Warning: Spoilers are included. Consider solving today’s puzzle before continuing! The title is Do to a Tee.

Constructor: Hannah Slovut

Editor: Amanda Rafkin

Insights from Today’s Puzzle

• THAI (18A: Kai jeow cuisine) Kai jeow refers to a THAI omelet, made by mixing eggs with fish sauce, served typically with rice.
• LIAM (42A: “3 Body Problem” actor Cunningham) The Netflix adaptation of 3 Body Problem is based on Liu Cixin’s Remembrance of Earth’s Past series, featuring LIAM Cunningham as Thomas Wade, the MI6 chief leading a group of scientists facing aliens.
• DOROTHY WEST (55A: Writer of the 1948 novel “The Living is Easy”) DOROTHY WEST, a vital figure in the Harlem Renaissance, authored The Living is Easy, focusing on an upper-class Black family’s struggles for social status while challenging race, class, and gender stereotypes.
• FUNKYTOWN (2D: 1980 hit by Lipps Inc.) Lipps Inc.’s “FUNKYTOWN” was their only hit, a memorable disco track I needed some prompting to recall, despite its popularity.

Random Musings & Noteworthy Facts

• ARK (19A: ___ Nova (zoo-themed board game)) In ARK Nova, players strategize to design and manage a modern zoo.
• DOUBLE AGENT (20A: Spy on the inside) This clue triggered thoughts of the Netflix series A Man on the Inside, where Ted Danson plays a retired professor going undercover in a retirement home, which we loved watching.
• CAIRO (1D: City that’s the gateway to the Nile Delta) CAIRO, Egypt’s capital, sits by the Nile River near the Mediterranean Sea.
• ACCUSE (5D: Say “It was Mrs. Peacock in the dining room with the knife”) This clue references the classic board game Clue, which I adore and felt was a perfect way to indicate the term ACCUSE.
• NAT GEO (9D: Nature-focused mag and TV channel) The abbreviation in the clue hints at National Geographic (NAT GEO).
• ANN (34D: “The Baby-Sitters Club author ___ M. Martin) The beloved kids’ series, The Baby-Sitters Club, was penned by ANN M. Martin and remains a cherished series from my daughter’s youth, now available in various formats.
• RAINY DAY (39D: Metaphorical time to save for) This phrase’s origins go back to the mid-1500s in an Italian play, a delightful fact I uncovered.
• SANTA (53D: Character in the movie “Elf”) In Elf, starring Will Ferrell, SANTA is played by Ed Asner, and we’ve had our own family debates over whether we’ve seen the film until finally watching it together last year.

Overview of the Crossword Puzzle Theme

• DOUBLE AGENT (20A: Spy on the inside)
• DOWN FOR THE COUNT (36A: Totally knocked out)
• DOROTHY WEST (55A: Writer of the 1948 novel “The Living is Easy”)

DO TO A TEE: Each theme clue starts with the letters DO- and ends with T: DOUBLE AGENT, DOWN FOR THE COUNT, and DOROTHY WEST.

This theme was wonderfully clever! At first, I had no inkling of it apart from my suspicion about the letter T (TEE). The realization hit me as I filled in DOUBLE AGENT. Thanks, Hannah, for such an enjoyable puzzle!

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