Crossword Blog & Answers for April 10, 2025 by Sally Hoelscher

Constructors: Amie Walker and Amanda Rafkin

Editor: Amanda Rafkin

What I Learned from Today’s Puzzle

• IRAN (17D: “Holy Spider” setting) Holy Spider is a 2022 Persian-language movie. The crime thriller was co-written and directed by Ali Abbasi and is based on the true story of a serial killer who killed at least 16 women in IRAN from 2000-2001. The movie tells the story of a fictional journalist investigating the serial killer.

Random Thoughts & Interesting Things

• BAA (8A: “I’m a sheep”) I’m such a kid at heart that I will never get tired of this type of clue.
• ELI (13A: Retired QB Manning) ELI Manning is a former quarterback. He played 16 seasons with the NFL’s New York Giants. During his career, he led the Giants to two Super Bowl victories, and was named MVP in both of those years (2008 and 2012).
• AARP (14A: Org. with “The Perfect Scam” podcast) AARP is an organization focusing on issues that affect those 50 years of age or older (although one can join AARP at any age). The Perfect Scam is AARP’s weekly podcast that highlights the biggest scams and tells the stories of victims of fraud.
• ESTADO (15A: Chihuahua, por ejemplo) Chihuahua is one of Mexico’s 31 states. It is located in northern Mexico and borders the U.S. states of New Mexico and Texas. The clue is in Spanish (“por ejemplo” means “for example”), which alerts solvers the answer will be a Spanish word – “ESTADO” is Spanish for “state.”
• MASALA (22A: Garam ___ (Indian spice blend)) The composition of the South Asian spice blend garam MASALA varies by region, but may contain bay leaves, peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon, mace, cardamom, cumin, coriander, and/or chili powder.
• ARETHA (48A: “Think” singer Franklin) “Think” is a 1968 song by ARETHA Franklin (1942-2018). She rerecorded the song for the 1980 movie The Blues Brothers. She played Mrs. Murphy in the movie, and sang the song to persuade her husband not to join the band.
• HERE’S MY TWO CENTS (5D: “If you ask me…”) This is a great vertical grid spanner that crosses through all three of the horizontal theme answers. It occurs to me that “HERE’S MY TWO CENTS” could be a tagline for “Off the Grid.”
• ALEC (6D: Oscar winner Guinness) ALEC Guinness (1914-2000) won an Academy Award (aka Oscar) for Best Actor in 1958 for The Bridge on the River Kwai. In 1980, he received an Academy Honorary Award for Lifetime Achievement.
• BAD SANTA (8D: 2003 holiday crime film) BAD SANTA is a 2003 movie starring Bille Bob Thornton (as the title character) and Tony Cox. They portray professional thieves who get seasonal jobs each year as SANTA and an elf and then rob the shopping mall on Christmas Eve.
• UV TATTOO (31D: Body art that might be visible only when exposed to blacklight) UV TATTOOs are created using special dyes that fluoresce under a blacklight. These TATTOOS are nearly invisible under normal light.
• ISSA (33D: “Barbie” star Rae) In the 2023 movie Barbie, ISSA Rae portrays President Barbie.
• ADELE (49D: “Skyfall” singer) ADELE’s song “Skyfall” is the theme song for the 2012 James Bond movie of the same name.