Off the Grid: Sally breaks down Paste BN's daily crossword puzzle, Low Boots
There are spoilers ahead. You might want to solve today's puzzle before reading further! Low Boots
Constructor: Stella Zawistowski
Editor: Amanda Rafkin
Random Thoughts & Interesting Things
- DSW (4A: Store with discount shoes) DSW (Designer Shoe Warehouse) is a chain of shoe stores owned by Designer Brands, Inc. This is a nice bonus entry for a puzzle about BOOTS.
- DEE (13A: "Look at me, I'm Sandra ___") "Look at me, I'm Sandra DEE," is a line from a song (of the same name) in the musical Grease. The song is sung by the character of Rizzo as she teases Danny for falling for a girl who resembles Sandra DEE, an actress known for her betrayal of endearingly innocent characters.
- SUMO (20A: Japan's national sport) The form of wrestling known as SUMO originated in Japan, which is currently the only country where it is practiced professionally. Rikishi is the term used for a professional SUMO wrestler. Rikishi live by a set of strict lifestyle rules, including growing their hair long.
- OAHU (21A: Honolulu's island) Honolulu is the capital of Hawaii. It is located on the southeast coast of the island of OAHU. OAHU is the third-largest of the Hawaiian islands and the most populated.
- OUT (24A: "Inside ___" (Disney movie with personified emotions)) If you are a regular reader of "Off the Grid," you may remember that I am a big fan of Inside OUT. When the animated movie was released in 2015, it introduced us to the personified emotions Joy (yellow), Sadness (blue), Disgust (green), Fear (purple), and Anger (red). In Inside Out 2, the sequel that was released earlier this year, we met Anxiety (orange), Envy (cyan), Ennui (indigo), and Embarrassment (pink). These emotions run the control center in the mind of Riley, a young girl who was 11 in the first movie, and 13 in the second.
- TAINO (48A: Indigenous Caribbean) Historically, the TAÍNO were an indigenous people of the Caribbean, inhabiting the areas that are now Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Haiti, Puerto Rico, the Bahamas, and the Lesser Antilles.
- EGOT (54A: Awards quartet achieved by Pasek & Paul at the 2024 Emmys) Pasek & Paul are the songwriting do of Benj Pasek and Justin Paul. EGOT is an acronym for Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Awards, and is used to designate those who have won all four awards at least once. At the 2024 Emmy Awards, Pasek & Paul won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics for the song "Which of the Pickwick Triplets Did It?" This song was featured on an episode of Only Murders in the Building. (I am also a big fan of this show, and this song is so fun!) The other EGOT-qualifying awards won by Pasek & Paul are an Academy Award for Best Original Song ("City of Stars" from La La Land, 2017), two Grammy Awards: Best Musical Theater Album (Dear Evan Hansen, 2018) and Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media (The Greatest Showman, 2019), and two Tony Awards: Best Original Score (Dear Evan Hansen, 2017) and Best Musical (A Strange Loop, 2022). Pasek & Paul set a new record for achieving EGOT status in the fastest time from first qualifying award to completion, 7 years and 7 months.
- TWENTY (67A: Number in a score) This answer confused me for the longest time, even after I had it filled in. I kept think of a score in a sports game and couldn't figure out why TWENTY was significant. Then I thought of a musical score, but that didn't make sense either. Finally, I remembered that the word score can be used to refer to a group of TWENTY units, as in the beginning of Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, "Four score and seven years ago..."
- MRS (69A: "The Marvelous ___ Maisel") The Marvelous MRS. Maisel (2017-2023) is a TV series set in the 1950s and 1960s. Rachel Brosnahan plays the role of MRS. Maisel, who is pursuing a career in stand-up comedy. The Marvelous MRS. Maisel has won a number of awards, including 22 Emmy Awards.
- PERU (2D: Lima's country) PERU is a country on the western edge of South America. Lima is the capital of PERU, and its largest city. LIMA is located on the western coast of Peru, near the Pacific Ocean.
- GOODNIGHT MOON (17D: Classic kids' bedtime book) GOODNIGHT MOON, written by Margaret Wise Brown and illustrated by Clement Hurd, was first published in 1947. Although sales of the book were initially poor, it eventually became a bestseller, and has been a part of the bedtime routine for many children. The book begins by describing the scene, "In the great green room / There was a telephone / And a red balloon / And a picture of – …" After the scene is set, the GOODNIGHTs begin, eventually concluding with "...GOODNIGHT stars / GOODNIGHT air / GOODNIGHT noises everywhere."
- WHISKY A GO GO (18D: Classic L.A. rock club) WHISKY A GO GO is a historic nightclub on Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, California (a city in Los Angeles county). The first WHISKY A GO GO opened in Chicago, Illinois in 1958. The Sunset Strip WHISKY A GO GO opened in 1964. Bands that have played at WHISKY A GO GO include The Doors, Fleetwood Mac, and AC/DC.
- MAE (63D: Author Rita ___ Brown) Rita MAE Brown is the author of numerous mystery novels, including the Mrs Murphy Mysteries series and the "Sister" Jane Mysteries series. Rita MAE Brown's debut novel was Rubyfruit Jungle, published in 1973. The term "rubyfruit jungle" is used in the book to refer to female genitals. The book is autobiographical, and is notable for being an early literary lesbian novel.
- A few other clues I especially enjoyed:
- DRAG SHOW (16A: Event with lip-syncing queens)
- SKIP (37A: Uno card with a "no" symbol)
- ATOM (57D: A chem student might make a model of one with styrofoam balls)
Crossword Puzzle Theme Synopsis
- TAKING THE KNEE (9D: Protesting, in a way)
- GOODNIGHT MOON (17D: Classic kids' bedtime book)
- WHISKY A GO GO (18D: Classic L.A. rock club)
LOW BOOTS: The LOWest word of each vertical theme answer is a type of BOOT. Today's LOW BOOTS are KNEE BOOTS, MOON BOOTS, and GO GO BOOTS.
I am a fan of all kinds of BOOTS, so I definitely enjoyed this puzzle. It's fun that although all of the BOOT types are LOW in the puzzle, they're not necessarily LOW BOOTS. KNEE BOOTS and GO GO BOOTS, in particular, are certainly not LOW BOOTS. If you're in the mood to celebrate your solve with a song today, I recommend Nancy Sinatra's "These BOOTS Are Made for Walkin'." Thank you, Stella, for this excellent puzzle.