Constructor: Brandon Koppy
Relative problem: Straightforward
THEME: “Power Play” — a “play” on the phrase “Could the Power be with you…” (from Star Wars); the theme revealer is the corny/punny phrase “MAY THE FOURTH BE WITH YOU” (as a result of as we speak is Could the fourth … which I suppose is Star Wars day now?); so, the fourth sq. of every theme reply has two letters in it, the second of which is at all times “U,” so the fourth letter of each theme reply is at all times “with U” (inside a single field)—these fourth letters (those paired with “U”) spell out STAR WARS:
Theme solutions:
- GINSU KNIFE (22A: Product that “can reduce a slice of bread so skinny you possibly can nearly see by way of it,” in outdated adverts) / 23D: “Nicely, OK” (“SURE”)
- LETTUCE WRAPS (34A: Bunless cookout entrees) / 8D: Dew, for instance (MOISTURE)
- IRS AUDITS (44A: Ebook opinions of kinds?) / 45D: The Masters host metropolis (AUGUSTA)
- BEGRUDGING (52A: Given reluctantly) / 53D: Countrylike (RUSTIC)
- BLOW-UP DOLL (87A: Companion who may take your breath away?) / 85D: Large title in organs (WURLITZER)
- AD NAUSEAM (97A: Time and again) / 93D: Routes throughout low waters (CAUSEWAYS)
- VITRUVIAN MAN (107A: Well-known Leonardo da Vinci drawing with 4 arms and 4 legs) / 102D: Simply what the physician ordered? (DRUG)
- SENSUALITY (122A: Steaminess) / 123D: Sport that takes place in a dohyo (SUMO)
Phrase of the Day: SHISO (46D: Minty herb utilized in Japanese delicacies) —
Perilla frutescens var. crispa, additionally identified by its Japanese title shiso (紫蘇), is a cultigen of Perilla frutescens, a herb within the mint household Lamiaceae. It’s native to the mountainous areas of China and India, however is now discovered worldwide. The plant happens in a number of kinds, as outlined by the traits of their leaves, together with crimson, inexperienced, bicolor, and ruffled. Shiso is perennial and could also be cultivated as an annual in temperate climates. Totally different elements of the plant are utilized in East Asian and Southeast Asian delicacies. […] Shiso (紫蘇) is extensively utilized in Japanese delicacies. Crimson, inexperienced, and bicolor varieties are used for various functions. (wikipedia)
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| [My actual living room] |
As somebody who finds this “vacation” corny and obnoxious … yeah, this was not the puzzle for me. The entire MAY THE FOURTH BE WITH YOU pun is like one thing that form of makes you smile the primary time you hear it, possibly, however … each rattling yr now, everybody reproducing this drained pun AD NAUSEAM. Why would you give IP its personal vacation? PI DAY is much less grating, and that’s … saying one thing. On a technical stage, although, this puzzle is fairly spectacular. Neither THE FORCE nor THE FOURTH is actually “with U,” however STAR WARS is, and at all times within the “fourth” place, too. I might say “it should’ve been difficult to seek out solutions that match these parameters,” however these days I determine somebody simply wrote a bit of code or in any other case let some form of software program do the answer-hunting. Nonetheless, good contact to get the “+U” pairs all into the fourth squares. I truly did not even discover that bit till after I used to be performed—I simply thought it was a STAR WARS tribute, and that the “fourth” solely had that means in relation to the precise calendar date. Good to find the “fourth sq.” angle afterward. However from a fixing perspective, there was nothing terribly enjoyable about this. It is a rebus puzzle that principally performs like a themeless. It is solidly constructed, nothing shaky about it. Nevertheless it didn’t amuse me almost as a lot as I assume it can amuse followers of Star Wars. And puns. What was it John Oliver stated about puns? Oh, proper: “the bottom type of human habits” (see yesterday’s puzzle): I do not completely agree … however I do not completely disagree, both.
Bizarre that the one “bonus” theme reply on this grid, on a day celebrating the Power / Fourth, is LORD VADER (81D: Time period of tackle aboard the Dying Star). I Iove it as a standalone reply, however … “Could the Power be with you,” that is the phrase of the nice guys, the place are the nice guys? Foregrounding the Dying Star and never the Rebel—attention-grabbing transfer. Do you know that (Luke) SKYWALKER and LORD VADER are the identical variety of letters? There is no method SKYWALKER would’ve match on this grid with this set of themers, however possibly in the event you used the Power you possibly can make it work (and sure, nerds, I do know that Darth Vader is additionally a SKYWALKER (Anakin Skywalker, Luke’s father (spoiler alert)), so SKYWALKER doesn’t essentially steadiness out the Darkish Aspect—however the clue may very well be Luke-specific). I am simply saying {that a} actual Jedi would’ve discovered a method to overcome, or a minimum of steadiness out, the Darkish Aspect, as a substitute of permitting LORD VADER to march proper by way of the center of the grid, unopposed. Semihilarious (if not SEMISONIC) that OBI-WAN and KENOBI and LEIA and HAN and even WOOKIEE have appeared within the grid many instances earlier than … however not as we speak. At the moment, we debut LORD VADER. I suppose ANI (younger Vader’s nickname) at all times was essentially the most annoyingly persistent Star Wars-related reply of the bunch. Oh nicely, possibly HE-MAN’s right here to signify the Rebels (25A: Toon fighter of Skeletor). Use the Power, HE-MAN! (now there is a crossover for you!)
