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

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

Constructor: Olivia Mitra Framke

Editor: Amanda Rafkin

Comments from Today’s Crossword Constructor

Olivia: I'm thrilled to be kicking off pride month with today's USA TODAY Crossword! As a bisexual woman currently dating a pansexual woman, this puzzle is extra relevant and special to me. <3 Shoutout to my nesting partner Ang for the awesome clue angle on OH HELL NO to call back to the HEEBIE JEEBIES clue. Such a fun crossing pair!! Regular readers of Sally's blog will know that I'm a major Star Wars enthusiast, so OBI-WAN KENOBI (and the other Star Wars refs) make me very happy. I am also very proud of the clue for UKE (an angle I have been trying to work into crosswords for a while now!), the inclusion of USB-C (a very common thing that is seen rarely in crosswords), and, of course, the self shout-out of OLIVIA! 

What I Learned from Today’s Puzzle

• UKE (2D: Seme's counterpart in much yaoi anime) I recently wrote about yaoi manga when we saw it used in a clue for the word GAY [Like characters in a yaoi manga]. Yaoi manga (graphic novels) and anime (animated shows) focus on intimate relationships between males. Characters are often paired according to the roles of seme and UKE.

Random Thoughts & Interesting Things

• MUTT (1A: Mixed-breed dog) and WAG (47A: What a dog's tail might do) We have a couple of clues for the dog lovers today! While we're currently a cat household, we have had a dog. She was a delightful Blue Heeler / terrier (and perhaps something else) mix. I have previously written about our MUTT, whose name was Ping Pong. Olivia has kindly shared a photo to go along with this entry. Olivia: Please enjoy this picture of my very own dachshund/jack russell/misc. MUTT Charlie, whose tail often makes a "thump thump" sound against the couch when it WAGs.

