The title references John Steinbeck's novel "Of Mice and Men", which in turn quotes Robert Burns' poem "To a Mouse", which reads: "The best laid schemes o' mice an' men / Gang aft agley."
J. D. references the "Duncan Royal Yo-Yo man". Duncan was a company that made yo-yos and had a character "Mr. Yo-Yo". There was a rival yo-yo company called Royal Tops.
This is the first episode to not start with the regular morning roll call.