Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Check Back
There are spoilers ahead. You might want to solve today's puzzle before reading further! Check Back
Constructor: Beth Rubin
Editor: Amanda Rafkin
HAITI (35A: Author Edwidge Danticat's birthplace) Edwidge Danticat's first book, Breath, Eyes, Memory (1994), was an Oprah's Book Club selection. Edwidge Danticat was born in Port-au-Prince, HAITI and moved to New York City as a young girl. Breath, Eyes, Memory began as an essay about her childhood in HAITI and expanded into a novel dealing with racial, linguistic, and gender identity. Edwidge Danticat's most recent book, We're Alone, was published in September of last year.
TANGO (61A: Alejandra Mantinan and Aoniken Quiroga's dance) You can find multiple videos online of Alejandra Mantinan and Aoniken Quiroga dancing the TANGO. Here's a link to one to get you started.
CROC (1A: Gator's cousin) When I see a mention of CROCs and gators together, I am reminded of helpful articles I've read that point out the differences between them. One of the differences is that a CROC typically has a stronger bite than a gator. Um ... I prefer not to be bitten by either one, to be honest.
ELLA (14A: Jazz legend Fitzgerald) and ETTA (65A: "At Last" singer James) As a result of their crossword-friendly four-letter names, we see references to ELLA Fitzgerald and ETTA James in the crossword on a regular basis. It was fun to see them appear together today.
HALLE (15A: Oscar winner Berry) In 2001, HALLE Berry won an Oscar (Academy Award) for Best Actress for Monster's Ball.
ALS (48A: Pulitzer Prize winner Hilton) Hilton ALS is a writer and theater critic. He won a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism in 2017, "For bold and original reviews that strove to put stage dramas within a real-world cultural context, particularly the shifting landscape of gender, sexuality and race."
MESA (51A: Costa ___, California) Costa MESA, which is Spanish for "coastal tableland," is located in Orange County in southern California.
EASEL (55A: Means of support for an artist) This is a fun clue, because when I read "means of support," my first thought was financial support. Instead, the support here is an EASEL, a stand that provides physical support for an artist's work.
PETE (67A: Folk singer Seeger) We saw PETE Seeger in the puzzle just six days ago.
PLOT (6D: One might have a twist) This reminded me of last Wednesday's puzzle, which was titled "PLOT Twist."
PLANTAIN (10D: Fruit in kelewele) Kelewele is a Ghanian dish also known as Spicy Fried PLANTAINs.
HAL (15D: Actor Holbrook) In 1954, HAL Holbrook (1925-2021) developed a one-man stage show called Mark Twain Tonight! He portrayed Mark Twain for more than 60 years, winning a Tony Award in 1966 for Best Actor in a Play.
CHAI TEA (31D: Beverage often flavored with cardamom) Yesterday we saw the separate answers CHAI and TEA in the puzzle, and today they have joined forces. Some people are bothered by the expression CHAI TEA, because since CHAI is a Hindi word for TEA, the phrase basically means TEA TEA. However, I recently read a book in which one of the characters opened a TEA shop, and about this very thing, he said, "As long as people are drinking TEA, it doesn't bother me what they choose to call it." I like that approach.
PAM (40D: "Jackie Brown" actress Grier) Jackie Brown is a 1997 crime movie directed by Quentin Tarantino. The movie is based on Elmore Leonard's 1992 book, Rum Punch. PAM Grier stars as the title character, a flight attendant who smuggles money between the United States and Mexico.
YOU (45D: "___ become strong by doing the things ___ need to be strong for") "YOU become strong by doing the things YOU need to be strong for," is an Audre Lorde quote from her book, Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches. This is a lovely way to clue the word YOU.
TAP (61D: Dance like the Nicholas Brothers) Fayard (1914-2006) and Harold (1921-2000) had a dancing style sometimes called acrobatic dancing, which combined elements of TAP, ballet, and acrobatics. The brothers taught master classes in TAP dance at Harvard and Radcliffe Universities. Do yourself a favor and spend three minutes of your day enjoying the Nicholas Brothers performance in the 1943 movie, Stormy Weather.
FILL IN THE BLANK (19A: Test format)
RIGHT AS RAIN (37A: Perfectly fit and well)
VIRTUAL REALITY (57A: Simulated 3D experience used in some video games)
CHECK BACK: The BACK (last) word of each theme answer can be paired with the word CHECK to form a new phrase: BLANK CHECK, RAIN CHECK, and REALITY CHECK.
The theme of this puzzle made me think that perhaps I'll take a RAIN CHECK on doing a REALITY CHECK. However, I won't be writing a BLANK CHECK! It's an interesting theme with a nice set of theme answers. Thank you, Beth, for this enjoyable puzzle.
USA TODAY's Daily Crossword Puzzles
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Crossword Blog & Answers for March 26, 2025 by Sally Hoelscher
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