Latest news with #SallyHoelscher
Yahoo
18 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Begin your crossword ERA with USA TODAY Play
If your morning starts with a litany of daily puzzles and word games, now is a great time to add USA TODAY Play's games to your roster. Less stressful than many other crossword puzzles on the market, the USA TODAY daily crossword is a quick, typically less than 10-minute brain break with clues ranging from the traditional fare (Hint: the answer to the cookie clue is nearly always OREO) to pop culture to current events. P.S. if you're a Taylor Swift fan, there will likely be at least one clue you know nearly every day as our crossword editors seem to be in their ERAS era. Looking for an even shorter time commitment? Our daily Quick Cross is a four-by-four grid that you should be able to solve in a few minutes. RACE your friends and see who can complete it the fastest! Every day, crossword editor and columnist Sally Hoelscher – who hails from the crossword-friendly state of IOWA – breaks down the puzzle in her "Off the Grid" column with helpful hints and context for each puzzle. And if crosswords aren't for you, USA TODAY Play offers a variety of other games including daily Sudoku, our brand-new game 7 Little Words and more. While everyone has access to a limited number of puzzles each week for free, adding a USA TODAY Play subscription gives you access to: Your stats and the ability to track your daily streaks Unlimited puzzles, hints and reveals across Crossword, Quick Cross and Sudoku Additional games, like the brand new 7 Little Words The crossword archive, filled with hundreds of past puzzles for your enjoyment An ad-free gaming experience Sign up today at and start bragging about your high scores to all your friends. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: USA TODAY Play offers challenging but fun crossword puzzles, games
Indianapolis Star
18 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Indianapolis Star
Begin your crossword ERA with USA TODAY Play
If your morning starts with a litany of daily puzzles and word games, now is a great time to add USA TODAY Play's games to your roster. Less stressful than many other crossword puzzles on the market, the USA TODAY daily crossword is a quick, typically less than 10-minute brain break with clues ranging from the traditional fare (Hint: the answer to the cookie clue is nearly always OREO) to pop culture to current events. P.S. if you're a Taylor Swift fan, there will likely be at least one clue you know nearly every day as our crossword editors seem to be in their ERAS era. Looking for an even shorter time commitment? Our daily Quick Cross is a four-by-four grid that you should be able to solve in a few minutes. RACE your friends and see who can complete it the fastest! Every day, crossword editor and columnist Sally Hoelscher – who hails from the crossword-friendly state of IOWA – breaks down the puzzle in her "Off the Grid" column with helpful hints and context for each puzzle. And if crosswords aren't for you, USA TODAY Play offers a variety of other games including daily Sudoku, our brand-new game 7 Little Words and more. While everyone has access to a limited number of puzzles each week for free, adding a USA TODAY Play subscription gives you access to:
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Ready to boost your brainpower? Subscribe to USA TODAY Play for crossword puzzles, games
If your morning starts with a litany of daily puzzles and word games, now is a great time to add USA TODAY Play's games to your roster. Less stressful than many other crossword puzzles on the market, the USA TODAY daily crossword is a quick, typically less than 10-minute brain break with clues ranging from the traditional fare (Hint: the answer to the cookie clue is nearly always OREO) to pop culture to current events. P.S. if you're a Taylor Swift fan, there will likely be at least one clue you know nearly every day as our crossword editors seem to be in their ERAS era. Looking for an even shorter time commitment? Our daily Quick Cross is a four-by-four grid that you should be able to solve in a few minutes. RACE your friends and see who can complete it the fastest! Every day, crossword editor and columnist Sally Hoelscher -- who hails from the crossword-friendly state of IOWA -- breaks down the puzzle in her "Off the Grid" column with helpful hints and context for each puzzle. And if crosswords aren't for you, USA TODAY Play offers a variety of other games including daily Sudoku, our brand-new game 7 Little Words and more. While everyone has access to a limited number of puzzles each week for free, adding a USA TODAY Play subscription gives you access to: Your stats and the ability to track your daily streaks Unlimited puzzles, hints and reveals across Crossword, Quick Cross and Sudoku Additional games, like the brand new 7 Little Words The crossword archive, filled with hundreds of past puzzles for your enjoyment An ad-free gaming experience Sign up today at and start bragging about your high scores to all your friends. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Today's crossword clue? Subscribe to USA TODAY Play for puzzles, games
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Center Island
