This crossword should take about half an hour, including ad breaks.
SUNDAY PUZZLE — Hello solvers! I hope finals week is treating you well. I’m Milan, a first-year studying Business (and living at Baits…), and this is my first semester on the Games team. This is my first ever Sunday crossword for The Michigan Daily and I am SO excited to share it with you all! Unfortunately, this is also the last Sunday puzzle of the semester. But we will have minis all throughout this week! And next semester we will be back and better than ever! If you’ve got feedback or thoughts on the puzzle please do not hesitate to reach out at milanthu@umich.edu. For anything general, head to crosswords@umich.edu. Happy solving!
Tricky Clues:
14A. “Type of shark” might have tricked you, because it actually refers to LOAN sharks. My third-least favorite type of shark, in fact, behind a) goblin sharks and b) jumping the shark (ironic, considering today’s theme).
57A. I particularly like this one: “Nature’s fertilizer made by 59-Down” refers to GUANO, since 59-Down is ABAT. A bat’s excrement is high in nitrogen and potassium, which makes it perfect for plant growth.
4D. “NBA journeyman Tony infamous for a straight zero stat line” refers to Tony SNELL, former professional basketball player drafted in 2013. He played for many teams, but he’s most famous for a game with the Bucks on February 24th, 2017. In 28 minutes of playing time, he managed to record 0 points, 0 rebounds, 0 assists, 0 blocks and 0 steals, solidifying his place in NBA meme history.
25D. “Stable diet” refers to OATS – a hearty staple for you and me, yet also food for horses in barns. Two meanings! (My other favorite double meaning clue is 47D: IRONER, “One with pressing duties?”)
54D. With a “Gladiator II” reference (52A), I had to get “Wicked” in there somehow! “Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo’s rendition of ‘Defying Gravity,’ for example” is a COVER, originally performed by Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth. This movie is absolutely phenomenal, guys. I can’t get it out of my head.
Today’s Theme:
With my first puzzle, I thought I’d pay tribute to a formative part of my childhood: the mysterious art of the television comedy. In dark times like these, with exams looming ever closer, we can all relax and let Amy Poehler or Ted Danson joke our woes away. Today’s starred theme entries include 20A – FULLHOUSE, 10D – THEOFFICE, 32D – MASH, 33D – VEEP and 36D – COMMUNITY, culminating in the revealer, 60A – TVSITCOMS. However, I snuck in a few more references in the center, just for myself: from top to bottom, 5A – ROCK (pointing to “30 Rock”), 41A – PARKS (hinting to “Parks and Recreation”) and 70A – NETS (connecting to “Brooklyn Nine-Nine”). With any luck, this crossword will make it to Thursday nights on NBC.
Answer Key:
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