Sally Analyzes USA TODAY’s Dinnertime Freestyle Crossword Puzzle

There are spoilers ahead. You might want to solve today’s puzzle before reading further! Dinnertime (Freestyle)

Constructor: Rebecca Moore

Editor: Jared Goudsmit

What I Learned from Today’s Puzzle:

• SARI (46A: Garment that may be held by a vaddanam) A vaddanam is an ornamental gold belt that keeps a SARI in place when worn around the waist. A vaddanam is worn for special occasions, symbolizing heritage, tradition, and prosperity.
• EASTWOOD (47A: Botanist Alice) Alice EASTWOOD (1859-1953) was a self-taught botanist who educated herself by studying botany publications. Born in Toronto, she moved to the United States with her family as a teenager. Working at the California Academy of Sciences for over 50 years, she collected 300,000 plant specimens. Following the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, she saved over 1,200 plant specimens from the damaged building. She also advocated for conservation of California’s redwood forests.
• BRO (30D: Sam or Dean Winchester, to each other) Sam and Dean Winchester are fictional brothers from the TV series Supernatural (2005-2020). On the show, they hunt various supernatural beings. Dean is portrayed by Jensen Ackles, and Sam is portrayed by Jared Padalecki.

Random Thoughts & Interesting Things:

• SEAS (1A: Big bodies of water) and PONDS (5A: Small bodies of water) It’s nice to see these paired together as big/small bodies of water.
• ASIA (16A: Continent home to the great Indian bustard) The great Indian bustard (GIB) is a critically endangered bird species living on the Indian subcontinent. With less than 150 individuals remaining, this tall bird is one of the heaviest flying birds.
• SESAME STREET (20A: Show with Big Bird) SESAME STREET first aired in 1969. As of this November, the show reaches its 55th year. It has won 222 Emmy Awards and 11 Grammy Awards. Big Bird, the famous eight-foot-two-inch-tall yellow anthropomorphic bird, has been with the show since its inception.
• VELVEETA (24A: Kraft “cheese” product) The “cheese” is in quotation marks because VELVEETA, like other processed cheese products, is not 100% cheese. Processed cheese generally contains 50-60% cheese, introduced in 1918, similar in taste to American cheese.
• ALTA (61A: Opposite of baja) ALTA is a Spanish word for “high” or “tall.” Baja means “low” or “short.”
• NALA (62A: Simba’s partner) NALA and Simba are partners in Disney’s Lion King franchise.
• ATOLL (63A: Island that surrounds a lagoon) An ATOLL is a ring-shaped island surrounding a lagoon with a coral rim. There are about 440 ATOLLs in the world, most located in the tropical and subtropical regions of the Pacific Ocean.
• LOEB (64A: “I Do” singer Lisa) Lisa LOEB’s 1997 song, “I Do,” is the lead single from her second album, Firecracker. Lisa LOEB also has an eyewear brand and started the Camp Lisa Foundation, which helps provide camp scholarships for underprivileged kids.
• ARES (65A: Violent god whose name anagrams to “sear”) In Greek mythology, ARES is the god of war and courage. Vultures are associated with ARES because they haunted battlefields after wars.
• BASIL (66A: Lemon ___ (lalab herb)) Lalab is a raw vegetable salad from Sundanese cuisine in Indonesia, often served with fish or chicken. Lemon BASIL is one of the common herbs used in lalab.
• NBA TV (7D: Network that airs Pelicans games) The New Orleans Pelicans, an NBA team, was founded in 2002 as the New Orleans Hornets. They temporarily relocated to Oklahoma City after Hurricane Katrina. In 2013, they rebranded as the New Orleans Pelicans.
• MAY (13D: World Bee Day month) World Bee Day is on May 20, the birthday of Anton Janša, a pioneer in modern beekeeping techniques. The United Nations designated this day to acknowledge bees’ essential role in our ecosystem.
• MOANA (Disney princess from Motunui) Motunui is the fictional Polynesian island in the 2016 Disney animated movie MOANA and the upcoming MOANA 2, scheduled for release this November.
• EWOKS (25D: Furry “Star Wars” creatures on Endor) In the Star Wars franchise, EWOKS are small, furry, bipedal creatures living in the forests of the fictional moon Endor. They first appeared in Return of the Jedi (1983) and starred in two TV movies in the mid-80s.
• TAPE (26D: Gaffer’s adhesive) In filmmaking, the gaffer is the head electrician responsible for the lighting. Gaffer TAPE is similar to duct TAPE but has a fabric backing and is removable without damage. The gaffer’s assistant is known as the best boy.
• MOSES (33D: “Ragtime” actor Gunn) MOSES Gunn (1929-1993) was an award-winning actor with numerous stage, TV, and movie credits. He played Booker T. Washington in the 1981 film Ragtime, based on E.L. Doctorow’s novel.
• AUS (37D: Melbourne’s country (Abbr.)) Melbourne, the second most populous city in Australia (AUS), is located in southeastern mainland Australia.
• EAR (58D: Body part with a cochlea) The cochlea, part of the inner ear, is a spiral-shaped cavity crucial for the hearing process.

There’s no theme today, as this is a freestyle, or themeless, puzzle. DINNERTIME is a nod to ALL YOU CAN EAT (54A: Like some buffet deals).

Although this is a themeless puzzle, I appreciated the bonus food answers that accompanied ALL YOU CAN EAT. We have VELVEETA, POTATO PANCAKE, SWISS cheese, lemon BASIL, and MELON. Thank you, Rebecca, for this enjoyable puzzle.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY’s daily crossword puzzle, Dinnertime (Freestyle)

Source: USA TODAY