January 17, 2024

Title: LIP SYNC FOR YOUR LIFE (Freestyle)

Constructor: Jess Rucks

Editor: Amanda Rafkin

Freestyle: This is a themeless puzzle. LIP SYNC FOR YOUR LIFE is a nod to SHANTAY YOU STAY (14D: Phrase a drag race contestant hopes to hear RuPaul say).

Things I learned:

• MARGARITA (31A: Li Hing Mui ___ (Hawaiian take on a classic tequila drink)) Back in November, I learned that li hing mui is salty dried Chinese plum, which is known for its combined sweet, sour, and salty taste. At the time, I wrote that "li hing mui is also eaten in powder form, sprinkled over foods and used in drinks." Today I learned that a Li Hing Mui MARGARITA is one drink that uses li hing mui powder. Fortunately, the "classic tequila drink" hint led me to the answer pretty quickly.

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• RBG (1A: "Notorious" ___ (former SCOTUS member)) Ruth Bader Ginsburg (1933-2020), known as RBG, was a member of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1993-2020, and a life-long advocate for gender equality and women's rights. I have previously written about how she gained her "notorious" nickname.
• YEAH DUDE (11A: "Right on, bro!") and SWOLE (14A: Like a bro who's ripped) This row of the puzzle is for the bros.
• SEA OTTER (41A: Notoriously cute mammal whose "behaviors would result in criminal charges if water weasels had a justice system" (per an "Ologies" episode)) Ologies is a weekly podcast hosted by Alie Ward. Each week an expert in a scientific field is interviewed. The quote in the clue is from the July 7, 2022 episode of Ologies, on which the guest is Dr. Chris J. Law, an expert on SEA OTTERs.
• UHURA (47A: Linguistics expert on "Star Trek") Nyota UHURA is a character in the Star Trek franchise who was a communications officer on the USS Enterprise. The role of UHURA was originally played by Nichelle Nichols. Celia Rose Gooding and Zoe Saldaña have also portrayed UHURA.
• CASSETTE (54A: Walkman insert) I am old enough to remember the Walkman CASSETTE player, Sony's portable music device that was popular in the 1980s. Although Sony is still making Walkman products, CASSETTE Walkman devices ceased production in 2010.
• EYRE (63A: Bronte heroine Jane) Jane EYRE is the protagonist and title character of Charlotte Bronte's 1847 novel. Here's a quote from Jane EYRE: "Life appears to me too short to be spent in nursing animosity or registering wrongs."
• BEST (2D: "Simply the ___" (Tina Turner hit)) Since reading this clue, I have had Tina Turner's song "The BEST" as an earworm. Tina Turner recorded "The BEST" in 1989 for her seventh studio album, Foreign Affair. Tina Turner's version is a cover of the song that was originally released by Bonnie Tyler. (Bonnie Tyler has said Tina Turner, "did it much better than I did.") "You're simply the BEST / Better than all the rest..."
• GATO (3D: Cat, in Spanish) Willow is delighted to see cat content in the puzzle

  

  Willow

  in any language. This photo shows her checking today's grid for cat content. I'm guessing that the real reason Willow likes to lie on my iPad is for warmth, but it makes for cute photo ops. 
• TED (8D: Lasso who said, "If God would have wanted games to end in a tie, she wouldn't have invented numbers") TED Lasso is the title character of the popular TV series. This is a fun quote! (Someday I will get around to watching TED Lasso.)
• COCKTAIL (8D: Mixologist's concoction) This answer pairs well with MARGARITA, and it's fun that the two answers are crossing.
• SHANTAY YOU STAY (14D: Phrase a drag race contestant hopes to hear RuPaul say) On RuPaul's Drag Race, "SHANTAY YOU STAY," is the phrase RuPaul says to the winner of the LIP SYNC battle. We have seen SHANTAY YOU STAY in the puzzle as a theme answer, and as the title of a Freestyle puzzle. 
• GENA (32D: "The Notebook" actress Rowlands) The Notebook is a 2004 movie based on Nicholas Sparks's 1996 book of the same name. Noah and Allie, an elderly couple, are the main characters of The Notebook. Allie has Alzheimer's, and Noah reads the story of their life to her in an effort to help her remember. Rachel McAdams played the role of Allie, and GENA Rowlands portrayed the older version of the character.
• REARS (37D: Keisters) and TUSHIE (42D: Keister) What we have here is a pair of keister clues.
• ERRED (43D: Spelled weird "wierd," say) This clue made me chuckle. Remember, "i before e, except after c ... and in some weird words."
• AZTEC (46D: Quetzalcoatl worshipper) Quetzalcoatl is a deity in AZTEC culture and literature. From the Nahuatl language, the name "Quetzalcoatl" means "precious serpent."
• LAVA (49D: Magma that's aboveground) When molten rock is underground, it is referred to as magma. Once that molten rock breaks through the Earth's surface, it is known as LAVA.

Geography review:

• SRI (53A: ___ Lanka) SRI Lanka is an island country in South Asia. It is located in the Indian Ocean, and is separated from India by the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait. Colombo is the most populous city of SRI Lanka, and its executive and commercial capital. The legislative capital of SRI Lanka is SRI Jayawardenepura Kotte.
• ADEN, YEMEN (5D: Port city on the Arabian Peninsula) The country of YEMEN is located on the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula, with coastline along the Red Sea, the Gulf of ADEN, and the Guardafui Channel. ADEN, YEMEN is a port city on the Gulf of ADEN. It is located near the Red Sea, and is a maritime hub connecting Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. Since 2015, ADEN, YEMEN has served as the country's temporary capital.
• DES (10D: ___ Moines, Iowa) DES Moines, Iowa is the capital of Iowa. In August of each year, DES Moines is home to the Iowa State Fair, one of the largest state fairs in the United States. If you attend the Iowa State Fair, be sure to check out the butter cow. 
• ARAB (24D: The "A" of UAE) The United ARAB Emirates (UAE) is a Western Asian country located on the Arabian Peninsula. The capital of the UAE is Abu Dhabi.

I enjoyed the entertaining clueing in today's puzzle. Congratulations to Jess Rucks, making a USA Today debut! This is the third debut we've had this week, and it's great to see. Always happy to see the work of new constructors. Thank you, Jess, for this delightful puzzle.