Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Absolute Units

There are spoilers ahead. You might want to solve today's puzzle before reading further! Absolute Units

Constructor: Stella Zawistowski

Editor: Jared Goudsmit

What I Learned from Today’s Puzzle

• KINK (24A: "My ___ Is Karma" (Chappell Roan song)) After excitedly commenting yesterday that I knew the name of a Chappell Roan song, I'm back in learning mode today! "My KINK Is Karma" is a song from Chappell Roan's debut studio album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess (2023).
• OPERA (64A: Show such as "Turandot") Turandot is an OPERA by Giacomo Puccini. When Puccini died in 1924, the Turandot was unfinished. Franco Alfano finished Turandot, and the OPERA premiered in 1926. The title character of the OPERA is a princess. The story follows the attempts of Prince Calaf to win Princess Turandot's hand in marriage by answering three riddles.
• BOWL (68A: Dish for butajiru) In Japanese cuisine, butajiru is a pork and vegetable soup flavored with miso.
• ERIKA (21D: Voice actor Ishii) In the 2024 animated DC Comics superhero movie Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths, ERIKA Ishii voices the characters Doctor Light (aka Kimiyo Hoshi) and Huntress of Earth-Two (aka Helena Wayne). They have also voiced characters in a number of video games.
• NEAL (59D: "Holy Days" poet Larry) Larry NEAL (1937-1981) was a cultural critic, poet, and playwright. He was an important figure in the Black Arts Movement of the 1960s. You can read Larry NEAL's poem, "Holy Days," on the Poetry Foundation website.
• SAMS (61D: Fantastic ___ (hair care franchise)) The haircare franchise known as Fantastic SAMS was founded in 1974 in Memphis, Tennessee by SAM Ross. It was originally called Incredible SAMS, but the name was changed to Fantastic SAMS in 1981. Fantastic SAMS pioneered the concept of a no-appointment, walk-in hair salon. Although there are over 500 Fantastic SAMS locations, there aren't any in Iowa, so it's understandable that the chain is new to me.

Random Thoughts & Interesting Things

• MOTTO (14A: "Forward," for Wisconsin) "Forward" has been the MOTTO of Wisconsin since 1951. Wisconsin's MOTTO appears on its state seal and state flag. It was also featured on the U.S. Mint's commemorative Wisconsin quarter, released in 2004.
• AARP (18A: Org. for people 50 and up) As I've mentioned previously, although AARP's focus is advocating for people 50 and up, there is no minimum age requirement to join the organization.
• ESPN (19A: Channel that airs cow chip throwing) Cow chip throwing – competitions that involve throwing dried cow dung – was popularized in Beaver, Oklahoma, which is known as the "Cow Chip Throwing Capital of the World." The World Cow Chip Throwing Contest is held each August in Beaver. Some years it's broadcast on ESPN.
• CHICKEN FEET (20A: Dim sum dish aka phoenix claws) Preparing CHICKEN FEET, also known as phoenix claws, is a three-step process that involves frying, braising, and simmering in sauce. Serious Eats has an article for you to read if you want to know more about this dim sum dish.
• SKA (35A: Genre from Jamaica) SKA is a genre of music that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s. It combines elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues. SKA is characterized by its lively, upbeat tempo, offbeat guitar rhythms, and prominent horn sections.
• ANNA (36A: "Frozen Fever" sister) Frozen Fever is a 2015 animated short film featuring the sisters from Frozen (2013), ANNA and Elsa. Frozen Fever premiered in theaters in conjunction with the live-action remake of Cinderella.
• NYC (49A: Chelsea Market's city, for short) Located in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City (NYC), Chelsea Market is a shopping mall, office building and TV production facility. Constructed in 1890, Chelsea Market was originally the site of the National Biscuit Company. Of note for crossword fans, the building is where the Oreo was invented.
• CODE (50A: Write in Agda or Python) Agda and Python are programming languages.
• EGYPTIAN POUNDS (55A: Currency in Cairo) EGYPTIAN POUNDS are the official currency of Egypt, and therefore of Cairo, Egypt's capital.
• JUNE (62A: World Environment Day's month) World Environment Day is celebrated on JUNE 5. The day encourages folks to be aware of ways to protect the environment, and to take action. This year World Environment Day was hosted by Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and the theme was land restoration, desertification, and drought resilience. The theme for next year's World Environment Day is ending plastic pollution.
• MOCHI (2D: Rice cake prepared using a kine) MOCHI is pounded sticky rice that is molded into cakes. A kine is a wooden mallet that is used to mash and pound the rice in the process of making MOCHI.
• POSSUM (11D: Virginia marsupial) The Virginia opossum – typically called a POSSUM – is the only marsupial that lives in North America. Although the state of Virginia is featured in the animal's name, the POSSUM lives throughout North America.
• THING (22D: Person, place, or ___) This clue has me singing the Schoolhouse Rock song, "A Noun is a Person, Place, or THING." "... I find it quite interesting / A noun's a person, place, or THING..."
• OMAR (27D: "The Wire" character ___ Little) The Wire is a crime drama TV series that originally aired from 2002 to 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.
• LSU (29D: Shaq's alma mater) Shaquille O'Neal, whose nickname is Shaq, is a former professional basketball player and a current sports analyst for Inside the NBA. Before joining the NBA, Shaq played college basketball for Louisiana State University (LSU).
• PREP (33D: HIV-prevention method) PREP is short for "pre-exposure prophylaxis," a term used to describe the use of antiviral medications in HIV prevention, specifically in persons not yet exposed to the virus.
• EURO (55D: Coin in Croatia) Croatia is one of the 27 member states of the European Union (EU), and one of the 20 EU members that use the EURO as currency.

Crossword Puzzle Theme Synopsis

• CHICKEN FEET (20A: Dim sum dish aka phoenix claws)
• GRADUATE DEGREES (37A: Post baccalaureate achievements)
• EGYPTIAN POUNDS (55A: Currency in Cairo)

ABSOLUTE UNITS: The last words of the theme answer are words of ABSOLUTE UNITS of measurement: FEET, DEGREES, and POUNDS.

An ABSOLUTE UNIT is a UNIT of measurement that can be defined, and is not arbitrary. I appreciated the consistency of all three theme answers leading to plural UNITS. Thank you, Stella, for this enjoyable puzzle.

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