Charles H. Sloan-Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Middle of the Road

There are Charles H. Sloanspoilers ahead. You might want to solve today's puzzle before reading further! Middle of the Road

Constructor: Noelle Griskey

Editor: Amanda Rafkin

What I Learned from Today’s Puzzle

• STEW (36D: Dish such as tharid or sambar) Tharid is a STEW in Arab cuisine that consists of flatbread moistened in broth and topped with meat and/or vegetables. Tharid is said to have been a favorite food of the prophet Muhammad. It is often eaten as part of Iftar, the fast-breaking meal during the Muslim observance of Ramadan. Sambar is a lentil-based stew popular in Sri Lankan and South Indian cuisines, where it is served with idli, a savory rice cake.

 Random Thoughts & Interesting Things

• ICED (22A: Like most bubble tea) Bubble tea, which originated in Taiwan in the 1980s, can be made from black, green, or oolong tea, and either with or without milk. The bubbles in bubble tea are most often tapioca balls (also known as "boba" or "pearls"). I knew that bubble tea is usually served ICED, but this clue made me wonder if it is also served hot. The answer is yes, bubble tea can be served hot.
• MAPLE (25A: Kind of leaf on the Canadian flag) The flag of Canada features an 11-pointed red MAPLE leaf on a white background. Two vertical stripes of red appear on the edges of the flag, on either side of the white, MAPLE-leaf-adorned center. Although the current Canadian flag was adopted in 1965, the MAPLE leaf has been a recognizable symbol of Canada since the 1800s.
• SOS (41A: 6-Down hit with the lyric "Nothing else can save me") and ABBA (6D: Swedish band originally named Festfolk) "SOS," is a 1975 pop song by ABBA. (Here's a fun and silly thing: the previous sentence contains three palindromes, words spelled the same forward and backward.) ABBA is an acronym formed from the initials of the first names of the band's members: Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anne-Frid Lyngstad. Thanks for this earworm, puzzle! "When you're near me, darling / Can't you hear me, S.O.S.? / The love you gave me / Nothing else can save me, S.O.S."
• ACME (34A: Vender that supplies Wile E. Coyote with failure-prone products) The ACME Corporation is a fictional business featured in the Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote cartoons. The company is the source of many devices used by Wile E. Coyote in his attempt to outwit the Road Runner, such as exploding tennis balls, invisible paint, spring-powered shoes, rocket-powered roller skates, and, well, you get the idea. This answer reminded me of the currently-in-limbo movie, Coyote vs. Acme, which was originally planned to be released in 2023, but was shelved by Warner Bros. for tax purposes. The premise of the movie comes from a 1990 article in The New Yorker by Ian Fraser, which imagines Wile E. Coyote suing ACME for all the times its products have failed.
• OMELETTE (52A: British spelling of a folded egg dish) In my mind, the spellings "omelet" and "OMELETTE" are interchangeable. Nonetheless, I appreciated the "British spelling" hint in the clue so I'd know to add the -TE at the end.
• ETNA (65A: Italian volcano) The active volcano Mount ETNA, located on the Italian island of Sicily, is one of 16 volcanoes designated by the United Nations as Decade Volcanoes. This is a group of volcanoes deemed worthy of particular study because of their history of eruptions and proximity to densely populated areas. In 1992, the Decade Volcano program worked to divert lava flow from Mount ETNA that was threatening the town of Zafferana. Scientists were successful in damming the lava flow by dropping large concrete blocks into the volcano. ETNA's most recent eruptions occurred in February 2022.
• SETH (66A: Actor Rogen) SETH Rogen's extensive filmography includes the role of Ira Wright in Funny People (2009), the role of Cal in The 40-Year-Old Virgin, and voicing the role of Pumbaa in The Lion King (2019).
• DEEP (68A: "Rolling in the ___" (Adele song)) "Rolling in the DEEP" is a song from Adele's second studio album, 21 (2010). The song won three Grammy Awards: Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Short Form Music Video. Oh, now I have a new earworm! "There's a fire starting in my heart / Reaching a fever pitch, it's bringing me out the dark ... We could have had it all ... Rolling in the DEEP..."
• ROPES (29D: Double Dutch needs) Double Dutch is a jump ROPE game involving two long ROPES turning in opposite directions. One or more players can jump at a time, and jumpers sometimes perform tricks while jumping. Double Dutch is so named because it's believed to have originated among Dutch immigrants in New York City. Over the years, Double Dutch has been an important part of Black and hip hop culture, and the game has been developed into a competitive team sport.
• NECK (34D: Guitar part with frets) Frets are the thin strips of metal (or other material) placed at specific positions along the NECK of a guitar. While playing the guitar, the strings are held against the frets.

Crossword Puzzle Theme Synopsis

• PHOTO ALBUM (16A: Collection of pictorial memories)
• STUDIO APARTMENT (37A: Living space with a single room)
• HELLO AGAIN (61A: "Greetings for the second time!")

The MIDDLE letters OF THE word ROAD – that is, OA – are seen connecting the two words in each theme answer: PHOTO ALBUM, STUDIO APARTMENT, HELLO AGAIN.

Most days I figure out the puzzle's theme at some point during my solve. That was not the case with this puzzle. I finished solving without any idea of the theme. Then I spent some time staring at the grid, focusing on what I assumed must be the theme answers – PHOTO ALBUM, STUDIO APARTMENT, and HELLO AGAIN – since they were the longest answers. I had a lovely "Aha!" moment when I noticed the -O A- in each theme answer and it dawned on me that those letters are in the MIDDLE OF THE word ROAD. Well, that's fun! I don't mind having to work a little bit to find the theme, as that "Aha!" moment is so satisfying. Thank you, Noelle, for this enjoyable puzzle.

For more on USA TODAY’s Crossword Puzzles

• USA TODAY’s Daily Crossword Puzzles
• Sudoku & Crossword Puzzle Answers