Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword, No Nonsense (Freestyle)
There are spoilers ahead. You might want to solve today's puzzle before reading further! No Nonsense (Freestyle)
Constructor: Dena R. Verkuil
Editor: Amanda Rafkin
AMEX (14A: MC alternative) We occasionally see MC as a shortened version of "emcee," which had me headed down the wrong path at first. Here MC is an abbreviation for Mastercard, which is an American Express, or AMEX, alternative.
ALBUM (15A: "Help!" or "Nevermind") Help! is a 1965 ALBUM by the Beatles. Nevermind is a 1991 ALBUM by Nirvana. This is a fun clue. At first I was wondering if the answer was something like "plea" or "request" (neither of which fit...).
TLDR (16A: "Here's a summary" initials) TL;DR = too long; didn't read
ERS (20A: "The Pitt" and "St. Denis Medical" settings) The Pitt is a TV series that premiered in January of this year. Set in the ER of the fictional Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Hospital, it stars Noah Wyle as Dr. Michael "Robby" Robinavitch. The entire season of the show covers one 15-hour work shift, with each episode covering approximately one hour. St. Denis Medical is a mockumentary TV series that premiered in November 2024. The series is set in an Oregon hospital. Both of these shows have been renewed for a second season.
SNARK (22A: Commentary accompanied by an eyeroll) Mention of an eyeroll reminds me of a SNARK-filled comment my daughter once made to me when she was a teenager. In response to something I said, my daughter replied, "I just rolled my eyes to Minnesota (we live in Iowa)." I laughed, of course.
NOHO (30A: NYC or L.A. neighborhood) NOHO is a primarily residential neighborhood in Lower Manhattan, New York City. NOHO got its name from the neighborhood being "North of Houston Street." In Los Angeles, California, the NOHO Arts District is known for its theaters, art galleries, cafes, and shops. The L.A. community takes its name from its location in "North Hollywood."
DRE (37A: Name hidden in "speed reader") Discovering DRE in "speed reader" is a fun find. This clue made me curious about what phrase my name is hidden in, and I discovered that Sally is hidden in "Love is all you need."
SPECIES (40A: Taxonomic category) SPECIES is one level, or taxonomic category, in the classification of living organisms. SPECIES is a rank below genus. Animals are often identified using their genus and SPECIES names. For example, the scientific name of human beings is Homo sapiens. Homo is the genus, and sapiens is the SPECIES.
KOS (46A: Stat for Laila Ali) Laila Ali retired from an eight-year undefeated professional boxing career in 2007. During her boxing career, 21 of her 24 fights were won by KOS (knockouts).
NEVADA (51A: Driest state in the United States) The average annual rainfall in NEVADA is approximately 7 inches. Some areas of NEVADA get around 40 inches of rainfall a year, which lets you know that some areas of the state do not receive much rain at all. The Mojave Desert covers the southern third of NEVADA.
E-GIRL (62A: Emo-inspired Gen-Z aesthetic) The E-GIRL (and e-boy) aesthetic emerged in the late 2010s, and was popularized by TikTok. The look of this emo-inspired fashion subculture may include baggy clothes, neon-colored hair, nail polish, and decorative chains.
AUNT (65A: Gayle, to Tina, Gene and Louise in "Bob's Burgers") Bob's Burgers is an animated sitcom centered on Bob and Linda Belcher and their children – Tina, Gene, and Louise. As the name of the show suggests, the Belchers own a burger restaurant. Gayle is Linda's sister, which makes her Tina, Gene, and Louise's AUNT.
MOATS (69A: Features of Angkor Wat and Leeds Castle) Angkor Wat, located in Cambodia, is a complex that was originally constructed as a Hindu temple for the Khmer Empire in the early 12th century. It was gradually transformed into a Buddhist temple towards the end of the century. Leeds Castle is located in Kent England. It was constructed in 857, and was renovated in 1278. As the clue informs us, both Angkor Wat and Leeds Castle have MOATS.
OMEN (9D: It's a sign!) The exclamation point in this clue is a signal to solvers to interpret this clue literally. An OMEN is literally a sign.
OHIO (25D: Rock & Roll Hall of Fame's state) The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is in Cleveland, OHIO. It's located on Lake Erie, and the building was designed by I. M. Pei, meaning there are multiple crossword clue angles associated with the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
NACHOS (30D: Cheesy dish named for its inventor, Ignacio Anaya) Ignacio Anaya (1895-1975), whose nickname was Nacho, was the maître d' at a restaurant in Mexico when he invented NACHOS, the Tex-Mex dish that has become so popular it has even been honored with a Google Doodle.
SAKE (38D: Omakase drink) Omakase is a Japanese phrase that means "I leave it up to you." Ordering omakase at a Japanese restaurant means leaving the selection of food (often sushi) up to the chef. Omakase meals may be accompanied by SAKE, a Japanese rice wine. Sometimes different types of SAKE will be paired with different sushi offerings.
EARTH (50D: April 22 honoree) Since April 22 was just six days ago, hopefully it was in your mind that EARTH is the honoree referenced here. EARTH Day was first observed on April 22, 1970. EARTH Day has grown into an observance celebrated in more than 193 countries. The theme for EARTH Day 2025 was Our Power, Our Planet.
EGGO (55D: "Stranger Things" waffle brand) Stranger Things is a Netflix TV series about a small town dealing with a hostile alternate dimension. Millie Bobby Brown portrays Eleven, a young girl with psychokinetic abilities who is known, among other things, for her fondness of EGGO waffles.
Several other clues I especially enjoyed:
BINGO (5A: "You hit the nail on the head!")
VOTE (17A: Exercise a civic duty)
HASTE (53A: Proverbial tastemaker)
STARR (10D: Apt surname for an astronomer)
NO NONSENSE (Freestyle): There's no theme today, as this is a freestyle, or themeless, puzzle. The title is a nod to ALL KIDDING ASIDE (11D: "Seriously now").
Okay, LET'S DO THIS THING (3D: "It's go time!")! I'LL GO FIRST (6D: "Let me start"). I enjoyed the conversational phrases in this puzzle. Thank you, Dena, for this excellent puzzle.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Crossword Blog & Answers for April 28, 2025 by Sally Hoelscher
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