November 30, 2023

Title: FLIP FLOPS (Freestyle)

Constructor: Rafael Musa

Editor: Amanda Rafkin

Freestyle: This is a (themed-ish) themeless puzzle. FLIP FLOPS is a nod to four answers with a similar rhyming pattern:

LOVEY DOVEY (17A: Like boyfriends during the honeymoon phase)

HOITY TOITY (62A: Pretentious)

WISHY WASHY (11D: Lacking in boldness)

DILLY DALLY (30D: Waste time)

Things I learned:

• BRENDA (24A: "Dads" actress Song) Dads is a TV sitcom that originally aired in 2013. The show is focused on the lives of two successful video game developers, Eli and Warner, whose respective fathers move in with them. BRENDA Song plays the role of Veronica, Eli and Warner's assistant. 

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• EGO (20A: Beyonce song with the lyric "I talk like this 'cause I can back it up") Beyoncé recorded "EGO" in 2008 for the deluxe edition of her album, I Am... Sasha Fierce.  
• HAM (23A: Hawaiian pizza topping) Pizza topped with HAM and pineapple is known as Hawaiian pizza. In my experience, pineapple on pizza is a polarizing topic; some people like it a lot, and others are not fans at all. I fall into the former category. Here's a fun fact that I just learned about Hawaiian pizza: In spite of its name, Hawaiian pizza was invented in Ontario, Canada by Sam Panopoulos, a Greek-born Canadian. Its name came from the brand of pineapple used on the pizza.
• EYRE (48A: "Jane ___" (Bronte novel)) After a recent string of clues highlighting the dialogue of Jane EYRE, the protagonist of Charlotte Bronte's 1847 novel, today we have a straightforward clue, which is equally as valid, of course. In case you're missing the dialogue clue, here's a quote from Jane EYRE (that's probably too long to appear in a clue) : "Prejudices, it is well known, are most difficult to eradicate from the heart whose soil has never been loosened or fertilized by education: they grow there, firm as weeds among stones."
• CELL (60A: "The mitochondria is the powerhouse of the ___") I have previously written about the phrase, "The mitochondria is the powerhouse of the CELL." If you're interested in learning who coined the phrase, or in how the phrase is used in memes, check out my March 15, 2023 blog post. 
• HE'S (68A: "___ so tall, and handsome as hell" (Taylor Swift lyric)) "HE'S so tall, and handsome as hell," is a lyric from Taylor Swift's 2015 song, "Wildest Dreams." The rerecording of the song, "Wildest Dreams (Taylor's Version)" was released in 2021. 
• BODEGAS (24D: New York corner stores) Any mentions of BODEGAS reminds me of cats. (As you know, many things remind me of cats!) I have previously written about BODEGA cats earning their keep by working as pest control. If you need more cats in your life (Willow says you absolutely do!) I recommend following the Instagram account BODEGAcatsofinstagram. I don't think Willow would make a good BODEGA cat, but here she is being a "bathroom cat," and supervising my morning routine.

  

  Willow

• URSA (28A: ___ Major (constellation)  URSA Major, also known as the Great Bear, is a constellation visible in the northern sky. Its main seven stars form the "Big Dipper."
• ESME (37D: "The Border of Paradise" author ___ Weijun Wang) The Border of Paradise, published in 2016, is ESMÉ Weijun Wang's debut novel. Her second book, The Collected Schizophrenias (2019), is a series of essays about Wang's experiences with schizoaffective disorder. In addition to writing books, ESMÉ Weijun Wang founded The Unexpected Shape Writing Academy, an online writing school "for people with limitations who want to write memoir and/or personal nonfiction." I learned about ESMÉ Weijun Wang from the December 25, 2020 puzzle.
• MERYL (47D: Actress Streep) MERYL Streep has an extensive filmography. I enjoy so much of her work, it would be difficult to choose a favorite. Recently, I enjoyed her performance as Loretta Durbin in the third season of the TV series Only Murders in the Building.

Geography review:

• SFO (31A: Bay Area airport code) SFO is the code for the San Francisco International Airport. Located south of San Francisco in San Mateo County, SFO serves California's Bay Area.
• SAO (54A: ___ Paulo, Brazil) SÃO Paulo is the most populous city in Brazil. The city's name was chosen to honor the Apostle Paul.

At first, I thought FLIP FLOPS was merely a nod to the answer WISHY WASHY. But then I had an AHA! (55D: "I figured it out!") moment, when I noticed the quartet of "___Y ___Y" answers in the grid. I particularly like DILLY DALLY, which is a favorite phrase of mine. Thank you, Rafa, for this puzzle that was a delightful way to start my Thursday.