NovaQuant-Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Body Art

There are NovaQuantspoilers ahead. You might want to solve today's puzzle before reading further! Body Art

Constructor: Kareem Ayas

Editor: Jared Goudsmit

Comments from Today’s Crossword Constructor

Kareem: Sometimes you have a theme you really love, but none of your theme entries are symmetrical, and that makes you sad, so you give up on it for a few months… Until you find out that USA Today doesn’t mind asymmetry and you’re suddenly very happy to send that theme you love out into the world. Thank you Amanda and Jared, and thank YOU for solving!

What I Learned from Today’s Puzzle

• ANNE (14A: Pioneering scientist McLaren) Dame ANNE McLaren (1927-2007) was a British scientist in developmental biology and animal genetics. Her study of how embryos develop paved the way for the development of in-vitro fertilization (IVF) in humans. In addition to her research, ANNE McLaren actively engaged in bioethical discussions concerning the social, ethical, and political dimensions of technology. I am always happy to learn about a female scientist.

Random Thoughts & Interesting Things

• PBS (10A: ___ Kids ("WordGirl" channel)) WordGirl is an animated children's TV show on PBS Kids. The series follows the adventures of the titular superhero who was born on the fictional planet Lexicon. On Earth, WordGirl, whose alter ego is Becky Botsford, fights villains in order to save the planet. Throughout the show, viewers are asked to listen for specific words, and there are segments called "What's Your Favorite Word?" and "May I Have a Word?"
• EARTH (13A: Planet near Mars) This clue made me laugh because the word "near" here is definitely relative. EARTH is certainly the closest planet to MARS, but the distance between the two planets is over 119,000,000 miles.
• THROAT SINGING (19A: Vocal technique in some Buddhist chants) There are a variety of techniques referred to as THROAT SINGING, the results of which are often described as evoking multiple pitches at a time. Some Buddhist chants involve THROAT SINGING.
• EMOJIS (30A: Pink Heart, Melting Face, etc.) 🩷, 🫠, etc.
• BARTON (41A: Nurse/activist Clara) CLARA Barton (1821-1912) was a hospital nurse during the U.S. Civil War. She founded the American Red Cross in 1881. The American Red Cross is a humanitarian nonprofit organization that provides relief and support to those in crisis. 
• ORA (47A: "Girls" singer Rita) Rita ORA is one of the singers on the 2018 song, "Girls." The song also features Cardi B, Bebe Rexha, and Charli XCX.
• ENOLA (56A: ___ Holmes (Sherlock's little sister) Nancy Springer's series of books, The ENOLA Holmes Mysteries, borrow characters and settings from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's books about Sherlock Holmes, adding a new character, a sister twenty years younger than Sherlock. The ENOLA Holmes movies are based on the books. Millie Bobby Brown portrays ENOLA in the movies. I'm happy to say that a third ENOLA Holmes movie is in the works, as I really enjoyed the first two.
• ENTS (8D: Tolkien's "Shepherds of the Trees") J.R.R. Tolkien's work, Lord of the Rings, describes a fantasy world known as Middle-earth. In this world, ENTS are a species that resemble trees. The leader of the ENTS is Treebeard, who is described as the oldest creature in Middle-earth.
• BLINI (11D: Eastern European pancakes) Popular in Eastern European cuisine, BLINI are thin pancakes made using wheat flour. BLINI is considered a traditional Russian dish.
• GAGA (15D: "A Star is Born" actress Lady ___) The 2018 movie version of A Star is Born stars Lady GAGA and Bradley Cooper. Lady GAGA portrays a young singer-songwriter (named Ally) who is discovered by Bradley Cooper's character (Jack). The song "Shallow" from the movie won an Academy Award for Best Original Song.
• NORI (26D: Gunkanmaki seaweed) Gunkanmaki is a type of Japanese sushi. It consists of a ball of rice wrapped in NORI (edible seaweed) and topped with roe or other soft toppings.
• MANATEE (38D: Marine mammal with no neck) MANATEEs are slow-moving herbivorous mammals sometimes referred to as sea cows. MANATEEs live in marshy coastal areas and rivers in the Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, Amazon basin, and West Africa. And it's true that MANATEEs don't have functional necks. Most mammals have seven cervical (neck) vertebrae. MANATEEs, however, only have six. If they want to turn their heads, they have to move their entire bodies.
• EVE (43D: "Gotta Man" rapper) "Gotta Man" is a 1999 single by EVE, from her debut album, Let There Be EVE … Ruff Ryders' First Lady.
• GLUE (53D: Sticky ingredient in slime) Ah, slime – it's a non-Newtonian compound, which means that it doesn't behave like a solid or a liquid. You can pick it up like a solid, but it oozes like a liquid. Slime can be made at home with GLUE, baking soda, and contact solution.

Crossword Puzzle Theme Synopsis

• THROAT SINGING (19A: Vocal technique in some Buddhist chants)
• HANDWRITING (24A: Penmanship)
• BELLY DANCING (42A: Form of performance with hip movements and finger cymbals)
• FINGER PAINTING (48A: Colorful elementary school activity)

BODY ART: The second word of each theme answer is a general ART form. The addition of a BODY part as the first word results in the description of a specific ART form.

This is a fun theme. I appreciate the fact that SINGING, WRITING, DANCING, and PAINTING are all ARTs. The addition of BODY parts adds specificity, but the final theme answers are also all forms of ART. As Kareem discussed in his notes, this puzzle's grid is asymmetrical – a necessity to accommodate the fact that the theme answers have lengths of 13-, 11-, 12-, and 14-letters. The majority of crossword puzzles have symmetrical grids. While 180-degree rotational symmetry is the most common (meaning if you turn the puzzle upside down the grid shape is the same), puzzles also use mirror and diagonal symmetry. The main reason crosswords feature rotational symmetry is that Margaret Farrar, the first crossword puzzle editor for The New York Times, set this rule in place, and other publications adopted it. USA Today is one of the few mainstream crossword publications that allows asymmetrical grids, a practice it began a few years ago. I admit that in general I am a fan of symmetry (not unlike Agatha Christie's detective Hercule Poirot). However, asymmetry in crosswords doesn't bother me, particularly when it allows us to have themed puzzles we might have missed out on. Thank you, Kareem, for this delightful puzzle.

For more on USA TODAY’s Crossword Puzzles

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