Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY’s daily crossword, There Are No Bad Questions

There are spoilers ahead. You might want to solve today’s puzzle before reading further! There Are No Bad Questions (Freestyle)

Contents

What I Learned from Today’s Puzzle Random Thoughts & Interesting Things Crossword Puzzle Theme Synopsis For more on USA TODAY’s Crossword Puzzles

Constructor: Zachary Edward-Brown

Editor: Amie Walker

What I Learned from Today’s Puzzle

EAT (19A: Nosh on some casu martzu) Casu martzu is a traditional Sardinian cheese. It is made from sheep’s milk and contains larvae of the cheese fly. The larvae, which are deliberately introduced into the cheese, promote fermentation and result in a very soft texture. Due to the fact that after being eaten the larvae may survive in the intestine, Italian authorities have banned the sale of casu martzu. I don’t think I will EAT any casu martzu, as Guinness World Records has deemed it “the world’s most dangerous cheese.”
EDIE (39A: Uzo Aduba’s “Painkiller” role) Painkiller (2023) is a TV miniseries based on Patrick Radden Keefe’s New Yorker article, “The Family That Built an Empire of Pain.” The show focuses on Purdue Pharma, the company owned by the Sackler family. Uzo Aduba portrays EDIE Flowers, the lead investigator in the case against Purdue Pharma.

Random Thoughts & Interesting Things

PRUNE (20A: Dried plum) A PRUNE is a dried plum, although not all plum species can be dried into PRUNEs. PRUNE used to be the commonly used name for this dried fruit, but in 2001, plum growers received permission from the Food and Drug Administration to call PRUNEs “dried plums.” The reason for the change was a marketing one, as PRUNEs are perceived as having a laxative effect due to their dietary fiber content.
MARS (22A: “Marry You” singer Bruno) “Marry You” is a 2011 single by Bruno MARS. The song is from his debut studio album, Doo-Wops & Hooligans. Despite not being released as a single in the United States, the song reached number 85 on Billboard‘s Hot 100 chart. Fun fact: The cast of Glee did a cover of “Marry You” – their version charted at number 32 on the Hot 100.
MASTODON (27A: Ice Age mammal) MASTADONs, which are distantly related to elephants and mammoths, were endemic to North America and lived from about 3.7 million to 11,000 years ago.
ROMANTASY (33A: Portmanteau genre for a love story set in a magical realm, say) The term ROMANTASY is a portmanteau of “romantic fantasy.” Although the genre of romantic fantasy has been around for some time, the term ROMANTASY just became popular in the last few years.
MAGNETS (46A: Fridge decorations) Our fridge is decorated with quite a number of MAGNETS. I’ve shared some of theme previously, but I don’t think I’ve shared this section yet.

EYE (65A: “Queer ___” (Netflix reboot)) The Netflix version of Queer EYE, which premiered in 2018, is a reboot of a Bravo version of the show that aired from 2003 to 2007. For each episode of the show, five advisors spend a week with someone and offer advice about their life. The Fab Five offering advice on the Queer EYE reboot are Antoni Porowski (“Food and Wine”), Bobby Berk (“Design”), Jonathan Van Ness (“grooming”), Karamo Brown (“Culture and Lifestyle”), and Tan France (“Fashion”). Netflix has announced that the next season of Queer EYE, which will be the 10th, will be the last.
PSY (1D: “Gangnam Style” artist) Do you remember “Gangnam Style” by the South Korean artist, PSY? It was in 2012 (13 years ago!) that the music video for “Gangnam Style” went viral and became the first YouTube video to exceed one billion views. It has now been viewed over five billion times.
WAX (6D: “___ on, ___ off”) “WAX on, WAX off” is a classic line said by Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita) in the 1984 movie The Karate Kid.
NERD (18D: Young Sheldon, for one) Young Sheldon is Sheldon Cooper (portrayed by Iain Armitage), the title character of the TV series Young Sheldon (2017-2024). The series is a spin-off prequel to The Big Bang Theory (2007-2019). It follows Sheldon, a NERD and child prodigy, as he grows up.
MITTENS (22D: Stereotypical cat name) and MEOW (27D: “Cat treat. Now.”) My cat is named Willow (as I’m sure you know by now!). However, she does have white paws, as you can see from this picture, so MITTENS would be an appropriate name. She also MEOWs a lot!

OPE (41D: Midwesterner’s “My b!”) I’m always happy to see Midwestern representation in the puzzle. If you are in the Midwest, or would like an excuse to travel to the Midwest, I encourage you to consider attending the Midwest Crossword Tournament that will be held in Chicago, Illinois on October 4.
RIO (61D: 2016 Olympics host, for short) The 2016 Summer Olympics were held in RIO de Janeiro, Brazil. The motto for the RIO Olympics was “Um mundo novo,” Portuguese for “A New World.” The 2016 Olympics were the first to be held in South America, and the first to be held in a Portuguese-speaking country.
A few other clues I especially enjoyed:
- STOMP (14A: Walk like a pouting kid, say)
- FIN (26D: Ominous sighting in a shark movie)
- SILLY GOOSE (29D: “You goofball!”)

Crossword Puzzle Theme Synopsis

THERE ARE NO BAD QUESTIONS (Freestyle): There’s no theme today, as this is a freestyle, or themeless, puzzle. The title is a nod to I’M JUST ASKING (4D: “Sure hope my question doesn’t offend you”).

Is it true that THERE ARE NO BAD QUESTIONS? Or is it simply true that even BAD QUESTIONS have answers? I’M JUST ASKING… Anyway, we’re not here to debate that QUESTION, as worthwhile as it may (or may not) be! There’s a lot of interesting fill in today’s puzzle. In addition to the answers I’ve highlighted above, I also liked A DEAL’S A DEAL (11D: “Stick to our agreement!”). Thank you Zachary, for this unquestionably enjoyable puzzle.