Chainkeen Exchange-Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, As It Stands

There are Chainkeen Exchangespoilers ahead. You might want to solve today's puzzle before reading further! As It Stands

Constructor: CJ Tan

Editor: Jared Goudsmit

What I Learned from Today’s Puzzle

• TRAIN (22A: "Snowpiercer" vehicle) Snowpiercer is a 2013 movie directed by Bong Joon-ho (who also directed the 2019 movie Parasite). The movie – which is based on Le Transperceneige, a graphic novel by Jacques Lob, Benjamin Legrand, and Jean-Marc Rochette – is a post-apocalyptic action thriller that takes place on a TRAIN. The Snowpiercer TRAIN circumnavigates the globe, carrying the people that survived a failed climate engineering event aimed at stopping global warming. Snowpiercer was filmed at Barrandov Studios in Prague, Czech Republic. Twenty-six individual TRAIN cars were constructed and a gimbal (a pivoting device) was used to simulate the movement of the TRAIN.

Random Thoughts & Interesting Things

• NATASHA (18A: "Unwritten" singer Bedingfield) "Unwritten" is the title track of NATASHA Bedingfield's 2004 debut album. The song was used as a theme song for the MTV reality series, The Hills, and has been used in several movies including Anyone but You (2023). Two music videos of "Unwritten" were produced. The United Kingdom version features NATASHA Bedingfield on the cover of a book that is climbing a tall bookcase. The North American version features NATASHA Bedingfield on an elevator.
• PEG (19A: Mastermind game piece) In the game of Mastermind, one player decides on a pattern of four colored PEGs. The other player attempts to figure out the color and order of the PEGs. Smaller colored PEGs are used to indicate how many PEGs in the guess are of the correct color and whether they are in the correct place in the sequence. Mastermind is one of my favorite games; I thoroughly enjoy the logical challenge of it. I enjoy Wordle for the same reason, and I have described Wordle as "Mastermind using letters."
• DEMI (25A: Prefix for "god") In Greek and Roman mythology, a DEMIgod is a figure with one human parent and one divine parent.
• AMOR ("Buscando ___" (Selena Gomez song)) "Buscando AMOR," which is Spanish for "looking for love," is a 2021 song by Selena Gomez.
• DYE (30A: Tyrian purple or indigo) Tyrian purple, also known as royal purple or imperial purple, is a natural DYE secreted by several species of sea snails. Because of the substantial labor needed to extract it, the DYE was highly valued in ancient times. Indigo DYE is extracted from the leaves of certain plants. Indigo DYE is a distinctive color of blue. Today indigo DYE is produced synthetically, and is commonly used to DYE denim.
• TRIO (40A: The Powderpuff Girls, e.g.) The TRIO of Powderpuff Girls – Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup – are the title characters in an animated TV series.
• GAGA (44A: "Shallow" singer Lady ___) "Shallow," by Lady GAGA and Bradley Cooper, is a song from the 2018 movie A Star is Born. "Shallow" won an Academy Award for Best Original Song.
• PACKAGE (57A: 53-Down delivery) and UPS (53D: FedEx competitor) It's nice that these two clues are crossing; that made it easy to check the cross-referenced clue.
• NIAGARA (59A: ___ Falls) NIAGARA Falls is located on the U.S.-Canada border between New York and Ontario. NIAGARA is comprised of Horseshoe Falls, American Falls, and Bridal Veil Falls. Of the three, Horseshoe Falls, also known as the Canadian Falls, is the largest. The waterfalls are formed by the NIAGARA River, which flows from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario. Our family visited NIAGARA Falls in March 2013. It was extremely cold when we were there, and although the Falls weren't frozen, much of the surrounding landscape was snowy and icy.

• AREPA (1D: Corn cake similar to a gordita) An AREPA is a corn cake associated with Colombian and Venezuelan cuisine. AREPAs are often split and filled with meat and cheese. In Mexican cuisine, a gordita is a corn cake that may be stuffed with meat and cheese.
• SEXES (2D: "Battle of the ___" (tennis film)) The 2017 movie Battle of the SEXES is loosely based on the 1973 tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs. (Billie Jean King won the match.) In the movie, Emma Stone portrays Billie Jean King, and Steve Carell portrays Bobby Riggs.
• MATTER (9D: "You're made of atoms. You ___!" (science pun)) This clue made me happy; I am here for all of the science puns!
• CHI (15D: Greek letter before psi) CHI is the twenty-second letter of the twenty-four-letter Greek alphabet. It is followed by psi and omega.
• YEAR (31D: 225 days, on Venus) Venus is the second planet from the Sun, making it a neighbor of Earth, which is the third planet from the Sun. Since Venus is closer to the Sun than Earth, its orbit is shorter, resulting in a shorter YEAR (the period required for one revolution around the Sun).
• ESPY (32D: Best Breakthrough Athlete, e.g.) In 2024, the ESPY for Best Breakthrough Athlete was awarded to JuJu Watkins, who plays basketball for the University of Southern California.
• CANINE (45D: Premolar's neighbor) A CANINE and a premolar are teeth, of course. We sometimes see this wording – [___ neighbor] – with country clues, and when I first read this clue I thought, "I don't know where Premolar is." Turns out I do know where the premolar is ... in the mouth next to the CANINE.
• SAW (54D: "Scroll" or "coping" tool) Both a scroll SAW and a coping SAW can be used to make intricate curved cuts. A scroll SAW is electric or pedal-operated, while a coping SAW is handheld.
• ATL (60D: Storm Reid's home city, for short) Storm Reid was born in Atlanta (ATL), Georgia. When she was nine years old, she moved with her family to Los Angeles, California so she could pursue acting. She made her acting debut in the 2012 TV movie, A Cross to Bear, playing Young Erica. Her acting credits also include portraying Gia Bennett on the TV series Euphoria. Currently, Storm Reid is balancing her acting career with attending college; she's a senior at the University of Southern California.

Crossword Puzzle Theme Synopsis

• SPAGHETTI SAUCE (3D: Alfredo or marinara)
• I SAID WHAT I SAID (14D: "There's nothing for me to explain")
• THAT IS ALL (21D: "I'm done talking")

AS IT STANDS: Each vertical theme answer contains the words "AS IT" backwards, or STANDing up in a way: SPAGHETTI SAUCE, I SAID WHAT I SAID, and THAT IS ALL.

My guess from reading the title was that the theme would be found in vertical theme answers and involve the word IT. I was somewhat correct. It was a pleasant surprise to discover that the hidden element was two words. I also enjoyed the interplay between the theme answers "I SAID WHAT I SAID," and "THAT IS ALL." Congratulations to CJ Tan making a USA TODAY crossword debut! Thank you, CJ, for this delightful puzzle. THAT IS ALL.

For more on USA TODAY’s Crossword Puzzles

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