Crossword Blog & Answers for May 2, 2025 by Sally Hoelscher

Random Thoughts & Interesting Things

• CHER (5A: “Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again” star) Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (2018) is a jukebox musical movie that is a sequel and a prequel (through flashbacks) to Mamma Mia! (2008). CHER portrays Ruby Sheridan, mother of Donna Sheridan-Carmichael (Meryl Streep), and grandmother of Sophie (Amanda Seyfried). Here’s a fun thing: The last time we saw CHER in the puzzle – on April 22, 2025 – her name was in a similar place in the grid. In that puzzle CHER was in the top center section, but on the third row instead of the top row. Mind you, this means absolutely nothing! I simply notice these things.
• OTTO (14A: Name hidden in “Hot to Go!”) “Hot to Go!” is a song from Chappell ROAN’s 2023 album, THE Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess. It’s a fun find to see that “Hot to Go!” contains the name OTTO.
• MASCOT (25A: The Pillsbury Doughboy, for one) The Pillsbury Doughboy, whose name is officially Poppin’ Fresh, has been the MASCOT of Pillsbury since 1965. Today I learned that the Pillsbury Doughboy and I are the same age!
• MR. TOAD (29A: Amphibian with a “Wild” Disneyland ride) MR. TOAD’s Wild Ride is one of the original attractions at Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California. The ride has been operational since the park opened in July 1955, though it was updated in 1983. The ride is loosely based on the 1949 Disney movie, The Adventures of Ichabod and MR. TOAD, which is an adaptation of Kenneth Grahame’s 1908 book The Wind in the Willows. On the ride, guests assume the role of MR. TOAD recklessly driving a period motorcar.
• ZEUS (31A: Mount Olympus god) In Greek mythology, Hades, ZEUS, and Poseidon were brothers. Their parents were Cronus and Rhea. The three brothers defeated the Titans and claimed rulership over the Cosmos. Hades became the god of the underworld, while ZEUS ruled the sky, and Poseidon ruled the sea. ZEUS was considered the king of the gods.
• TIGER BALM (37A: Ointment brand with a feline logo) TIGER BALM is a brand of ointment containing camphor, menthol, mint oil, cajuput oil, and clove oil. It is produced by the Singapore-based Haw Par Corporation, and sold in a hexagonal container that features a TIGER on the label.
• A LA (46A: Arroz ___ velanciana) Arroz A LA valenciana, or Valencian rice, is the name of a number of rice dishes that originated from the Valencian Community, an autonomous community located in eastern Spain. (Autonomous communities are administrative divisions of Spain.) There are many variations of Arroz A LA valenciana; in many of them, the rice is colored by spices such as saffron, annatto, or turmeric.
• GEYSER (51A: Geothermal water spout) A GEYSER is a natural explosion of hot water and steam. GEYSERs often occur near active volcanic fields. Water deep in the ground encounters rocks that have been heated by nearby magma. When the conditions are just right, the water will erupt out of the ground. GEYSERs are relatively rare, as specific hydrogeological conditions are necessary for them to form. In the U.S., Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming is home to a number of GEYSERs and other geothermal features.
• HER (53A: Dating app whose name is a pronoun) HER is a dating app geared to LGBTQ+ women and queer folks. Just over a week ago we saw HER clued as [Dating app founded by Robyn Exton].
• DEE (54A: “Mudbound” director Rees) Mudbound is a 2017 movie based on Hillary Jordan’s 2008 novel of the same name. The movie is a historical drama telling the story of two World War II veterans – one white, one Black – who return home to Mississippi after the war. DEE Rees won a New York Film Critics Online Award for Best Director for Mudbound.
• NERO (69A: Notorious Roman emperor) NERO (37-68), who was the Roman emperor from 54 CE until his death in 68 CE, was notorious for his cruelty. (This is a bit different from the meaning of the word when used in the phrase Notorious RBG.) We saw NERO in the puzzle six days ago clued as [Emperor during the Great Fire of Rome].
• GOTHAM (1D: City that sometimes uses the Bat-Signal) GOTHAM, or GOTHAM City, is a fictional city in the northeastern U.S. that is the home of Batman. GOTHAM is also the home of many of Batman’s foes, who wreak havoc on the city, requiring the use of the Bat-Signal to call for Batman’s help.
• HYDRA (6D: Mythological nine-headed lake monster) In Greek mythology, the HYDRA is a serpentine lake monster that lived in the lake of Lerna. The exact number of heads the HYDRA possessed varies according to the source. In some versions of the HYDRA story, if one head was chopped off, two heads would regrow in its place.
• EPEE (7D: Olympic sword with a hit sensor) Of the three swords used in the Olympic sport of fencing – ÉPÉE, sabre, and foil – the ÉPÉE is the largest. The goal in ÉPÉE fencing is to hit the target (i.e. your opponent) with the tip of the ÉPÉE. A depressible button caps the tip of ÉPÉEs fitted for electronic scoring.
• ATARI (21D: Developer of the game Missile Command) Missile Command is a video game made by ATARI. It was released as an arcade game in 1980, and a version for ATARI’s home gaming systems was released the following year.
• CAT (26D: Pet that can be toilet trained) It’s true that a CAT can be toilet trained. That’s not something I’ve pursued with any of my CATs. I see the appeal of not dealing with CAT litter, but I’m not sure I have the patience, honestly. Although, this reminds me of one of our previous CATs who insisted on peeing in the bathtub… (We did not train her to do this.) Here’s a photo of my (non-toilet trained) CAT, Willow, sitting on my desk waiting to see if there’s a CAT reference in the puzzle.

• SPORK (52D: Utensil that should theoretically be perfect for spaghetti soup) This clue made me laugh!
• HE-MAN (53D: She-Ra’s twin brother) Earlier this month, we saw SHE-RA in the puzzle clued as [He-Man’s twin sister]. Turnabout is fair play, so they say. In Mattel’s Masters of the Universe franchise, HE-MAN and She-Ra are twins who battle their own foes, and sometimes make appearances together.