Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Special Delivery

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04-04-2025

There are spoilers ahead. You might want to solve today's puzzle before reading further! Special Delivery
Constructor: Marc Raila
Editor: Jared Goudsmit
TUSH (15A: ___ push (rhyming football play)) The TUSH push is a variation of the football play known as the quarterback sneak. The quarterback sneak involves a quarterback running or diving forward after receiving the football, while the offensive line also surges forward. It is sometimes used when only a short gain is needed. In the TUSH Push, two players push the quarterback from behind as he surges forward. Add this to the list of sports knowledge I've gained from crosswords.
TWEAK (1A. Teeny adjustment) TWEAK is such a fun word. That's all.
OREO (16A: Cookie akin to Hydrox) Although OREO currently has a larger share of the cookie market than Hydrox, it was Hydrox that appeared on the market first, in 1908. An imitation of Hydrox, named OREO, was introduced in 1912.
CHUCK E. CHEESE (20A: Rodent mascot whose middle initial stands for "Entertainment") CHUCK E. CHEESE is the mouse mascot of the entertainment restaurant chain of the same name. CHUCK E. CHEESE features arcade games and musical shows in addition to serving pizza. CHUCK E. CHEESE is a popular spot for kids' birthday parties.
RHO (26A: Letter after pi) RHO is making back-to-back puzzle appearances. We saw it yesterday clued as [Greek letter that looks like a "p"].
ONE (41A: "The loneliest number") This is true according to singer-songwriter Harry Nilsson, anyway. His 1968 song, "ONE," begins with the line, "ONE is the loneliest number that you'll ever do."
TIC-TAC-DOUGH (55A: Game show with X's and O's) The game show TIC-TAC-DOUGH was first produced in 1956, with Jack Barry as host. There have been three versions of the show (so far) - from 1956-1959, from 1978 to 1986, and in 1990. During the game show, contestants would answer questions in a variety of categories to put an X or O on the board, attempting to win a game of tic-tac-toe.
MAINE (67A: The Pine Tree State) MAINE has the largest forest cover of any state, with over 80% of its total area being forest. Much of that forest is pine trees, making it easy to understand why MAINE is called the Pine Tree State.
BENTO (70A: Japanese-style packed meal) BENTO is, as the clue describes, a Japanese-style packed meal. It is often served in a partitioned container that allows different parts of the meal to be placed in different sections.
ELM (3D: North Dakota state tree) In addition to being the state tree of North Dakota, the ELM is also the state tree of Massachusetts.
KATHY (5D: "Hocus Pocus" actress Najimy) The 1993 movie Hocus Pocus features a trio of witches named the Sanderson sisters, portrayed by Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and KATHY Najimy. The three reprised their roles for Hocus Pocus 2, released in 2022. A third Hocus Pocus movie is in the works, but no release date has been set. When I first wrote about Hocus Pocus in May 2022, I admitted I had never seen this movie. I was admonished for this by both my daughter and editor Amanda Rafkin! I have now seen both Hocus Pocus and Hocus Pocus 2.
STACCATO (6D: Like music with short, sharp notes) Thank you to my childhood piano teachers for teaching me about STACCATO, enabling me to fill in this answer with confidence. In musical notation, the opposite of STACCATO is legato.
ASTERS (8D: Daisylike flowers) The daisylike flowers, ASTERS, are having a crossword moment, as we saw the single ASTER yesterday and a few weeks ago, both times clued as [Daisy relative].
ROSE (10D: "Damask" flower) The Damask ROSE is a ROSE hybrid known for its fragrance. It is often used to make rose oil. The quotation marks around "Damask" in the clue indicate that the word is paired with the answer as a name.
ARLENE (11D: Garfield's love interest) In the Garfield comics by Jim Davis, ARLENE is a pink cat who is Garfield's girlfriend. She made her first appearance in 1980, two years after the comic began. My cat, Willow, is peeking out from under a blanket to say that she's a fan of Garfield and ARLENE.
HOSTA (22D: Plant that's an anagram of "oaths") A HOSTA is a shade-tolerant perennial with many varieties. I did not know what a HOSTA was until I moved to the Iowa City area. All over town I noticed similar-looking plants around the bases of trees. I learned they were called HOSTAs. They are popular because they thrive in the shade and because deer don't particularly like them. We currently have two varieties of HOSTAs growing in our yard.
ICE (24D: Crushed halo-halo ingredient) Halo-halo is the unofficial national dessert of the Philippines. The cold treat is made from crushed ICE and coconut milk or evaporated milk. Various ingredients, such as ube jam, garbanzo beans, or coconut strips may be added.
PETA (25D: Org. with a "Global Beauty Without Bunnies" program) PETA stands for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. Their "Beauty Without Bunnies" program is a certification the organization provides to beauty and cosmetic companies that do not do animal testing on their products.
TAMIA (30D: "A Nu Day" singer) TAMIA is a Canadian R&B artist. A Nu Day is her second studio album, released in 2000.
HBO (44D: "Succession" channel) Succession is an HBO TV series that focuses on the Roy family, the owners of a global media and entertainment conglomerate, Waystar RoyCo. The show originally aired from 2018 to 2023.
TRES (56D: Numero despues de dos) " Numero después de dos" is Spanish for "number after two."
RAE (61D: Singer Corinne Bailey ___) Corrine Bailey RAE is a singer and songwriter from Leeds, England. Her first global hits were "Like a Star," released in 2005, and "Put Your Records On," released in 2006. Her fourth studio album, Black Rainbows, was released in 2023.
NEO (64D: Keanu's role in "The Matrix") In The Matrix movies - of which there have been four to date - Keanu Reeves portrays computer programmer Thomas Anderson, who operates as a hacker using the name NEO. The name NEO is an anagram of "one." In The Matrix, "The One" refers to a randomly selected human that carries a special code.
CHUCK E. CHEESE (20A: Rodent mascot whose middle initial stands for "Entertainment")
AWESOME SAUCE (37A: "So cool!")
TIC TAC DOUGH (55A: Game show with X's and O's)
SPECIAL DELIVERY: If we look at the last words of the theme answers – CHEESE, SAUCE, and DOUGH – we see that the SPECIAL DELIVERY is a pizza.
Pizza is one of my favorite foods, so you know I'm a fan of this theme. I also like that it took a bit of an extra step to piece together what the SPECIAL DELIVERY is, making for a nice "Aha!" moment. Thank you, Marc, for this excellent puzzle.
One more thing today: The annual American Crossword Puzzle Tournament is this weekend in Stamford, Connecticut. I'll be there! If you happen to be attending also, please find me and say hello. I'd love to connect with you.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Crossword Blog & Answers for April 4, 2025 by Sally Hoelscher