Crossword Blog and Answers for January 22, 2025 by Sally Hoelscher

There are spoilers ahead. Before you read on, you might want to try solving today’s puzzle. even distribution

Constructor: Hanna Slobt Einertsson

Editor: Jared Gosmit

What I learned from today’s puzzle

OCEAN (18A: Hofcrab Habitat) I guessed the answer here, but Hoffcrab was new to me. Hof crabs are a type of squat lobster (a flat crustacean with a long tail curled under the body). Hoff crabs live deep in the ocean, in hydrothermal vents near Antarctica. Hoff crabs have hair-like structures on their exoskeleton, which scientists named after David Hasselhoff because they reminded them of a hairy chest. AKA (23A: Alecia Beth Moore ___ Pink) I Know About the Grammy Award-winning singer Pink sometimes refers to herself as P!nk, but I don’t know her real name. did. Once again, we can guess the answer here, and it turns out that Pink is also known as (a.k.a.) Alecia Beth Moore. Pink’s latest studio album is Trustfall, released in 2023.

Random thoughts and interesting things

Arab (1A: Like many Omanis and Yemenis) Oman and Yemen are neighboring countries located in Western Asia on the Arabian Peninsula. Radio (15A: “Video Killed the ___ Star”) “Video Killed the RADIO Star” is a bugle. Fun fact: “Video Killed the RADIO Star” was the first music video to air on MTV on August 1, 1981. Seems appropriate. ANYA (21A: Taylor-Joy, who provided the voice of Princess Peach) ANYA Taylor-Joy provided the voice of Princess Peach in the 2023 anime. Movie Super Mario Bros. Movie.Haiti (34A: “High Mountain Country” in the Caribbean) The Greater Antilles are in the Caribbean. The three largest islands in the Greater Antilles are Cuba, Hispaniola, and Jamaica. Of these three islands, Cuba is the most westerly, Jamaica is located to the south of Cuba, and Hispianola is located to the east of Jamaica. (Keep reading. You’ll arrive in Haiti!) The island of Hispaniola is divided into two countries: Haiti and the Dominican Republic. The country’s name is of Taino origin and means “land of the high mountains”. The name is appropriate, as Haiti is the most mountainous country in the Caribbean. The capital of Haiti is Port-au-Prince. EASY-BAKE OVEN (36A: Toy that comes with cake mix) EASY-BAKE OVEN has been around since 1963 and was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame in 2006. Did you know that November 4th is National EASY-BAKE OVEN Day? This is the date from 1963 when the toy oven was first released. I’ve previously looked at EASY-BAKE OVEN as a theme answer for another themed puzzle. PUGH (39A: “We Live in Time” actress Florence) We Live in Time is a 2024 romantic comedy starring Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield. The film follows a couple’s relationship over a period of 10 years, and the story is presented in a non-linear manner. TERI (51A: Actress Polo) TERI Polo played Steph Adams Foster on the TV series The Fosters (2013-2018) and its spin-off series. Off series, Good Trouble (2019-2024). EVIL QUEEN (56A: The villain of “Snow White”), APPLE (61A: Frostbite or Honeycrisp) It seems appropriate that these two clues are in sequence. What kind of APPLE did the Evil Queen use as a poison delivery system? Interesting fact: Frostbite APPLE is the grandparent of Honeycrisp APPLE. TED (65A: Science fiction author Chen) Last week I wrote about TED Chen. State (5D: Michoacán or Michigan) Michoacán is one of Mexico’s 31 states. Michigan is one of the 50 states in the United States. ROYGBIV (15D: Acronym for Rainbow) ROYGBIV is an acronym used to remember the order of the colors of the rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. SAKES (31D:Drinks served at izakaya) Izakaya is a type of casual Japanese bar. Meals in izakayas are usually served slowly, and food is ordered in several courses rather than all at once. Sake is Japanese rice wine. Iraq (47D: Country of Basra) Basra is a city in southern Iraq and the country’s main port. BAO (53D: Gua ___ (lotus leaf bun)) Gua BAO is from Fujian province. It is made by sandwiching stewed meat and seasonings between steamed buns known as lotus leaf bread. Eating (58D: Eating Kheer) Kheer is a type of South Indian pudding made with milk, sugar, and rice. Other grains are sometimes used in place of rice. NEW (60D: “And it’s ___, the shape of your body / It’s blue, the feelings I have” (Taylor Swift lyrics)) “And it’s new, the shape of your body / It’s blue, the “Feeling I’ve got” is from Taylor Swift’s 2023 song “Cruel Summer.” Other clues I particularly enjoyed were: SURNAME (26D: a moniker that usually comes first in Vietnam)HALFSIES (34D: Go ___ on (divided equally))EURO (36D: currencies named after continents)

Overview of crossword puzzle themes

EVER AGAIN (16A: “…always!”) EASY BAKE OVEN (36A: The toy that comes with the cake mix) EVIL QUEEN (56A: The villain of “Snow White”)

EVEN DISTRIBUTION: The word EVEN is “distributed” at the end of the theme answer.

The possible distributions of the word EVEN represented in the theme responses are EVE/N, E/VEN, and EV/EN, respectively. Today’s answer to my favorite theme is EVIL QUEEN. “Bwahahahahaha!” makes EVIL laugh. Thank you, Hannah, for this fun puzzle.

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