Off the Grid: Sally breaks down Paste BN's daily crossword puzzle, Print Out
There are spoilers ahead. You might want to solve today's puzzle before reading further! Print Out
Constructor: Zhouqin Burnikel
Editor: Amanda Rafkin
Random Thoughts & Interesting Things
- EAGLE (6A: Golf score named after a bird) In golf, an EAGLE is a score that is two strokes fewer than par. An EAGLE isn't the only golf score named after a bird. There's also a birdie (one stroke under par), an albatross (three under par), and a condor (four under par). I had a funny experience with this clue. I originally misread it as [Gulf shore named after a bird]. Even after I filled in the answer I didn't realize my mistake. I just thought, "Oh, there must be an EAGLE Shore somewhere... Appropriately, I only realized my mistake when I read the clue on the PRINT OUT of the puzzle as I was preparing to write this. [Golf score named after a bird] makes so much more sense!
- RAT (22A: Chinese zodiac animal after Pig) The Year of the RAT traditionally begins the Chinese zodiac cycle. The Pig is the twelfth animal of the Chinese zodiac. Since the twelve-year cycle repeats, RAT follows Pig. We are currently in the Year of the Dragon, in case you were wondering. The Year of the Snake begins on January 29, 2025.
- ASU (27A: The Sun Devils' sch.) Arizona State University (ASU) is located in Tempe, Arizona. The Sun Devils are the athletic teams at ASU, and Sparky the Sun Devil is the school's mascot. The abbreviation of the word school (sch.) in the clue alerts solvers the answer will be an abbreviation.
- PIPPI (34A: Kid-lit character Longstocking) PIPPI Longstocking is a nine-year-old girl (with red pigtails and freckles) that first appeared in a 1945 children's book by Astrid Lindgren. The original Swedish title of the book was PIPPI Långstrump. Astrid Lindgren came up with the stories about PIPPI for her daughter when the child was sick with pneumonia. A few years later, she entered the stories in a children's book contest held by a fairly new publisher, Rabén & Sjögren. The book won the contest and was published with illustrations by Ingrid Vang Nyman. Two other full-length PIPPI books followed the first, followed by three short stories. Stories about PIPPI have been adapted for movies and TV.
- DAN (36A: Karate belt level) Karate and other martial arts organizations use the DAN ranking system to indicate a person's level of ability.
- SNL (42A: NBC show turning 50 in 2025) The first Saturday Night Live (SNL) episode aired on NBC on October 11, 1975 and was hosted by George Carlin. Its original title was NBC's Saturday Night. The name was changed to Saturday Night Live in 1977 after NBC purchased the rights to the name after the ABC program, Saturday Night Live with Howard Cosell, was cancelled. SNL's 50th season began on September 28 of this year.
- BERET (44A: Black Panther's hat) College students Bobby Seale and Huey P. Newton formed the Black Panther Party in October 1966 in OAKLAND, California. They chose a uniform for the party that consisted of blue shirts, black pants, black leather jackets, and black BERETs. The Black Panther Party was dissolved in 1982.
- PBS (47A: "Cosmos" network) The 13-part TV series, Cosmos: A Personal Voyage, originally aired on PBS in 1980, and was narrated by Carl Sagan. The show covered a range of scientific subjects and was one of the most widely-watched PBS shows. Two sequel series have been produced by Fox and National Geographic: Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey (2014) and Cosmos: Possible Worlds (2020).
- PRINCESS CUT (61A: Square diamond style with pointed corners) The technical name of a PRINCESS CUT is square modified brilliant, which doesn't sound nearly as romantic. A PRINCESS CUT diamond has a square shape when viewed from the top, and the shape of an inverted pyramid when viewed from the side.
- ESPORTS (6D: Hearthstone or Overwatch) ESPORTS are organized competitions that involve video games. Hearthstone and Overwatch are two video games associated with ESPORTS. In an effort to promote ESPORTS, several ESPORTS events have been held alongside traditional international sports competitions. ESPORTS competitions were a pilot event at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, with a possibility for them to be a full medal event in 2026.
- PERT (13D: ___ Plus shampoo) It has been quite some time since I thought of PERT Plus, but as soon as I read this clue, I was able to visualize the green shampoo bottles. PERT Plus is also known as Pert 2 in 1.
- APP (27D: PictureThis or PlantNet) PictureThis and PlantNet are APPs used for the identification of plants. Here's a fun bonus tidbit of information: The case used by both of these APPs – where the two words are squished together and feature an internal capital letter – is known as camel case (or CamelCase).
- POLIO (35D: Sabin developed a vaccine for it) Albert Sabin developed the oral POLIO vaccine (OPV). The OPV was easier to administer and had longer lasting effects than the earlier POLIO vaccine developed by Jonas Salk. Albert Sabin refused to patent his vaccine, wanting the price to remain low so the vaccine would be widely used. This answer reminds me of a visit my family made to the Smithsonian Museum in 2006 as part of a trip we took to Washington D.C. with my parents. The Smithsonian had a display on POLIO, chronicling its history, treatment, and near eradication. My mom waited outside of the gallery while we went through – the memory of POLIO was too painful for her to revisit as she had lived through it. Although I know people that had POLIO, and remember receiving the "sugar cube" vaccine, I didn't experience POLIO as my mom did. Sometimes when a vaccine is successful, it's easy to forget why it was developed in the first place. This is why studying history is important. Also, hooray for science in the crossword!
- TROPE (46D: Overused plot device) I really enjoy the word TROPE, both the sound of it, and its meaning. A TROPE is a storytelling device, used to convey meaning to an audience. For example, when two characters experience a "Meet Cute," it's a signal that their paths are going to continue to cross. Although some TROPEs are certainly overused, it's nearly impossible to tell a story without using a TROPE. After all, as Mark Twain said, "There is no such thing as a new idea."
- STEW (59D: Nikujaga or gumbo) Nikujaga is a STEW of Japanese origin, consisting of meat, potatoes, and onion, flavored with soy sauce and mirin. Gumbo is a STEW that originated in Louisiana. Gumbo is made of meat or shellfish along with celery, bell peppers, and onions.
- A couple of other answers I especially enjoyed:
- THERE THERE (11D: "Everything will be OK")
- ONE (40D: 0.07 + 0.93)
Crossword Puzzle Theme Synopsis
- PROVE A POINT (17A: Show that you're right)
- PRIOR COMMITMENT (38A: Reason to decline an invitation)
- PRINCESS CUT (61A: Square diamond style with pointed corners)
PRINT OUT: The word PRINT is found at the OUTside edges of each theme answer: PROVE A POINT, PRIOR COMMITMENT, and PRINCESS CUT.
I appreciate that the break in the word PRINT is different in each theme answer and progresses as you move down the grid: PR/INT to PRI/NT to PRIN/T. I did chuckle as I filled in PRIOR COMMITMENT. It makes complete sense, but my first thought when I read [Reason to decline an invitation] was "BECAUSE YOU'RE AN INTROVERT." Ah, maybe that's just me; oh, and also it's too long. Thank you, Zhouqin, for this enjoyable puzzle.