Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Green Peas

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

Constructor: Dennis Nullet

Editor: Anna Gundlach

What I Learned from Today’s Puzzle

• MODEL (66A: Person posing for a lookbook) Although the word "posing" quickly tipped me off to the answer, the term "lookbook" is new to me. (Apparently it's new to spellcheck as well, as it keeps changing the term to "cookbook.") A lookbook is pretty much what it sounds like. It's a book showcasing the works of a fashion designer or a fashion brand. Sometimes a lookbook is used to showcase the fashion of a particular person, such as a MODEL, a celebrity, or a politician.

Random Thoughts & Interesting Things

• TAMPA (9A: Florida city on a bay) TAMPA is located on the west side of Florida, with coastline on TAMPA Bay and Old TAMPA Bay.
• HERE (15A: "___ be dragons" ("Potential danger ahead")) In medieval times, map makers would put illustrations of dragons or sea monsters on uncharted areas to indicate potential dangers. The phrase "HERE be dragons" appears on a couple of old globes. I really enjoyed this clue.
• HOMES (19A: Great Lakes acronym) HOMES is a mnemonic used to remember the names of the Great Lakes: Huron, Ontario, Michigan, ERIE, and Superior. 
• PONDEROSA PINE (20A: Tall tree native to western North America) The PONDEROSA PINE is the most widely distributed species of PINE tree in North America. Although the PONDEROSA PINE – as the clue informs us – is native to western North America, the trees are now found in British Columbia and in 16 states, and have been introduced to regions of Europe and New Zealand. In researching the PONDEROSA PINE, I learned the fun fact that there is a National Champion Tree Program that seeks to locate and keep track of the tallest specimen of each species of tree in the United States. Maintenance of the registry has recently been transferred to the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture's School of Natural Resources, so the registry is not currently available online (but is expected to be available sometime this winter).
• TULSA (23A: City home to the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame) The Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame in TULSA, Oklahoma was established by the state's legislature in 1988. It is "dedicated to preserve, promote, and illuminate the true art forms of jazz, blues, and gospel music." The Hall of Fame is located in the Jazz Depot, and is currently closed for renovation.
• AUNT (37A: May, to Peter Parker) Peter Parker was an orphan living with his AUNT May and Uncle Ben when he was bitten by a radioactive spider, giving him the abilities that led to him becoming Spider-Man.
• PALMYRA PALM (38A: Tree that is a national symbol of Cambodia) The PALMYRA PALM is native to Africa, Asia, and Papua New Guinea. The trees have fan-shaped leaves, can reach a height of nearly 100 feet, and can live for over 100 years. As the clue notes, the PALMYRA PALM is important in Cambodia, where it has a number of uses. These include eating the fruit, using the leaves to make mats, baskets, and thatching, and using the wood for building.
• POBLANO PEPPER (57A: Chile relleno staple) Chile relleno is a dish in Mexican cuisine. It is most often made with POBLANO PEPPERs, which are stuffed with meat and cheese, covered with batter, and fried. I am a fan of POBLANO PEPPERS, which are generally mild. They have a Scoville scale rating of 1,000-2,500 Scoville heat units (SHU). For comparison, a Jalapeño is 2,500-10,000 SHU, while a Habanero is 100,000-350,000 SHU.
• NINE (65A: "Star Trek: Deep Space ___") Star Trek: Deep Space NINE originally aired from 1993-1999. The series centered on Deep Space NINE, a space station located adjacent to a wormhole. The leader of the Starfleet crew on the space station is Commander Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks). Star Trek: Deep Space NINE was the fourth series in the Star Trek franchise. The Star Trek franchise currently consists of 12 series, the most recent of which is Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2022-present).
• ADOPTS (1D: Brings home a new pet) My cat, Willow, is a fan of this clue and answer, as am I.

• CEDAR (8D: Wood used to make moth-repellant chests) The moth-repelling tendencies of CEDAR are due to the oils in its wood. Once CEDAR dries out (if it no longer has a distinctive CEDAR scent), it's no longer effective as a moth repellent. When I was growing up, we had a CEDAR chest that we used for storing blankets. I remember opening the chest and enjoying the scent. Not only good for repelling moths, CEDAR also smells pleasant. At least, I like the scent. The article I linked to above describes it as a "dirty-woody, resinous, urinous aroma," which doesn't sound that pleasant.
• TAHITI (9D: French Polynesian island) TAHITI is an island in the central Pacific Ocean that was formed from volcanic activity. It is the largest and most populous island in French Polynesia. Papeete, the capital of French Polynesia, is located on TAHITI. 
• TNT (27D: "The Closer" network) The Closer aired on TNT from 2005-2012. Kyra Sedgwick starred as the title character, a Los Angeles Police Department chief with a reputation for closing cases. Following the season 7 finale of The Closer, a spin-off, Major Crimes, premiered on TNT.
• DIRT (32D: Hot goss) "Goss" here refers to gossip, or DIRT. (I'm sure you knew that, but it took me a moment to make sense of this clue, so thought I'd mention it.)
• IBM (41D: Century-old IT company) The company now known as IBM was originally founded in 1911 as Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company (CTR). It was renamed in 1924 to International Business Machines (IBM). In its early days, IBM was the leading manufacturer of punch-card tabulating systems. I remember punch cards! It's amazing to think about how much the field of IT has changed during the 100 years IBM has been in business.
• DAE (42D: Actor Daniel ___ Kim) Last week we saw a reference to Daniel DAE Kim's work on the TV series Hawaii Five-0, on which he portrays Detective Lieutenant Chin Ho Kelly. Daniel DAE Kim also portrays Fire Lord Ozai on the Netflix series Avatar: The Last Airbender.
• STREET (50A: Sesame or Downing) This is a fun pairing. Sesame STREET is a fictional STREET that lends its name to the children's TV series. Downing STREET is located in London, and is the location of the official residences and offices of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
• UPENN (56D: Home of the Ivy League's Quakers) The University of Pennsylvania (UPENN) is an Ivy League school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Quakers are the athletic teams at UPENN, though the teams are also known as "the red and blue," which are the school's colors.
• ANT (61D: Insect known for being strong) Just how strong is an ANT? An ANT can carry up to 50 times its own weight. If I were as strong as an ANT, I could carry something that weighed five tons, such as an ambulance. (I am definitely not as strong as an ANT.)

Crossword Puzzle Theme Synopsis

• PONDEROSA PINE (20A: Tall tree native to western North America)
• PALMYRA PALM (38A: Tree that is a national symbol of Cambodia)
• POBLANO PEPPER (57A: Chile relleno staple)

GREEN PEAS: Each theme answer is a two-word name of a GREEN thing in which both words start with the letter P. (Two Ps = PEAS!)

This is a delightful theme. When I read the title, I correctly guessed that the word PEAS referred to the letter P. However, I wasn't sure how the GREEN figured in until I uncovered PONDEROSA PINE and thought, "Well, a PINE tree is GREEN ... all GREEN things with initial Ps?" It was gratifying to have this confirmed by PALMYRA PALM and POBLANO PEPPER. Thank you, Dennis, for this enjoyable puzzle.

For more on USA TODAY’s Crossword Puzzles

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