Off the Grid: Sally breaks down Paste BN's daily crossword puzzle, Mask Up
There are spoilers ahead. You might want to solve today's puzzle before reading further! Mask Up
Constructor: Zaineb Akbar
Editor: Anna Gundlach
Comments from Today’s Crossword Constructor
Zaineb: hope you enjoyed the puzzle 💤😷🐑 <3 i'd like to share these links with you: Sudan Funds, Action, Gaza Funds, Friends of the Congo, Supporting Africans Trapped in Lebanon
What I Learned from Today’s Puzzle
- LORNA (10D: "Everrrything" artist Simpson) LORNA Simpson is a photographer and multimedia artist. She is known for her "large-scale photograph-and-text works that confront and challenge narrow, conventional views of gender, identity, culture, history and memory." Her solo exhibition, "Everrrything," was on display at Hauser & Wirth in Los Angeles from September 2021 to January 2022.
- TARO (37D: Root vegetable in mumu) Mumu, considered the national dish of Papua New Guinea, is a dish of pork or chicken with sweet potatoes, TARO, and leafy vegetables. Traditionally, mumu was wrapped in banana leaves and cooked in an earth oven from which it takes its name.
Random Thoughts & Interesting Things
- EARLY (12A: In the wee hours of the morning) and LATE (31D: In the wee hours of the night) I really like the use of repeated wording (sometimes referred to as a clue echo) in these two clues.
- AMO (41A: "Te ___ por siempre") and ESTA (47A: "Como ___ usted?") A nice pair of Spanish clues today. "Te AMO por siempre" means "I love you forever." "Como ESTA usted?" means "How are you?"
- SUNBEAM (62A: Ray of light a cat might bask in) This is a lovely descriptive clue. In the summer, my cat, Willow, enjoys basking in the SUNBEAMs that come in our bedroom window.
- UPCYCLE (66A: Make shoes from plastic waste, for example) Plastic waste is an environmental issue that has serious impacts on human health, marine wildlife, and the safety of groundwater. Some companies have explored ways to UPCYCLE plastic waste and keep it out of landfills. Shoes made from plastic waste are one example of upcycling. Several brands make such shoes, including Adidas and Saola.
- TED (69A: ___ Talks) TED Talks originated at the first TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) conference held in February 1984. TED conferences have been held annually since 1990. Since 2006, TED Talks have been available to view online, with the tagline, "Ideas worth spreading." TED Talks cover a variety of topics, such as "What does poverty look like on a plate?" (Huiyi Lin), "Why you think you look bad in photos" (Teri Hofford), and "Poetry and music that reaches across the digital void" (Elle Cordova).
- EDEN (28D: Garden Lilith was banished from) In Jewish folklore, Lilith was Adam's first wife. Some stories tell of Lilith being banished from the garden of EDEN for not obeying Adam. Other stories have Lilith fleeing EDEN to gain her independence.
- SUDAN (53D: Sarra Idris and Alek Wek's home country) Sarra Idris is a Sudanese American director, editor, and visual artist. Her work includes the short film, My Sister Sara (2020). Alek Wek is a Sudanese British model who has modeled for notable fashion houses, appeared on the covers of Elle, Cosmopolitan, and Glamour magazines, and been a guest judge on America's Next Top Model and Britain & Ireland's Next Top Model. Her autobiography, released in 2007, is titled Alek: From Sudanese Refugee to International Supermodel.
- NINE (58D: First digit in West Coast Zip codes) The five-digit ZIP codes used by the United States Postal Service (USPS) were introduced in 1963. The first digit of a ZIP code indicates the U.S. states to which it is assigned. ZIP codes beginning with the number NINE are assigned to the West Coast states of Washington, Oregon, and California, as well as Alaska and Hawaii. Fun fact: Ketchikan, Alaska has the highest ZIP code – 99950.
- A few other clues I especially enjoyed:
- CANDLE (67A: One of five on a 5-year-old's birthday cake)
- SALON (1D: Place to go platinum)
- INCH (55D: Move like a caterpillar)
Crossword Puzzle Theme Synopsis
- SLEEP LIKE A BABY (3D: Get some good deep rest)
- FACE THE MUSIC (6D: Accept consequences)
- SHEET METAL (9D: Thin pieces of steel)
MASK UP: The top (UPmost) word of each vertical theme answer can be paired with the word MASK: SLEEP MASK, FACE MASK, and SHEET MASK.
From the puzzle's title, I correctly guessed the theme would be in the Down answers. I wondered whether it would be a hidden word theme or a paired word theme. That question was answered by SLEEP LIKE A BABY. Aha! SLEEP MASK. The one MASK I was not as familiar with is a SHEET MASK. It turns out I've used a SHEET MASK – a piece of paper or fabric used to apply a facial – I just didn't know that's what it was called. Always happy to learn something new! Thank you, Zaineb, for this enjoyable puzzle.