Juvenile locust / SUN 4-20-25 / Peach or plum, botanically / Little flap, perhaps / Hotheaded liberal politico who’s keen to listen to? / Dam close to the Philae Temple of Isis / Plant that was a top-five lady’s title within the Seventies / Smitten individual’s declaration / “Suh-weet! I really like this sandwich cookie!”? / Group that Tiger hires to put in wall artwork? / Make-up of some metallic bonds

Ian Joseph Somerhalder ( SUM-ər-hawl-dər; born December 8, 1978) is an American former actor and present enterprise proprietor. He’s recognized for taking part in Boone Carlyle in ABC‘s science fiction journey drama tv sequence Misplaced (2004–2010) and Damon Salvatore within the CW supernatural teen drama sequence The Vampire Diaries (2009–2017). (wikipedia)

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My mind feels prefer it’s melting—is that actually the way you spell “DEMAGOG”—I might’ve sworn there was a “-ue” on the tip of it. [Looks it up] Oh thank god. I am right. In response to merriam-webster dot com, “DEMAGOGUE” is the spelling—below “variants” it says “much less generally DEMAGOG.” I would say “manner much less generally.” That reply was most likely the hurtiest of the lot, not simply because DEMAGOG was spelled bizarrely, however as a result of nothing within the clue actually indicated demagoguery in any respect. Being a “hot-headed politico” doesn’t make you a DEMAGOG(UE). For sure, the theme sort of went off the rails for me there. The remainder of it meandered from fantastic to dull to awkward. A number of the theme solutions appeared fairly snappy (POST POSTAGE AGE, MAD MADISON IS ON, SPAMS SPAMALOT A LOT), however some have been simply too contrived to be humorous (WOODS WOODSCREW CREW) or simply sort of blah (PRO PROCURES CURES—”PRO” appears very weak as a stand in for “Pharmacist”). Had some bother with “WHOO! WHOOPIE PIE!” principally as a result of “WHOO!” does not actually observe (for me) as a “Suh-weet!” stand-in. “Woo hoo!” is the expression I used to be on the lookout for (the truth that I reside below the deep and abiding affect of Homer Simpson could have one thing to do with that). I additionally have not seen / considered a WHOOPIE PIE in years. Many years? Individuals nonetheless eat these? The one “sandwich cookie” I do know is, effectively, you realize.

The puzzle was fairly simple total, although a few of these themers have been onerous to parse (even if they need to’ve been *simpler* to parse than normal, given the repetitive nature of the theme). And a few of the fill right now proved just a little elusive. The one which held me up probably the most was DANAE (118A: Mom of Perseus). I cope with classical mythology loads in my lessons, however by some means DANAE by no means comes up. Is she well-known for the rest in addition to being Perseus’s mom? Nope, not likely. That reply was within the thick of the hardest part for me, connecting PETDOOR (onerous to get from clue) (101D: Little flap, perhaps) to URACIL (109D: RNA base). However once I say this part was “the hardest” for me right now, it actually wasn’t that powerful. None of it was. I needed to work just a little, that is all. I assume I needed to work just a little over within the E/SE as effectively, the place ABODE had a actually difficult clue (96A: Liver spot?) (i.e. the spot … the place one … lives), and ADVENTURE appeared prefer it needed to be … one thing else (90D: Thrill-seeker’s pursuit). I used to be contemplating ADRENALIN. And ugh, that part had that horrible manosphere “thought” “chief” man in it, why, why, why would you try this? Nobody desires that. Sadly, there aren’t every other suitably well-known ROGANs you’ll be able to go to for that clue. It is both use the podcast man or tear it out and refill the grid another manner. I feel you realize what manner I would lean.

[102A: Smitten person’s declaration]

I learn the clue (3D: E mail period?), took one take a look at the title (at all times a good suggestion on Sundays), and in went POST POSTAGE AGE. Having the core idea locked down made the remainder of the themers a lot simpler, even when, often, they have been bizarre sufficient to flummox me for a bit. Outdoors of the aforementioned DANAE and ABODE sections, the one a part of the puzzle that felt considerably onerous to get ahold of was the aforementioned DEMAGOG, which had each BILOBA and STREGA operating by way of it. I attempted to spell BILOBA every kind of the way: BILBAO? BILBOA? I really feel like Ginkgo BILOBA was, like a stylish complement for some time? Within the ’90s? Is it nonetheless? It is supposed to assist with reminiscence or one thing. (52D: Ginkgo ___ (tree species)). If solely there was a complement that would assist me keep in mind … right here, I am going to use my favourite complement: the web [click click click]. Sure, “mind complement.” “The European Medicines Company Committee on Natural Medicinal Merchandise concluded that medicines containing ginkgo leaf can be utilized for treating delicate age-related dementia and delicate peripheral vascular illness in adults after severe circumstances have been excluded by a doctor” (wikipedia). As for STREGA, I made it my Phrase of the Day, not too way back, and that … kinda helped (62D: “___ Nona” (youngsters’s e-book primarily based on a people story)). I nonetheless needed unsuitable phrases at first: STRADA, perhaps? Nonetheless not loving STREGA as a solution, however not less than this time it did not take me fully without warning. 

