more formal than an osteria.
Crossword Puzzle Theme Synopsis
- CLEAN BREAK (17A: Complete separation)
- BUTTER CHURN (35A: Device used for making a cream-based spread)
- MIXED DRINK (58A: Manhattan or Long Island iced tea)
DOUBLE UP: Both words of each theme answer can be paired with the word UP to form a new phrase: CLEAN UP, BREAK UP, BUTTER UP, CHURN UP, MIXED UP, and DRINK UP.
The "word in the theme answer paired with a word in the title" is a classic Paste BN theme type. It's fun to get a DOUBLE dose of that type of theme here, as both of the words in each theme answer are utilized to make new phrases. I experienced a nice, "Aha!" moment when I realized the theme. Thank you, Bill, for this enjoyable puzzle.