Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Fact Finding
There are spoilers ahead. You might want to solve today's puzzle before reading further! Fact Finding
Constructor: Catherine Cetta
Editor: Amanda Rafkin
GONG (1A: ___ bath (meditation practice that involves healing vibrations)) As is suggested by its name, a GONG bath involves being immersed in sound produced by GONGs. They are touted as promoting deep relaxation and stress relief, as well as enhanced creativity.
ETTA (9A: "Tell Mama" singer James) "Tell Mama" is the title song from ETTA James' seventh studio album, released in 1968. The song was one of the biggest hits of ETTA James' career, but in her 2003 memoir, the singer confessed that she never cared for the song.
OREO (13A: Cookie with a Double Stuf variety) Our crossword friend OREO is making its first June appearance and its 14th appearance of 2025.
APES (14A: Bonobos and orangutans) Bonobos are an endangered species of great APE that live in an area of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Central Africa. Orangutans are a red-haired species of great APE that spend most of their time in trees. They are found in Borneo and Sumatra in Southeast Asia.
LITTLE CAT FEET (19A: Metaphor for fog's silent arrival, in a Carl Sandburg poem) "Fog" is a poem by Carl Sandburg that was first published in 1916. "The fog comes / on LITTLE CAT FEET / It sits looking / over harbor and city / on silent haunches / and then moves on." My cat, Willow, says, "Hey, I have LITTLE CAT FEET!"
HOP (24A: Sock ___ ('60s dance movement)) Sock HOPs were dances that were often held in school gymnasiums. The dances earned their name because dancers were required to remove their shoes in order to avoid damaging the gyms' varnished floors. I remember going to a sock HOP when I was in junior high school. That wasn't in the '60s though – it was 1977.
ALASKA (28A: Denali's state) Denali is a mountain in the Alaskan Range and is the centerpiece of Denali National Park in ALASKA. With a summit elevation of 20,310 feet, Denali is the highest mountain in North America.
AMINO (33A: ___ acids (molecules that combine to form proteins)) Over 500 AMINO acids (organic compounds containing AMINO and carboxylic acid groups) exist in nature. Only 22 of these AMINO acids are proteinogenic, that is, incorporated into proteins as directed by the genetic code of organisms. As proteins are the building blocks of muscles, AMINO acids, which are the building blocks of proteins, are necessary for muscle growth. Hooray for science in the crossword!
IGA (48A: Tennis star Swiatek) IGA Świątek, a professional tennis player from Poland, won the French Open in 2020, 2022, 2023, and 2024, and the U.S. Open in 2022.
GOBLIN (1D: Green ___ (Spider-Man villain)) In Marvel Comics, the alias, Green GOBLIN, has been used by at least four different supervillains, the first of which was Norman Osborne. The Green GOBLIN's superpowers (and insanity) are chemically induced, the result of ingesting Goblin formula, an unstable performance-enhancing serum. The weapons used by GREEN GOBLIN resemble bats, ghosts, and jack-o'-lanterns.
EPIC (6D: "Beowulf," e.g.) Beowulf is an English EPIC poem dating to between 700-1000 CE. Its author is unknown. Beowulf, named for its hero, is one of the most often translated works of Old English literature.
XENA (7D: TV's warrior princess) XENA is the title character of the TV show XENA: Warrior Princess, which originally aired from 1995 to 2001. Lucy Lawless portrayed XENA.
ALEX (15D: Two-time Women's World Cup champion Morgan) ALEX Morgan is a former professional soccer player. She played for a number of teams during her career, including NWSL's San Diego Wave FC (2022-2024). ALEX Morgan also played on the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team, and was a part of the 2015 and 2019 World Cup-winning teams. I have previously written about her "sipping tea" goal celebration at the 2019 World Cup. Fun fact: In the 2018 movie: ALEX & Me, ALEX Morgan plays a fictionalized version of herself.
PAD (26D: ___ see ew) PAD see ew is a Thai stir-fried noodle dish. We have seen this dish a couple of times recently in clues for the word "Thai."
RARITY (43D: Black sheep or blue lobster, for example) I wasn't able to find specific data about the RARITY of black sheep, but I found a couple of sources that said a blue lobster is a one in 2 million occurrence. That is indeed a RARITY.
TAPAS (50D: Chopitos and croquetas, e.g.) TAPAS are a variety of appetizers or snacks that are popular in Spanish cuisine. Chopitos are battered and fried cuttlefish (baby squid). Croquetas are a type of fried dumpling made of a thick batter surrounding a filling.
NEMO (52D: "Finding Dory" fish) Finding Dory is a 2016 animated movie that is a sequel and a spin-off of the 2003 movie Finding NEMO.
A couple of other clues I especially enjoyed:
YELP (64A: "You stepped on my foot!" sound)
TSK TSK (8D: "I disapprove!" sound)
LITTLE CAT FEET (19A: Metaphor for fog's silent arrival, in a Carl Sandburg poem)
I CAN'T FACE IT (36A: "This is too much for me!")
INTERNET CAFE (51A: Hangout spots where customers pay for access to the web)
FACT FINDING: An anagram of the word FACT is found in each theme answer: LITTLE CAT FEET, I CAN'T FACE IT, and INTERNET CAFE.
I'll be honest – it took me a moment to FIND these FACTs. At first I was not looking for a hidden anagram theme. Once I realized that FACT, I was able to identify the scrambled FACTs: CAT/F, T/FAC, and T/CAF. Thank you, Catherine, for this enjoyable puzzle.
One more thing today: The first blog I wrote about a USA Today crossword was about the June 9, 2020 puzzle. That means today is my 5th blogiversary! I'm delighted to still be writing about the USA Today crossword, as doing so brings me great joy. I'm ecstatic (and honestly a little amazed) to now be doing so for USA Today. And I continue to be grateful for you, the readers.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Crossword Blog & Answers for June 9, 2025 by Sally Hoelscher
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