Lock in with this week’s puzzle!
SUNDAY PUZZLE — Dearest Gentle Reader, I hope you all are enjoying the mid-June heat wave, or have at least found some solace in solving crossword puzzles. Although I have spent over a month away from crossword constructing (and my trusty Michigan Daily Games team), I have finally found the time to return to constructing! Our summer Managing Games editor Brad has done a great job of maintaining the vibes of our Games section despite the many miles that separate us, and he has encouraged us to keep puzzling throughout the summer months. If you have any specific comments about this puzzle, you can reach me at mchailey@umich.edu. For general questions and concerns, reach out to crosswords@umich.edu. Happy gaming!
Tricky Clues:
25A. This one is a bit of a deep cut, even for indie music fans such as myself. The clue “Shoegaze band Yo La ___” was my clue of choice partly because I needed a clue outside of a conjugation for the Spanish verb tener, but also because I love shouting out shoegaze whenever possible! The indie rock subgenre is aptly named because the guitarists often heavily distort their tone with pedals, leading them to gaze at their shoes in order to create that distinct dreamy shoegaze sound. Yo La Tengo was one of the pioneers of shoegaze and has influenced some of my favorite bands, like Cocteau Twins and Slowdive.
40A. As a Midwesterner, I was very proud of the wordplay in this entry. The clue “A pop?” may lead many Michiganders to think of soda varieties and even tempt some into entering SODA or COKE. Though in this case “A pop?” is referring to EACH and takes the less literal sense of the words to find a slangier way to say “per” or “apiece”.
42A. This one feels a little degenerate, especially knowing that it intersects with a clue about Baroque music. “Text abbreviation to express exasperation” refers to STG, a text acronym for “swear to god/goodness,” which I often use when I cannot crack the Wordle for the life of me or my friends unearth embarrassing photos of me from middle school.
29D. I know this one feels a little mean, but I cannot get fruit off the brain during the summer months. “Large pears” refers to BOSCS, which are a crispy and golden variety of pear. If you have yet to enjoy the sensation of a Bosc pear on a humid Ann Arbor day, I highly recommend you treat yourself to one ASAP.
49D. “‘___ Baby’ (song from ‘Hair’)” is a trickier one even for the former theatre kids out there. Although “Hair” has classic tunes like “Good Morning Starshine” and “Aquarius,” the rest of the show has not spent much time in the spotlight. The entry ABIE fills in the title of “Abie Baby”, a catchy funkish-soul tune where members of the cast sing to celebrate the birthday of none other than President Abraham Lincoln. Happy belated 215th, Mr. President!
Today’s Theme:
This week’s theme is very near and dear to my heart, and I have been bouncing around ideas for this puzzle for quite some time. I have wanted to find a way to incorporate my favorite band into a puzzle ever since I began constructing but it took me up until now to decide how I wanted to go about this. The theme of this puzzle is revealed by 30-Across and 34-Across, with the entries FAB and FOUR. This refers to the Fab Four of the 1960s, more commonly known as the Beatles! Each of the theme entries include the first name of the four members, with 17-Across having EPAULETTES, 55-Across with PORTAJOHNS (apologies for the potty humor), 11-Down with RING OF FIRE (this one I am especially proud of), and 28-Down with GEORGETOWN. I know it may be cheesy, but I can’t Help! but have a soft spot for the Beatles. I believe their music transcends generations, just like how crossword puzzles have begun to.
Answer Key:
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