Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Rear Ends
Constructors: Neville Fogarty & Erik Agard
Editor: Amanda Rafkin
Erik: Thank you to Neville for inviting me to collab on this very smart, very fun idea, and to Amanda for her keen editing eye as always!
Neville: I thought of Erik immediately when I had this idea to include REKHA SHANKAR in a puzzle, and I'm grateful for his contributions throughout the construction process. I echo his thanks to Amanda for her willingness to green-light a puzzle whose title apparently refers to butts.
ERIN (17A: "The Office" receptionist who didn't understand planking) The mockumentary TV series, The Office, ran for nine seasons that originally aired from 2005 to 2013. Planking – lying facedown, often in an unusual location – is featured in the first episode of season 8. In the episode's opening, ERIN is seen planking on a parking divider. Later, ERIN (who has dirt from the divider down her middle) says, "Planking is one of those things where you either get it or you don't. And I don't ... but I am so excited to be a part of it!" Once again, my lack of TV watching meant I didn't know this answer right away. However, it was easy to figure out the answer with the help from crossing answers.
REKHA SHANKAR (49A: "DesiQuest" star who hosts "Smartypants") DesiQuest is "an epic, culturally authentic Dungeons & Dragons actual-play show with an all Desi cast" that includes REKHA SHANKAR as Laddoo Auntie, "a great home cook and a strict auntie." I had not heard of DesiQuest, but I am intrigued by the website. I also hadn't heard of the TV show, Smartypants, but I definitely got distracted watching clips of the show (and laughing!). As the clue informs us, REKHA SHANKAR hosts Smartypants, which is a production of the comedy subscription streaming service Dropout. On the show, comedians (members of the Smartypants Society) take turns giving PowerPoint presentations on a number of unusual subjects. The show, which premiered in 2024, has been renewed for a second season that is scheduled to air this year. I also enjoyed exploring REKHA SHANKAR's website, which has a page on puns and a page with a "voicemail from my mom."
GREEDY (4D: Jen Winston book subtitled "Notes From a Bisexual Who Wants Too Much") According to her Instagram bio, Jen Winston is a "bisexual author with perfect opinions." Her 2021 collection of essays is titled GREEDY: Notes from a Bisexual Who Wants Too Much. She also writes a Substack called "The Bi Monthly."
GREASE (25D: "Bear ___" (Indigenous adaptation of a 1978 musical)) Bear GREASE is, as the clue tells us, an indigenous adaptation of the 1978 musical GREASE. The show is about a theatre company attempting to take their indigenous rendition of GREASE to Broadway. Bear GREASE was written and created by LightningCloud, the collaborative duo of Crystle Lightning and Henry Cloud Andrade.
SPARE (15A: Memoir whose second part takes its title from the poem "Invictus") SPARE is the 2023 memoir by Prince Harry. The book's title refers to the adage, "an heir and a SPARE," that has been used to describe what is necessary to make sure royal inheritance stays in a family. The second part of the book is titled "Bloody, But Unbowed," which is from William Ernest Henley's 1875 poem, "Invictus."
HIJAB (18A: Headwear for Rep. Ilhan Omar) Ilhan OMAR is the U.S. representative for Minnesota's 5th congressional district. Ilhan OMAR was born in Somalia, and immigrated to the United States with her family when Somalia was in the midst of a civil war. Along with Rashida Tlaib, she is one of the first two Muslim women to serve in Congress. Ilhan OMAR was the first woman to wear a HIJAB on the House floor. I appreciate HIJAB being clued in reference to a HIJAB-wearer.
REFRIGERATOR CAR (35A: Cool part of a train) This clue had me going for a bit, trying to decide what the coolest part of a train is. The caboose is pretty cool, though they're not used too often nowadays. I chuckled when I finally figured out the answer.
CRAMP (40A: Charley horse, for one) This clue brought up a long-forgotten memory of a small plastic horse figurine I bought with my own money when I was a kid. I named that horse Charlie. Back to the actual clue... A charley horse is a painful CRAMP that typically occurs in the calf muscle. I read that although a charley horse is usually brief, they can last longer than that, even a couple of days. That makes me hurt just to think about it, as these CRAMPs are so painful.
WII (42A: Original "Just Dance" console) Just Dance is a series of motion-based video games in which players are scored based on how closely they follow dance choreography. The first Just Dance game, for the WII, was released in 2009 and featured songs by the Spice Girls, the Beach Boys, and MC Hammer, as well as a number of other artists.
ORCA (58A: Whale with large, white spots behind its eyes) The large, white oval-shaped spots located just above and behind their eyes are part of the characteristic markings of ORCAs.
SEAS (Black, North, etc.) The Black SEA is located between Europe and Asia, and is bounded by Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania, Russia, Turkey, and Ukraine. The North SEA is located in Europe, between Great Britain, Denmark, Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France.
