Sally Takes On the Daily Crossword Challenge: Cracking USA TODAY’s Puzzle, One Clue at a Time

Spoilers are coming up. Proceed with caution if you haven’t solved it yet.
today’s puzzle
before reading further!
Marble Madness

Constructor:

CJ Tan

Editor:

Anna Gundlach

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What I Gained From Today’s Challenge

ANDI (63A: “Halloween” actress Matichak) There are currently thirteen movies in the
Halloween
Franchise. ANDI Matichak plays Allyson Nelson in the latest three films:.
Halloween
(2018),
Halloween Kills
(2021), and
Halloween Ends
(2022).
LAURA (39 years old; Emmy-winning voice actor Bailey)
LAURA Bailey
She has provided voices for characters in anime, video games, and movies. She was honored with a BAFTA Award for Outstanding Performance in a Lead Role for voicing Abby Anderson in the video game.
The Last of Us Part II
(2020). Besides her work as a voice actor, Laura Bailey has also starred in several live-action projects. Did you know?
The Last of Us
, a television series inspired by the video game franchise, LAURA Bailey appeared briefly as a Firefly nurse, reprising her voice acting role from the video game.

Thoughts at Random & Fascinating Matters

CHER (5A: Star of “Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again”)
Here We Go Again Mamma Mia!
(2018) is a jukebox musical film that serves as both a sequel and a prequel (via flashback sequences) to
Mamma Mia!
(2008). Cher plays the role of Ruby Sheridan, who is the mother of Donna Sheridan-Carmichael (played by Meryl Streep) and the grandmother of Sophie (portrayed by Amanda Seyfried). By the way, here’s an interesting fact: This isn’t the first time we’ve seen Cher in such a complex family portrayal within this mystery storyline.
April 22, 2025
— Her name was positioned similarly within the grid layout. In that puzzle, CHER appeared in the upper central area, though on the third line rather than at the very top. Keep in mind; this observation holds zero significance! I just tend to pick up on such details.
OTTO (14A: Hidden in “Hot to Go!”)
“Hot to Go!”
It’s a track from Chappell ROAN’s 2023 album.
The Ascendancy and Decline of a Midwestern Queen
It’s an entertaining discovery to come across that “H

