Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's crossword, You've Come to the Right Place

There are spoilers ahead. You might want to solve today's puzzle before reading further! You've Come to the Right Place

Constructors: Olivia Mitra Framke & Sally Hoelscher

Editor: Amanda Rafkin

Comments from Today’s Crossword Constructors

Olivia: Some phrases really tickle my brain in the best way, like WIGGLE ROOM and ECHO CHAMBER. They're just so fun! One themer that ended up on the cutting room floor here is HEADSPACE, a word I find myself using pretty often (e.g. "I'm not in the right HEADSPACE for that right now"). Shoutout to Sally for being the best crossword collab partner ever!! Hope y'all enjoyed the puzzle.

Sally: This puzzle started with Olivia messaging me "WIGGLE ROOM" out of the blue. I love getting these kinds of messages from her. She had just used the phrase and thought it would make a fun theme answer. (Note: I think she was right.) My initial brainstorming thought was to notice that the abbreviation ER is found at the place where these two words meet. We decided "Meet me at the ER" was perhaps too much of a downer for a theme! Fortunately, continued brainstorming led to the theme you see today.

What I Learned from Today’s Puzzle

• HIT (1A: ___ points (health in a video game)) Yes, sometimes I even learn things from puzzles that feature my byline. When Olivia suggested this clue, my note in our clue spreadsheet was, "If you say so..." The term "HIT points" was first used in the tabletop role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons. The use of HIT points was eventually adopted by video games. The use of HIT points allows users to sustain multiple HITs before losing a life, rather than a one-HIT-and-you're-out approach.
• RHETT (63A: ___ and Link (YouTube duo)) RHETT James McLaughlin and Charles Lincoln "Link" Neal III are the comedy duo and self-titled "Internetainers" RHETT and Link. They have content on several YouTube channels including RHETT & Link's Wonderhole, Good Mythical Morning, and Mythical Kitchen.

Random Thoughts & Interesting Things

• HEAT (4A: "And I want you now, wanna need you forever in the ___ of your electric touch") "And I want you now, wanna need you forever in the HEAT of your electric touch," is a lyric from the Taylor Swift song, "Electric Touch." The song features the band Fall Out Boy, and was a track on Taylor Swift's 2023 re-recorded album, Speak Now (Taylor's Version). "Electric Touch" is a "From the Vault" track; Taylor Swift originally wrote the song for her 2010 album, Speak Now, but didn't include it on that album.
• OGRE (14A: Japanese oni, e.g.) In Japanese folklore, an oni is a kind of OGRE or troll, known for its evil nature. Typically they are portrayed as large figures with one or more horns growing out of their heads.
• OTOE (15A: Chiwere-speaking people) The OTOE are indigenous people of the Midwestern United States. Their language, Chiwere, is part of the Siouan family of languages. The Missouria and Iowa peoples also originally spoke Chiwere. The language is endangered, as the last two fluent speakers died in 1996, and a limited number of semi-fluent speakers of Chiwere remain.
• INHALERS (19A: Some asthma treatments) In yesterday's puzzle, we saw the answer ASTHMA clued as [Condition treated with an inhaler]. It's a fun coincidence that that clue and answer have essentially been flipped today.
• RBG (27A: "When there are nine" speaker, for short) Ruth Bader Ginsburg (1933-2020), known as RBG, was a member of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1993-2020. Throughout her life she was an advocate for gender equality and women's rights. When she was asked when there would be enough women on the Supreme Court, she replied, "When there are nine."
• HINDQUARTERS (35A: A cat's rear haunches, e.g.) My cat, Willow, has turned her back on the camera since the answer here is HINDQUARTERS. The fleece Willow is lying on features a calico cat pattern, and it makes me smile that this pattern acts as camouflage for Willow.