TART (64A: Bakewell ___ (confection with frangipane)) Who else knows about the Bakewell TART from the Great British Bake Off (known as the Great British Baking Show in the U.S. due to trademark restrictions)? The English dessert consists of a shortcrust pastry with layers of jam and frangipane, and is usually topped with sliced almonds.
TDS (65A: Niners' 6-pointers) The Niners here are the NFL team the San Francisco 49ers, who score touchdowns (TDS) worth 6 points.
OSCAR (48D: "Sesame Street" grouch) It was just four days ago that we saw OSCAR the Grouch as a theme answer.
AREA (51D: The "A" in LAN) LAN here stands for "local area network," and refers to an interconnected network of computers.
REFINED SUGAR (19A: Type of sweetener found in processed foods)
REFRIGERATOR CAR (35A: Cool part of a train)
REKHA SHANKAR (49A: "DesiQuest" star who hosts "Smartypants")
REAR ENDS: The word REAR is split and found at the ENDS of the theme answers: REFINED SUGAR, REFRIGERATOR CAR, and REKHA SHANKAR.
This is a fun and straightforward theme. I appreciate that the word REAR is split in the same way in each theme answer. As you can probably tell from my comments above, I thoroughly enjoyed learning about REKHA SHANKAR and her comedy. I am always happy to see a collaboration of these two constructors. Thank you, Neville and Erik, for this excellent puzzle.
USA TODAY's Daily Crossword Puzzles
Sudoku & Crossword Puzzle Answers
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Crossword Blog & Answers for March 13, 2025 by Sally Hoelscher
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Eater
an hour ago
- Eater
The Best Bars and Bartenders in the World in 2025, According to Tales of the Cocktail
is an editor of Eater's South region, covering Atlanta, Nashville, Miami, New Orleans, and the Carolinas. She has been writing about the food scene in the Carolinas and Savannah for 12 years. Erin has resided in Charleston, South Carolina, for the past 20 years. Sip & Guzzle from New York accepts the award for Best U.S Cocktail Bar at the 19th Annual Spirited Awards on July 24, 2025 in New Orleans Erika Goldring/Tales of the Cocktail After nearly a week of parties, seminars, tastings, and panels, world-renowned spirits conference Tales of the Cocktail ended its 2025 gathering last night by crowning the best bars and bartenders in the world at the Filmore Theater in New Orleans. 'It's a real delight to celebrate the winners of the 2025 Spirited Awards,' said Charlotte Voisey, Executive Director of Tales of the Cocktail Foundation.'Each winner represents the spirit of evolution, pushing boundaries, embracing change, and moving this industry forward. Congratulations to everyone recognized — your work inspires all of us! Thank you also to the Spirited Awards Committee and the global community for making this such a remarkable year.' Below is this year's list of the best bars and bartenders in the U.S. and internationally, as voted on by a mix of veteran bartenders, bar owners, historians, and writers. For a full list of international Spirited Award winners, media winners, and a list of judges, see Tales of the Cocktail's website. U.S. Categories U.S. Bartender of the Year presented by Pernod Ricard: Christine Kim — Service Bar, Washington, D.C. Best U.S. Bar Mentor presented by Pernod Ricard: Colin Asare-Appiah Best U.S. Brand Ambassador: Natasha Sofia — Mijenta Tequila Best U.S. Bar Team presented by William Grant & Sons: Allegory at the Eaton Hotel — Washington, D.C. Best U.S. Cocktail Bar presented by Pernod Ricard: Trick Dog — San Francisco, CA Best U.S. Hotel Bar: Little Rituals at the Residence Inn/Courtyard by Marriott — Phoenix, AZ Best U.S. Restaurant Bar: Kumiko — Chicago, IL Best New U.S. Cocktail Bar: Sip & Guzzle — New York, NY International Categories International Bartender of the Year: Lorenzo Antinori — Bar Leone, Hong Kong, China Best International Bar Mentor: Iain McPherson Best International Brand Ambassador: Dré Masso — Altos Tequila and Nusa Caña Rum Best International Bar Team: Panda & Sons — Edinburgh, Scotland Best International Cocktail Bar: Bar Leone — Hong Kong, China Best International Hotel Bar: Side Hustle at The NoMad Hotel London — London, UK Best International Restaurant Bar: Moebius Milano — Milan, Italy Best New International Cocktail Bar: Devil's Cut — Madrid, Spain
CNBC
a day ago
- CNBC
Going to the office shouldn't feel like a chore, expert says—here's how to find more joy in your workday
Bree Groff has a unusual motto: "Most work, most days, should be fun." Groff, an author and senior advisor at SYPartners, a management consultancy, recognizes that "fun" is not the first word that most people would associate with their job. However, she's on a mission to challenge the idea that work has to be a monotonous grind, "There's been this shared philosophy that struggle is what makes greatness, or that nothing worth doing ever comes easily," she says. "I want to provide a bit of a counter narrative." As Groff writes in her recent book "Today Was Fun: A Book About Work (Seriously)," going to the office shouldn't feel like a chore. Instead, it should be a place where we find joy and camaraderie, she says. From a young age, Groff remembers seeing her parents, who both worked in education, laughing and joking with co-workers when she visited them at their jobs. "I grew up thinking that work was a place to have