Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Even Distribution

Sally Hoelscher, USA TODAY
·5-min read

There are spoilers ahead. You might want to solve today's puzzle before reading further! Even Distribution

Constructor: Hannah Slovut-Einertson

Editor: Jared Goudsmit

January 22, 2025
January 22, 2025

What I Learned from Today’s Puzzle

  • OCEAN (18A: Hoff crab's habitat) The answer here was inferable, but the Hoff crab is new to me. The Hoff crab is a type of squat lobster (a flattened crustacean with a long tail that is curled beneath its body). Hoff crabs live deep in the OCEAN on hydrothermal vents near Antarctica. A Hoff crab has hair-like structure on its exoskeleton, which led scientists to name it the Hoff crab after David Hasselhoff, as it reminded them of his hairy chest.

  • AKA (23A: Alecia Beth Moore ___ Pink) I know of the Grammy Award-winning singer Pink, who sometimes stylizes her name as P!nk, but I did not know her given name. Once again, the answer here was inferable, and now I know that Pink is also known as (AKA) Alecia Beth Moore. Pink's most recent studio album is Trustfall, released in 2023.

Random Thoughts & Interesting Things

  • ARAB (1A: Like many Omanis and Yemenis) Oman and Yemen are neighboring countries located in West Asia on the Arabian peninsula.

  • RADIO (15A: "Video Killed the ___ Star") "Video Killed the RADIO Star" is a 1979 song by the Buggles. Fun fact: "Video Killed the RADIO Star" was the first music video shown on MTV on August 1, 1981. Seems appropriate.

  • ANYA (21A: Taylor-Joy who voiced Princess Peach) ANYA Taylor-Joy voiced Princess Peach in the 2023 animated film The Super Mario Bros. Movie.

  • HAITI (34A: Caribbean "land of high mountains") The Greater Antilles is a grouping of islands in the Caribbean Sea. The three largest islands of the Greater Antilles are Cuba, Hispaniola, and Jamaica. Of those three islands, Cuba lies the farthest west, with Jamaica located south of Cuba, and Hispianola east of Jamaica. (Keep reading, I'm getting to HAITI!) The island of Hispaniola is divided into two countries, HAITI and the Dominican Republic. The country's name comes from the Taíno language and means "land of high mountains." The name is appropriate, as HAITI is the most mountainous country in the Caribbean. The capital of HAITI is Port-au-Prince.

  • EASY-BAKE OVEN (36A: Toy that comes with cake mix) The EASY-BAKE OVEN has been around since 1963, and in 2006 it was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame. Did you know that November 4 is "National EASY-BAKE OVEN Day?" That's the date the toy oven was originally released in 1963. We've seen EASY-BAKE OVEN as a theme answer before for a puzzle with a different theme.

  • PUGH (39A: "We Live in Time" actress Florence) We Live in Time is a 2024 rom-com starring Florence PUGH and Andrew Garfield. The movie follows a couple's relationship over the course of a decade, and the story is presented nonlinearly.

  • TERI (51A: Actress Polo) TERI Polo portrayed Stef Adams Foster in the TV series The Fosters (2013-2018), and in its spin-off series, Good Trouble (2019-2024).

  • EVIL QUEEN (56A: "Snow White" villain) and APPLE (61A: Frostbite or Honeycrisp) It seems fitting that these two clues are consecutive. I wonder what type of APPLE the EVIL QUEEN used as her poison delivery system. Fun fact: The Frostbite APPLE is a grandparent of the Honeycrisp APPLE.

  • TED (65A: sci-fi writer Chiang) I wrote about TED Chiang last week.

  • STATE (5D: Michoacan or Michigan) Michoacán is one of Mexico's 31 STATEs. Michigan is one of the U.S.'s 50 STATEs.

  • ROYGBIV (15D: Rainbow acronym) ROYGBIV is an acronym used to remember the order of the colors of a rainbow: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet.

  • SAKES (31D: Drinks served at izakayas) Izakayas are a type of informal Japanese bar. Dining at an izakaya is generally done slowly, with food being ordered in several courses rather than all at once. SAKES are Japanese rice wines.

  • IRAQ (47D: Basra's country) Basra is a city in southern IRAQ, and is the country's main port.

  • BAO (53D: Gua ___ (lotus leaf bun)) Gua BAO is a Chinese dish that origins from the Fujian province. It consists of stewed meat and condiments between steamed bread known as lotus leaf bread.

  • EAT (58D: Have some kheer) Kheer is a type of pudding in South Indian Cuisine that is made with milk, sugar, and rice. Other grains are sometime used in place of rice.

  • NEW (60D:"And it's ___, the shape of your body / It's blue, the feeling I've got" (Taylor Swift lyric)) "And it's NEW, the shape of your body / It's blue, the feeling I've got," is a song from Taylor Swift's 2023 song "Cruel Summer."

  • A few other clues I especially enjoyed:

    • SURNAME (26D: Moniker that generally comes first in Vietnam)

    • HALFSIES (34D: Go ___ on (split equally))

    • EURO (36D: Currency named after a continent)

Crossword Puzzle Theme Synopsis

  • EVER AGAIN (16A: "...for the rest of time!")

  • EASY BAKE OVEN (36A: Toy that comes with cake mix)

  • EVIL QUEEN (56A: "Snow White" villain)

ADVERTISEMENT

EVEN DISTRIBUTION: The word EVEN is "distributed" to the ends of the theme answers.

We have each possible DISTRIBUTION of the word EVEN represented in the theme answers: EVE/N, E/VEN, and EV/EN. My favorite theme answer today is EVIL QUEEN. It makes me want to give an EVIL laugh –"bwahahahaha!" Thank you, Hannah, for this enjoyable puzzle.

For more on USA TODAY’s Crossword Puzzles

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Crossword Blog & Answers for January 22, 2025 by Sally Hoelscher

Latest stories