July 15, 2022

Title: CONNECTIONS IN HIGH PLACES

Constructor: Brooke Husic

Editor: Erik Agard

Theme Answers:

RAINBOW EMOJI (4D: Symbol of queer pride)

INTERNET FAMOUS (6D: Well-known from TikTok, for example)

MISSED A STITCH (19D: Messed up while knitting)

Theme synopsis: The first words of the theme answers can be placed in front of the word CONNECTION: RAINBOW CONNECTION, INTERNET CONNECTION, MISSED CONNECTION. The theme answers are vertical, so the CONNECTIONS are IN HIGH PLACES.

And now a word from our constructor:

Brooke: happy friday! i love so much of this puzzle, like the 1a/2a and 40a/3d clue pairs. i think the geography review will be extensive with this one — hope you don't mind, sally!

Things I learned:

• KITE (33D: Something flown on Basant Panchami) Basant Panchami, also known as Vasant Panchami, is a Hindu festival honoring the goddess Saraswati, and marking the arrival of spring. People celebrate the day by wearing yellow, eating sweet dishes, and flying KITEs.
• TATTOO (59A: Design in the documentary "Skindigenous") Skindigenous is a 13-episode documentary TV series created by Kim O'Bomsawin. The show explores indigenous TATTOO traditions around the world, with each episode focusing on a different indigenous culture.

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• ADORE (1A: Really love) and IT'S (6A: "Baby, ___ you / You're the one I love...) What a lovely way to start. It was immediately obvious that this puzzle is In the MOOD for Love (48D). The 6-Across lyric is from Beyoncé's song, "Love on Top." In the MOOD for Love is a 2000 movie about neighbors that develop feelings for each other after discovering their respective spouses are cheating on them.
• HEIGHT (23A: Stat for people and towers) I really liked this clue.
• ELF (40A: "Ella Enchanted" creature) and OGRE (3D: "Ella Enchanted" creature) Ella Enchanted is a 1997 book by Gail Carson Levine. A 2004 movie of the same name, and starring Anne Hathaway as Ella, was loosely based on the book. Ella Enchanted is a retelling of Cinderella, and features various mythical creatures, including elves, OGREs, fairies, gnomes, and giants.
• DST (65A: Sunshine Protection Act subject (Abbr.)) The Sunshine Protection Act is a proposed law that would make Daylight Saving Time (DST) permanent in the United States. Currently the Act has been passed by the Senate and referred to the House of Representatives. I don't have a strong opinion about whether Daylight Saving Time or Standard Time is preferable, but I am in favor of not switching back and forth between the two.
• WEK (22D: Supermodel Alek) I have previously written about Alek WEK. 
• UBUNTU (41D: "I am because we are" philosophy) UBUNTU is a Nguni Bantu word that means "humanity," and refers to a philosophy that humanity is connected by a universal bond of sharing. This is a beautiful sentiment, and I want to believe in it.
• TIBS (50D: Dish served with injera) I learned about the Ethiopian dish, TIBS, from the March 4, 2021 puzzle. Injera is a sour fermented flatbread traditionally made of teff flour.
• NOSE (54D: Pointy facial feature of Phineas Flynn) Phineas Flynn is one of the protagonists of the animated TV series, Phineas and Ferb. He does indeed have a pointy NOSE.

Geography review:

• ELK (34A: State animal of Utah) The state mammal of Utah is the Rocky Mountain ELK, a subspecies of ELK found in mountain ranges of Western North America.
• ERIE (35A: Pennsylvania city home to Presque Isle State Park) Presque Isle State Park, just west of ERIE, Pennsylvania, is located on an arching peninsula that juts into Lake ERIE. The sandy landscape of the peninsula undergoes frequent reshaping from waves and wind. Presque Isle State Park has the distinction of being Pennsylvania's only "seashore."
• PESO (42A: Currency in the Philippines) The Philippines, an island country in Southeast Asia, uses the Philippine PESO as its currency.
• PERU (57A: Liz Chicaje's country) Liz Chicaje is a leader in PERU who advocates for the rights of indigenous people, and for protection of rainforests and rivers in their country. Her efforts led to the establishment of Yaguas National Park in 2018. In 2021, Liz Chicaje was awarded the Goldman Prize, an annual honor that recognizes grassroots activism. 
• OMAN (38D: Muscat's country) Muscat is the capital and most populated city of OMAN.
• EURO (49D: Currency in Germany) Germany is a country in central Europe, and along with 18 other European countries, its currency is the EURO.
• STAR (53D: Shape on Suriname's flag) Suriname is a country on the northeastern coast of South America, and is the smallest country in South America. In addition to bordering the Atlantic Ocean, Suriname borders French Guiana, Guyana, and Brazil. Suriname's flag features a yellow, five-pointed STAR on a red stripe in its center. The STAR represents unity, and a golden future. The red horizontal stripe is flanked on the top and bottom by white and green stripes.

I really like this theme and its three fabulous theme answers. My first thought for 4-Down was RAINBOW flag, which obviously didn't fit. A little help from crossing answers revealed the fabulous RAINBOW EMOJI 🌈. I really like the answer INTERNET FAMOUS. INTERNET fame is such an interesting phenomenon. I have to admit that as a sometimes knitter, MISSED A STITCH induces a bit of anxiety. In addition to the answers I've highlighted (including all that geography!), I liked TEAMMATE, SEAHAWK, SLAP BASS, and BIG ASK. Thank you, Brooke, for this puzzle that was a delightful way to start my Friday.