There are spoilers ahead. You might want to solve today's puzzle before reading further! Center Island Constructors: Sally Hoelscher & Olivia Mitra Framke Editor: Amanda Rafkin Sally: This theme arose out of an idea I had to do a puzzle with the title "Landlocked." Along the way, the title changed ... that happens sometimes. I am a fan of center islands in kitchens. My kitchen is much too small to make a center island practical, so I'll settle for having a "Center Island" puzzle. Always a joy to collaborate with Olivia! Olivia: I don't cook, but sometimes I sit at a "Center Island" to chop veggies while others do! 😅 This was a fun theme to make happen; not too many entries work for the gimmick. LEWIS LEATHERS was a great find, and TENNIS LESSON feels particularly apt right now... I'm writing this note while enjoying some great French Open matches! Hope y'all enjoyed the puzzle, and thank you Sally for another great collab. ♥️ DIME (9A: Smallest U.S. coin) The DIME is obviously not the smallest U.S. coin in value, but it is the smallest U.S. coin in size. DORIS LESSING (19A: "The Golden Notebook" author) In 2007, DORIS LESSING (1919-2013) was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. She was 87 years old at the time, and is the oldest person to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature. The Nobel Prize committee described her as "that epicist of the female experience, who with skepticism, fire and visionary power has subjected a divided civilization to scrutiny." The Golden Notebook (1962) is perhaps DORIS LESSING's best known book. Her autobiographical writing engages with social and political issues. PAD (23A: Paw part aka a toe bean) Isn't toe bean the cutest-sounding name for a paw PAD? My cat, Willow, has helpfully fallen asleep with her paw extended such that her paw PADs aka toe beans are visible. MERLIN (28A: Bird identification app) and USER (25D: Person identifying a bird on 28-Across) MERLIN Bird ID is a free app published by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. If you enjoy bird watching, even casually and occasionally, I highly recommend this app. It can ID a bird from a photo you have taken. Alternatively, you can answer a short series of questions about the bird you have seen and it will provide you with a list of likely species. There's also an option to identify birds by their sounds. You might guess from my enthusiasm about MERLIN that I am a USER of this app, and you would be correct. It's a fun coincidence that the answer MERLIN is followed by FLY (30A: Soar). LEWIS LEATHERS (36A: Clothing brand whose jackets have been worn by Ewan McGregor and Joan Jett) LEWIS LEATHERS promotes itself as "Britain's Oldest Motor Cycle Clothing Company." The company was founded in London in 1892 as D. LEWIS, and it originally sold ready-to-wear men's clothing. In the 1900s, the company began shifting toward "practical Aviation, Motoring and Motorcycle wear," eventually concentrating on clothing for motorcyclists. In 1960 the company registered by the name LEWIS LEATHERS, and began marketing LEATHER jackets. As noted in the clue, Ewan McGregor and Joan Jett have worn LEWIS LEATHERS jackets, and a number of other celebrities have as well. LEWIS LEATHERS jackets have also appeared in a number of movies. DOUBT (39A: No ___ (Gwen Stefani's band)) Gwen Stefani is a vocalist and founding member of No DOUBT, a band that formed in 1986. No Doubt has won two Grammy awards for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals – in 2003 for "Hey Baby" and 2004 for "Underneath It All." DORA (41A: Explorer with a talking map) The title character of the animated children's TV series, DORA the Explorer (2000-2019) is a seven-year-old Latina girl. Each episode of the show sees DORA going on an adventure accompanied by her talking purple backpack and a monkey named Boots. DORA's helpful talking map lives inside her backpack. GEN (42A: Lead-in to "X," "Y" or "Z") GEN X is the demographic group of those born between 1965 to 1981. GEN Y, also known as millennials, refers to those who were born between 1981 and 1995. And those in GEN Z, also referred to as Zoomers, were born between 1996 and 2010. (Keep in mind that the boundaries of generations are approximate, and those born on the cusp of a generation often relate more closely to the generation before or after them.) Fun fact: Between us, Olivia and I represent two of these three generations. BIZ (49A: "Just a Friend" singer Markie) BIZ Markie (1964-2021) was a rapper, singer, songwriter, DJ, and record producer. His most successful single, "Just a Friend," was released in 1989. PHIL (58A: Lil's twin, on "Rugrats") Rugrats is an animated TV series centered on the lives of a group of toddlers. Lil and PHIL DeVille are twins; both characters are voiced by Kath Soucie. ALARM (60A: One might be set for 6 a.m. (oof!)) Olivia wrote this clue, and it makes me laugh, because I am often awake before 6 a.m. My husband, however, is definitely in agreement with Olivia. He'd be perfectly happy never seeing the hour of 6 a.m. ARLO (62A: "Collapsed in Sunbeams" artist Parks) Collapsed in Sunbeams is the 2021 debut album of singer-songwriter ARLO Parks. The album won the Mercury Prize, an honor awarded to the best album released in the United Kingdom by a British or Irish act. BADLANDS (5D: South Dakota National Park) BADLANDS