• ASPEN (41A: "Quaking" tree) The quaking ASPEN is named because its leaves appear to tremble in even the slightest breeze. A fun fact about ASPEN trees is they propagate through their roots, so when you see a grove of ASPEN trees, it is often one organism sharing a common root system.
• GODIVA (56A: Chocolate brand named for a Lady) Lady GODIVA was a noblewoman in the 11th century who is mainly remembered for a legend that has her riding naked through the streets of Coventry, covered only by her long hair. GODIVA Chocolatier was founded in 1926 in Brussels, Belgium. The company was named in honor of the legend of Lady GODIVA.
• DEE (65A: "A Raisin in the Sun" star Ruby) A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry tells about the experiences of a Black family in south Chicago. The play debuted on Broadway in 1959 with Sidney Poitier playing the role of Walter Lee Younger, and Ruby DEE playing the role of Ruth Younger. It was the first play written by a Black woman to be produced on Broadway.
• INGA (2D: "Young Frankenstein" fraulein) Young Frankenstein is a 1974 movie directed by Mel Brooks. Gene Wilder portrays Dr. Frederick Frankenstein (the grandson of Victor Frankenstein), and Teri Garr portrays INGA, Frederick's assistant.
• HORROR (4D: "Doctor Sleep" genre) Doctor Sleep is a 2013 HORROR novel by Stephen King. It was the sequel to his 1977 novel The Shining. Doctor Sleep won the 2013 Bram Stoker Award for Best Novel, an honor presented for "superior achievement" in HORROR writing. The book was adapted into a 2019 movie of the same name starring Ewan McGregor.
• ROBOTS (10D: Droids in "Star Wars," essentially) If you are a regular "Off the Grid" reader, you may recall that when Olivia and I collaborate, we do our best to get at least one cat reference (for me) and one Star Wars reference (for her) in the puzzle. If I remember correctly, we had a conversation about whether or not the Star Wars droids are actually considered ROBOTS. The qualifier "essentially" helped us out here.
• PINATA (13D: One might be smashed open at a party) I've made a few PIÑATAs over the years for my kids' birthday parties. Paper mâché layered over an inflated balloon makes a serviceable PIÑATA once the paper mâché has dried and the balloon has been popped and removed. When my son was turning six, he decided he wanted the theme for his birthday party to be "dinosaurs playing baseball." I admired his creativity, but that theme was a bit of a challenge to pull off! Here's a picture of the PIÑATA before it was smashed open.

• AGUA (24D: ___ fresca (fruit drink)) AGUA fresca is Spanish for "fresh waters." The term is used to refer to non-alcoholic beverages made from fruits or flowers, blended with water and sugar.
• BLUEY (28D: Animated Aussie dog with a sister named Bingo) BLUEY is an animated children's TV series that premiered in 2018. The title character, BLUEY, is an anthropomorphic Blue Heeler puppy. (Anthropomorphism refers to attributing human actions, emotions, and motives to an animal.) BLUEY's parents are Bandit and Chilli, and her younger sister is (as the clue informs us) Bingo. The show originated in Australia, and has been released widely on Disney+.
• INTROVERT (31D: Person who recharges with alone time) Olivia and I have had a couple of grids in which INTROVERT has popped up as possible fill, but ultimately it hasn't worked out to keep it. This INTROVERT is happy we finally managed to include it.
• DDR (32D: Arcade game in which arrows are stepped on (Abbr.)) Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) is a series of video games that encourage players to dance to music videos. Players of DDR stand on a "dance platform" and move their feet to step on colored arrows.
• EPA (37D: AQI org.) The air quality index (AQI) is an indicator used to communicate how polluted the air currently is, or is predicted to be. In the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) uses an AQI that ranges from Good (0-50, green) to Hazardous (301-500, maroon). A number of factors can affect the AQI from day to day. Some people, such as those with asthma, are more sensitive to pollutants in the air. The AQI is a way to judge when it's necessary for individuals in different groups to take precautions.

Crossword Puzzle Theme Synopsis

• WIGGLE ROOM (16A: Flexibility for negotiating)
• HINDQUARTERS (35A: A cat's rear haunches, e.g.)
• ECHO CHAMBER (60A: Place where you're unlikely to hear new opinions)

YOU'VE COME TO THE RIGHT PLACE: The word on the RIGHT side of each theme answer is a synonym of PLACE: ROOM, QUARTERS, and CHAMBER.

I hope that after solving our puzzle, you feel like YOU'VE COME TO THE RIGHT PLACE! Thanks, as always, to Olivia for the collaboration. Keep sending those random possible theme answers my way. Thanks to Amanda for great editing. Most importantly, thank you for solving and reading!

For more on USA TODAY’s Crossword Puzzles

• USA TODAY’s Daily Crossword Puzzles
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