Yahoo Lifestyle Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Center of Attention
There are spoilers ahead. You might want to solve today's puzzle before reading further! Center of Attention (Freestyle)
Constructor: Zhouqin Burnikel
Editor: Amanda Rafkin
What I Learned from Today’s Puzzle
ENO (5D: Capital One's virtual assistant whose name is "one" backwards) Capital One is a bank holding company specializing in credit cards and auto loans. If you have a Capital One card or loan, you can utilize ENO, their virtual assistant. ENO can help you by monitoring your spending, checking your balance, and answering your questions. The team that created ENO included a former filmmaker, an anthropologist, a journalist, and a user experience designer.
PAAK (51D: Silk Sonic singer Anderson) Today I learned that "musical supergroup" is the term for a group comprised of members who already have successful solo careers. Silk Sonic is a musical superduo comprised of Anderson .PAAK and Bruno Mars. Their debut single, "Leave the Door Open," which was released in 2021, won four Grammy Awards, including Song of the Year.
Random Thoughts & Interesting Things
MOLE NEGRO (15A: Black sauce made with dried chiles and chocolate) MOLE is a traditional sauce that originated in Mexican cuisine. MOLE usually contains fruits, nuts, chili peppers and spices. A variety of other ingredients are used for specific variations of the sauce. MOLE NEGRO, or black MOLE, is made with dried chili peppers, raisins, chocolate, and warm spices.
OVOID (16A: Shaped like a kumquat) Kumquats are edible citrus fruits that resemble tiny OVOID oranges.
PODS (27A: Cardamom holders) Cardamom is a spice made from the seeds of several species of plants in the ginger family. The seeds are encased in small seed PODS, which are spindle-shaped and triangular in cross-section. I appreciated this clue as a reminder that peas are not the only thing that grows in PODS.
OHIO (36A: Buckeye Chuck's state) OHIO is nicknamed "The Buckeye State." Buckeye Chuck is OHIO's official weather-predicting groundhog, a status he has held since 1979 when the OHIO legislature declared Buckeye Chuck the official state groundhog. Buckeye Chuck lives in Marion, OHIO.
PURR (40A: Sound from a pleased kitty) Fun fact: Cats can either PURR or roar, but they can't do both. House cats, bobcats, ocelots, and cheetahs can PURR, but they can't roar. On the other hand, lions, tigers, leopards, and jaguars can roar, but they can't PURR. My cat, Willow, is definitely in the PURR camp.
LARVA (56A: Caterpillar or glowworm) A LARVA is an immature form of some insects. A caterpillar is a LARVA of a butterfly or moth. A glowworm is a LARVA of a firefly.
OGDEN (7D: City north of Salt Lake City) OGDEN, Utah is located about 40 miles north of Salt Lake City. It is home to Weber State University.
PO'BOYS (10D: New Orleans sandwiches) PO'BOYS are sandwiches consisting of meat served on New Orleans French bread.
OCD (23D: Condition that might be treated with ERP) Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) is recommended by the American Psychiatric Association as a treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The treatment involves habituation to a situation in order to change behavior.
RAGA (38D: Concept in Indian classical music) RAGA is a melodic framework in classical Indian music. Each RAGA provides a musician an opportunity for improvisation.
NBA (45D: Org. with Suns and Heat) The Phoenix Suns and the Miami Heat are teams in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The abbreviation of the word organization (org.) in the clue alerts solvers the answer will be an abbreviation.
SADIE (50D: ___ Hawkins dance) A SADIE Hawkins dance is a dance held at some schools. For a SADIE Hawkins dance, girls invite boys to be their dates, rather than vice versa. The dance is named after a character in Al Capp's Li'l Abner comic strip.
RAT (59D: Chicago ___ hole) The Chicago RAT hole was a RAT-shaped impression in a Chicago sidewalk that received increased attention after someone tweeted about it in January of this year. Although residents of Chicago's Roscoe Village say the RAT hole has been there for years (it was likely made by a squirrel falling into the wet cement), the renewed attention resulted in an increase in visitors, some of whom left objects at the site as "offerings." The sidewalk containing the Chicago RAT hole was removed by city officials in April.
A few more answers I especially enjoyed:
BUTT DIALS (31A: Calls accidentally)
PEEKABOO (51A: Game that often makes infants laugh)
ERROR CODE (57A: 403 Forbidden, for example)
Crossword Puzzle Theme Synopsis
CENTER OF ATTENTION (Freestyle): There's no theme today because this is a freestyle, or themeless, puzzle. The title is a nod to STAGE HOGS (1A: Actors who always thrust themselves into the foreground) and EYES ON ME (20A: "Look right here!").
When I solve a freestyle puzzle, I'm always on the lookout for the entry that inspired the title. It was especially fun to encounter that answer at 1-Across today with STAGE HOGS. Encountering EYES ON ME a little further down felt like a great bonus. Thank you, Zhouqin, for this enjoyable puzzle.
For more on USA TODAY’s Crossword Puzzles
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Crossword Blog & Answers for October 28, 2024 by Sally Hoelscher
