February 23, 2023

Title: DOLL UP

Constructor: Zaineb Akbar

Editor: Erik Agard

Theme Answers:

PAPER SNOWFLAKES (3D: Snipped winter decor)

BABY ONE MORE TIME (5D: "My loneliness is killing me..." song)

SATIN PILLOWCASE (9D: Bedding option that reduces breakage)

RUSSIAN DRESSING (11D: Condiment that originally contained caviar)

Theme synopsis: The top word (the one that is UP) of each vertical theme answer can precede the word DOLL. We have a PAPER DOLL, a BABY DOLL, SATIN DOLL, and RUSSIAN DOLL.

Things I learned:

• ODE (20A: "___ to My Shoes" (Francisco X. Alarcon poem)) Francisco X. Alarcón (1954-2016) was a Chicano poet who wrote in English, Spanish, and Nahuatl. His poem, "ODE to My Shoes," is from a 1998 collection of poetry titled From the Bellybutton of the Moon/Del oblige de la luna. I always appreciate when the common crossword answer, ODE, introduces me to a new poem and poet.
• AOKI (60A: Supermodel Devon) Devon AOKI has modeled for numerous designers and fashion brands, including Chanel, Dior, and Versace. She has also had acting roles in multiple movies, including 2 Fast 2 Furious and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Undead. 
• INTO (65A: "Fade ___ You" (Mazzy Star hit)) Mazzy Star is an alternative rock band. "Fade Into You," released in 1994, is the band's biggest hit to date. 

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• BRASS (5A: Copper-zinc alloy) and METAL (40A: Copper or zinc) Earlier this month I wrote about BRASS being a copper-zinc alloy, and yet it still took me a minute to come up with this answer. I like the choice of echoing copper and zinc in the clue for METAL.
• RUNT (16A: Littlest kitten) and EMOJI (36A: Smiling Cat Face With Heart-Shaped Eyes, e.g.) Willow was not the RUNT of the litter, but she is a petite cat. If her fur wasn't long she would look quite tiny indeed! It's a good thing Willow is on the smaller side, since climbing

  

  Willow perched on my shoulder

  all over me is one of her favorite pastimes. I took this photo while I was eating breakfast this morning. 😻
• IT'S A SNAP (29A: "Piece of cake!") and EASY (26D: "Piece of cake!") This is the third clue pair I'm highlighting today. Each clue pair was linked in a different manner (a reference, a shared subject, and a clue echo), and I enjoyed them all. It was fun that these two answers with identical clues crossed in the grid.
• BLU (44A: "Star Trek: Discovery" actor ___ del Barrio) I learned about BLU del Barrio from the May 7, 2022 puzzle. In that puzzle, TAL was clued in reference to Adira TAL, the character portrayed by BLU del Barrio on Star Trek: Discovery. BLU del Barrio identifies as non-binary, and the character Adira Tal is the first non-binary role in Star Trek.
• ONCE (49A: "___ Upon a Dream") "ONCE Upon a Dream" is a song written for the 1959 animated Disney movie, Sleeping Beauty.
• PAPER SNOWFLAKES (3D: Snipped winter decor) This delightful theme answer brought back memories of the many hours I have spent making PAPER SNOWFLAKES. 
• BABY ONE MORE TIME (5D: "My loneliness is killing me..." song) "...BABY ONE MORE TIME" is the 1998 debut single of Britney Spears. It is also the title track from her debut album. 
• SATIN PILLOWCASE (9D: Bedding option that reduces breakage) The breakage being reduced here refers to your hair. Less hair breakage is one stated benefit of sleeping on a SATIN PILLOWCASE. We also saw SATIN PILLOWCASE as a theme answer on July 22, 2022.
• RUSSIAN DRESSING (11D: Condiment that originally contained caviar) Well, isn't this a fun fact?! RUSSIAN DRESSING consists of a combination of mayonnaise and ketchup, along with other ingredients that vary depending on the recipe. The inclusion of caviar (that is associated with RUSSIAN cuisine) in the original recipe resulted in the name of this American DRESSING.
• AUTISM (48D: What a gold or rainbow infinity symbol represents) The gold infinity sign is a symbol of AUTISM acceptance. The autistic community chose this symbol because the first two letters of AUTISM are "Au," the chemical symbol for gold. The rainbow infinity symbol is also used, to indicate the diversity of the AUTISM community.

Geography review:

• IRAQ (10A: Home country of Alia Muhammad Baker, the Librarian of Basra) Basra is a city in southern IRAQ, and is the country's main port. Alia Muhammad Baker (1952-2021) was the chief librarian of the Al Basrah Central Library, located in Basra. The Librarian of Basra: A True Story From IRAQ is a 2005 children's book by Jeanette Winter that tells Alia Muhammad Baker's story. In 2003, as an invasion of IRAQ was looming, Alia Muhammad Baker became worried that the library would be destroyed. (Government offices moved into the library and an anti-aircraft gun was placed on the roof.) When government officials turned down her requests to move the libraries books, Alia Muhammad Baker took matters into her own hands, secretly moving books into the dining room of the restaurant next door, and eventually distributing them among library employees, friends, and her own home. The library was eventually destroyed, but Alia Muhammad Baker managed to save 70% of the library's collection. The Al Basrah Central Library was rebuilt in 2004, and the books were moved into their new home, with Alia Muhammad Baker as the chief librarian.
• IBIZA (61A: Island also called Elvissa) IBIZA is an island in the Mediterranean Sea off the eastern coast of Spain. The official languages of IBIZA are Catalan and Spanish. In Catalan, the name of the  island is Elvissa.

This is a classic USA Today theme type with an excellent set of theme answers. The grid has near left-right mirror symmetry. I enjoyed the clueing today, particular the clue pairs that I noted above. Thank you, Zaineb, for this puzzle that was a delightful way to start my Thursday.