fun," she says. Her belief that work should be enjoyable strengthened when her late mother was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. Groff had an epiphany at the doctor's office: while every cancer patient was praying for more time, "everyone at the office is just hoping for Friday," she says. "We're just really not valuing our days properly," she says. "Our days at work are also our days on this planet." Today, Groff adheres to a simple philosophy: "If I want to enjoy my life and have fun in my life, and work is a big part of it, then ergo, work should also be fun," she says. Of course, you don't have to be a professional ice cream taster to enjoy work. In fact, having fun at your job has less to do with your actual work, and more to do with your co-workers, Groff says. Groff uses the classic sitcom "The Office" as an example: while working in paper sales at Dunder Mifflin was objectively boring, the employees always seemed to have a good time together. Forming authentic relationships is the key to a happy workplace, Groff says. On every team she manages, Groff encourages each of her employees to create a personal "user manual" to share with other co-workers. The user manual can contain information on everything from the most important people in their lives to their preferred communication style, she says. "Sometimes what feels so dreadful and inhuman about work is that we don't know the people that we work with," Groff says. "We can work with someone for years before realizing like, oh, you have a brother." Building meaningful relationships also requires vulnerability — which isn't always common at the office. To promote emotional honesty, Groff asks her team to rate their day on a scale of 1 to 5 at the beginning of each meeting. The practice makes everyone feel "a lot more grounded and seen." "Small acts of connection are good for reminding us that it's not all so heavy," she says. Of course, not every day will be a walk in the park — "that's just part and parcel of doing things with other humans," Groff says. However, "a little bit of connection can go a long way," she says.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Is Paramount+ Sneak-Dissing ‘South Park' By Putting It in the ‘Cringeworthy' Category?
After weeks of public conflict and embarrassment, Paramount+ may retain the streaming rights to South Park after all, but there's nothing in the contract that says they can't stay pissy in the main menu. According to industry insiders, Paramount Global is in advanced negotiations with South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone over a settlement that would avoid a lawsuit between the parties and secure an extension to the lucrative overall South Park contract. After Parker and Stone publicly accused Paramount and its prospective new owners at Skydance Media of meddling in their negotiations with other streaming giants following the breakdown of the initial extension talks, the South Park creators seemed poised to go to war with Paramount and its partners on more fronts than just social media and strongly worded letters. Then, over the weekend, Hollywood insider Matthew Belloni reported that Paramount was making major strides toward settling the dispute with Parker and Stone out of court while securing the future of South Park on its home platform. At the same time, however, Paramount+ listed the entirety of its South Park offerings in the 'Cringeworthy Comedies' category, as one fan of the show pointed out in the South Park subreddit. Maybe Paramount+ is taking subtle shots at South Park after pulling the show from international streaming markets amidst the acrimonious contract dispute — or maybe they really can't get through South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut without wincing. Musicals aren't for everyone. Seriously, South Park has had some pain-inducing moments over its 26 seasons and counting — Cartman's 'red rocket' method in the Season Five episode 'Proper Condom Use' jumps out as especially hard-to-watch — but South Park is hardly cringeworthy comedy in the way that the term typically describes shows like The Office and Curb Your Enthusiasm. A 'cringe comedy' is generally accepted to mean a series that uses social awkwardness and the accidental transgression of social norms as the foundation for the humor, not one that features shockingly graphic depictions of dog masturbation by a sociopathic child. Given the bad fit, the fact that every single South Park streaming special available on Paramount+ is headlining the cringeworthy comedy category is certainly suspicious. However, the simplest explanation is that the front-and-center placement is just the algorithmic consequence of subscriber streaming habits that no human being influenced on Paramount's end. Or, alternatively, Paramount is intentionally featuring South Park in an ill-fitting and possibly insulting category because it's trying to milk every view it can out of its South Park content, just in case negotiations fall through and they lose the rest of the South Park library forever. But while that would certainly be a pathetic explanation for the puzzling category classification, it would only be the second most cringeworthy milking scheme in South Park history. Get more Cracked directly to your inbox. Sign up for Cracked newsletters at Cracked News Letters Signup. Solve the daily Crossword
