Crossword Blog & Answers for March 16, 2025 by Sally Hoelscher

Constructors: Amie Walker & Amanda Rafkin

Editor: Amanda Rafkin

What I Learned from Today’s Puzzle

• HOST (52A: Taylor Tomlinson, for “After Midnight”) After Midnight (stylized as @fter midnight) is a game show that premiered on CBS in January 2024. Taylor Tomlinson is the HOST of the show, which features a panel of comedians as contestants.
• MEL (56D: Actor Rodriguez) MEL Rodriguez portrays Marco Paternak on the TV series Better Call Saul (2015-2022). He also plays the Chief Medical Examiner, Dr. Hugo Ramirez, in the first season of CSI: Vegas.

Random Thoughts & Interesting Things

• EMO (5A: Something Corporate genre) Something Corporate is an EMO and alt rock band. This clue reminds me of Amie and Amanda’s November 11, 2024 puzzle with the title “Something Corporate.”
• ASSAM (8A: Indian state known for its tea) The state of ASSAM is located in northeastern India. It is known for ASSAM tea, which comes from a tea plant indigenous to the area. ASSAM is a black tea known for its malty flavor and strong color.  
• ROSS (14A: “I’m Coming Out” singer Diana) “I’m Coming Out” is a 1980 song by Diana ROSS. The song has been my earworm since I read this clue. “I’m coming out / I want the world to know / got to let it show…”
• ERAS (20A: Taylor Swift’s “Lover” and Midnights,” e.g.) and SECRET (4D: “Our ___ moments in a crowded room / They got no idea about me and you”) Would it be an Amie and Amanda collaboration if there wasn’t at least one Taylor Swift reference? Today we have two. “Our SECRET moments in a crowded room / They got no idea about me and you,” is a lyric from Taylor Swift’s 2017 song, “Dress.”
• ALOO (21A: ___ methi (potatoes-and-fenugreek dish)) One of the things I like to do is occasionally remind readers (and myself) that ALOO is a South Asian term for potatoes. Therefore, if you see the description of a dish that contains potatoes – as in this clue – it’s quite possible the answer is going to be ALOO.
• PIE (22A: Dessert enjoyed on March 14th) Did you eat PIE two days ago on Pi Day? We had a coconut custard pie on March 14. I also continued my tradition of celebrating my own personal holiday on March 15, “Eat PIE for breakfast day.”
• PATEL (23A: “Monkey Man” actor Dev) Monkey Man is a 2024 movie starring Dev PATEL, who is also the producer and director. The movie is his directorial debut. Dev PATEL portrays Kid, a young man out for vengeance against corrupt leaders who murdered his mother.
• REY (31A: Hero with a yellow lightsaber) In the Star Wars franchise, REY is the main protagonist of the sequel film trilogy. Daisy Ridley portrays REY in Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015), Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017), and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019). In the Star Wars canon, there are eight colors of lightsaber, helpfully explained in this article. The plasma blade of a lightsaber is powered by a Kyber crystal, giving the lightsabers their distinctive colors.
• TETON (49A: Grand ___ National Park) Grand TETON National Park is located in northwestern Wyoming. It is one of the parks my husband and I have visited on our quest to visit as many National Parks as we can.

• A FAREWELL TO ARMS (53A: Hemingway classic) A FAREWELL TO ARMS is Ernest Hemingway’s 1929 novel set during World War I. The novel is the first-person account of Frederic Henry, an American expat serving in the Italian army. A FAREWELL TO ARMS haS been adapted for stage and TV. As of January 1 of this year, A FAREWELL TO ARMS is in the public domain (meaning it can be used or referenced without permission), so it’s possible more adaptations will be seen in the future.
• EELS (63A: Flotsam and Jetsam, e.g.) This is a reference to the movie The Little Mermaid (either the 1989 animated version or the 2023 live-action version). Flotsam and Jetsam are EELS that work for Ursula the sea witch.
• MOI (6D: French first-person pronoun) Whenever I see the word MOI, I hear it in Miss Piggy’s voice, “MOI?”
• OSCAR (7D: Award won by “The Favourite”) The Favourite is a 2018 movie set in 18th century Great Britain. Cousins Abigail Masham (Emma Stone) and Sarah Churchill (Rachel Wiesz) vie to be the favorite of Queen Anne (Olivia Coleman). Olivia Coleman won an OSCAR (Academy Award) for Best Actress.
• AGE (24D: “What’s My ___ Again?”) “What’s My AGE Again?” is a 1999 song by the rock band Blink-182. Just a few days, some friends and I were discussing how hard it is to remember our AGE. It’s a very real struggle for some of us!
• OMAR (25D: Michael K. Williams’ role on “The Wire”) The Wire is a crime drama TV series that originally aired from 2002-2008. The show was set in Baltimore, Maryland, and each season of the show centered on a different institution of the city (illegal drug trade, the port system, city government, education, and print news media) and its interactions with law enforcement. Michael K. Williams (1966-2021) played the role of OMAR Little, a notorious Baltimore stick-up man who robbed drug dealers.
• BTS (33D: “Life Goes On” group) “Life Goes On” is a 2020 song by the K-pop group BTS. The song was released during the COVID-19 pandemic, and its music video featured scenes of BTS living together in quarantine. Three alternative music videos were released: “Life Goes On” on my pillow, “Life Goes On” in the forest, and “Life Goes On” like an arrow.
• NIAGARA (37D: ___ 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 themselves weren’t frozen, much of the surrounding landscape was snowy and icy.