• GINGERBREAD (23A: Vacation constructing materials (GABARDINE)) // BINGE READ (25A: Keep up all night time ending a ebook, possibly (GABARDINE))
• SENATE SEAT (38A: Washington submit (SATEEN)) // ASSENT (40A: Thumbs-up (SATEEN))
• CUT FROM THE SAME CLOTH (61A: Having related qualities … or what 4 pairs of solutions on this puzzle are?)
• OPENER (79A: Precursor to the primary (NEOPRENE)) // ERROR-PRONE (81A: Liable to make errors (NEOPRENE))
• ARM’S REACH (101A: Grabbing distance (CASHMERE)) // CREAM CHEESE (103A: Philadelphia specialty (CASHMERE))

Phrase of the Day: ZEBRAFISH (11A: Striped minnow utilized in drug growth) —

The zebrafish (Danio rerio) is a freshwater fish belonging to the minnow household (Cyprinidae) of the order Cypriniformes. Native to India^[2] and South Asia, it’s a fashionable aquarium fish, steadily offered underneath the commerce title zebra danio^[3] (and thus usually known as a “tropical fish” though each tropical and subtropical). It is usually present in non-public ponds.

• • •

Hello all — it is Rafa right here overlaying for Rex.

This was cute! I began fixing this considering I had the theme all found out. And I’ve to admit I used to be a bit underwhelmed. Okay, we’re utilizing totally different materials as letter banks? Positive, “fabric-ations” is a cute title … however why is that this taking place? What is that this puzzle’s raison d’être? Why are we repeating materials in consecutive throughout slots? I am usually not an enormous fan of anagram or letter financial institution puzzles, so I are inclined to method them with fairly a little bit of skepticism.

Scrumptious LUMPIA

However then, the revealer! This revealer delighted me like few ever have. It is excellent. Very in-the-language phrase. Completely describes what’s going on. Explains why we’re doing letter banks and never anagrams. Explains why we’re repeating materials. If there’s a revealer corridor of fame, this revealer needs to be in it. If individuals write books about revealers, this one needs to be on the duvet. A revealer research school class ought to have this revealer as its essential case examine. You get the image.

A scrumptious OMELET

Revealer gushing apart, I do want among the cloths/materials had been a bit higher identified. To be honest, I’m no fabric/cloth skilled, however GABARDINE was new to me, and I used to be aware of satin however not SATEEN, and NEOPRENE felt very acquainted however I could not fairly recall what precisely it was. After all, there are a variety of constraints to make the entire thing work, so I perceive it was slim pickings. A few of the theme entries ( OPENER and ASSENT) additionally felt a bit of too quick, and didn’t have the identical wow issue as GINGERBREAD or CREAM CHEESE. The revealer, although! It is all value it for the revealer.

Scrumptious CREAM CHEESE

The fill was tremendous stable. Cannot actually discover a single factor that gave me pause … it is very well-made. HODGE / HESSE is perhaps a difficult crossing, however I do not assume another letter may plausibly go there (possibly a Y?). LUMPIA was my favourite entry in the complete puzzle. I really like meals in crosswords! LUMPIA, OMELET, JALAPENO, GINGERBREAD, CREAM CHEESE … sure, please. (Truly, no jalapeños. I’m delicate to spicy meals, alas.) The ARM’S REACH / FIRE EATER / SAY NO MORE stack is phenomenal.

Bullets:

• ATE (15D: Did an incredible job, in Gen Z lingo) — This clue rubbed me the unsuitable method. A cursory web search will present heaps of discourse about conflating AAVE with Gen Z lingo. (I didn’t learn/watch all of those, and I subsequently am not claiming to agree with all the pieces mentioned in them.) It isn’t my place to rehash this dialog right here, however this clue didn’t sit proper with me. At greatest, poorly researched … at worst, appropriative. To be clear, I am not attempting to cancel anybody right here. I’ve had fill/clues in my puzzles that in hindsight really feel equally off to me now. Simply explicitly calling it “Gen Z lingo” actually struck me and I needed to depart a be aware.
• ANTIHERO (78D: “It should be exhausting at all times rooting for the ___” (Taylor Swift lyric)) — I’m obsessive about Taylor Swift. Have you ever been listening to 1989 (Taylor’s Model)? Inform me about it within the feedback.
• POLL (109A: Large ask?) — Very cute clue!
• PLASMON (60D: Kind of quasiparticle)  — I am selecting to be type to my mind and never attempt to analysis and perceive what a “quasiparticle” is … I simply thought issues had been particles or not particles! Like neutron = particle. Armchair = not a particle. However possibly it isn’t that easy!

Signed, Rafa