This one goes out to anyone who still calls it Twitter instead of X.
SUNDAY PUZZLE — Hi all! I am so excited to be constructing a Sunday puzzle again, as my first, last and only themed puzzle was published this time last year. As the Ann Arbor weather starts to get nicer I’ve realized the most beautiful, sunny days are always when I have the most studying to do – what’s up with that? I know soon enough it will be consistently warm and I can finally finish The New York Times Super Mega Crossword while basking in the sun. Hopefully wherever you are solving today’s puzzle, the sun is shining, the air is breezy or at the very least you have a good TV show to binge to make it through any gloomy conditions. If you have any specific comments about this puzzle, you can reach me at mchailey@umich.edu. All comments are appreciated! For general questions and concerns, reach out to crosswords@umich.edu. Happy solving, and Go Blue!
Tricky Clues:
9A. The clue “American Eagle’s sister store” refers to AERIE. I have seen AERIE in many crosswords before but always with a clue relating to an eagle’s nest or raptor’s home. I love birds of prey as much as the next person, but I wanted to switch it up and give a nod to the girlies, as well as my love for their supportive swimwear.
40A. The clue “Mason Ramsey talent, per a viral video” refers to YODEL. This one is a bit tricky since most coverage of Mason Ramsey’s video referred to him only as “Walmart yodeling kid.” Since his famous rendition of “Lovesick Blues” he has been putting out original music and performing around the U.S., but what sticks in my mind when thinking of Mr. Ramsey is that time a few years ago when he started making TikToks while working at Subway. How he reached the top shelf of the bread rack I’ll never know.
44A. This one is a bit of a deep cut, even for my fellow Gen Z puzzlers. The clue “Avatar: The Legend of ___” refers to KORRA, the titular character of the follow-up series to “Avatar: The Last Airbender.” Over the summer of 2021 I binged the animated Avatar series and started watching The Legend of Korra, but totally forgot to finish it after getting swept up in the “Squid Game” hype.
58A. Though the clue “Accident investigating org.” is simple enough, I feel pretty dorky having it refer to NTSB. The NTSB, or National Transportation Safety Board, has shown up more often than usual lately. One of my courses this semester is on environmental journalism, and each week we discuss a different environmental or journalistic topic. I’ve gone down many Google rabbit holes about infrastructure, Line 5 and Michigan environmental issues generally, and I’ve found that the NTSB has a lot to say about bridges and ships colliding into them. Though I hope the next time I cross the Mackinac Bridge, while listening to the “Wreck of The Edmund Fitzgerald” by Gordon Lightfoot of course, I think about the beautiful view instead of how overdue the bridge is for an inspection!
37D. The clue “Gin fizz fruit” refers to SLOE. I feel bad including an entry that is common in crosswordese but is never heard in real life conversations. Though I like to think my cocktail knowledge is pretty extensive after working in a restaurant for almost two years, I have yet to hear SLOE in any bar conversations.
Today’s Theme:
This theme gave me some trouble when I was constructing the grid, but I am really proud of how it turned out. The theme revealer BIRDS OF A FEATHER tied together the theme entries, which all have a type of bird hidden within them. The circled words, DOVE, RAVEN and CROW, are nestled in the entries GO HEAD OVER HEELS, BRAVE NEW WORLD and MICROWAVEABLE. If I were to clue BIRDS OF A FEATHER again, I would love to go more obscure and reference the Vulfpeck song of the same name. I feel like I tend to include a lot of musical clues already, but Vulfpeck would be super fun to include in a Michigan Daily puzzle since the band formed here at the University of Michigan!
Answer Key:
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