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

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

Constructor: Marshal Herrmann

Editor: Anna Gundlach

What I Learned from Today’s Puzzle

• JUVENILE JUSTICE (37A: South Korean legal drama about minor offenders) JUVENILE JUSTICE premiered on Netflix in February 2022. The show focuses on Shim Eun-seok, (portrayed by Kim Hye-soo) a judge known for her prickly personality and dislike of juveniles. When she is appointed as judge of a juvenile court, she must balance her feelings with her beliefs on JUSTICE and punishment.
• ALT (48A: Sock puppet account, for short) On social media, an ALT (or alternative) account is exactly what it sounds like – an account created in addition to a user's main account. There are many reasons why a user might create an ALT, such as separating work and personal business. Some folks create an ALT for their pets. (My cat, Willow, does not have her own social media presence; please don't tell her this is an option.) A sock puppet account is one that is specifically designed for deceptive purposes. This is a term that is vaguely familiar to me, but I hadn't heard it for some time.

Random Thoughts & Interesting Things

• NOLA (17A: "The Big Easy," for short) and RENO (18A: "The Biggest Little City in the World") Fun to have a consecutive pair of clues referencing city nicknames. "The Big Easy" is one nickname for New Orleans, Louisiana, NOLA, for short. Other nicknames for New Orleans include "The Crescent City," and "The City of Yes." RENO, Nevada, with its nickname of "The Biggest Little City in the World," is located on the Nevada-California border, approximately 22 miles north of Lake Tahoe.
• JUMPIN', JUMPIN' (20A: Destiny's Child song that starts "Ladies, leave your man at home") The Destiny's Child song, "JUMPIN', JUMPIN'" was released in 2000. It was a track from the album Writing's on the Wall.
• JUNGLE JUICE (54A: Improvised alcoholic drink that might be served in a giant cooler) As the use of the word "improvised" in the clue indicates, there's no set recipe for JUNGLE JUICE. The term itself has been around for over 100 years; it was used to describe bootlegged alcoholic drinks in the early 1900s. Confusingly, JUNGLE JUICE is also a brand name used for fertilizer and insect repellant.
• GURU (59A: Sikh title) GURU Nanak, born in 1469, was the founder of Sikhism. He was succeeded by nine other GURUs. The tenth GURU affirmed the sacred scripture, Adi Granth, as his successor, ending the line of human GURUs. The central religious scripture of Sikhism, GURU Granth Sahib, is regarded as the final, sovereign, and eternal living GURU.
• GINA (60A: "Jane the Virgin" star Rodriguez) On the TV show Jane the Virgin (2014-2019), GINA Rodriguez portrays the 23-year-old title character, Jane Gloriana Villanueva, a religious Latina whose doctor artificially inseminates her by mistake. GINA Rodriguez won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress for this role.
• FIN (1D: The "sail" on a sailfish) Sailfish are notable for their large dorsal FIN, which spans almost the entire length of their body, and in some cases is taller than they are long. Sailfish are some of the fastest fish in the sea, and can attain speeds of nearly 70 miles per hour.
• SALUD (3D: Spanish toast) The Spanish word SALUD means "health," and is used as a toast.
• SLOUCH (8D: Hunch over) This answer is timely, as it reminded me of a review I recently read about a book published last month. The book is SLOUCH: Posture Panic in Modern America. In the book, historian and sociologist Beth Linker reexamines whether concerns about bad posture are warranted.
• PAGAN (21D: Like Wicca) Wicca is a religion that was introduced in the 1940s and 1950s. It is considered a modern PAGAN, earth-centered religion, influenced by various historical, pre-Christian beliefs. Wicca communities are known as covens.
• MMA (22D: Combat sport inits.) MMA stands for mixed martial arts.
• TAYE (27D: Actor Diggs) TAYE Diggs has performed in the Broadway musicals, Rent (originating the role of Benny, the landlord) and Hedwig and the Angry Inch (playing the title character, Hedwig). TAYE Diggs has also appeared in numerous movies and TV shows, including the TV series Private Practice (portraying Dr. Sam Bennett). 
• RURAL (32D: Like a place with more hogs than humans) This clue made me laugh! Since I live in the RURAL state of Iowa, I am familiar with the idea of hogs outnumbering humans. According to a recent Des Moines Register article, for every person living in Iowa, there are 7 pigs.
• TEA (34D: Oolong or pu'er) Oolong and pu'er TEAs are made from the same plant, but by different processes. Oolong is a semi-oxidized TEA. Pu'er is a type of fermented TEA traditionally produced in Yunnan Province, China.
• STARLIGHT (36D: Source of illumination for an astrophotographer) An astrophotographer, as one might guess from the name, is someone that takes photos of astronomical objects. If you're interested in trying your hand at taking photos by STARLIGHT, you might find this guide for beginners helpful.
• ADULTS (44D: Millennials, currently) Millennials, also known as Generation Y, are the demographic group of individuals between Generation X and Generation Z. Millennials are generally defined as those born between 1981 to 1996. That means the youngest millennials are turning 28 years old this year, and are definitely ADULTS.
• PENNE (53D: Pasta often served alla vodka) PENNE alla vodka is pasta (generally tubular PENNE) served in a sauce made with crushed tomatoes, onions, cream, and, of course, vodka.
• JUNO (55D: 2007 breakout role for Elliot Page) JUNO is a coming-of-age film that was released in 2007. It stars Elliot Page as the title character, who is pregnant. The baby's father is JUNO's longtime friend, Paulie, played by Michael Cera.
• GIN (58D: Spirit in a white linen cocktail) A white linen cocktail is made with GIN, elderflower liqueur, simple syrup, cucumber, lemon juice, and soda. The cocktail was invented by a bartender in Sacramento, California in 2008.

Crossword Puzzle Theme Synopsis

• JUMPIN' JUMPIN' (20A: Destiny's Child song that starts "Ladies, leave your man at home")
• JUVENILE JUSTICE (37A: South Korean legal drama about minor offenders)
• JUNGLE JUICE (54A: Improvised alcoholic drink that might be served in a giant cooler)

Each theme answer is a two-word phrase, with each word beginning with the letters JU. Today's JUJU: JUMPIN' JUMPIN', JUVENILE JUSTICE, and JUNGLE JUICE.

Today's puzzle definitely has some JUJU – three examples of it, in fact. With six JU combinations in this grid, it's impressive that it is filled cleanly, as those letters can sometimes be challenging to work with. In addition to the answers I've already highlighted, I also enjoyed TERIYAKI, GUINEA PIG, and JABBERED. Congratulations to Marshal Herrmann making a USA TODAY debut! Thank you, Marshal, for this entertaining puzzle.

For more on USA TODAY’s Crossword Puzzle

• USA TODAY’s Daily Crossword Puzzles
• Sudoku & Crossword Puzzle Answers

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