Off the Grid: Sally breaks down Paste BN's daily crossword puzzle, Add In
There are spoilers ahead. You might want to solve today's puzzle before reading further! Add In
Constructor: Zhouqin Burnikel
Editor: Amanda Rafkin
What I Learned from Today’s Puzzle
- SOBE (44A: Drink brand with a two-lizard logo) Owned by PepsiCo, SOBE is a brand of teas, fruit-juices, and flavored waters. SOBE began in 1996 as the South Beach Beverage Company. Although I've seen SOBE beverages in the store, I've never had any of them, and apparently I've never paid enough attention to their logo, which is two lizards placed head to tail to form a stylized "S." SOBE offers a monthly digital newsletter called Lizard Tales.
- CHAI (54D: Tea brewed with karha mix) Karha mix is a blend of spices used to make CHAI (spiced sweetened tea). Although the exact mix varies, karha often includes cardamom, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and star anise. I'm familiar with CHAI, but the term "karha" is new to me.
- ROE (61D: Fish eggs in albap) In Korean cuisine, albap is a type of bibimbap (white rice topped with sautéed or fermented vegetables, chili pepper paste, soy sauce, and sometimes an egg and sliced meat) made with one or more kinds of ROE.
Random Thoughts & Interesting Things
- BAD DECISION (17A: Sleeping with makeup on, for example) Using a specific example for this clue was a fun decision, and this particular example amused me.
- OPEC (21A: Twelve-member oil grp.) The twelve countries of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) are its five founding members – Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela – plus Algeria, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Libya, Nigeria, and the United Arab Emirates. OPEC has been headquartered in Vienna, Austria since 1965, although Austria is not an OPEC member.
- SPA (31A: Place for an aqua massage) Just two days ago we saw SPA clued as [Place to get a stone massage]. Instead of hot stones, an aqua massage –available at some SPAs – uses water that is directed at different parts of the body by pressurized water jets to provide a deep tissue massage.
- BOBBLEHEAD DOLLS (40A: Collectible figurines often seen nodding) Well, this answer is timely, because it gives us just enough notice to make sure we celebrate National BOBBLEHEAD Day, which is tomorrow, January 7. When I visited my mom a few weeks ago, her house was decorated for Christmas. One of her decorations was a ceramic BOBBLEHEAD Santa that I had painted when I was about 10 years old. I had forgotten about BOBBLEHEAD Santa! My 10-year-old self thought he was so cool. I wish I'd taken a picture of him to share with you, but sadly I did not.
- PIGMENT (47A: Melanin, for one) Melanin is a family of PIGMENTs that provide color in some organisms, including humans. Melanins are produced in cells called melanocytes.
- TEEN (49A: Age of a typical quinceanera guest) A quinceañara is a celebration of a girl's 15th birthday. Therefore, typically many of the guests are TEENs.
- TESLA (50A: Inventor Nikola) Nikola TESLA (1856-1943) was an inventor and engineer known for his contributions to the design of modern electricity supply systems and alternating current (AC). One of Nikola TESLA's inventions was the TESLA coil, an electrical resonant transformer circuit that he invented in 1891.
- OSU (57A: Sch. in Columbus) The Ohio State University (OSU) is located in Columbus, Ohio. OSU is a land-grant university, founded in 1870 with benefits received from the Morrill Land-Grant Act of 1862. In 2022, the United States Patent and Trademark Office granted The Ohio State University a trademark on the word "the" used on branded products such as hats and shirts.
- CHICKPEAS (8D: Legumes in falafel) Falafel, which originated in Mediterranean cuisine, is a deep-fried fritter made of CHICKPEAS. CHICKPEAS are also known as garbanzo beans.
- SONIA (10D: Supreme Court justice Sotomayor) SONIA Sotomayor has been an associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court since August 2009. She self-identifies as a Nuyorican, a member of the Puerto Rican diaspora in and around New York City.
- SULU (12D: "Star Trek" lieutenant) Lieutenant Hikaru SULU is a character from the original Star Trek series (1966-1969). Lieutenant SULU also appeared in the first six Star Trek movies (1979-1991), and in the animated Star Trek series (1973-1974). In these appearances, Lieutenant SULU was portrayed by George Takei. In 2009, John Cho took over the portrayal of SULU. John Cho plays the role of SULU in the movies Star Trek (2009), Star Trek Into Darkness (2013), and Star Trek Beyond (2016).
- COD (18D: Common fish of lutefisk) Lutefisk is made by drying and salting COD or whitefish, and then rehydrating it in a lye solution.
- OPAL (25D: Milky white birthstone) OPAL is the birthstone for people born in October.
- TESS (34D: Mystery writer Gerritsen) TESS Gerritsen is an author and a retired physician. Her medical thrillers with the central characters of homicide detective Jane Rizzoli and medical examiner Dr. Maura Isles inspired the TV series Rizzoli & Isles.
- A few other clues I especially enjoyed:
- KHAKI (26A: Park ranger's uniform color, often)
- SWIPE (6D: Show interest (or disinterest) on Tinder)
- CHINATOWN (38D: Neighborhood with great dim sum)
Crossword Puzzle Theme Synopsis
- BAD DECISION (17A: Sleeping with makeup on, for example)
- BOBBLEHEAD DOLLS (40A: Collectible figurines often seen nodding)
- ROAD DEBRIS (61A: Driving hazards such as car parts, rocks, etc.)
ADD IN: The word ADD is found IN each theme answer: BAD DECISION, BOBBLEHEAD DOLLS, and ROAD DEBRIS.
When I read today's title, I wondered what was going to be "ADDed IN" to the theme answers. It turns out it's the word ADD itself. The grid-spanning BOBBLEHEAD DOLLS is my favorite of today's theme answers. Thank you, Zhouqin, for this enjoyable puzzle.