National Park is located in southwestern South Dakota. BADLANDS is characterized by dramatic, rugged geologic formations as well as an expanse of mixed-grass prairie. TEAS (7D: Darjeeling and Assam) Darjeeling and Assam are both black TEAS named for the locations from which they originate. Darjeeling is known for its delicate fruit and floral aromas. It is made from TEA grown and processed in the Darjeeling district of the Indian state of West Bengal. Assam is known for its malty flavor and strong color. It is made from a TEA plant indigenous to the Indian state of Assam. ODDS (26D: "Never tell me the ___" (Han Solo quote)) Han Solo spoke these words, "Never tell me the ODDS," to C-3PO in response to being told the (very low) ODDS of successfully navigating an asteroid field. This interaction occurred in Star Wars Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (1980). FREON (30D: Ozone-depleting refrigerant) FREON is a trademarked name for a number of products that have mostly been used as refrigerants and aerosol propellants. The use of FREON has decreased since it was found to cause ozone depletion. EURO (37D: Coin in Calais) Calais is a city in northern France. Located on the Strait of Dover, a waterway that connects the English Channel and the North Sea, Calais is the closest French city to England. France is one of the 20 European Union members that use the EURO as their currency. NPCS (52D: They may bestow quests in video games (Abbr.)) NPCS here stands for non-player characters. As their name implies, NPCS are those characters in a video game that are not controlled by a player. Instead, NPCS are controlled by the computer. They often have predetermined behaviors that impact gameplay (like bestowing quests, for example). SAAB (54D: Former Swedish auto) The automobile division of SAAB (a Swedish aerospace and defense company) was founded in 1945, launched its first model in 1949, and has been defunct since 2016. RAE (55D: Actress Issa) Issa RAE co-created, co-wrote, and starred in the HBO TV series Insecure (2016-2021). She's also appeared in a number of other TV shows and movies, including the 2023 movie Barbie in which she portrayed President Barbie. DORIS LESSING (19A: "The Golden Notebook" author) LEWIS LEATHERS (36A: Clothing brand whose jackets have been worn by Ewan McGregor and Joan Jett) TENNIS LESSON (51A: Opportunity to work on your backhand) CENTER ISLAND: The word ISLE is found in each theme answer: DORIS LESSING, LEWIS LEATHERS, and TENNIS LESSON. In addition to the answers I've highlighted above, I'm THRILLED (38D: Delighted) that Olivia and I were able to include a couple of fun long answers in the Downs: DRAG QUEENS (9D: Performers who reject the gender binary) and LOW BATTERY (29D: "Time to charge" alert). I'm also happy that we have once again succeeded in getting cat and Star Wars references in the puzzle, as that's become somewhat of a trademark of our collaborations. Speaking of cats, Olivia has adopted a cat since our last puzzle was published! Her name is Whiskey, and we think you'll agree that she's gorgeous. Thank you to Amanda for great editing as always. And thanks to you for solving – I hope you enjoyed it. USA TODAY's Daily Crossword Puzzles Sudoku & Crossword Puzzle Answers This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Crossword Blog & Answers for May 30, 2025 by Sally Hoelscher
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Begin your crossword ERA with USA TODAY Play
If your morning starts with a litany of daily puzzles and word games, now is a great time to add USA TODAY Play's games to your roster. Less stressful than many other crossword puzzles on the market, the USA TODAY daily crossword is a quick, typically less than 10-minute brain break with clues ranging from the traditional fare (Hint: the answer to the cookie clue is nearly always OREO) to pop culture to current events. P.S. If you're a Taylor Swift fan, there will likely be at least one clue you know nearly every day as our crossword editors seem to be in their ERAS era. More fun: Here are 22 food, drink, music and art festivals you can attend this summer in Louisville Looking for an even shorter time commitment? Our daily Quick Cross is a four-by-four grid that you should be able to solve in a few minutes. RACE your friends and see who can complete it the fastest! Every day, crossword editor and columnist Sally Hoelscher — who hails from the crossword-friendly state of IOWA — breaks down the puzzle in her "Off the Grid" column with helpful hints and context for each puzzle. And if crosswords aren't for you, USA TODAY Play offers a variety of other games including daily Sudoku, our brand-new game "7 Little Words" and more. While everyone has access to a limited number of puzzles each week for free, adding a USA TODAY Play subscription gives you access to: Your stats and the ability to track your daily streaks Unlimited puzzles, hints and reveals across Crossword, Quick Cross and Sudoku Additional games, like the brand new 7 Little Words The crossword archive, filled with hundreds of past puzzles for your enjoyment An ad-free gaming experience Sign up today at and start bragging about your high scores to all your friends. This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Subscribe to USA TODAY Play for crossword puzzles, games
