Yahoo Lifestyle Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Press Cutting
There are spoilers ahead. You might want to solve today's puzzle before reading further! Press Cutting
Constructor: CJ Tan
Editor: Jared Goudsmit
What I Learned from Today’s Puzzle
ARO (40A: Like both main characters in the show "Koisenu Futari," (2022) for short) Koisenu Futari is a Japanese TV series that focuses on the relationship of two aromantic asexual people. ARO is short for aromantic. The show's title is Japanese for "Two People Who Can't Fall in Love."
ALASKANS (12D: Many Haida people) The Haida are indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest Coast of North America. They are one of 231 federally recognized tribes in Alaska. Some Haida who are ALASKANS live on Prince of Wales Island, one of the islands in the Alaska Panhandle.
Random Thoughts & Interesting Things
SMITH (1A: Most common surname in the U.S.) An estimated 2.4 million people in the U.S. have the surname SMITH. That makes it the most common U.S. surname, followed by Johnson, Williams, Brown, and Jones. Something tells me Hoelscher is never going to make it on this list.
PINKPANTHERESS (20A: "Boy's a Liar" singer) PINKPANTHERESS (formatted as PinkPantheress) is a British singer-songwriter who signed a record deal after some of her songs went viral on TikTok. Her 2022 song, "Boys a Liar" reached number two on the UK charts. A 2023 remix version of the song, "Boy's a Liar Pt. 2" featured rapper Ice Spice. That version reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100.
DYE (24A: Red 40, e.g.) FD&C Red 40 is a DYE also known as Allura Red AC or E129. The red DYE is commonly used in food.
EDIE (32A: Actress McClurg) In a career that has spanned six decades, EDIE McClurg has had numerous TV and film roles, including Grace in Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986) and Mrs. Patty Poole in The Hogan Family (1986-1991). She has also voiced characters in a number of shows, including The Little Mermaid, A Bug's Life, and Cars.
CAT (42A: Pet that might unroll your toilet paper) Ha! This clue made me laugh. Fortunately, my cat, Willow, does not have a penchant for unrolling toilet paper. I do have to be careful about leaving socks where she can get to them, however, as she likes to carry socks around the house (and leave them in the hallway as gifts for me). She looks innocent in this photo, doesn't she, "Who me? I would never cause any trouble..."
POSITIVE STRESS (49A: Beneficial response to a challenging situation) Although often viewed as a negative thing, STRESS can indeed be POSITIVE. POSITIVE STRESS, also called "eustress" (as opposed to "distress"), may arise from challenges that motivate you, such as starting a new job or taking on a new project.
SLIT (57A: Thin cut in a cheongsam) A cheongsam, also called a qipao or mandarin gown, is a Chinese dress. It is a close-fitting, long dress with two side SLITs.
SHIPS (1D: Boats, or fans' romantic pairings) Boats may also be called SHIPS, of course. The other example given in the clue – fans' romantic pairings – refers to SHIPS in the sense of relationships fans would like to see between characters. Fan fiction is often produced about these types of SHIPS.
IRENE (3D: Lead singer of Red Velvet) Red Velvet is a South Korean girl group composed of IRENE, Seulgi, Wendy, Joy, and Yeri. The group's music has been described as having a "Red" side - pop, hip-hop, and funk, and a "Velvet" side - R&B and ballads.
RHO (22D: Letter before sigma) RHO is the 17th letter of the Greek alphabet. It precedes sigma, tau, and upsilon.
ADOBO (28D: Unofficial national dish of the Philippines) Filipino ADOBO is a dish consisting of meat, seafood, or vegetables marinated in a sauce of vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, bay leaves, and peppercorns. As the clue informs us, ADOBO is sometimes considered to be the unofficial national dish of the Philippines.
EDAM (32D: Julbord cheese) Julbord – which translates to "Yule/Christmas table" – is a special Swedish buffet-style meal (smörgåsbord). It traditionally consists of five to seven courses. The sixth course is a cheese plate. Julbord cheeses include EDAM, Stilton, Cheddar and Västerbotten cheese (from the Västerbotten region of Sweden).
PERI-PERI (34D: Pepper in Nando's sauces) PERI-PERI peppers are also known as African Bird's Eye chili peppers. Nando's is a fast food chain that began in South Africa and now has locations worldwide. Their specialty is flame-grilled PERI-PERI chicken.
ACID TEST (35D: Definitive assessment) Historically, an ACID TEST was a chemical assay that used ACID to TEST for the presence of gold. The term has come to be used figuratively as a description of an assessment that gauges a person's character or evaluates a product's performance.
RINA (52D: "This Hell" singer Sawayama) RINA Sawayama is a singer-songwriter and a model. She was born in Japan, and currently lives in England. "This Hell" is a song from her second studio album, Hold the Girl, released in 2022. RINA Sawayama said of "This Hell," "I wanted to write a western pop song that celebrated COMMUNITY and LOVE in a time where the world seemed hellish."
A few other clues I especially enjoyed:
SITS (29D: Doesn't lose in musical chairs)
DO NOT OPEN (31D: Warning on Christmas presents and classified documents)
ROAD TRIP (36D: Opportunity to play the license plate game)
Crossword Puzzle Theme Synopsis
PINKPANTHERESS (20A: "Boy's a Liar" singer)
POLKA DOT DRESS (Garment for Minnie Mouse)
POSITIVE STRESS (49A: Beneficial response to a challenging situation)
PRESS CUTTING: The theme answers are CUTTING the word PRESS, such that each theme answer begins with the letter P and ends with the letters R-E-S-S: PINKPANTHERESS, POLKA DOT DRESS, and POSITIVE STRESS.
This is a classic USA Today theme type, and the title here let me know just what to expect. This is a solid set of theme answers, and I appreciate that the CUTTING of the word PRESS occurs at the same spot in each answer. Thank you, CJ, for this enjoyable puzzle.
For more on USA TODAY’s Crossword Puzzles
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Crossword Blog & Answers for December 29, 2024 by Sally Hoelscher
