Dance craze of the 2010s / MON 10-5-26 / Cheap hooch / Internet meme feline / One way to sit while meditating / Clickables at the top of a computer screen / Bygone electric Chevy / Follower of Jah, informally

Constructor: Chase Dittirch

Relative difficulty: Challenging (for *me*, solved Downs-only)

THEME: "THERE'S THE RUB" (52A: "Ah, that's where things get difficult" ... or what can be said about 20-, 35- and 40-Across?) — things associated with "rubs":

Theme answers:

• MASSAGE TABLE (20A: Spot to work out knotted muscles)
• SPARE RIBS (35A: Memphis barbecue staple)
• MAGIC LAMP (40A: Key to Aladdin's success)

Word of the Day: The DOUGIE (46D: Dance craze of the 2010s) —

The Dougie (/ˈdʌɡi/ ^ⓘ DUG-ee) is a hip hop dance move generally performed by moving one's body from side to side and passing a hand through or near the hair on one's own head.

The dance move originated in Dallas, Texas, where it took its name from similar moves performed by 1980s rapper Doug E. Fresh. The Dougie gained notoriety through rapper Lil' Wil, whose song "My Dougie", released in late 2007, became a local hit. Then, a person called C-Smoove in Southern California taught the future members of Cali Swag District how to do the dance. Cali Swag District recorded the song "Teach Me How to Dougie" and filmed the music video in Inglewood, California during the summer of 2009. Subsequently, the video along with the dance became popular on YouTube. (wikipedia)

• • •

80% easy, 20% dead stop, thought I wasn't gonna be able to finish. Eventually, the Downs-Only gods are gonna kneecap, but not today, satans! It was close, though, partly because I'm an idiot but partly because the puzzle was playing a little dirty. A little DIRNDL-y, in fact. Actually, DIRNDL is a real word that I know, but trying to parse it today, lol, no way. I went through what I thought was every possible letter permutation that could make a word out of DIR--L and ... nothing. No dice. All the crosses seemed rock solid, but I just couldn't get a word to go there. Which meant I started doubting those rock-solid crosses. Which meant everything just kept falling apart even more. [SIGH]!!! I was literally SIGHing and thinking "that's got to be SIGH"! Indeed. But DIRNDL, man, DIRNDL. Oof. Abetting DIRNDL in its mission to kick my ass was The DOUGIE. Ask me for a 2010s dance craze in six letters, I've got NAE NAE, and then I've got nothing nothing. All I had for sure in that dance craze answer was the "U" from RUB, and that wasn't helping. 

Eventually, the only reason I was able to break out of this prison of confusion was PRISON BREAK, which eventually I managed to see from just the "I" and the "R"! I had been assuming that 26D: Escape from jail was a verb phrase, not a noun phrase. [SIGH] and Aargh. But perhaps the biggest impediment to my Downs-only solve was a clue I'm still mad about: 27D: Clickables at the top of a computer screen (TABS). I had the "B" and ... nothing. Because TABS are not at the top of my computer screen, they're at the top of my computer browser. At the top of my screen is a menu, with headings like (in order) "Chrome," "File," "Edit," "View," "History" ... and the rest! Are menu headings called "TABS"? I just don't think they're the same thing. I assume the clue means browser TABS, but again, I refer you to the fact that those are absolutely not "at the top of [my] computer screen." So understanding that damned "B" in --B-,  oof and aargh. "B"rutal. But PRISON BREAK really broke things loose, and I finished without cheating (i.e. without looking at an Across clue), so victory is mine and it is sweet. 

So the theme: I liked it! Surprised it hasn't been done. It's cute to link these disparate theme answers together this way, and I really enjoyed seeing the revealer come into view and realizing what the theme was going to be. The fill could've been a little stronger—a simple four-theme answer probably shouldn't be relying so heavily on ECRU ACTI SUPE (all in one tiny section!) and then EKES ERE SGT SAO CITI ATAD ATSEA ACH RAH IMO OTOE OHS AWS ESS ETS etc. But CROSS-LEGGED is great (3D: One way to sit while meditating) and PRISON BREAK is good and COWHAND and REPLETE aren't bad, and as I say, the theme seems very nice, simple and funny and elegant, very Monday-appropriate. So I come down solidly on the Plus side.

Bullets:

• 29A: Internet meme feline (LOLCAT) — I feel like we should retire this one. It's too ... Aughts, somehow. Just feels not relevant anymore. Bygone. Stale. A ghost reference. Cats are still big on the internet, but somehow LOLCAT sounds very dated to my ears.

[LOLCATs in a more serious, squirrel-patrol mood]

• 5D: Cheap hooch (ROTGUT) — speaking of dated, everything about this one seems like it came out of Prohibition. ROTGUT sounds like 1920s slang, but it actually dates from 1632 (!). "Hooch" is a much more recent term, dating only from 1897. Did you know that "hooch" is "short for hoochinoo, a distilled liquor made by the Hoochinoo (Hutsnuwu) Indians, a Tlingit tribe" (merriam-webster.com). Me neither!
• 36D: "___ Window" ("REAR") — the ESE of this puzzle had me so turned around that I actually started doubting My Favorite Movie. "R... ROAD WINDOW? ROSE WINDOW? ROY'S WINDOW? It's gotta be REAR!!" (true). [Note, I don't have a favorite movie, but I do have a Mount Rushmore of favorites, and REAR Window is on it—my cinema gateway drug, for sure]

• 56A: Singer Baker (ANITA) — Just as REAR Window is one of my favorite movies, ANITA Baker's Rapture is one of my favorite albums. Not what you'd expect a 16yo boy to be blaring from his '77 Toyota Sports Coupe in 1986, but that's what was happening, I promise you. I had no shame.

That's all for today. See you next time.

Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld

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