Crossword Blog & Answers for May 12, 2025 by Sally Hoelscher

Constructor: Sally Hoelscher

Editor: Anna Gundlach

Random Thoughts & Interesting Things

• ALOHA (1A: Hawaiian expression of love) The meaning of ALOHA is more than simply “hello.” It also encompasses “love, affection, peace, compassion, and mercy.”
• AARI (19A: Los Angeles Sparks player McDonald) AARI McDonald is a WNBA player who has played for the Los Angeles Sparks since 2024. Prior to that she played for WNBA’s Atlanta Dream (2021-2023). When I learned about AARI McDonald from the August 9, 2022 puzzle, I discovered the fun fact that she and I share a birthday (though I am a bit older than she is).
• ALI (26A: “True Detective” actor Mahershala) True Detective is an anthology TV series that airs on HBO. An anthology is one in which each season is self-contained with a different set of characters and story lines. The show first aired in 2014, and there have been four seasons so far. In the show’s third season, which aired in 2019, Mahershala ALI plays Wayne Hays, a detective and Vietnam War veteran.
• URL (29A: www.aclu.org, e.g.) Through litigation and lobbying, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) works to protect the individual rights of all people in the United States. I am always happy to highlight the ACLU. I’ve shared these words from their website before, but they are worth repeating: “The ACLU dares to create a more perfect union — beyond one person, party, or side. Our mission is to realize this promise of the United States Constitution for all and expand the reach of its guarantees.”
• EGOT (35A: Four-award feat for Viola Davis) EGOT is a term that refers to Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Awards. Viola Davis achieved EGOT status in 2023 when she won a Grammy Award for Best Audo Book, Narration & Storytelling Recording (for her 2022 memoir Finding Me). She had previously won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series (2015, How to Get Away with Murder), an Academy Award (aka Oscar) for Best Actress in a Supporting Role (2017, Fences), and Tony Awards for Best Featured Actress in a Play (2001, King Hedley II) and Best Leading Actress in a Play (2010, Fences). 
• SEA (42A: Caribbean or Caspian) The Caribbean SEA is part of the Atlantic Ocean. It is bordered by Mexico and Central America, and the islands of the Greater and Lesser Antilles. The Caspian SEA is the world’s largest inland body of water. It is located between Europe and Asia, and is bordered by Kazakhstan, Russia, Azerbaijan, Iran, and Turkmenistan.
• CMA (52A: Org. that has given Reba McEntire over 50 award nominations) The Country Music Association (CMA) hosts an awards show each year to honor country music musicians. Reba McEntire’s 50 CMA award nominations span five decades (1983-2020) and have resulted in seven wins. Those wins include Female Vocalist of the Year in four consecutive years beginning in 1984, and Entertainer of the Year in 1986. In 2011, Reba McEntire was inducted into the CMA’s Hall of Fame.
• CROCHET HOOK (56A: Tool that might be used to make a scarf) I CROCHET, though interestingly I have never crocheted a scarf. I have made several scarves, but they are all knitted. The biggest project I have tackled with a CROCHET HOOK was a mermaid tail blanket that my daughter requested for Christmas one year. My recent CROCHET projects have been stuffed creatures from the company The Woobles. These kits have all been gifts, and I did not intend for the finished projects to become CAT toys, but my CAT, Willow, had other ideas. She has adopted these crocheted toys as her own, and “hunts” them from where I have placed them around the house. She brings them and leaves theme outside of my office as presents (sometimes hauling them up a flight of stairs). She then gives a specific yowling meow to let me know she has brought me a present. Honestly, it’s darn adorable.
• TAMPA (69A: Florida city where the Cuban sandwich likely originated) TAMPA is located on the west side of Florida, with coastline on TAMPA Bay and Old TAMPA Bay. A Cuban sandwich is a variation of a ham and cheese sandwich made on Cuban bread with ham, roasted pork, Swiss cheese, pickles, mustard, and sometimes salami. The origin of the Cuban sandwich is difficult to trace, and both TAMPA and Miami have laid claims to it. Depending on how you look at it, one might even say its origins are actually in Cuba. The sandwich gained popularity in TAMPA in cafes serving Cuban workers in the late 1800s and early 1900s. In 2012, the TAMPA City Council designated the Cuban the “signature sandwich of the city of TAMPA.”
• EDNA (70A: Poet ___ St. Vincent Millay) EDNA St. Vincent Millay (1892-1950) was a poet and playwright. She also wrote under the pseudonym Nancy Boyd. EDNA St. Vincent Millay’s poem “The Ballad of the Harp-Weaver” won the 1923 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry. The works of EDNA St. Vincent Millay continue to be referenced in modern culture. 
• LAP (2D: Place for a snuggly pet) and CAT (63D: Pet who might purr while on a 2-Down) As I was writing this, my CAT Willow climbed onto my LAP, settled in, and started to purr. So of course I took a photo to share with you. Before I snapped the photo, I tucked in Fred the Dinosaur, one of the crocheted animals Willow has decided I made for her.

