Off the Grid: Sally breaks down Paste BN's daily crossword puzzle, Starting Squad
There are spoilers ahead. You might want to solve today's puzzle before reading further! Starting Squad
Constructor: Sala Wanetick
Editor: Amie Walker
What I Learned from Today’s Puzzle
- PLAY (22A: Branden Jacobs-Jenkins' "Purpose," for one) Branden Jacobs-Jenkins' PLAY Purpose premiered in 2024 at the Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago, Illinois, before moving to Broadway. The PLAY tells the story of the Black, politically prominent family based in Chicago, the Jasper family. Although the Jasper family is fictional, the story is inspired by Chicago's Jackson family. Purpose won this year's Tony Award for Best Play, as well as the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
- NOCHE (32A: "Give Me Just One Night (Una ___)") "Give Me Just One Night (Una NOCHE)" is a 2000 song by 98 Degrees. Although I didn't remember this song, I did remember that "NOCHE" is the Spanish word for "night."
Random Thoughts & Interesting Things
- WORD (10A: Scrabble creation) As a WORD nerd and a Scrabble lover, I thoroughly enjoyed this clue.
- LAGOON (14A: Iceland's Blue ___) The Blue LAGOON is a spa located in southwestern Iceland. The popular tourist attraction is located in a lava field. The LAGOON's water is a milky blue color, which is due to its high silica content. The LAGOON is man-made; its water is a byproduct of a nearby geothermal power plant.
- MATE FOR LIFE (19A: Pair up permanently, like beavers) Beavers are monogamous. They generally MATE FOR LIFE and live in colonies with their offspring, who stay with their parents until they are about two years old.
- SKIN (25A: Human body's largest organ) With its multiple layers covering the entire body, the SKIN is the largest organ in humans. Hooray for science in the crossword!
- ANITA (35A: Law professor and author Hill) ANITA Hill is a lawyer and a professor of social policy, law, and women's studies at Brandeis University. In 1991, she accused U.S. Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas of sexual harassment. In her 1998 book, Speaking Truth to Power, Hill discusses details of events before, during, and after the confirmation hearings. ANITA Hill has authored two additional books: Reimagining Equality: Stories of Gender, Race, and Finding Home (2011) and Believing: Our Thirty-Year Journey to End Gender Violence (2021).
- ALI (59A: Comedian Wong) ALI Wong currently has four Netflix comedy specials: ALI Wong: Baby Cobra (2016), ALI Wong: Hard Knock Wife (2018), ALI Wong: Don Wong (2022), and ALI Wong: Single Lady (2024).
- BUDDY THE ELF (60A: Christmas movie character who says "Santa, here? I know him!") BUDDY THE ELF, portrayed by Will Ferrell, is the titular character in the 2003 Christmas movie ELF. BUDDY THE ELF is a human who grew up as an ELF working in SANTA's workshop at the North Pole.
- TASMANIA (62A: Australia's island state) Australia's island state of TASMANIA is located 150 miles south of the Australian mainland. In addition to the main island, TASMANIA, the state of TASMANIA includes 1,000 smaller islands. The state capital of TASMANIA is Hobart.
- CANAL (2D: Venetian waterway) Located in northeastern Italy, Venice is built on more than 100 small islands connected by the city's famous CANALs. Over 400 bridges span the Venetian CANALs and connect the islands.
- WWE (10D: "Monday Night Raw" org.) WWE is the World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., a company specializing in professional wrestling – scripted wrestling performances between characters. Monday Night Raw debuted in 1993, and is one of WWE's flagship shows.
- OKAPI (11D: Giraffe relative) Although the striped legs of an OKAPI resemble a zebra, it is actually a member of the giraffe family. OKAPIs are only found in the wild in one country, the Democratic Republic of Congo.
- HOW (33D: Lady Gaga's "___ Bad Do U Want Me") "HOW Bad Do U Want Me" is a song from Lady Gaga's most recent studio album, Mayhem, which was released in March of this year.
- PLANT SIT (41D: Care for a neighbor's pothos, e.g.) Pothos is a popular houseplant that goes by a number of names including devil's ivy, or hunter's rove. I have a number of houseplants, but at the moment, no pothos. Unlike pets, PLANTs are pretty good at taking care of themselves. But for extended vacations, it's a good idea to ask a friend to PLANT SIT.
- IDAHO (54D: State that contains about one percent of Yellowstone National Park) Yellowstone National Park is located in the northwest corner of Wyoming, and part of the park extends into IDAHO and Montana. Yellowstone was the first National Park in the U.S., established in 1872. I visited Yellowstone National Park for the first time when I was 13 years old, and I credit it with sparking my love of exploring National Parks. I was fascinated by the diverse landscape and geological features of the park – the geysers, hot springs, and mud pots – that were unlike anything I had seen before.
- AFTER (58D: "___ the Final Rose" (special episode immediately following "The Bachelor" finale)) The reality dating show The Bachelor is filmed over a period of about six weeks. Those weeks of filming result in nine to thirteen episodes (though season one only had seven episodes). After the last episode is aired, which is usually a few months after filming, it is followed immediately by a live show, AFTER the Final Rose. The bachelor, the finalist, and the runner-up are interviewed in a talk show format. The show often ends with the announcement of the bachelor or bachelorette for the show's next season. There have been 29 seasons of The Bachelor since it premiered in 2002. Eighteen of the seasons have ended with a proposal. Three of those couples are still together (two are married, the couple from season 28 is engaged).
- A few other clues I especially enjoyed:
- POOF (5D: Disappearance sound)
- HAULS (7D: Shopping spree goods shared by influencers, informally)
- RETRO (12D: Like flip phones, now)
Crossword Puzzle Theme Synopsis
- MATE FOR LIFE (19A: Pair up permanently, like beavers)
- COMPANION PIECES (39A: Complementary works in literature and music)
- BUDDY THE ELF (60A: Christmas movie character who says "Santa, here? I know him!")
STARTING SQUAD: The STARTING word of each theme answer is a synonym of friend: MATE, COMPANION, and BUDDY.
In sports, the phrase STARTING SQUAD refers to the group of players who start the game. The word SQUAD is also used informally to refer to a group of close friends. I like the way this puzzle interprets the phrase STARTING SQUAD literally using the "friend group" meaning of SQUAD. Thank you, Sala, for this delightful puzzle.