"Outward Appearances," by Matt Jones

Editor's Comments

Legendary constructor Matt Jones (of Jonesin' Crossword fame) is up today with an "outer layer" synonym theme!  I like how the theme has a modern vibe—I primarily associated skin and case with iPhones—but that it can still be appreciated by people of all generations.  Matt also worked a lot of fun entries into the fill.  My favorites are TIGER CUB, LASER GUN, CHILI DOG, PAINT CAN, and SPINNER (with Matt's timely fidget spinner reference).  When fidget spinners first came out, I remember thinking to myself, "Eh, I don't need one."  But when I saw a fidget spinner for $3 in New York last summer, I couldn't help myself, and I've been hooked ever since.  I'll close with one of my all-time favorite fidget spinner depictions, a Baby Blues comic: