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Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Thinking Cap
There are spoilers ahead. You might want to solve today's puzzle before reading further! Thinking Cap Constructor: Zhouqin Burnikel Editor: Amanda Rafkin KIA (65A: Sportage carmaker) The Sportage is a sports utility vehicle manufactured by the South Korean car manufacturer KIA. I was able to easily figure out this 3-letter answer, but I wouldn't say that I actually knew this. Now I do. PORK (41D: Meat used in shumai) Shumai is a type of Chinese dumpling traditionally filled with ground PORK. YEN (23A: Currency in Kyoto) Kyoto is a city in Japan. The Japanese YEN is the currency used in Japan. KAI (33A: "Cobra ___") The TV series Cobra KAI (2018-2025) is a sequel to the first three The Karate Kid movies (1984-1989). In the TV series, Ralph Macchio and William Zabka portray the same characters they played in the movie – Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence, respectively – who are now adults. SHAMPOO (42A: Pet salon cleanser) Fortunately, my pet, Willow, does a good job of keeping herself clean (she's an indoor cat, so that helps), so I have not had to use SHAMPOO on her or take her to a pet salon. I am one hundred percent certain that would not be a pleasant experience for either of us. The other day, Willow decided to take a bath on my desk, while I was trying to work; she's so helpful. PITA (44A: Pocketed bread for souvlaki) Souvlaki is a fast food dish in Greek cuisine. It consists of meat (often pork) grilled on a skewer that is served with or rolled inside a PITA. The phrase "pocketed bread" is a nice hint for solvers who might not be familiar with souvlaki. SAM'S (45A: ___ Club (Costco rival)) SAM'S Club and Costco are membership-only warehouse club retail stores. Both corporations were founded in 1983, SAM'S Club in Midwest City, Oklahoma, and Costco in Seattle, Washington. EPEES (70A: Heaviest fencing blades) Of the three sword types used in the Olympic sport of fencing - ÉPÉES, sabers, and foils - ÉPÉES are the largest and heaviest. The maximum legal weight for the foil and the saber is 500 grams, while an ÉPÉE may weigh as much as 750 grams. FLAG POLE (6D: One of 195 outside the U.N.) The United Nations (U.N.) was established in 1945, after World War II. In its own words, the U.N. works for "peace, dignity and equality on a healthy planet." The U.N. is headquartered in New York City. The 195 FLAG POLEs outside of the U.N. display the FLAGs of the 193 member states and two observer states. The FLAGs are arranged in English alphabetical order. The FLAGs are raised at 8:00 a.m. and lowered at 4:00 p.m. each weekday (with some exceptions). Fun fact: The 195 FLAG POLEs cover a distance of six New York City blocks. DEERE (9D: Big player in ag-tech) Ag-tech, or agricultural technology, refers to the use of technology in agriculture. John DEERE founded his company in 1837 in Grand Detour, Illinois. That same year, he began manufacturing steel plows. The products that the DEERE company manufacturers have changed significantly over the years. GARDENIA (11D: Fragrant white flower) GARDENIAs are large showy blooms that grow on shrubs or small trees. The flowers have a strong fragrance. There are currently 128 identified species of GARDENIA. ONE (12D: Number of horns on a unicorn) This is a playful way to clue the number ONE. REMY (26D: Rat chef in "Ratatouille") Ratatouille is Pixar's 2007 animated movie about REMY, a rat who possesses a heightened sense of taste and smell, and who dreams of becoming a chef. ESAU (31D: Jacob's twin) This is a reference to the Biblical story of Jacob and ESAU in the book of Genesis. ESAU is the oldest twin, and thus entitled to receive the birthright from their father, Isaac. One day Jacob makes a trade with (a presumably very hungry) ESAU, giving him a bowl of stew in exchange for his birthright. CHILI OIL (38D: Spicy condiment for jiaozi) Jiaozi are a kind of dumpling commonly eaten in parts of East Asia. The dumplings consist of ground meat and/or vegetable filling wrapped in a thinly rolled piece of dough. Jiaozi are often served with condiments such as CHILI OIL. SPA (42D: Place to get a lymphatic drainage massage) A treatment option at some SPAs, a lymphatic drainage massage focuses on the lymphatic system, a part of the immune system that carries fluid (lymph). This type of massage is particularly helpful for reducing swelling in patients with lymphedema, a condition in which the lymph isn't returning to the blood as it should. MAGNET (46D: Fridge decoration) We have quite a collection of MAGNETs on our fridge. A few years ago, my sister gave me a set of National Park magnets. Unfortunately, only 24 of the 63 National Parks are represented in the set, but oh well... My husband and I decided we'd only put the MAGNETs on our fridge if we've visited the park. We're slowly working on getting that entire set of MAGNETs up. ECON (56D: GDP-tracking subject) GDP here stands for "gross domestic product," a measure used to assess the economic performance of a country. GDP is a topic discussed in economics classes. The abbreviation GDP in the clue alerts solvers that the answer will be ECON, a shortened form of the word economics. RAP (64D: Genre for Little Simz) Little Simz is an English RAP artist. Her sixth studio album, Lotus, is expected to drop this month, on June 6. A few other clues I especially enjoyed: OLD (68A: Like many family heirlooms) HATE READ (39D: Flip through just to get mad) WHEE (59D: "This ride is fun!") CUT AND PASTE (16A: Command combo that moves text) CHILDREN AT PLAY (38A: Words after "Slow" on a street sign in a residential neighborhood) COIN A PHRASE (62A: Come up with an idiom, say) THINKING CAP: Each theme answer has the initials CAP: CUT AND PASTE, CHILDREN AT PLAY, and COIN A PHRASE. It took me a little while to see that each theme answer had the initials CAP, making for a nice "Aha!" moment when I made that discovery. I admit that I'm not sure where the "THINKING" part of the title comes into play with the theme. Is it just that we are THINKING about what CAP may stand for? That may be it. If you have another idea, let me know. Thank you, Zhouqin, for this thought-provoking puzzle. USA TODAY's Daily Crossword Puzzles Sudoku & Crossword Puzzle Answers This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Crossword Blog & Answers for June 1, 2025 by Sally Hoelscher
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Blanket Term
There are spoilers ahead. You might want to solve today's puzzle before reading further! Blanket Term Constructors: Tom Pepper & Zhouqin Burnikel Editor: Amanda Rafkin HISS (1A: Sound from an annoyed cat) The only time my cat, Willow, ever lets out a HISS is when she discovers an unwelcome feline visitor in her house. I don't have any pictures of that, since when that happens I'm usually playing referee between the cats. Instead, here's a picture of Willow trying to convince me to pet her instead of working. (How could I possibly refuse?) WAS (26A: "It ___ a dark and stormy night") In the Peanuts comic strip, Snoopy began using a typewriter on top of his doghouse on July 12, 1965 (nearly 60 years ago!). Many of Snoopy's stories begin, "It WAS a dark and stormy night." ORCAS (30A: Whales known as "wolves of the sea") ORCAS and wolves are both apex predators, meaning they have no natural predators. ORCAS earned the nickname "wolves of the sea," because they hunt in groups, like wolves do. PASTA (33A: Fusilli or gemelli) Fusilli is corkscrew-shaped PASTA. Gemelli is a type of PASTA that appears to be two tubes twisted around each other. AFGHAN HOUND (36A: Silky-haired hunting dog) The AFGHAN HOUND gets its name because the breed originated in the mountain regions of Afghanistan. AFGHAN HOUNDs are characterized by fur that is long, fine, and silky. FORT (42A: Structure that might be made of pillows and blankets) I am a fan of a blanket FORT; it makes such a cozy hideaway. This is a nice theme bonus – whether you call a BLANKET a THROW, an AFGHAN, or a COVER – it can be used to build a FORT. COD (48A: Common fish for lutefisk) Lutefisk is made by drying and salting COD (or whitefish), and then rehydrating it in a lye-solution. The result is gelatinous in texture. Lutefisk originated from Scandinavian countries (Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Finland). It is popular in some parts of the United States, where it is often associated with Christmas celebrations. ITHACA (2D: Cornell's city) Cornell University was founded in ITHACA, New York in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White. Cornell is a land grant university (an institution of higher education given federal land by the Morrill Acts of 1862 and 1890). ALF (6D: 1980s sitcom alien from the planet Melmac) ALF is a TV sitcom that ran for four seasons from 1986 to 1990. The title character was an "alien life form" (aka an extraterrestrial, or ET) from the planet Melmac. OTTAWA (8D: City home to Canada's Parliament Hill) OTTAWA is the capital of Canada. It is located in the southern part of the province of Ontario, and is Canada's fourth-largest city (following Toronto, Montreal, and Calgary). Parliament Hill is an area of land in downtown OTTAWA, located along the OTTAWA River. The Parliament of Canada is housed in three buildings located on Parliament Hill. TINA (10D: Bette's partner on "The L Word") The L Word was a Showtime TV drama that aired from 2004-2009. One of the show's main characters is Bette Porter, portrayed by Jennifer Beals, considered by some to be one of the most important LGBTQ TV characters of all time. Another main character is TINA Kennard, portrayed by Laurel Holloman. As the clue mentions, TINA and Bette are partners (though their relationship is on again, off again throughout the series). NAS (22D: Rapper Lil ___ X) Lil NAS X's song "Old Town Road" (2019) is tied (with "A Bar Song (Tipsy)" by Shaboozey) for the most weeks (19) at the top of Billboard's Hot 100 chart. AGE (34D: What Adele's album titles represent) To date, Adele has recorded four studio albums: 19 (2008), 21 (2011), 25 (2015), and 30 (2021). The numbers reflect Adele's AGE when she wrote the songs on the album, not necessarily her AGE when the albums were released. KFC (39D: Colonel Sanders' chain) KFC, formerly known as Kentucky Fried Chicken, was founded in North Corbin, Kentucky in 1930. Founder Harland Sanders (1890-1980) was commissioned as a Kentucky Colonel (an honor bestowed by Kentucky's governor) in 1935, and became known as Colonel Sanders, the company's spokesman. REDDIT (47D: Popular discussion website) REDDIT is an online news aggregation and discussion website. One of the features of REDDIT is multiple discussion boards, or subreddits, focusing on a variety of topics. REDDIT users get to upvote and downvote posts, so the most popular posts appear at the top of a feed. THROW A FIT (17A: React angrily) AFGHAN HOUND (36A: Silky-haired hunting dog) COVER BAND (58A: Tribute group playing familiar songs) BLANKET TERM: The first word of each theme answer is a TERM that means BLANKET: THROW, AFGHAN, and COVER. A BLANKET TERM is a generic term used to describe a number of items. For example, "color" is a BLANKET TERM, whereas "red," "yellow," and "blue" are specific terms. In today's theme, however, BLANKET TERM refers to a TERM that literally means BLANKET. That's very fun. Thank you, Tom and Zhouqin, for this enjoyable puzzle. USA TODAY's Daily Crossword Puzzles Sudoku & Crossword Puzzle Answers This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Crossword Blog & Answers for May 20, 2025 by Sally Hoelscher
Yahoo
16-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Cold Cut
There are spoilers ahead. You might want to solve today's puzzle before reading further! Cold Cut Constructor: Zhouqin Burnikel Editor: Anna Gundlach CABAL (15A: Scheming group) CABAL is an interesting word. It's not a word I use often, and I was pretty proud of myself for being able to recall it here without any help from crossing answers. According to Merriam-Webster dictionary, CABAL can refer to a group engaged in secret schemes, and it can also refer to their plans. PLANTAIN (42A: Fruit fried twice to make tostones) Tostones, which are twice-fried PLANTAIN slices, are most common in Latin American and Caribbean cuisine. CAPITOL HILL (63A: The Library of Congress locale) CAPITOL HILL is a historic neighborhood in Washington D.C., located around the U.S. CAPITOL. The Library of Congress occupies three buildings on CAPITOL HILL. The Library of Congress was founded in 1800, and serves as the national library of the United States, and the library and research service for the U.S. Congress. In 2006 (which I'm shocked to discover was 19 years ago!), I visited Washington, D.C. with my family. We visited the Library of Congress on that trip. In addition to remembering that it's a beautiful building, I have two main memories from that trip. First of all, I remember my daughter, who was ten years old at the time, lying on the floor so she could get a picture of the rotunda. Secondly, my dad was originally denied entrance to the Library of Congress because he had a pocketknife and wasn't willing to give it up. Thanks for that trip down memory lane. TRUCE (66A: Peace