• IKEA (12A: Store where KALLAX shelves are sold) The KALLAX shelves from IKEA are modular bookcases (assembled by the buyer, of course). Like several of IKEA's products, KALLAX shelves are named after a town in Sweden. The town of Kallax (population just over 300) is located in the northern part of Sweden on the Gulf of Bothnia. I wonder how many residents of Kallax own KALLAX shelves?
• HEEBIE JEEBIES (19A: Feeling while exploring a creepy mansion) and OH HELL NO (8D: Valid response to "Let's check out that creepy mansion) HEEBIE JEEBIES is a great entry! Having it cross "OH, HELL NO!" and linking the answers is an excellent choice that made me laugh. I am not a fan of creepy, so these clues resonated with me.
• RED SEA (22A: Body of water that touches Egypt and Saudi Arabia) The RED SEA is an inlet of the Indian Ocean that lies between Africa and Asia. The countries that border the RED SEA are Egypt, Sudan, Eritrea, Djibouti, Yemen, and Saudi Arabia. 
• NUI (50A: Rapa ___ (Polynesian island, and the language spoken on it)) Rapa NUI, also known as Easter Island, is located in the Pacific Ocean, and is one of the most remote inhabited islands in the world. The traditional language spoken on the island is Rapa NUI, the language of the indigenous people of the same name. Spanish is also spoken on the island. Rapa NUI is most well-known for the 887 statues, called moai, found at various locations across the island and on its southeastern coast. The monolithic human figures - said to be the living faces of ancestors - were carved by the early Rapa NUI people between 1250 and 1600.
• BOWSER (54A: Fire-breathing Nintendo villain) and OVERALLS (37D: Wario cosplay need) In the Mario video game franchise, BOWSER is one of Mario's enemy's. BOWSER is a large, fire-breathing Koopa (creatures with a mix of characteristics from turtles, oxen, hippos, dinosaurs, and dragons). Throughout the games, BOWSER repeatedly attempts (sometimes successfully) to kidnap Princess Peach. BOWSER's ultimate goal is to take over the Mushroom Kingdom. The character of Wario was originally designed to be an enemy of Mario. Wario became the protagonist and anti-hero of his own series of games. Wario is a greedy character who is portrayed as a caricature of Mario. His typical outfit is purple OVERALLS with a yellow shirt and a yellow cap. Therefore, if one wanted to cosplay (dress up as) Wario, one would need purple OVERALLS.
• OBI-WAN KENOBI (56A: He showed Anakin Skywalker the ropes) and JEDI (5D: Person wielding a green, blue, or purple lightsaber) and EWAN (23A: McGregor who played 56-Across in the "Star Wars" prequel trilogy) Would it be an Olivia Mitra Framke puzzle if there weren't a Star Wars reference? She's managed to fit a trio of Star Wars references into this puzzle. In the prequel Star Wars trilogy, specifically Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, OBI-WAN KENOBI, portrayed by EWAN McGregor, trains Anakin Skywalker to be a JEDI. (Spoiler alert: Anakin Skywalker did not remain a JEDI...) As the clue for JEDI mentions, a person wielding a green, blue, or purple lightsaber is a JEDI. In the Star Wars canon, there are eight colors of lightsaber, helpfully explained in this article. The plasma blade of a lightsaber is powered by a Kyber crystal, giving the lightsabers their distinctive colors. Red lightsabers are associated with the Sith.
• NINJA (7D: Medieval assassin with a shuriken) In feudal Japan (1185-1868), a NINJA was a covert agent. A shuriken is a weapon also known as a throwing star. It is used as a concealed weapon.
• DUBAI (13D: United Arab Emirates city) DUBAI is the capital of the Emirate of DUBAI, one of seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates (UAE). DUBAI is the most populous city in the UAE.
• BISON (38D: Buffalo's kin) Although the terms BISON and buffalo are sometimes used interchangeably, the two are distinct animals, though they are related – they're both members of the Bovidae family. BISON are native to North America (American BISON) and Europe (European BISON). BISON are large and muscular, with a characteristic hump on their shoulders and long, shaggy fur. Buffalo live in South Asia (water buffalo) and Africa (Cape buffalo). Buffalo have no shoulder hump, but they do have long, curved horns.
• OLIVIA (46D: ___ Pope (Kerry Washington's "Scandal" role)) OLIVIA! It brings me joy when a constructor manages to put their own name in a puzzle. On the TV series Scandal (2012-2018), Kerry Washington portrays OLIVIA "Liv" Carolyn Pope, who runs a crisis-management firm. My knowledge of Scandal comes from listening to episodes as background noise while my daughter watched it on her laptop in the dining room. 
• OKAPI (53D: Giraffe's kin) 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.
• WITCH (55D: Glinda or Elphaba, e.g.) Glinda is a character that was introduced in L. Frank Baum's 1900 book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. She has appeared in multiple books and movies since then, and has been referred to as Glinda the Good and the Good WITCH of the South. In Gregory Maguire's 1995 novel, Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked WITCH of the West, and its musical adaptation, Glinda meets Elphaba, the titular Wicked WITCH of the West.
• A couple of other clues I especially enjoyed:
  • GLUE (40D: "I'm rubber, you're ___, whatever you say bounces off me and sticks to you")
  • NOUN (59D: It might be common or proper)

Crossword Puzzle Theme Synopsis

• HEEBIE JEEBIES (19A: Feeling while exploring a creepy mansion)
• NO JOB IS TOO BIG (36A: We'll never be overwhelmed by the size of your project")
• OBI-WAN KENOBI (56A: He showed Anakin Skywalker the ropes)

Each theme answer contains a COUPLE instances of the letter pattern BI: HEEBIE JEEBIES, NO JOB IS TOO BIG, and OBI-WAN KENOBI.

This would be an enjoyable theme for a puzzle any day, but it's especially fabulous on June 1. Happy Pride Month! In addition to the answers I've highlighted above, I also liked ACOUSTICS, UNWIND, and DEBATE. (Any other former high school DEBATE team members out there?) Thank you, Olivia, for this delightful puzzle.

For more on USA TODAY’s Crossword Puzzles

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

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