Off the Grid: Sally breaks down Paste BN's daily crossword puzzle, Food Chain
There are spoilers ahead. You might want to solve today's puzzle before reading further! Food Chain
Constructor: Jake Halperin
Editor: Anna Gundlach
What I Learned from Today’s Puzzle
- RILEY (49D: Blackstreet singer/songwriter Teddy) Blackstreet is a Grammy Award-winning R&B and hip hop group that was formed in 1991. Their breakthrough single, "No Diggity," was a number one hit in 1996. Teddy RILEY is a founding member and the lead vocalist of Blackstreet.
Random Thoughts & Interesting Things
- ACLU (1A: Org. that fights for Indigenous rights) The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) was founded in 1920 in response to the Palmer Raids of 1919 and 1920, a series of raids by the U.S. Department of Justice under the leadership of Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer. Through litigation and lobbying, the ACLU continues to work to protect the individual rights of all people in the United States, including Indigenous people. The ACLU believes "every person in this country should have the same basic rights," and their work is aimed at protecting those rights. I'm always happy to highlight the excellent efforts of the ACLU. I appreciate these words on the ACLU website: "The ACLU dares to create a more perfect union — beyond one person, party, or side. Our mission is to realize this promise of the United States Constitution for all and expand the reach of its guarantees."
- FDR (25A: Only four-term POTUS) The abbreviation POTUS, for President of the United States, lets solvers know the answer is the initials of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, FDR. From 1933 until his death in 1945, FDR was the POTUS. He is the only president to serve more than two terms.
- RILKE (32A: Poet Rainer Maria) Rainer Maria RILKE (1875-1926) was an Austrian poet and novelist. He is regarded as one of the greatest poets of the twentieth century, and although he has been dead nearly a hundred years, his works of poetry continue to sell and his work is frequently quoted. Rainer Maria RILKE's published books of poetry include The Book of Hours (three volumes, 1899-1903), The Book of Images (four parts, 1902-1906), and New Poems (1907).
- DEAD SEA (33A: Extremely salty lake) The DEAD SEA is located between the countries of Jordan and Israel. It has a salinity of about 34%, compared to the 3.5% salinity of the world's oceans. As a result, swimming in the DEAD SEA is similar to floating. Most plants and animals cannot live in the DEAD SEA, hence its name.
- LEGO SET (36A: The 10,001-block Eiffel Tower kit, e.g.) This is a well-written clue. I appreciate the use of the word "block" in the clue to give a hint to LEGO. The use of the word "kit" in the clue helped me know the answer was LEGO SET, rather than the similar answer LEGO kit. According to the LEGO website, the completed Eiffel Tower LEGO model will be 59 inches tall (that's just an inch short of five feet!).
- HOLE (43A: Ozone ___ (region that has continued to shrink since the 2000s) The ozone layer is a part of the Earth's stratosphere. One important role of the ozone layer is that it absorbs most of the Sun's ultraviolet radiation, which would otherwise cause damage to plants and animals. The ozone HOLE refers to a springtime decrease in stratospheric ozone around the polar regions. In the 1970s and 1980s, scientists noticed the size of the ozone HOLE was increasing. Thanks to regulation of ozone-depleting substances, the ozone HOLE is now shrinking. That's extremely good news.
- HENRY (62A: "The Turn of the Screw" author James) HENRY James (1843-1916) was an American British author. His gothic horror novella, The Turn of the Screw, was first published as a serial in Collier's Weekly in 1898. The novella has been adapted numerous times. Its recent adaptations include the 2020 movie, The Turning, and the 2020 TV miniseries, The Haunting of Bly Manor.
- COX (2D: "OINTB" star Laverne) OINTB here stands for Orange is the New Black (2013-2019), the Netflix TV series based on Piper Kerman's memoir about her year in a women's prison. Laverne COX portrays inmate Sophia Burset. Her role was significant, as it was the first time on mainstream TV that a trans woman of color played a trans woman of color.
- LIE (3D: "Adjust" the facts) Ah, I'm not telling a LIE, I simply "adjusted" the facts. This reminded me that when my children were younger, one of them had a tendency to tell "stories" at school (that they had stepped on a nail, or that they were going to have a baby brother or sister, etc.). We described this as their "fluid reality" – similar to "adjusting" the facts.
- OTHERS (9D: What the "al" in "et al." means) The abbreviation "et al." is a shortening of the Latin phrase "et alia," which means "and OTHERS."
- KEG (30D: Barrel tossed in Strongman competitions) Strongman competitions include a variety of events designed to test contestants' physical strength and endurance. The KEG toss involves tossing a half-barrel beer KEG. (Empty KEGs are used to decrease the chance of injury.)
- EDWARD (45D: One "team" of the "Twilight" fandom) The Twilight series of novels were written by Stephenie Meyer and released from 2005 to 2008. The novels were adapted into The Twilight Saga film series (2008-2012). The Twilight stories center around Bella Swan, a teenage girl who moves to Forks, Washington and falls in love with a vampire named EDWARD Cullen. Bella also becomes friends with Jacob Black, who is a werewolf. Twilight fans have a tendency to divide themselves into "teams," based on whether they think Bella should be with EDWARD or Jacob. Some fans prefer not to take a side, and refer to themselves as "Team Switzerland."
- LEA (59D: Actress Seydoux) In 2013, French actress LÉA Seydoux was awarded the Palme d'Or, the highest honor given at the Cannes Film Festival, for her performance in the movie Blue is the Warmest Colour. She also played Madeleine Swann in the 2015 James Bond movie, Spectre.
- A couple of other clues I especially enjoyed:
- ON IT (19A: "Googling that as we speak")
- ALAS (58A: "Sad is my lot!")
- DOLLOP (26D: Imprecise sour cream amount)
Crossword Puzzle Theme Synopsis
- PREP SCHOOL (17A: Pre-college education option)
- COOK THE BOOKS (28A: Manipulate ledgers)
- SERVE A PURPOSE (44A: Be of use)
- CLEAN SWEEP (55A: Nothing but wins)
FOOD CHAIN: The first word of each theme answer is a step in FOOD preparation: PREP, COOK, SERVE, and CLEAN.
This is a fun and creative theme. I almost missed that PREP SCHOOL is a theme answer, but after I uncovered COOK THE BOOKS, I looked up and noticed it. I especially appreciate that these steps are presented in the puzzle in the order they happen, living up to the CHAIN part of the title. Another nice aspect is that each of the words – PREP, COOK, SERVE, and CLEAN – changes meaning from its use in the theme answer to its use in the FOOD CHAIN. Thank you, Jake, for this delightful puzzle.