October 21, 2022

Title: DOUBLE BACK

Constructor: Brooke Husic

Editor: Anna Gundlach

Theme Answers:

PILLOW TALK (17A: Intimate chat)

FOLLOW THROUGH (39A: Do what you said you'd do)

SHOW TUNES (62A: Sing-along songs at some piano bars)

Theme synopsis: The word TWO (a DOUBLE) is found BACKwards in each theme answer.

And now a word from our constructor:

Brooke: my favorite clues/answers are 20a, 50a, 10d, 18d, 49d, and 63d!

Things I learned:

• TOK (21A: Suffix for "book" or "art" on social media) BookTOK and ArtTOK are subcommunities on the social media app TikTOK. Although I wasn't familiar with these communities (not having spent much time on TikTOK), the answer was fairly easy to figure out once I had the T in place from SCAT (6D: Improvise vocally)
• EMO (28A: Rainer Maria genre) The EMO group, Rainer Maria, is a TRIO from Madison, Wisconsin that formed in 1995, and named themselves after the German poet, Rainer Maria Rilke.
• DEE (44A: Rapper and journalist Barnes) DEE Barnes is a rapper who sometimes uses the stage name Sista D. She is also a journalist and a former Fox TV personality. 
• UMI (2D: On-named "Remember Me" singer) "Remember Me" is a 2018 song from Seattle artist, UMI. 
• LOS (46D: ___ Angeles Azules) LOS Angeles Azules is a Mexican musical group consisting of six siblings of the Mejía Avante family. The group has been performing together since 1976, and have experimented with a variety of musical styles, and are now part of the cumbia sonidera genre. The LOS Angeles Azules performed at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in 2018. Although I was unfamiliar with this group, the answer was inferable.

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• IN A (20A: "Matter of fact, he'll be here ___ minute") This clue is a lyric from Beyoncé's 2006 song, "Irreplaceable." It follows the line, "I could have another you IN A minute." The great thing about this clue is that it is easy to figure out even for those solvers not familiar with the song.
• HONEY (48A: Baklava sweetener) Mmm, baklava. The layered pastry, baklava, originates from Ottoman cuisine, and consists of many thin layers of phyllo dough filled with chopped nuts and HONEY.
• I DO (50A: Words that turn nearlyweds into newlyweds) This is a fun, sweet clue. I love the term "nearlyweds."
• PUN (60A: "Art Official Intelligence" is one) I admit that I had to say "Art Official Intelligence" out loud before I caught on to this PUN for "artificial intelligence." Groan...
• TRAN (9D: "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" star Kelly Marie) In the 2017 movie, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Kelly Marie TRAN plays the role of Rose Tico, a mechanic working with the Resistance.
• WE MEET AGAIN (10D: "Looks like it's time for our rematch") I liked this answer a lot, and thought it appropriate for the DOUBLE BACK theme.
• WARRIOR (18D: Yoga pose named for the hero Virabhadra) Also known as Virabhadrasana, WARRIOR pose refers to a group of standing poses that build strength in the legs, spine, and torso. 
• TRIO (27D: SWV or TLC, for example) SWV (Sisters with Voices) is an R&B TRIO, as is TLC.  
• WLW (63D: Acronym encompassing the Sapphic community) The Sapphic community refers to women-loving women (WLW). The community takes its name from the Greek poet Sappho who I have written about previously.

Geography review:

• RICA (35A: Costa ___) Costa RICA is a Central American country located between Nicaragua and Panama, with coastline along the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean. The capital of Costa RICA is San José.
• MOINES (54A: Des ___, Iowa) Des MOINES is the capital of Iowa, and its most populous city. We have seen Des MOINES used to clue "Des" before, and we've seen the entire city name before, but this is the first time since I've been blogging that we've seen Des MOINES as a clue for the latter part of the city's name. Here's a fun thing about Des MOINES that you might not know if you haven't been there. Downtown Des MOINES has over four miles of skywalks, elevated sidewalks that connect 55 different buildings.
• PERU (68A: Country with Inca architecture) From the late 1400s to the mid-1500s, the country that is now PERU was part of the Inca Empire. Inca architecture is still present in PERU. Machu Picchu, located in southern PERU is one of the most well-known examples of Inca architecture.
• TEL (3D: ___ Aviv, Israel) TEL Aviv is a city in Israel. It has earned the nickname "Non-Stop City."

I was going to write that this theme was straightforward, but then I realized it actually isn't - ha! A fun take on a BACKward theme, with three enjoyable theme answers. Thank you, Brooke, for this puzzle that was an excellent way to begin my Friday.