Observations and explanations:

• 55A: Dam close to the Philae Temple of Isis (ASWAN) — this reply retains catching my eye and each time I feel “why is A SWAN” on this puzzle? How is that even being clued? … oh, proper, the dam.” 
• 70A: Transcend the opponent’s baseline, in tennis (OVERHIT) — solely simply debuted a number of years in the past (2019), although it appeared in a NYT acrostic a number of years earlier than that. “Baseline” is the instance of the factor being exceeded every time, apart from the one time it was [Send beyond the green, say]. I’d’ve thought “OVERSHOOT” for golf, however golf’s not likely my factor, to say the least, so certain, golf too, why not? LOL once I google [overshoot the green] my first 5 hits are cryptic crossword clue clarification websites. However after these, sure, appears like “overshoot (the inexperienced)” is def an actual golf idea. (PS: the cryptic clue in query: [Overshoot the green badly, though not with the driver (9)]. Are you able to remedy it? Reply under*. 
• 112A: Plant that was a top-five lady’s title within the Seventies (HEATHER) — by no means considered it, however yeah, went to highschool with plenty of HEATHERs, and HEATHER Locklear and HEATHER Graham have been well-known actresses of roughly my age (just a little older and just a little youthful, respectively), however then, generally within the ’90s it appears like, the HEATHER (and Jennifer, and Amy) market collapsed, and the Brittany / Caitlin / Madison apocalypse started… 

• 129A: What very punctual folks arrive on (THE DOT) — very bizarre to have THE DOT not following a selected time. “I will be there on THE DOT!” What dot!?!?
• 6D: Sure queer identification, for brief (ARO) — as in “aromantic.” 
• 16D: Make-up of some metallic bonds (ARCWELDS) — do not keep in mind this in any respect. Should’ve labored my manner round it utilizing crosses. When you arcweld, you weld utilizing an arc created by electrical energy.
• 45D: Juvenile locust (NYMPH) — ah, locust taxonomy! Lastly a topic I am an professional in! (shouted somebody, presumably … however not me). 
• 85D: Peach or plum, botanically (DRUPE) — principally, a stone fruit. I discovered this phrase from crosswords … after which crosswords promptly stopped displaying it to me (it has been 17 years!!!!? and solely the second look within the final 34 years … this surprises me; actually thought the phrase was extra frequent)

[RAH, lol]

See you subsequent time.

Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld

P.S. Longtime constructor and all-around good man Natan Final has a e-book about crossword puzzles popping out later this yr referred to as Throughout the Universe: The Previous, Current and Way forward for the Crossword Puzzle. If I had an advance copy (trace trace!) I would be capable to let you know all about it. However I am fairly certain it is going to be good. We’re in a mini-boom interval for crossword books. Final yr we obtained Anna Schechtman’s fantastic Riddles of the Sphinx: Inheriting the Feminist Historical past of the Crossword Puzzle, and now there’s Natan’s e-book (due out the day earlier than my birthday: Nov. 25, 2025)

My e-book Throughout the Universe: The Previous, Current, and Way forward for The Crossword Puzzle, is now out there for pre-order! When you can, would you pre-order it by way of Bookshop, Books-A-Million, Barnes and Noble, or your native bookstore? 

Pre-orders assist books get consideration and stay a strong technique to help authors. I have been fortunate to obtain an early blurb from Stefan Fatsis, the bestselling creator of Phrase Freak, who calls Throughout the Universe “a gridful of perception and pleasure … a deft and deep exploration of the crossword puzzle’s obsessive grip on American life.” 

Within the e-book, I’m going by way of the historical past of crosswords, beginning with the very first puzzles within the yellow journalism-tinged period of the 1910s, plus a postwar crossword craze through which fixing competitions, crossword musicals and films, and black-and-white-checkered outfits have been all the fad. I elaborate my very own historical past with the puzzle too, from combing by way of archives in Will Shortz’s basement to being invited onto a Martha Stewart episode devoted to puzzles (she mentioned she solved extra whereas she was in jail). All of the whereas, I observe how the puzzle’s identification is continually shifting—turning into, in numerous eras, a frivolous diversion, a literary and creative object (together with for a few of my very own writerly heroes like Gertrude Stein, Vladimir Nabokov, and T.S. Eliot), the most recent recreation for AI to overcome, and even a main income for the fashionable newsroom. 

You possibly can learn excerpts from the e-book in The New Yorker and The New York Instances; the Instances piece is concerning the function of video games in moments of disaster, and, sadly, is as related as ever. I will be having some occasions as soon as the e-book comes out, and I am going to preserve you posted on that. However for now, pre-order in the event you can! 

• Cryptic a part of the clue: “Overshoot” = PASS; “inexperienced badly” = anagram of “inexperienced” = ENGER
• Definition a part of the clue: “not with the motive force” = within the automotive however not driving it = PASSENGER