Catchphrase for Olivia Pope on Scandal / SAT 10-16-21 / Eighth incarnation of Vishnu / Erstwhile camera and satellite maker for NASA / People also known as the Cat Nation / Water gait / Showy blossom in the iris family for short

Constructor: Caitlin Reid and Erik Agard

Relative difficulty: Easy

THEME: none 

Word of the Day: TOGO (54A: Its anthem is "Terre de nos aieux") —

Togo (/ˈtoʊɡoʊ/ (listen)), officially the Togolese Republic (French: République togolaise), is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Ghana to the west, Benin to the east and Burkina Faso to the north. The country extends south to the Gulf of Guinea, where its capital and largest city Lomé is located. Togo covers 57,000 square kilometres (22,008 square miles), making it one of the smallest countries in Africa, with a population of approximately 8 million, as well as one of the narrowest countries in the world with a width of less than 115 km (71 mi) between Ghana and its slightly larger eastern neighbor, Benin.

From the 11th to the 16th century, various tribes entered the region from all directions. From the 16th century to the 18th century, the coastal region was a major trading center for Europeans to purchase slaves, earning Togo and the surrounding region the name "The Slave Coast". In 1884, Germany declared a region including present-day Togo as a protectorate called Togoland. After World War I, rule over Togo was transferred to France. Togo gained its independence from France in 1960. In 1967, Gnassingbé Eyadéma led a successful military coup d'état after which he became president of an anti-communist, single-party state. Eventually, in 1993, Eyadéma faced multiparty elections, which were marred by irregularities, and he won the presidency three times. At the time of his death, Eyadéma was the longest-serving leader in modern African history, having been president for 38 years. In 2005, his son Faure Gnassingbé was elected president. He continues to hold the office as of 2021.

Togo is a tropical, sub-Saharan nation, whose economy depends highly on agriculture, with a climate that provides good growing seasons. While the official language is French, many other languages are spoken, particularly those of the Gbe family. The largest religious group consists of those with indigenous beliefs, and there are significant Christian and Muslim minorities. Togo is a member of the United Nations, African Union, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, South Atlantic Peace and Cooperation Zone, Francophonie, and Economic Community of West African States. (wikipedia)

Wow, ha ha, yes. This puzzle. Sometimes I forget what the top level of puzzle-making looks like because the NYTXW settles for "just OK" or "good" so often. Reasons for this are likely legion, from "accepting your friends' and longtime associates' puzzles out of a sense of obligation and also probably cronyism" to "coasting" to "being deeply committed to a last-century idea of what counts as 'top level'." It really is time for a changing of the guard at the top. It's been So Long. But let's leave that and get to this, which is a statement puzzle. A "hold my beer" puzzle. A "yeah, your puzzles have been nice and all, but ..." puzzle. I mean, I winced ... no times. Not once. Nonce (pronounced "nunce," which should be a word). OK, I winced a little at UNIPOD (how does that even stand up??), but otherwise, I can't remember when I've seen a cleaner or a zingier puzzle. No weak spots, tons of bright spots. It's a model. Just stare at it, constructors, and ... well, you can despair a little, maybe for a minute or so, but then take heart, be encouraged, chase this level of goodness. It is possible. But seriously, even for Erik and Caitlin (two excellent constructors), this is next-level work. Every longer answer bounced, and the only one that seemed even slightly unbouncy on its own (INSECT REPELLENT) got a clever clue that brought the bounce right back (6D: Check for bugs—that's some nice misdirection right there). The sassy slanginess of the puzzle! So nice, and not so niche that oldsters (i.e. me, much of the solving population) are going to feel left out. And maybe that's the real accomplishment here: it really feels like this is a puzzle for anyone, for everyone. It's all over the map (figuratively and literally—hello, TOGO!), in all the demographics, just trying to get all the solving peoples of the world to unite in having a good time. You need a model collaboration crossword for the 21st century? IT'S HANDLED!