Get into the groove with this week’s puzzle!
SUNDAY PUZZLE — Hello solvers! I hope everyone is having a great semester so far. Personally, I feel like I’ve been on campus for 4 months instead of 4 weeks … fall break can’t come soon enough! In any case, making this puzzle was a great way to take my mind off all of the school work that’s been piling up. Huge kudos to my mom for helping me come up with today’s theme! Don’t forget to call your loved ones from time to time. As always, if you have any specific comments on the puzzle, shoot me an email at eveorban@umich.edu. For more general concerns or questions, send them over to a @crosswords@umich.edu. Now boogie on down and get to solving this puzzle!
Tricky Clues
52D. As someone who isn’t very familiar with baseball, I can see how this clue referencing one of the greatest pitching coaches in the sport’s history, Johnny SAIN, might have tripped you up. If this puzzle had been published just four days from now, we would be celebrating what would have been his 108th birthday!
19A. Some of our more musically inclined solvers might have recognized that ‘F sharp’ is equivalent to “GFLAT.” I played in the band back in high school, but I could never quite remember my key signatures.
36A. Is DVR even still a thing? Anyway, the DVR brand referenced here is TIVO. I encourage all solvers to look up the Tivo mascot when you get a chance — it’s very cute!
55A. Perhaps only those who are chronically online remember the good ol’ days of “Straight” vs. “ALT” TikTok. 2020 was such a weird time to be online.
Today’s Theme
In 1978, Maurice White shared with the world the legendary refrain: “Do you remember? The 21st night of September?” That’s right! Today’s crossword celebrates Earth, Wind & Fire’s iconic single SEPTEMBER, which you can find at 59-Across. The elements that make up the band’s name appear at the start of the circled clues: EARTHTONE (17-Across), WINDMILL (30-Across) and FIREWALL (44-Across). I encourage all solvers to honor this special day by listening to this disco classic along with other staples from the band’s discography. Some of my personal favorites are “Imagination” and “Fantasy.” Hope everyone had a wonderful time filling out this funky puzzle!