agreement) and PACTS (1D: Peace agreements) This puzzle is doing its best to agree to peace. SEDER (69A: Feast where bitter herbs are eaten) The SEDER is a ritual meal marking the beginning of the Jewish holiday Passover. The word "seder" means "order," which is appropriate, as the meal is eaten in a certain order. Throughout the meal - that includes songs, prayers, readings, and questions - the foods on the SEDER plate are explained. Bitter herbs are one of the components of the SEDER plate, symbolizing the bitterness of the Jewish people being enslaved in Egypt prior to the Exodus (the Biblical event commemorated by Passover). ISSA (70A: "Barbie" actress Rae) ISSA Rae portrayed President Barbie in the 2023 movie Barbie. I thoroughly enjoyed the Barbie movie. Whenever I see a clue about someone that played a particular Barbie, I am reminded of the scene where all the Barbies are greeting each other. "Hi, Barbie!" "Hi, Barbie!" "Hi, Barbie!" "Hi, Barbie!" GREECE (3D: Country where Western theater originated) Many aspects of modern theater date back to the culture of ancient Greece, as far back as 700 BCE. At that time, the city-state of Athens was of cultural, political, and religious significance. Theater was a major part of religious festivals, which evolved into theatrical performances of tragedy and comedy. SEAN (4D: "Stranger Things" actor Astin) Stranger Things is a Netflix TV series about a small town dealing with a hostile alternate dimension. In the show's second and third seasons, SEAN Astin portrays Bob Newby. It's been just six days since we saw this same clue. This worked in my favor and I was able to immediately fill the answer in. (Well, to be fair, it also helps that SEAN happens to be my son's name.) ALLIE (9D: Chicago Sky star Quigley) During her time in the WNBA, ALLIE Quigley played for several teams, most recently the Chicago Sky from 2013-2022. In 2014 and 2015, she was named the WNBA Sixth Player of the Year, an Award given for the league's most valuable player coming off the bench as a substitute. In 2021, the Chicago Sky were the WNBA champions, and ALLIE Quigley was the team's second-leading scorer. I learned about ALLIE Quigley from the November 28, 2024 puzzle. PICANTE (25D: Spicy, like 55-Down) and SALSA (55D: Common dip for tortilla chips) "PICANTE" is the Spanish word for "spicy." It is often used as a descriptor of SALSA. IRIS (38D: Light-regulating eye part) The IRIS of the eye controls the size of the pupil, the hole that allows light to enter the eye. The IRIS makes the pupil smaller in bright light and larger in dim light. In this way, the IRIS regulates how much light can enter through the pupil. Hooray for science in the crossword! HAWKEYES (40D: Iowa residents) Iowa's official nickname is the Hawkeye State. The history of the nickname is unclear. Some scholars say it's a tribute to Chief Black Hawk, and others say it comes from a character in a James Fenimore Cooper novel. Since the state is nicknamed the Hawkeye state, it's fair to say that Iowa residents are known as HAWKEYES. However, living in Iowa as I do, I feel like this clue might be better with a qualifier: [Some Iowa residents]. When most Iowans hear the word HAWKEYES, they think of the athletic teams of the University of Iowa, and their fans. That's a lot of people in Iowa, to be sure, but there are also many Iowans who would tell you they are not HAWKEYES, but are Cyclones, which is the name of the athletic teams of Iowa State University. (I'm a HAWKEYE; my husband is a Cyclone.) THAI (61D: Cuisine with khao pad) Khao pad is a THAI dish of stir-fried rice. CHEAP THRILL (17A: Short-lived, superficial pleasure) CHARCOAL GRILL (39A: Backyard barbecue device) CAPITOL HILL (63D: The Library of Congress' locale) COLD CUT: The word CHILL (a synonym for COLD) is CUT by each theme answer: CHEAP THRILL, CHARCOAL GRILL, and CAPITOL HILL. I always attempt to guess the puzzle's theme from the title. Today my guess was that the word COLD would be CUT by the theme answers. There was a nice "Aha!" moment when I realized the word being CUT was not COLD, but the related word CHILL. I am a fan of titles that require solvers to make an extra leap to figure out the theme. Thank you, Zhouqin, for this enjoyable puzzle. USA TODAY's Daily Crossword Puzzles Sudoku & Crossword Puzzle Answers This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Crossword Blog & Answers for February 16, 2025 by Sally Hoelscher