The remedy was very straightforward as we speak, although for some insane purpose the puzzle determined to place its two most obscure (to me) solutions proper subsequent to one another, making for one small however barely scary patch, simply off-center: SHISO alongside ARTUR. LOL that I might know something about trendy boxing. ARTUR Beterbiev was lately, and briefly, gentle heavyweight champion (’24-’25)—he obtained beat by another Russian dude, in Riyadh, earlier this yr. This may increasingly as nicely all have been occurring on Mars, so far as I am involved. 100 years in the past, boxing was massively in style and everybody would’ve identified champion boxers’ names. At the moment, uh, no (51D: Boxer Beterbiev). As for SHISO, even wanting it up did not assist a lot. Numerous its use in Japanese delicacies seems to be as a garnish, or a coloring agent. However it’s common, so I’ve no complaints about its crossworthiness. Comfortable to study a brand new culinary time period (even when I am doomed to overlook it pretty rapidly, in all probability). Anyway, that SHISO/ARTUR patch GOES HARD (significantly, goes proper by way of GOES HARD)—hope the expression GOES HARD was acquainted to you; you may’ve been in fairly a repair.
Bullets:
- 26A: French title that is an anagram of a principally German river (HENRI) — I had HENRÔ (jk … although I do confuse these rivers nonetheless, embarrassingly, lots)
- 32A: Model with a line of “Calm + Restore” merchandise (AVEENO) — after an almost 3-year hiatus, AVEENO makes its second look of Could (and as we all know from this puzzle, Could is barely 4 days outdated)
- 79A: Dangerous spot for a tear, briefly (ACL) — was studying this as “tear” (rhymes with “beer”), and pondering, “… your EYE?”
- 87A: Companion who may take your breath away? (BLO[W-U]P DOLL) — are we gonna speak about this? “Companion”? “Take your breath away?” So that you’re out of breath … due to your BLOW-UP DOLL? I’ve … questions. I am not going to ask them, as a result of I do not essentially need solutions. However I nonetheless have questions.
- 118A: Invasive Japanese vine (KUDZU) — no-looked this child as a result of the “D” and “Z” had been already in place, what else was it gonna be. KUDZU is a really useful metaphor for something that proliferates undesirably. “In Europe, kudzu has been included since 2016 on the listing of Invasive Alien Species of Union concern (the Union listing). Which means this species can’t be imported, cultivated, transported, commercialized, planted, or deliberately launched into the atmosphere anyplace within the European Union.“ (wikipedia)
- 9D: A nemesisssssss to Indiana Jones? (ASP) — we’re in the midst of a two-part Love Boat episode set in Egypt the place one of many characters is the lowest-rent Indy knock-off you have ever seen. Like, a porn-movie Indiana Jones. They spent possibly 10 bucks on his wardrobe, and made him go unshaven for a number of days, and voila—anthropologist-adventurer. You see, Doc has come by this golden ankh, which an out-of-breath man gave to him at a bazaar, and it seems it in all probability was a part of some mummy’s tomb, and now porn-Indy and Dynasty‘s Catherine Oxenberg are each after the ankh, and each of them are holding their intentions hidden, and one or each of them is likely to be dangerous guys, and all of that is occurring on a Nile river cruise that’s such an apparent knock-off of Dying on the Nile that there is truly a Dying on the Nile joke in the episode. All within the Household‘s Jean Stapleton co-stars as Captain Stubing’s outdated school good friend and new potential love curiosity. Oh, and Rhoda‘s Valerie Harper additionally co-stars as a high-school historical past instructor who will get the hots for her former scholar (now 25) who simply occurs to be on this small Nile river cruise. She’ll find yourself again along with her loser husband (the Love Boat is, ultimately, for all its ambient bikini-clad bottoms, a very conservative present), however for the second … issues are wanting thrilling for Rhoda.
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| [John Astin is there too, somehow] |
- 111D: Piece of improv (SKIT) — I ponder in the event you all can discover a method to struggle about what this phrase means as we speak, as so a lot of you probably did yesterday, and have performed prior to now (“SNL segments are ‘sketches,’ not SKITs! Any person inform the editor!”)
- 3D: Poems additionally fancily often known as quatorzains (SONNETS) — nobody calls them this, fancily (!?) or in any other case. I really like “fancy” literary terminology, however except you are French, nobody however nobody is saying this. In actual fact, ahem: “When [quatorzain] is used, it’s to differentiate fourteen-line poems that do not comply with the assorted guidelines which describe the sonnet” (my emph.) (wikipedia) (“quatorze” is Fr. for “fourteen,” btw).
Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld
