There are spoilers ahead. You might want to solve today’s puzzle before reading further! A Comedy of Errors
Constructor: Boaz Moser
Editor: Jared Goudsmit
Comments from Today’s Crossword Constructor
Boaz: I’m thrilled to be making my debut in USA Today with a freestyle puzzle, and I hope you all enjoy! It took me a while to get around to submitting here — I was intimidated by the high standards for cleanliness and sparkliness. But I’m proud of the finished project, and I want to thank Amanda and the team for helping get it to their high standard.
What I Learned from Today’s Puzzle
- TESSA (44A: Historical romance novelist Dare) TESSA Dare has written over twenty historical romances set in the Regency Era. I enjoy titles of romance novels, and TESSA Dare’s books are no exception. For example: Say Yes to the Marquess 2015), When a Scot Ties the Knot (2015), and Do You Want to Start a Scandal (2016). TESSA Dare’s website tells me she has “a trio of cosmic kitties.” Well, now I definitely want to check out her books!
- POWER CREEP (6D: Process by which new content makes older content obsolete, in gaming) POWER CREEP can occur when game expansions are stronger than existing content. This can be an incentive for users to buy the expansions, but can also make older content useless. I was not familiar with this term, but it was fairly inferable once I had some help from crossing answers.
- BANH MI (10D: Sandwich similar to a khao jee pate) BANH MI is the Vietnamese word for bread. A BANH MI sandwich is served on a baguette, and often contains pork and vegetables, such as cucumber, pickled carrots, and daikon radishes, with chili sauce and mayo. A khao jee pâté, which is similar to a BANH MI, as the clue informs us, is a sandwich in Lao cuisine.
Random Thoughts & Interesting Things
- PITA (6A: Souvlaki bread) Souvlaki is a fast food dish in Greek cuisine. It consists of meat (often pork) grilled on a skewer served with or rolled inside a PITA.
- NEST (19A: Home for a hawk or a hamerkop) Hawks and hamerkops are birds, and make their homes in NESTs. A hawk is a bird of prey that is found on every continent except Antarctica. A hamerkop is a water bird found in mainland Africa, Madagascar, and Arabia. Its closest relatives are the pelican and the shoebill. It’s nice that this clue gives two example, allowing solvers to be successful even if they are only familiar with one of these bird species.
- JELLO SHOTS (21A: Wobbly alcoholic treats) Well, this answer took me back to my college days, although even then I never actually had JELLO SHOTS, because I don’t like JELLO. I don’t feel like I missed out.
- RIM (26A: North ___ (place that overlooks the Grand Canyon)) The Grand Canyon is an amazing place. I’ve been there several times now, and each time I am awed by its beauty. Here’s a photo from the South RIM of the Grand Canyon, taken when our family was there in 2022.
- LIGHT (30A: The “L” of LED) LED stands for “LIGHT-emitting diode.”
- BLOOPER REEL (34A: Compilation of behind-the-scenes goofs) One can spend a significant time watching BLOOPER REELs. (Speaking hypothetically here, of course…) I especially enjoyed this Sesame Street BLOOPER REEL.
- VOICE (64A: “Lift Every ___ and Sing”) “Lift Every VOICE and Sing” was written by brothers James Weldon Johnson and J. Rosamond Johnson in 1900 for the 91st anniversary of President Abraham Lincoln’s birthday. The song has been referred to by the NAACP as the Black National Anthem. “Lift every VOICE and sing, / Till earth and heaven ring, / Ring with the harmonies of Liberty…”
- TERRAFORMS (3D: Makes habitable for earthlings) I associate TERRAFORMing with science fiction, and in fact, the term originated in a 1942 science-fiction story by Jack Williamson, “Collision Orbit.” The term has also been used in real-life science, when scientists discuss the TERRAFORMing of planets such as Venus or Mars, debating whether it’s possible to make those planets habitable for humans.
- OREO (11D: Cookie with Stuf) When talking about the OREO cookie, Stuf is the crème filling. Our crossword friend OREO is making its eighth appearance of 2025 today.
- HATS (13D: Wear many ___ (take on different roles)) This answer reminds me of an Amy Grant song called “HATS” (1991). “(HATS) / One day I’m a mother / One day I’m a lover / What am I supposed to do / (HATS) / Workin’ for a living’ / All because I’m driven / To be the very best for you / (HATS)…”
- JOSEPH (21D: Haydn known as “Father of the Symphony”) JOSEPH Haydyn (1732-1809) was an Austrian composer. He is known as the “Father of the Symphony” for his contributions to the development of chamber music.
- LION (24D: Leo the ___ (MGM mascot)) My cat, Willow, is always happy to see her big cat cousin the LION referenced in the puzzle. This photo was taken after my husband and I returned home from a weekend trip. Apparently, Willow missed me, because she melted onto my lap, trying to get as close to me as possible.
- ELEVEN (36D: Millie Bobby Brown’s “Stranger Things” role) Stranger Things is a Netflix TV series about a small town dealing with a hostile alternate dimension. Millie Bobby Brown portrays ELEVEN, a young girl with psychokinetic abilities who is known, among other things, for her fondness of Eggo waffles.
- SAGA (52D: “The Skywalker ___” (tale made up of three “Star Wars” trilogies)) It’s a fun choice to choose a particular SAGA to highlight here instead of clueing the word generically. The Skywalker SAGA includes the nine films (a trilogy of trilogies) originally released between 1977 and 2019.
- A couple of other clues I especially enjoyed:
- SECRET PLAN (52A: Strategy for throwing a surprise party, e.g.)
- OTHER (1D: “My ___ car is a…” (bumper sticker words))
Crossword Puzzle Theme Synopsis
A COMEDY OF ERRORS (Freestyle): There’s no theme today since this is a freestyle, or themeless, puzzle. The title is a nod to BLOOPER REEL (34A: Compilation of behind-the-scenes goofs).
When I solve a themed puzzle, I am on the lookout for the theme. With a themeless puzzle, my solving approach changes and I look for the answer that the title is pointing to. With both types of puzzles, however, I’m always on the lookout for enjoyable fill and fun clues; things that make me smile. This puzzle had plenty of things that made me smile. Congratulations to Boaz Moser on a USA TODAY crossword debut! Thank you, Boaz, for this delightful puzzle.
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