Historic California route with El / MON 5-15-17 / Sigher's words / Common computer peripherals / Quetzalcoatl worshiper / Soft drink in green bottle

Constructor: Peter Gordon

Relative difficulty: Medium

THEME:INNER CHILD (58A: Part of a person's psyche ... or a hidden part of 18-, 23-, 39- or 48-Across)— types of children, or words that roughly mean "children," are in the "inner" part of all the theme answers:

Theme answers:

• CAMINO REAL (contains "minor") (18A: Historic California route, with "El")
• PRIVATE ENTRANCE (contains "teen") (23A: Desirable feature of a rented room)
• CAPTAIN FANTASTIC (contains "infant") (39A: 2016 film for which Viggo Mortensen earned an Oscar nomination)
• QWERTY KEYBOARDS (contains "tyke") (48A: Common computer peripherals)

Word of the Day:"CAPTAIN FANTASTIC"—

Captain Fantastic is a 2016 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Matt Ross and starring Viggo Mortensen. The story centers on a family that is forced by circumstances to reintegrate into society after living in isolation for a decade. (wikipedia)

This is decent, largely because the theme answers are long and interesting. I had no idea "CAPTAIN FANTASTIC" was a movie. I know the phrase only from the Elton John album "CAPTAIN FANTASTIC" and the Brown Dirt Cowboy" (that is how I remember the title ... looking it up now ... Yes! I was right! I remember this album because it has a gatefold sleeve with an elaborate nightmare Hieronymus Bosch-esque wraparound cover that grossed me out as a child). But, yeah, it was a movie, and now that I look the movie up, I vaguely remember ads for it. Could Not have told you what it was called. Luckily, that answer filled itself in easily from crosses. I'm not terribly enthusiastic about this theme type, and this revealer in particular. I say this as someone who has made (too) many of this theme type. I did a puzzle where I hid Norse gods in answers (e.g. HELLOKITTY, MOODINDIGO); I did a birthday puzzle for constructor Kevin Der once where I just hid his last name in a bunch of answers (e.g. STEROIDERA); a couple years back I did a BEER BELLY puzzle for Buzzfeed (w/ Lena Webb) where we put beer types in the middle of answers (e.g. TEALEAVES, VILLAGEROADSHOW). So it's common. Too common. I've promised myself I won't use that theme type again for a decade. I know I will break that promise, but I felt it had to be made.


But it's the obviousness of INNER CHILD as a revealer that gave me pause today. I was like "this has to have been done, many times." And sure enough, it has. Many times. A very cursory look turned up three different recent crosswords with INNER CHILD revealers. Here's one that has baby animals hidden in the answers (cute!). Here's one that just has "KID" hidden in the answers a bunch of times. And then here's one that's got the exact premise as today's puzzle (and even shares the answer QWERTY KEYBOARD). "Inner" or "Middle" or "Central" or "Inside" [anything] is going to suggest this kind of theme to a constructor. It's not bad. It just is. Can be nice, can be terrible. Almost forgot—I did *another* theme like this called INSIDE DOPE where I "hid" THC in a bunch of answers (e.g. FIFTH COLUMN). Clearly I have a problem. Anyway, today's puzzle is a good example of this type of theme, even though some version of this INNER CHILD concept has been done (a lot).

Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld

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