Elvis Costello hit featured in “Notting Hill” / THU 7-17-25 / Search engine large primarily based in China / Pioneering puzzle-laden sport / Characters in “There Will Be Blood” / Area identified for its silk and tea / Phrases typically showing after a quantity and a hyphen

Constructor: Sam Brody

Relative problem: Straightforward-Medium

THEME: MATRYOSHKA DOLLS (7D: Compact wood figures … and a touch to 5-, 11-, 22- and 25-Down) — clues for the theme solutions resemble MATRYOSHKA DOLLS (often known as “nesting dolls”); theme solutions are acquainted phrases that you just assemble utilizing three nested clues/solutions:

Theme solutions:

• CULINARY ARTS (5D: (Stops (false (not any) witness) filming)) [NARY inside LIAR inside CUTS]
• DOMAIN NAMES (11D: (Bucks’ (girl’s (roadside stopover) title) mates)) [INN inside MAAM inside DOES]
• TIME MACHINES (22D: (Baseball (German (physicist Ernst) possessive) rarities)) [MACH inside EIN inside TIES]
• PEER REVIEWS (25D: (Church (Buffalo’s (minister, informally) waters) seats)) [REV inside ERIE inside PEWS]

Phrase of the Day: “SHE” (38A: Elvis Costello hit featured in “Notting Hill”) —

“She” is a tune written by Charles Aznavour and Herbert Kretzmer and launched as a single sung by Aznavour in 1974. The tune was written in English as a theme tune for the British TV collection Seven Faces of Girl.

Aznavour additionally recorded it in French, German, Italian and Spanish, below the titles “Tous les visages de l’amour” (English: All of the Faces of Love), “Sie” (English: She) “Lei” (English: She) and “Es” (English: [She] is), respectively. He additionally recorded the tune in a extra uptempo French model with totally different lyrics, merely titled “Elle” (English: She).

The tune peaked at no 1 on the UK Singles Chart and stayed there for 4 weeks; it was licensed silver for shipments exceeding 300,000 items. It additionally reached no 1 within the Irish Charts, spending one week on the prime. It was much less well-liked exterior the UK (the place Seven Faces of Girl didn’t air); in France, the tune narrowly missed the highest 40, and in the USA, it did not chart on the Billboard Scorching 100 and charted on the decrease finish of the simple listening charts.

Elvis Costello recorded a canopy model of the tune in 1999. This model, produced by Trevor Jones, was featured over the opening and closing sequences of the movie Notting Hill and charted all through Europe. (wikipedia) (my emph.)

[peaked at 19 in the UK … all those “dashes” are countries (incl. the US) where it didn’t chart at all]

• • •

The toughest a part of this puzzle was spelling MATRYOSHKA. In my head, the phrase feels like “matruschka” (ma-TROO-shka), so the center of the grid was one thing of an journey, however in any other case, this theme introduced nearly no issues. It was clear instantly, with the primary themer I encountered (5D), what was occurring. I had the “C-L” half, may see that the outer reply was going to be CUTS, put the “TS” on the finish, after which used a pair extra crosses to place the entire thing collectively. After that, I by no means checked out a “nesting” clue past the outer layer. That’s, I would get the entrance finish from crosses, I would learn the clue, I would put the again finish in from there, after which, with no matter crosses I had in place, I’d simply eyeball it and write in a phrase. I wish to get a bunch of crosses in place earlier than I ever have a look at an extended clue, typically, and right now, that labored nicely. The start and finish of the reply, plus no matter I had within the center from crosses, simply gave me the reply simply. The idea right here is intelligent, however for me, the enjoyable was over quick, and the revealer was exceedingly anticlimactic. I may see they have been nesting—that was apparent from the clues themselves. MATRYOSHKA DOLLS is the suitable metaphor, however as a solver, it felt redundant. It “revealed” nothing. Gave me a “trace” to nothing. It was explaining one thing to me that I may already see clearly. So the puzzle did not have the zing it’d. And like I stated, I did not even want the “inside” clues of the themers.  Execution appears nicely completed (no concept how arduous it’s to search out solutions that break into nestable components like this). The proper symmetry on the nested solutions is spectacular, and it extends to the cluing (theme clues are all composed of two-word clues, the place one phrase is within the entrance half of the clue and the opposite within the again half). So it is architecturally attention-grabbing, however a little bit of a dud to unravel. Anti-climactic, for certain.

However again to the center of the grid—the spelling of MATRYOSHKA. I must take concern with one of many crosses, particularly, with “SHE,” particularly with “SHE” as clued (38A: Elvis Costello hit featured in “Notting Hill”). When you have by no means heard of this “hit,” you might be forgiven. I forgot it existed, and I’ve seen Elvis Costello in live performance … [counts on fingers … runs out of fingers on one hand …] seven? Yeah, seven occasions, I feel. 1. St Paul; 2. Ommegang Brewery (close to Cooperstown, NY); 3. Turning Stone On line casino (the worst; central NY); 4. Bethel Woods (NY); 5. Ithaca; 6. Syracuse; 7. Ann Arbor … yep, seven. I personal numerous EC data. So once I say I couldn’t hum “SHE” for you proper now in case you paid me, maybe you will have some concept of how a lot “SHE” will not be a “hit.” OK, I am listening to it proper now, and it is positively acquainted, so he has most likely performed it not less than as soon as in live performance, however … “hit???” Elvis Costello has had exactly two (2) top-forty “hits” on this nation in his complete (almost 50-year) profession: “On a regular basis I Write the Ebook” (#36, 1983) and “Veronica” (#19, 1989). He has a bunch of songs that really feel like hits (“Alison” “(What’s So Humorous ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding” and so forth.), however by no means really have been, by measurable requirements (he made an enormous level about this on stage through the Syracuse live performance). I feel “SHE” has a whole lot of performs on Spotify, possibly? 1.5 million “views” on YouTube for the video (beneath). I suppose that is one thing. However no, it isn’t a “hit” and by no means was. Possibly the least “hit” of any tune that has ever been described as a “hit” by the NYTXW. I do know of exactly one tune referred to as “SHE,” and that is the gorgeous Gram Parsons tune, which I first heard in a canopy by Chrissie Hynde (that includes Emmylou Harris). However the Elvis Costello “SHE“? No concept. Only a head-shakingly unusual clue. 

I’ve by no means heard of BAIDU, however I am guessing a whole lot of Chinese language individuals have? (14A: Search engine large primarily based in China). Not my concept of an incredible reply (extra ****ing tech names to memorize), however I suppose in case you’re determined, why not use it? Alternatively … look how simple it’s to try this nook up in additional acquainted (and totally techless) style: