Tuesday's New York Times crossword puzzle solved: August 14, 2018

My time: 4:32, close to the record!

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Andy Kravis and Erik Agard put on their best crossword-creating togs, and, dressed to the NINES ("Front and back halves of a golf course"), give us clothing-related puns.

In this puzzle, a BLASTING CAP is an "article of headwear for an explosives engineer."  THREE-WAY TIE is "article of neckwear for the Stooges" (the lack of the additional three in the name of the comedy trio mars this clue a bit).  A "celebrity magazine editor" wears a PEOPLE WATCH, and a Russian cook wears a BORSCHT BELT (this was the first themed clue I got).

Surprise! The first across clue "three-letter sandwich" is PBJ, not BLT like I put so confidently (cost me the record time!).  However, BLT is the answer to the last across clue, "three-letter sandwich."

The RUMBA is clued as "ballroom dance from Cuba," but Wikipedia notes that "originally, rumba was used as a synonym for party in northern Cuba, and by the late 19th century it was used to denote the complex of secular music styles known as Cuban rumba.  Since the early 20th century the term has been used in different countries to refer to distinct styles of music and dance, most of which are only tangentially related to the original Cuban rumba, if at all."

"Today" rival is GMA, which stands for "Good Morning America."  I don't know if anyone actually uses that abbreviation.

I've certainly heard of MARC Chagall but not MARC Gasol, a center for the NBA team Memphis Grizzlies.  He's Spanish and is 7'1" tall.

RUBY DEE was an actress who was in A Raisin in the Sun, Do the Right Thing, and "Roots."  She was married to civil rights figure Ossie Davis.

Never heard of ANN Peebles, a blues singer in the Memphis Hall of Fame.  Two of her famous songs are "I Can't Stand the Rain" and "I'm Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down."

Clever clue: "Put vinaigrette on, perhaps" is DRESS.

I was ABLE to do this puzzle very quickly.  Most of the clues were straightforward and easy definitions like "V-shaped cut," NOTCH).  A quick time will give you a LYFT and PEP you up.  Well, off to BED.