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Off the Grid: Sally breaks down Paste BN's daily crossword puzzle, Head Start

Sally Hoelscher   Paste BN

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

Constructor: Chloe Revery

Editor: Amanda Rafkin

Random Thoughts & Interesting Things

  • USPS (1A: Grp. whose peak season is between Black Friday and New Year's) My first thought when I read this was that the answer would be some store, but then I noticed the clue references a group. It makes sense that the period from late November through December would be the busiest time for the United States Postal Service (USPS). The abbreviation of the word group in the clue alerts solvers that the answer will be an abbreviation.
  • OREO (15A: Cookie with a "Mega Stuf" variety) Our crossword friend, OREO, is making its second appearance of 2025. We also saw OREO on January 1.
  • ETTA (19A: "At Last" singer James) Speaking of our crossword friends, this is the first time this year we've seen ETTA in the puzzle. ETTA James recorded "At Last" in 1960. It is the title track of her debut album.
  • LENGTH (24A: 78 feet, for a tennis court) This is a fun way to clue the word LENGTH. In case you're wondering, the width of a tennis court is 27 feet for singles matches and 36 feet for doubles matches.
  • GIRL (28A: "Kiss the ___" ("The Little Mermaid" song)) In the 1989 animated movie, The Little Mermaid, the song "Kiss the Girl" is sung by Samuel E. Wright who voiced the crab Sebastian. (Fun fact: Sebastian's full name is Horatio Thelonious Ignacious Crustaceous Sebastian.) "Kiss the Girl" was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song, but lost to another song from The Little Mermaid, "Under the Sea" (which was also sung by Samuel E. Wright).
  • DOME OF THE ROCK (36A: Oldest surviving work of Islamic architecture) DOME OF THE ROCK is an Islamic Shrine located in the Old City of Jerusalem. DOME OF THE ROCK is part of the Al-Aqsa mosque compound, and is on the Temple Mount, a hill that is a holy site for Muslims, Jews, and Christians for thousands of years. The initial construction of the DOME OF THE ROCK was begun in 691-692 CE. As the clue informs us, DOME OF THE ROCK is the oldest surviving work of Islamic architecture; it is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
  • RUPEE (40A: Currency featuring Gandhi) The official currency of India is the Indian RUPEE. Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948), who led India to independence, is featured on the RUPEE.
  • HAN (46A: Solo who loved Leia) Here's a reference for the Star Wars fans. Although Princess Leia once referred to HAN Solo as a "stuck-up, half-witted, scruffy-looking nerf herder (in Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back), they did end up getting married.
  • SERENA (49A: Williams who wrote "On the Line") On the Line is the 2009 autobiography of tennis great SERENA Williams.
  • NOODLE KUGEL (53A: Casserole often eaten during Passover) NOODLE KUGEL is a baked casserole often served on Jewish holidays, such as Passover.
  • PLAN (61A: "A man, a ___, a canal: Panama" (famous palindrome)) As a word nerd, this clue makes me quite happy. A palindrome is a word or phrase that reads the same forward and backwards. Fun fact: "Saippuakivikauppias," which is a Finnish word meaning "soapstone dealer," is the longest single-word palindrome in everyday use. Although the word palindrome was introduced in the 1600s, the concept of a palindrome can be traced at least as far back as the first century.
  • SETS (64A: Where to find clappers, gaffers, and grips) If you are the type of person who likes to sit through movie credits (as I do), you may recognize these words from that context. In the realm of SETS, clappers are the people that operate the clapperboards to indicate the beginning and end of filming. Gaffers are electricians and lighting technicians. Grips are camera support technicians (the ones tending to the equipment that supports the cameras).
  • STREET (2D: Rodeo Drive, for one) Rodeo Drive is a STREET in Beverly Hills, California. The two-mile long STREET has a reputation as one of the most expensive STREETs in the world. This seems like a good opportunity to send some vibes out to the people in southern California who are currently dealing with severe wildfires. My heart goes out to those who have had to evacuate and have lost their homes and businesses. Adding gratitude for the firefighters working to control these fires.
  • PAGANS (3D: Source of some Halloween and Christmas traditions) It's true, many Halloween and Christmas traditions have their roots in paganism. Many traditions have evolved over time, integrating practices from various cultures. Words also evolve over time. In the early days of Christianity, the word PAGAN was used to refer to followers of a polytheistic religion rather than to someone with little or no religion or a follower of one of the contemporary PAGAN practices such as Wicca.
  • TOFU 5D: Mapo --- (Sichuan dish)) Mapo TOFU is a spicy dish made of TOFU (of course!), douban (fermented broad bean and chili paste), and douchi (fermented black beans).
  • IVF (29D: Procedure that aids with conception) IVF stands for in vitro fertilization. It involves fertilizing an ovum with sperm in a lab, and then transferring the embryo into a uterus. This assisted reproductive technology may be used for infertility treatment and gestational surrogacy. 
  • CHAKRA (41D: Point of spiritual energy in the body) A CHAKRA is a focal point used in meditation practices and some spiritual traditions. The concept of the CHAKRA arose in Hinduism, but has been adapted for use in other practices (reminiscent of the conversation about holiday practices).
  • GOOGLE (42D: Bing competitor) GOOGLE and Bing are search engines. Bing is operated by Microsoft. GOOGLE's parent company is Alphabet Inc.
  • TALENT (45D: "The big ___ is persistence" (Octavia E. Butler quote)) Octavia E. Butler (1947-2006) was a science-fiction and fantasy writer. Her writing includes the Patternist series, the Xenogenesis series, and the Parable series. "The big TALENT is persistence," is good advice. Along the same lines, Octavia E. Butler also said, "It's amazing what we can do if we simply refuse to give up."

Crossword Puzzle Theme Synopsis

  • BEAN COUNTER (20A: Tight-fisted accountant)
  • DOME OF THE ROCK (36A: Oldest surviving work of Islamic architecture)
  • NOODLE KUGEL (53A: Casserole often eaten during Passover)

HEAD START: The START of each theme answer is a synonym for HEAD: BEAN, DOME, and NOODLE.

I do enjoy a synonym theme. Or should I say I appreciate – or like or adore or admire or dig – a synonym theme. Well, you get the idea. Interestingly, we have seen a puzzle titled HEAD START before, on February 16, 2021. Although the title of that puzzle was the same as today's, the theme was different. It's fun to see the different ways a phrase can be interpreted as a theme. Congratulations to Chloe Revery making a USA Today crossword debut! Thank you, Chloe, for this excellent puzzle.

For more on Paste BN’s Crossword Puzzles

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