Yahoo Lifestyle Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Creamed Corn
There are spoilers ahead. You might want to solve today's puzzle before reading further! Creamed Corn
Constructor: Jared Goudsmit
Editor: Jared Goudsmit
What I Learned from Today’s Puzzle
RENEE (19A: "In the Kitchen" singer Rapp) "In the Kitchen" is a 2022 single by RENEÉ Rapp. I have heard of RENEÉ Rapp, who played the role of Regina George in the Broadway musical, Mean Girls, but I wasn't familiar with this song. It's an appropriate song title for today, however, when many people are spending the day in the kitchen.
EDNA (60A: Civil rights pioneer Griffin) EDNA Griffin (1909-2000) has been referred to as the "Rosa Parks of Iowa." In 1948, EDNA Griffin and her one-year-old daughter, along with John Bibbs and Leonard Hudson, were refused service at Katz Drug Store in Des Moines, Iowa. Subsequently, EDNA Katz launched a campaign and a court battle to force Katz Drugstore to serve Black people. Her efforts ultimately led to the Iowa Supreme Court upholding that it was illegal to deny service based on race, in the case State of Iowa v. Katz.
ALLIE (61A: WNBA great 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. ALLIE Quigley also has an active career in European basketball leagues. She obtained Hungarian citizenship and has played for the Hungarian national team.
Random Thoughts & Interesting Things
We have a number of timely holiday-related clues today:
CHILI (16A: Spicy stew sometimes served on Thanksgiving)
RUNS (59A: Participates in a turkey trot)
KNEE (62A: Joint bent during a turkey trot)
PIE (13D: Classic Thanksgiving dessert)
EEL (24A: Shirayaki fish) and TUNA (55D: Rihaakuru fish) Suddenly this puzzle seems a bit fishy... Shirayaki is freshwater EEL (unagi) that has been roasted and only seasoned with salt. Rihaakuru is a thick sauce that is a traditional dish in the Maldives. It is produced as a by-product of processing TUNA.
ARIEL (28A: Disney princess who says "Don't be such a guppy") In The Little Mermaid, ARIEL says, "Don't be such a guppy," to Flounder (her best friend, who is a tropical fish) as they are exploring a sunken ship.
LOS (42A: ___ Angeles County Museum of Art) The LOS Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) is the largest art museum in the western United States. It is located in the Miracle Mile neighborhood of LOS Angeles, California, and is adjacent to the La Brea Tar Pits.
TIGER (45A: Big cat such as Rintoo) and LION (34D: Untruthful-sounding big cat) Rintoo is a talking TIGER on the Nickelodeon animated children's TV series Ni Hao, Kai-Lan (2008-2011). During my solve, I encountered LION first (chucking at the clue) and then TIGER. That lead me to thinking of "LION(s) and TIGER(s) and ... no bears? Oh my! As always, my cat, Willow, is happy to see her big cat cousins in the puzzle. I guess we have LION and TIGER and Willow – oh my!
AHA (49A: "I've made a discovery") AHA! It's my favorite crossword-related exclamation!
ERA (51A: _qual _ights _mendment) This type of split fill-in-the-blank clue alerts solvers to fill one letter in each blank. The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) is a proposed amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The first version of the EQUAL Rights Amendment – aimed at guaranteeing EQUAL rights for all U.S. citizens regardless of sex – was introduced in 1923. Although Congress passed the ERA in the 1970s, it has not yet received the ratification needed from the U.S. states to become an amendment.
IMITATION CRAB (54A: Seafood product aka kanikama) IMITATION CRAB is referred to as kanikama in Japanese, a portmanteau of the Japanese words for "crab" and "fish cake." IMITATION CRAB is made from white fish (often Alaska pollock), which is pulverized, mixed with filler ingredients , and then shaped to resemble CRAB meat.
MANILA (6D: File folder material) MANILA folders were originally made using fibers from the MANILA hemp plant. MANILA hemp was named after the capital of the Philippines. Now, wood pulp is used in the making of many MANILA folders instead of MANILA hemp.
THIN MINT (8D: Bestselling Girl Scout cookie) Now I'm craving THIN MINTs! According to the Girl Scouts' Cookies FAQ, the popular THIN MINTS are both kosher and vegan.
RAINEY (46D: Ma ___'s Black Bottom" (play)) Ma RAINEY's Black Bottom is one of the ten plays by August Wilson that make up his Pittsburgh Cycle (also referred to as Century Cycle). These plays dramatize the Black American experience in the twentieth century. Ma RAINEY's Black Bottom is set in a recording studio in the 1920s. The play's name is taken from Ma RAINEY's 1927 song of the same name. I have previously written about Ma RAINEY (1886-1939), who has been called "Mother of the Blues." I have also written about two other plays in August Wilson's Pittsburgh Cycle: Gem of the Ocean and Jitney.
Crossword Puzzle Theme Synopsis
EXTENSION CORD (20A: Electrical cable)
AIR CONDITIONING (38A: System installed in a summer house)
IMITATION CRAB (54A: Seafood product aka kanikama)
CREAMED CORN: Each theme answer contains an anagram of the word CORN. That is, the letters of the word CORN have been mixed up, or CREAMED: EXTENSION CORD, AIR CONDITIONING, and IMITATION CRAB.
Happy Thanksgiving! Are you having CREAMED CORN today? We are not, though we are having a CORN casserole that contains CREAMED CORN, so maybe that counts. It's appropriate to have a food-related theme today, and I appreciated the sprinkling of Thanksgiving clues. Thank you, Jared, for this enjoyable puzzle.
For more on USA TODAY’s Crossword Puzzles
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Crossword Blog & Answers for November 28, 2024 by Sally Hoelscher