• HALLE (4D: “X-Men” actor Berry)  The X-Men are a team of superheroes appearing in Marvel comic books, TV shows, films, and video games. Storm, who is able to control the weather and atmosphere, made her first comic book appearance in 1975. HALLE Berry first portrayed Storm in the movie X-Men, released in 2000. Since then she has played the role of Storm in three additional movies: X2 (2003), X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), and X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014).
• LETHARGIC (6D: Feeling meh and sluggish) I think LETHARGIC is a fun word to say, if not a particularly fun way to feel. According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the word LETHARGIC comes from the Greek word “lēthē,” meaning “forgetfulness.” In Greek mythology, Lethe was a river in the underworld known as the “River of Forgetfulness.” The legend was that when someone died, they were given a drink of water from this river, and that made them forget about their past life. Over time, this forgetfulness came to be associated with feelings of sluggishness, leading to the words lethargy and LETHARGIC.
• CHARCUTERIE (11D: Meat and cheese arranged on a board) CHARCUTERIE is a term for prepared meat products such as bacon, and ham. CHARCUTERIE may be served on a board paired with cheeses, olives, and nuts.
• LEAH (24D: “The Half of It” star Lewis) The Half of It is a 2020 Netflix movie loosely based on Edmond Rostand’s 1897 play Cyrano de Bergerac. LEAH Lewis portrays Ellie Chu, a shy high school student who is persuaded by Paul (Daniel Diemer) to ghostwrite a love letter to Aster (Alexxis Lemire), a student who Paul has a crush on (as does Ellie). Here’s a side conversation about crossword construction: Constructors use word lists when making crosswords. We score words in our word lists, and that tells the construction software whether or not to recommend a word. Words that are scored higher are recommended anytime they are a possibility for a specific slot. I have assigned the word LEAH a high score in my word list, because it is my daughter’s name. I am delighted to be able to include LEAH in this (or any) puzzle.
• GOD IS A WOMAN (25D: Ariana Grande hit with the lyric “So baby take my hand, save your soul”) “GOD IS A WOMAN” is a 2018 song by Ariana Grande. The final scene of the music video for “GOD IS A WOMAN” pays homage to the Michelangelo painting, The Creation of Adam, which is on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.
• AKITA (55D: Large Japanese dog breed) The AKITA is a large, powerful breed of dog originally from the mountainous regions of northern Japan. The AKITA is the national dog of Japan. The dogs served as companions for samurai (hereditary military officers) from the 1500s into the 1800s. An AKITA rarely barks, thus earning it the nickname, “silent hunter.”
• CERA (57D: “Barbie” actor Michael) In the 2023 movie, Barbie, Michael CERA portrays Allan. Allan is the only male resident of Barbieland that is not named Ken.
• HAIM (58D: Este, Danielle and Alana’s band) Sisters Este, Danielle, and Alana are the pop rock band HAIM. Their fourth album, I Quit, is scheduled to be released next month.