My time: 16:52, eight minutes faster than average.
Theme: "Busting Moves," meaning that several answers contain letter strings that are names of dances, or moves, but with a single letter breaking, or busting, the name of the dance. For example, CRUMB CAKE contains rumba, broken by a C. SHORT ANSWER has hora, busted by a T.
The letters that bust the dance names are in grey squares, and spell out the apt phrase may I cut in. because they cut in! Ha! It is to LOL AT! Very clever, very well-constructed.
And now, the fill.
I could not think of GORDITA, the "stuffed and fried cornmeal pocket." Gordita means "chubby" in Spanish.
This is a clunky clue: "solid green ball in un juego de billar." SEIS. But I mean, come on. That's a terrible Spanglish blend with no reason at all for the Spanish. Go with something more apt. Like, what about, "regnal number of Felipe, rey d'España"? That would actually have a reason to be in Spanish.
In more color news, TENS are the yellow bills in Monopoly.
CASCA is a senator opposed to Caesar's power grab in Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar."
In more Shakespeare news, ROMEO shouts "Then I defy you, stars!" in Act V, scene i of "Romeo and Juliet," after learning (erroneously) that Juliet is dead.
"SHE Used to Be Mine" is a song written by American singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles, featured in "Waitress," the stage musical based on the 2007 film.
Never heard of horror director GIGI Saul Guerrero. She has done mostly shorts and TV. She is known as "La Muñeca Del Terror" (the terror hottie) in Latin America.
Good thing I've seen Zootopia, because, hello? Spoiler much? The villain is the apparently demure assistant mayor Bellwether, a EWE.
SOBA noodles have come up in the blog before, but never as "served with tsuyu sauce." Tsuyu, apparently properly called mentsuyu, is made from sake and soy sauce, among other things.
"Onetime sunscreen ingredient" is PABA. Never heard of that! It's an initialism for para-aminobenzoic acid, a chemical that tends to harm the skin.
I would have absolutely sworn I'd had OLEG Cassini in the blog before, but I guess not. He became particularly well known as a designer for Jacqueline Kennedy while she was First Lady of the United States. The "Jackie Look" was to become highly influential and much admired.
"Part of an aircraft that helps reduce drag" is WINGLET. Apparently this is a type of wingtip device.
On December 9, 2018, the clue "2007 #1 Alicia Keys album" appeared with its answer: AS I AM.
Actress NIA Long is a very common feature in the grid!
Clever clues: "Document that never lacks a title" is DEED. "It's ground-breaking" is FAULT. "Business that might hold a blowout sale?" is SALON.
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