Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Double Time
Constructor: Joe Rodini
Editor: Jared Goudsmit
ETON (65A: John Gurdon's alma mater) Sir John Gurdon is a developmental biologist. In 2012, he shared the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine with Shinya Yamanaka for their (separate) research on stem-cells. John Gurdon attended ETON College before heading to Christ Church, Oxford to obtain his graduate degrees. Here's a fascinating thing I learned about John Gurdon: When he was in high school, he ranked last in science in a class of 250 boys, and one of his schoolmasters told him he had no chance of becoming a scientist. Well, I'd say he proved that schoolmaster wrong.
EVAN (8A: Actress ___ Rachel Wood) EVAN Rachel Wood's acting credits include the role of Delores Abernathy in the HBO TV series Westworld (2016-2022) and Madonna in the movie Weird: The Al Yankovic Story (2022).
HERS (13A: Belonging to that woman) and OURS (2D: Belonging to us) Nice use of parallel structure in these two clues.
EST (22A: Guinness World Records suffix) Since 1955, Guinness World Records has kept track of a number of records, such as: the LargEST human mattress dominoes (2,355), the HighEST annual earnings for a musician ever (Taylor Swift), and the GreatEST distance travelled with a pool cue balanced on the chin (10,826 ft 9 in).
ASPCA (48A: Pet protection org.) The abbreviation of the word organization in the clue alerts solvers that the answer will be an abbreviation – in this case, ASPCA for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. ASPCA is a nonprofit organization founded in 1866. Its mission is "to provide effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United States." My cat, Willow, says this is a worthy mission indeed.
ASL (56A: Language in Deaf West Theatre shows) Productions at the Deaf West Theatre in Los Angeles, California feature deaf and hearing artists, and combine ASL and spoken English. The Deaf West Theatre was founded in 1991. Their performances are "inspired by deaf culture and the expressive power of sign language." In addition to their stage productions, they have collaborated with artists to produce music videos and performances such as Kelly Clarkson's "I Dare You," and Ingrid Michaelson's "Hell No!" (If you need a bit of joy in your day – and who doesn't? – I highly recommend checking out these videos.)
NAOMI (63A: "Birdman" actress Watts) Birdman is a 2014 movie about a former Hollywood actor (portrayed by Michael Keaton) who is best known for playing a superhero named Birdman. NAOMI Watts portrays Broadway newcomer Lesley.
TYPO (67A: Mistake in this cclue) I will never get tired of TYPO clues; they make me smile every single time.
CLERIC (4D: D&D class skilled in divine magic) In the fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons (D&D), when players create a character they choose a class for that character. Each class gives a character certain perks and abilities. Characters in the CLERIC class can channel divine magic.
CHUM (5D: The ___ Bucket ("SpongeBob" restaurant)) On the animated TV series SpongeBob Square Pants, SpongeBob works as a fry cook at the Krusty Krab, a fast food restaurant owned by Mr. Krabs. The CHUM Bucket is a rival restaurant, owned by a one-eyed crustacean named Plankton and his computer wife, Karen.
LEGO SET (21D: The 2,022-brick Taj Mahal kit, for example) I like the inclusion of a specific example in this clue. According to the LEGO website, the 2,022-brick Taj Mahal LEGO SET is a retired product (as is a previous 5,923-brick Taj Mahal LEGO SET). Might I interest you instead in a 4,090-brick River Steamboat LEGO SET (for a mere $329.99)?
SEA (28D: Poseidon's domain) In Greek mythology, Poseidon is the god of the SEA, storms, earthquakes, and horses. In some tellings, Poseidon became the ruler of the SEA when the world was divided among the three sons of Cronus. Poseidon was given the SEA, Zeus was given the sky, and Hades was given the underworld.
ARG (36D: Buenos Aires' country (Abbr.)) Buenos Aires is the capital and most-populous city of Argentina (ARG). It is located on the Río de la Plata, earning it the nickname "The Queen of El Plata."
DOHA (37D: Capital of Qatar) DOHA is the capital of Qatar, and is home to over 80% of the country's population.
ANI (39D: "32 Flavors" singer DiFranco) "32 Flavors" is a 1995 song by ANI DiFranco. The song's title is a play on Baskin-Robbins' "31 flavors" slogan.
WYATT (44D: Labor leader Addie) Addie WYATT (1924-2012) was a civil rights activist as well as a leader in the United States Labor movement. She was one of 12 women named as Time magazine's Women of the Year in 1975, chosen for "speaking out effectively against sexual and racial discrimination in hiring, promotion and pay."
AT LAST (46D: Etta James tune with the lyric "My lonely days are over / And life is like a song") "AT LAST" is the title track of Etta James's debut album, which was released in 1960. It became her signature song, and her version of it was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999. "AT LAST" was originally written for a 1941 musical, Sun Valley Serenade.
YEOH (55D: "Everything Everywhere All at Once" star Michelle) Michelle YEOH plays the role of Evelyn Quan Wang in the 2022 movie Everything Everywhere All at Once. She also portrays several alternate universe versions of the character. Michele YEOH won a Best Actress Academy Award for this role.
COOP (57D: Chicken's house) and AUTO (58D: Sedan or coupe) It's a small thing, but it was fun to fill in the answer "COOP" and then in the next clue see the word "coupe."
A couple of other clues I especially enjoyed:
PENS (6D: Pocket protectors may hold them)
TSA (31D: Org. that deals with a lot of baggage)
FREE LUNCH (16A: No-cost meal in an adage)
CLOSING NIGHT (26A: Last chance to catch a musical)
HIGH QUALITY (45A: Well-made)
ABOUT FACE (61A: Complete reversal)
DOUBLE TIME: Each word of the theme answers can be paired with the word TIME to create a new phrase: FREE TIME, LUNCH TIME, CLOSING TIME, NIGHTTIME, HIGH TIME, QUALITY TIME, ABOUT TIME, and FACE TIME.
It's ABOUT TIME! The theme is ABOUT TIME, that is. It's always DOUBLE the fun when both parts of the theme answers are directly involved in the theme. Thank you, Joe, for this TIMEly puzzle.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Crossword Blog & Answers for June 8, 2025 by Sally Hoelscher
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