Entertainment
Crossword Blog and Answers July 1 2024 by Sally Hoelscher
![Crossword Blog and Answers July 1 2024 by Sally Hoelscher](https://www.usatoday.com/gcdn/authoring/authoring-images/2024/06/28/USAT/74247759007-july-1-2024.png?width=300&height=302&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp)
There are spoilers ahead. You might want to solve today's riddle before reading on! Monkey in the middle
Manufacturer: Adam Levav
Editor: Anna Gundlach
What I learned from today's puzzle
- ISSA (70A: Lopez, showrunner of “True Detective: Night Country”) True Detective: Land of the Night is the fourth season of the anthology television series TRUEDetectivewhich aired on HBO in January and February of this year. As the clue tells us, Issa Lopez was the showrunner. For a television series, the showrunner is the first-level executive producer. With television shows (unlike feature films), the showrunner is usually also the head writer, and that is the case here. Issa Lopez served as producer, director, and writer.
Random Thoughts and Interesting Things
- MURAL (15A: Mural Art) I am a fan of MURALs, especially outdoor murals, which add interest to a cityscape. I searched for “MURAL” in my photo app and enjoyed taking a walk down memory lane remembering the MURALs I have seen in many different places. Here is a photo of a MURAL painted on a fence in Dublin, Ireland.
- LAURA PETRIE (20A: role of Mary Tyler Moore in “The Dick Van Dyke Show”) The Dick Van Dyke Show originally aired from 1961 to 1966. The show focused on the life of television comedy writer Rob PETRIE, played by Dick Van Dyke. LAURA PETRIE, played by Mary Tyler Moore, was Rob's wife. Mary Tyler Moore won two Emmy Awards for her portrayal of LAURA PETRIE.
- NSYNC (45A: boy group “Bye Bye Bye”) “Goodbye goodbye”was released by NSYNC in 2000. The song won an MTV Video Music Award for Best Pop Video. Great alliteration in that clue.
- ASMR (46A: Video genre with whispered and rustling sounds) ASMR ASMR stands for “autonomous sensory meridian response” and refers to a tingling sensation that starts at the scalp and travels down the back of the neck and spine. ASMR can be triggered by auditory or visual stimuli, such as whispering and rustling sounds, and some people are more sensitive to the experience. There are millions of YouTube videos designed to induce ASMR.
- BANANA PEPPERS (60A: Mild yellow peppers in some deli sandwiches) BANANA PEPPERS have a curved shape and a yellowish color, similar to the fruit from which they are named. Banana peppers are mild and typically measure less than 500 on the Scoville scale (used to describe the spiciness of peppers). For comparison, jalapeno PEPPERS measure 2,500 to 10,000 Scoville heat units and habanero PEPPERS measure 100,000 to 350,000.
- SKIS (65A: biathlon equipment) Biathlon, a winter sport, combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting.
- HEEL (67A: Antagonist in professional wrestling) In professional wrestling, fights are scripted to create suspense. This means that match results are determined in advance. (Sorry if this is a spoiler for you!) The emphasis of wrestling matches is on entertainment and spectacle. In the world of professional wrestling, a hero is known as a “face”, and a villain or antagonist is known as a HEEL.
- NERD (72A: Steve Urkel, for one) Steve Urkel, played by Jaleel White, is a character in the television series,Family matters (1989-1998). Urkel is described as a kind and well-meaning, but clumsy NERD. Urkel was also known for his high-pitched voice. He wore thick glasses and rain pants held up by suspenders.
- GRIP (7D: photo equipment technician on a film set) In cinema and video production, a GRIP is a photo equipment technician. On a film set, GRIPs are a separate department, responsible for building and maintaining all the equipment that supports the cameras. The lead technician is known as the lead GRIP. When I was in high school, a friend of mine insisted that when we went to see a movie, we had to sit through the credits until the main GRIP's name appeared on the screen.
- LYE (26D: caustic chemical used to make lutefisk and bagels) Lutefisk is made by drying and salting cod or whitefish, then rehydrating it in a LYE solution. To make bagels, yeasted wheat dough is shaped into a ring, briefly boiled in water (which may contain LYE, baking soda, barley malt syrup, or honey), and then baked.
- OWEN (32D: “Zoolander” actor Wilson) The 2001 film, Zoolanderis a satire on the fashion industry. The main character, Derek Zoolander, is a star model played by Ben Stiller. OWEN Wilson stars as Hansel McDonald, a model who is a rising star in the industry, having ousted Derek Zoolander from the top model slot.
- I AM ONE (51D: “But ___ Cheerleader” (1999 Natasha Lyonne film)) But I'm a cheerleaderis a film about a high school cheerleader named Megan, played by Natasha Lyonne. Megan's family suspects her of being a lesbian and sends her to a conversion therapy camp to “cure” her.
- NOLA (61D: Mardi Gras City, for short) New Orleans, Louisiana, or NOLA, is well known for its Mardi Gras festival. Technically, Mardi Gras, also known as Fat Tuesday, is the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. (Ash Wednesday is the beginning of Lent in the Christian tradition.) However, NOLA celebrates Mardi Gras with elaborate parades and masquerade balls for about two weeks before Ash Wednesday.
- ESPN (62D: “College Football Scoreboard” channel) College Football Scoreboard is an ESPN show that, as the name suggests, provides scores, highlights, and pre- and post-game interviews from college football games. During the college football season, the show airs multiple times throughout the day, every Saturday.
- Some other clues that I particularly liked:
- I dig it (50A: “Cool, man”)
- ERRED (71A: Did a whoopsie)
- LATE (8D: Like someone who just got stuck in a traffic jam, probably)
Crossword Theme Synopsis
- LAURA PETRIE (20A: role of Mary Tyler Moore in “The Dick Van Dyke Show”)
- CHEAP EATS (39A: economical food)
- BANANA PEPPERS (60A: Mild yellow peppers in some deli sandwiches)
THE MONKEY IN THE MIDDLE here is the word APE in the center of each thematic response: LAURA PESORT, WHATAP EATS and BANANA PEPPERS.
I like the fact that in each topic answer, the MONKEY IN THE MIDDLE appears exactly in the center of the answer, with the same number of letters on either side of the MONKEY. Additionally, this puzzle features left-right mirror symmetry, meaning the puzzle is symmetrical around an imaginary vertical line in the center of the puzzle. Using this type of symmetry allows the topic answers to be centered horizontally, meaning the MONKEYS are aligned in the center of the grid. Congratulations to Adam Levav, making his USA TODAY debut! Thanks, Adam, for this enjoyable puzzle.
Learn more about USA TODAY's crossword puzzles
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