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

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

Constructor: Lynn K. Watson

Editor: Jared Goudsmit

What I Learned from Today’s Puzzle

• EVE (58A: Actress Barbara ___ Harris) On the Netflix TV series, FUBAR, which premiered last year, Barbara EVE Harris plays the role of a regional CIA director named Dot. Previously she had recurring roles on CSI (2011-2012) as a sheriff, and on Prison Break (2006-2009) as an FBI agent. Barbara EVE Harris was born in Tobago, Trinidad and Tobago, and immigrated to Canada with her family when she was six years old.

• SITAR (13D: Mita Nag's instrument) The SITAR is a plucked string instrument used widely in Hindustani classical music. Invented in India in the 13th century, a SITAR has 18, 19, 20, or 21 strings, and is played by plucking the six or seven strings that run over raised frets. The remainder of the strings are under the frets, and are "sympathetic strings" that resonate with the played strings. Mita Nag is a celebrated SITAR player. She is the sixth generation of SITAR player in her family.

• ANA (33D: Singer Tijoux) ANA Tijoux is a French-Chilean singer and rapper. In 2015 she received a Pulsar Award (given in recognition of the best in Chilean music) for Best Artist of the Year.

• IVORY (51D: Off-white material that was once carved to make netsuke) A netsuke is a small, often intricately carved sculpture that was traditionally used as a button-like toggle to fasten a small container (known as an inro) to an obi, the sash of a kimono. Before IVORY from animals became illegal, IVORY was the most common material used to make netsuke.

• KOREA (56D: Region that celebrates Chuseok) Chuseok is a harvest festival celebrated in KOREA. It is celebrated during the eighth month of the lunar calendar. The dates of Chuseok in 2024 are September 16-18. Koreans celebrate Chuseok by visiting family and sharing meals together.

Random Thoughts & Interesting Things

• VISE (4A: Workbench clamp) This clue for VISE reminds me of a sticker I put in my husband's Christmas stocking a few years ago that read, "I own too many clamps said no woodworker ever." A few months later, as I was working at my desk, I received this photo in a text sent from my husband, who was in our basement.

• AMC (12A: "Better Call Saul" channel) The TV series Better Call Saul (2015-2022) is both a spin-off and prequel of the series Breaking Bad (2008-2013). Both shows originally aired on AMC.

• SOO (16A: "Shining Girls" actress Phillipa) Shining Girls is a TV series based on the 2013 book, The Shining Girls, by Lauren Beukes. The show is a thriller about a serial killer. Phillipa SOO portrays Dr. Jin-Sook Gwansun, a researcher who is on the killer's hit list.

• TRUST NOBODY (19A: 2016 electropop song featuring Selena Gomez) "TRUST NOBODY" is a song by Norwegian DJ and record producer Cashmere Cat. In addition to vocals by Selena Gomez, the song also features Canadian singer Tory Lanez.

• SIAMESE (24A: With 8-Down, feline such as Sagwa) and CAT (8D: See 24-Across) Sagwa, the Chinese SIAMESE CAT is an animated TV series based on the children's book of the same name by Amy Tan. On the show, Sagwa resides in a palace in China, and is part of a royal family of CATs who can write with their tails. The show combines stories of Sagwa's adventures with lessons about family obligations and loyalty. The show's theme song is in both Chinese and English. Willow is not a SIAMESE CAT, and to my knowledge she's never written with her tail, but she is a fan of CAT content in crosswords.

• ARIEL (26A: Disney princess who makes a deal with Ursula) and MANATEES (25D: Animals that were once mistaken for mermaids) ARIEL is the title character of Disney's The Little Mermaid, and Ursula is the sea-witch with whom she makes a deal to transform into a human. MANATEES, also known as sea cows, are herbivorous animals that live in marshy coastal areas and rivers in the Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, Amazon basin, and West Africa. It's thought that historical accounts of mermaids may have actually been sightings of MANATEES.

• AHA (30A: "Eureka!") I often describe those instances during solving a crossword when I realize a particular answer, or what the puzzle's theme is, as "AHA!" moments.

• ODES (34A: Poems like "Thirty Lines About the 'Fro") "Thirty Lines About the 'Fro" is an ODE by Allison Joseph. We see the words ODE and ODES relatively often in crosswords. I enjoy when the clues for these words introduce me to poems.

• ESTA (44A: "Como ___ usted?") "Como ESTA usted?" is Spanish for "How are you?"

• NECKS (54A: Flamingoes have long ones) Anyone else try to put "legs" here and realize it didn't fit? Just me? Flamingoes do have long NECKS, of course, in addition to having long legs. The name of these birds comes from the Portuguese and Spanish word for "flame-colored." Flamingoes frequently stand on one leg, and interestingly, scientists do not have a definitive explanation for why they do so. One theory is that this behavior helps with heat conservation while flamingoes are standing in cold water.

• HAMILL (68A: Olympic figure skater Dorothy) Dorothy HAMILL is a retired figure skater. She won a gold medal in figure skating representing Team USA at the 1976 Winter Olympics. Dorothy HAMILL is credited with developing the skating move known as the HAMILL camel, a camel spin that turns into a sit spin.

• LEA (69A: Actress Salonga) LEA Salonga has appeared in a number of Broadway stage productions, including Miss Saigon, for which she won a Tony Award, a Drama Desk Award, an Outer Critics Circle Award, and a Theatre World Award. She also supplied the singing voices for Disney princesses Jasmine and Mulan.

• EYRE (70A: Fictional Jane) Jane EYRE is the protagonist and title character of Charlotte Bronte's 1847 novel. Here's a quote from Jane EYRE: "I would always rather be happy than dignified."

• IPSO (5D: ___ facto) IPSO facto is a Latin phrase meaning, "by the fact itself." The term is used in philosophy, law, and science to mean that a specific phenomenon is a direct effect of an action.

• EUROS (7D: Money in Milan) Milan is the second-largest city in Italy. EUROS are the official currency of 20 of the 27 member states of the European Union, including Italy.

• BAKES (10D: Makes mooncakes) Mooncakes are rich pastries filled with a thick filling made from red bean paste or lotus seed paste. Mooncakes are a popular treat during the Mid-Autumn Festival, which is celebrated in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, and Vietnam, and by Chinese and Vietnamese communities around the world.

• ADA (31D: "Sanctuary" poet Limon) ADA Limón is the current U.S. Poet Laureate. Her poem, "Sanctuary," begins with the words, "Suppose it's easy to slip / into another's green skin..."

Crossword Puzzle Theme Synopsis

• TRUST NOBODY (19A: 2016 electropop song featuring Selena Gomez)

• DON'T SUGARCOAT IT (40A: "Be brutally honest!")

• RUNS THE SHOW (59A: Is in charge)

Each theme answer contains the letters in the word NUTS, but in a MIXED-up order: TRUST NOBODY, DON'T SUGARCOAT IT, RUNS THE SHOW.

Speaking of "AHA!" moments, I had one while solving this puzzle when I filled in the answer TRUST NOBODY, and realized that the -USTN- string connecting the two words is an anagram of the word NUTS. It's nice that the NUTS anagram is different in each theme answer. Congratulations to Lynn K. Watson making a USA TODAY crossword debut! Thank you, Lynn, for this excellent puzzle.

For more on USA TODAY’s Crossword Puzzles

• USA TODAY’s Daily Crossword Puzzles

• Sudoku & Crossword Puzzle Answers

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Crossword Blog & Answers for March 29, 2024 by Sally Hoelscher