PEPSI (5A: One side of the “cola wars”) The term “cola wars” refers to the long-standing rivalry between PEPSI and Coca-Cola. Do you have a side in this debate? I rarely drink either anymore, but when I do, I prefer PEPSI.
BBC (10A: “EastEnders” network) EastEnders is a soap opera that has aired on BBC since 1985. The show follows the lives of several residents of the fictional borough of Walford in the East End of London.
TOP GUN (21A: Movie franchise about naval fighter pilot training) The TOP GUN movie franchise began with the 1986 movie of that name, which stars Tom Cruise as Lieutenant Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, a naval aviator. The movie’s screenplay was inspired by a California magazine article, “TOP GUNs,” written by Ehud Yonay. The second movie of the franchise, TOP GUN: Maverick was released in 2022.
NERF (23A: Zombie Corrupter Dart Blaster brand) NERF, the brand known for its foam-based toys, appears to have fun naming its foam weaponry. We’ve previously seen NERF GUN clued as [DinoSquad Raptor-Slash Dart Blaster, for one].
CELL (25A: Distinguished peer-reviewed scientific journal) I enjoyed seeing the name of this scientific journal in the puzzle. CELL, which was started in 1974, publishes peer-reviewed articles from a number of life sciences disciplines.
OKRA (33A: Vegetable also called lady’s fingers) OKRA has a long, slender shape that somewhere along the way reminded someone of a lady’s fingers, leading to the nickname.
KALE (34A: Vegetable that may be massaged) KALE, also known as leaf cabbage, is a leafy green vegetable. KALE leaves can be tough and bitter, and massaging them between one’s hands breaks down the fibers, making it more tender and palatable. Here’s my confession: I am not a huge fan of KALE. I like it in soup, and in some baked dishes. It doesn’t need to be massaged before cooking, as the cooking process breaks down the fiber. When I admit I’m not a KALE fan, people often ask if I’ve tried massaging it. Frankly, that’s more work than I want to do for my leafy greens; I’ll just buy spinach. Admittedly, my view is also informed by past experience. When I was in high school (many years ago, before eating KALE became popular…) I worked at the steakhouse Bonanza, and we used KALE as a decoration to cover the ice on the salad bar. When I see KALE, that’s still what I think of.
OILER (2D: Edmonton NHL pro) and PADRES (5D: San Diego MLB squad) and PHI (22D: The 76ers’ city) Pick your sport today. We have hockey, baseball, and basketball represented.
ETHEL (6D: “Heat Wave” singer Waters) ETHEL Waters was a singer and an actress. She was the first Black person to star in their own TV show, The ETHEL Waters Show, which aired on June 14, 1939. Her recording of “Heat Wave” was a 1933 hit. The song was written by Irving Berlin for the 1933 musical As Thousands Cheer.
BINGO CARD (10D: “I didn’t have that on my ___”) I thoroughly enjoyed this clue. I’ve lost track of the number of times I’ve said, “I didn’t have that on my BINGO CARD.”
CANNOLI (12D: Sicilian pastry filled with sweet cheese) Now I want a CANNOLI. Anyone else?
KHAN (13D: Kamala ___ aka Ms. Marvel) In the Marvel Universe, Kamala Khan, aka Ms. Marvel, is a Pakistani American teenager from New Jersey with shapeshifting abilities. She took over as Ms. Marvel when Carol Danvers became Captain Marvel. In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Kamala KHAN is portrayed by Iman Vellani.
PLANTAIN (31D: Fruit fried to make tostones) PLANTAIN is having a moment in the grid, as we also saw it as an answer two days ago, clued as [Fruit fried twice to make tostones].
TTYL (56D: “g2g”) g2g = got to go; TTYL = talk to you later
A few other clues I especially enjoyed:
OH SPARE ME (33D: “There’s always an excuse!”)
KOI (34D: Carp that can be trained to recognize its feeder)