ot to

“Go!” includes the name OTTO.
MASCOT (25A: The Pillsbury Doughboy, for instance)
Pillsbury Doughboy
, known officially as Poppin’ Fresh, has served as the mascot for Pillsbury since 1965. It was only recently that I discovered the Pillsbury Doughboy and I share the same birth year!
MR. TOAD (29A: An amphibian associated with a “Wild” attraction at Disneyland) Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride stands as one of the inaugural experiences at Disneyland Park located in Anaheim, California. Since the park first welcomed visitors in July 1955, this ride has entertained guests, although it underwent renovations in 1983. The attraction draws inspiration from the 1949 Disney film.
The Tales of Ichabod and Mr. Toad
, which is an adaptation of Kenneth Grahame’s novel from 1908
The Wind in the Willows
. On the ride, guests assume the role of MR. TOAD recklessly driving a period motorcar.
In Greek mythology, (31A: deity of Mount Olympus), Zeus stood as one of three siblings—Hades and Poseidon. They shared parents named Cronus and Rhea. After triumphing over the Titans, these brothers seized control of the universe. Hades presided over the underworld, Poseidon governed the oceans, and Zeus held dominion over the skies, earning him the title of chief among the deities.
TIGER BALM (37A: Brand of ointment featuring a cat-like emblem) This particular brand of ointment includes ingredients such as camphor, menthol, mint oil, cajuput oil, and clove oil. Manufactured by the Haw Par Corporation from Singapore, this product comes in a hexagonal package adorned with an image of a tiger on its label.
A LA (46A: Arroz LÁ velanciana) Arroz A LA valenciana, also known as Valencian rice, refers to several rice dishes originating from the Valencian Community, an autonomous region situated in eastern Spain. Autonomous communities are territorial divisions within Spain. Numerous versions of Arroz A LA valenciana exist; often, the rice gets its coloration from various spices including saffron, annatto, or turmeric.
GEYSER (51A: Natural jet of boiling water and vapor) A GEYSER refers to an eruption of scalding water mixed with steam from beneath the Earth’s surface. These phenomena typically develop close to regions where volcanoes remain active. Deep underground waters come into contact with rock layers warmed by adjacent molten material. Under precise circumstances, this pressurized liquid bursts upward violently through fissures aboveground. The formation of GEYSERs requires particular geological environments conducive to their creation. Within the United States, Yellowstone National Park located in Wyoming hosts numerous GEYSERs along with various thermal attractions.
(53A: Dating app whose name is a pronoun) HER is a dating platform designed for LGBTQ+ women and gender-nonconforming individuals.
A little more than seven days prior
We saw her referred to as [Dating app launched by Robyn Exton].
DEE (54A: Director of “Mudbound” Rees)
Mudbound
is a film from 2017 adapted from Hillary Jordan’s novel published in 2008 with the same title. This historical drama recounts the experiences of two World War II veterans—where one is African American and the other Caucasian—who come back to their hometown in Mississippi following the conflict. Dee Rees was honored with an award for Best Director by the New York Film Critics Online.
Mudbound
.
NERO (69A: Infamous Roman emperor) refers to Nero (37-68 AD), the Roman ruler from 54 CE up to his demise in 68 CE. He gained notoriety for being cruel. This differs somewhat from how “notorious” is understood in contexts like “Notorious RBG.” The reference to NERO appeared in the puzzle.
six days ago
Clued as [Ruler at the time of the Great Fire of Rome].
GOTHAM (1D: The metropolis where the Bat-Signal illuminates at times) GOTHAM, often referred to as Gotham City, is an imaginary urban center located in the northeast part of the United States and serves as Batman’s hometown. This fictitious city harbors numerous adversaries of Batman, causing chaos throughout its streets necessitating the activation of the Bat-Signal whenever assistance from him is needed.
In Greek mythology, the HYDRA is depicted as a serpent-like water creature inhabiting Lake Lerna. Sources differ regarding the precise count of its heads. Some accounts state that when one head was cut off, two new ones would sprout forth.
In the world of Olympic fencing, which includes épée, saber, and foil as the three types of swords used, the épée stands out as being the biggest among them. The aim in épée fencing is simply to score points by striking your adversary using only the point of the weapon. Each modern épée designed for electronic judging features a pressure-sensitive button at its tip.
ATARI (21D: Creator of the game Missile Command)
Missile Command
It is a video game developed by Atari. Initially launched as an arcade title in 1980, a version tailored for Atari’s home consoles hit the market the subsequent year.
CAT (26D: A pet that can be litter box trained) Indeed, it’s correct that
A cat can learn to use the toilet.
That’s not something I’ve explored with any of my cats. While avoiding cat litter sounds appealing, I doubt I’d have the endurance for it. This actually brings back memories of one of our past cats who had a habit of urinating in the bathtub… (We didn’t teach her to do that.) Here’s a picture of my non-litter-trained cat, Willow, perched on my desk, ready to check if there’s a feline mention in the puzzle.

SPORK (52D: Theoretically ideal utensil for spaghetti soup) This clue really amused me!
HE-MAN (53D: Twin sibling of She-Ra)
Earlier this month
, we spotted SHE-RA in the puzzle described as [He-Man’s twin sister]. They say turnabout is fair play. In Mattel’s
Masters of the Universe
The franchises He-Man and She-Ra are siblings who each face different adversaries, and they occasionally appear alongside one another.

Crossword Puzzle Theme Synopsis

NATURAL TREATMENT (20A: Echinacea or elderberry, for instance)
TIGER Balm (37A: Cream label featuring a cat emblem)
CHALLENGE SPOTS (55A: Sections of a job that could pose difficulties)

MARBLE MADNESS: Every thematic solution includes an anagram of the word MARBLE: HER

BAL REM

EDY, TIG

ER BALM

, and PRO

BLEM AR

EAS.

MARBLE MADNESS
This is an arcade video game launched in 1984. It was created by Atari, which adds a pleasing touch to our current challenge. In this puzzle, “MADNESS” serves as the clue for rearranging letters, leading us to identify various forms derived from the term ‘MARBLE’: BAL/REM, ER/BALM, and BLEM/AR. Thanks go out to CJ for crafting such a delightful puzzle.