Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Right From the Start
There are spoilers ahead. You might want to solve today's puzzle before reading further! Right From the Start
Constructor: Jake Halperin
Editor: Anna Gundlach
GERALD (65A: Arnold's best friend in "Hey Arnold!") Hey Arnold! is an animated TV series about a fourth grader named Arnold who lives with his grandparents. Although I've written about this show before, both times were mentions of the character of Helga, so I wasn't familiar with GERALD. As the clue mentions, GERALD (voiced by Jamil Walker Smith) is the 9-year-old best friend of the title character.
ORTEGA (47D: "Stuck in the Middle" star Jenna) Stuck in the Middle is a Disney TV series that originally aired from 2016-2018. Jenna ORTEGA portrays Harley Diaz, the middle child in a family of seven children.
ISSA (1A: Hoorae Media founder Rae) ISSA Rae founded Hoorae Media (pronounced "hooray") in 2020. Hoorae's productions include the TV shows Insecure, A Black Lady Sketch Show and Rap Sh!t.
CVS (11A: Chain with famously long receipts) This clue made me laugh. A few years ago when we saw CVS clued as [Largest pharmacy chain in the U.S.], I wrote, "As I filled in this answer, I had the thought that an alternative clue could be [Pharmacy chain with the longest receipts]."
LEA (16A: "The French Dispatch" actress Seydoux) The French Dispatch is the abbreviated title of the 2021 movie The French Dispatch of the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun. The movie follows three different storylines surrounding the publication of the final issue of a fictional newspaper. LÉA Seydoux stars as a prison guard and the muse for an imprisoned painter in the storyline, "The Concrete Masterpiece."
SEA (23A: With 25-Across, novelty "pet" that is actually a shrimp) and MONKEY (25A: See 23-Across) It was a fun choice to pair these two answers together, since they are in the same row of the puzzle. When I was a kid, the SEA MONKEY was marketed extensively on TV and in comic books. I was curious, but my parents never gave in and purchased a SEA MONKEY kit. SEA MONKEYs are brine shrimp sold as novelty pets. They were given the name of SEA MONKEY because their tail vaguely resembles that of a MONKEY. They are sold as eggs, which hatch when added to water and augmented with yeast, borax, soda, salt, and some food (also included in the kit). The SEA MONKEY slogan is "The World's Only Instant Pets." I haven't thought about SEA MONKEYs in a long time!
CANOED (33A: Paddled in a lake) and DROVE (41A: Went for a spin) Whether you're on a lake or the road, this puzzle has you covered.
DENCH (38A: "J. Edgar" actress Judi) J. Edgar is a 2011 biographical movie about the career of FBI director J. Edgar Hoover. The movie was produced and directed by Clint Eastwood. Leonardo DiCaprio portrays the title character, and Judi DENCH portrays Annie Hoover, J. Edgar Hoover's mother.
YEN (45A: Currency in Hokkaido) Hokkaido is the second-largest island of Japan. The currency in Japan is the Japanese YEN.
RABAT (57A: Capital of Morocco) Morocco is a country in North Africa. RABAT is its capital.
PROPER FRACTIONS (61A: Ratios like 2/3 and 3/4, but not 4/3 and 3/2) Who put math in this word puzzle?! (Just kidding; I like it.) Here's a little math review. PROPER FRACTIONS are those with a numerator (the top number) that is less than the denominator (the bottom number). The value of a PROPER FRACTION is less than one.
ART (64A: Mary Cassatt's field) Mary Cassatt (1844-1926) was an impressionist painter. Her ART includes "The Child's Bath," on display at the Art Institute of Chicago.
ADOPTS (68A: Takes home a furry friend) My furry friend, Willow, is a fan of this clue.
ENOLA (29D: ___ Holmes (Sherlock's sister)) I have previously written about ENOLA Holmes.
HARRY (50D: "Call Me" singer Debbie) Debbie HARRY is the lead singer of the band Blondie. "Call Me" is a 1980 song by Blondie, which Debbie HARRY wrote the lyrics to as well as sang. "Call Me" is the theme song for the movie American Gigolo.
ELOTE (51D: Cotija-covered corn) ELOTE is the term used in Central America and Mexico for an ear of corn. ELOTE is sold as street food in some regions of Mexico. The corn is charred on the grill, and served in a spicy and creamy cotija cheese sauce.
TRAP (55D: "Home Alone" hazard) Let's all just take a moment to let it sink in that the movie Home Alone was released in 1990, meaning it will be 35 years old in November... Macaulay Culkin stars as eight-year-old Kevin McCallister, who sets a number of TRAPs for the burglars attempting to break into his family's home.
RED (62D: Color of light with the longest wavelength) Here's a fun fact for you to share with your friends. Hooray for science in the crossword!
A few other clues I especially enjoyed:
EYES (34A: Body parts visible in the dark, in cartoons)
AHA (24D: "Mystery solved!")
YO-YO (35D: Toy that might go "around the world")
FAIR WEATHER FANS (17A: People who support a team when it's doing well)
JUST THE THING (26A: Exactly what's needed)
MORAL SUPPORT (46A: Emotional encouragement)
PROPER FRACTIONS (61A: Ratios like 2/3 and 3/4, but not 4/3 and 3/2)
RIGHT FROM THE START: The word at the START of each theme answer is a synonym of the word RIGHT: FAIR, JUST, MORAL, and PROPER.
I enjoy a synonym theme such as this one. It took me a few moments to realize that the word RIGHT in the title was not being used in the directional sense (opposite of left), but rather being used in the sense of FAIR, JUST, MORAL, and PROPER. This made for a nice "Aha!" moment. Thank you, Jake, for this enjoyable puzzle.
USA TODAY's Daily Crossword Puzzles
Sudoku & Crossword Puzzle Answers
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Crossword Blog & Answers for March 8, 2025 by Sally Hoelscher
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