Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, "Red Velvet, Please"

There are spoilers ahead. You might want to solve today's puzzle before reading further! "Red Velvet, Please" (Freestyle)Constructor: Rafael Musa

Editor: Amanda Rafkin

What I Learned from Today’s Puzzle

• ALTER (62A: Individual identity in a DID system) DID here stands for dissociative identity disorder, a condition previously referred to as multiple personality disorder. People with DID have two or more separate identities, referred to as ALTERs (short for "alternate identity"). A DID system includes all of the ALTERs within one body. This terminology is new to me, and I'm glad to learn it.

Random Thoughts & Interesting Things

• MORTAL (12A: Word after word "mere" or before "Kombat") The MORTAL Kombat franchise began with a MORTAL Kombat arcade game released in 1992. Since then, the franchise has grown to include comic books, card games, movies, an animated TV series, and even a live-action tour. I'm sure there's a joke to be made about a mere MORTAL playing MORTAL Kombat.
• SLALOM (19A: Twisty Winter Olympics event) SLALOM skiing involves skiing between poles or gates in a twisty or curvy pattern.
• BOG (28A: Where cranberries grow) Cranberries grow on low-lying vines in BOGs, areas of sand, peat, gravel, and clay that were originally created my glacial deposits. Commercially, cranberries are grown in beds prepared with sand to provide adequate drainage. The beds are surrounded by dykes to allow the beds to be filled with water during harvest. The majority of cranberries are harvested using a wet method, which involves flooding the fields, removing the cranberries from the vines using a harvester machine, and then collecting the floating cranberries.
• MARIE ANTOINETTE (37A: French royal who probably didn't actually say "Let them eat cake!") "Let them eat cake!" is the English translation of the French phrase, "Qu'ils tangent de la brioche," which MARIE ANTOINETTE (1755-1793) likely did not say in response to being told the peasants had no bread. MARIE ANTOINETTE was the wife of Louis XVI, and was the last queen of France prior to the French Revolution. The saying, "Let them eat cake!" was attributed to MARIE ANTOINETTE some fifty years after she died, and most historians believe it's unlikely that she said it.
• YOM (39A: ___ Kippur) YOM Kippur is a Jewish holy day known as the Day of Atonement. It is observed by fasting and prayer. This year YOM Kippur was observed from sunset on October 11 until nightfall on October 12.
• ELI (40A: Name hidden in "delight") I delight in a hidden word clue, and this was no exception.
• CPR (42A: Procedure performed at about 110 bpm) and CLEAR (42D: Word shouted when using a defibrillator) It is recommended that (for adults) the chest compressions of CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) be performed at a rate of 100-120 beats per minute (bpm). If you are ever in a position of needing to perform CPR, there are several songs that can help you maintain the appropriate rate, including the Bee Gees song, "Stayin' Alive."  This trick to keep the beat is recommended by the American Heart Association. If "Stayin' Alive" isn't your jam, any song with 100-120 bpm will work. You might try Chappell Roan's "Pink Pony Club," Adele's "Rumour Has It," or Simon and Garfunkel's "Cecilia." Whatever song you're singing to yourself to maintain the proper pace for administering CPR, if someone shouts, "CLEAR," stop CPR and make sure you're not touching the person on whom the defibrillator is about to be used. A defibrillator delivers a dose of electric current to the heart in an attempt to re-establish a normal heart rhythm. It's important that no one else is touching the person on whom the defibrillator is being used, or they may receive a shock as well.
• LIU (50A: Actor Simu) Simu LIU's acting credits include the title character in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021) and one of the eight characters named Ken in the movie Barbie (2023).
• MING DYNASTY (57A: Chinese reign associated with porcelain) Among other things, the MING DYNASTY (1368-1644) was notable as a time of innovation in ceramic manufacture. Blue and white porcelain is particularly associated with this era, though vases of other colors were also made.
• TENTS (64A: Shelters for campers) and MAPS (65A: Guides for campers) It was a fun choice to link these consecutive clues together with a camping angle.
• HOLES (7D: Novel in which the protagonist digs in the Texan desert) I read a lot of books; it's my favorite way to relax. The book HOLES by Louis Sachar is one that has stuck with me even though I read it shortly after it was published in 1998. HOLES won the US National Book Award for Young People's Literature. It also won a Newberry Medal in 1999 for the "most distinguished contribution to American literature for children." The book's protagonist is Stanley Yelnats IV, who has been wrongly convicted of theft, and is sent to a juvenile corrections facility in the Texas desert called Camp Green Lake. The prisoners at Camp Green Lake are required to dig one cylindrical HOLE – five feet wide and five feet deep – every day.
• TINA (29D: Eldest daughter in "Bob's Burgers") This is the third time this year we've seen the name TINA clued in reference to the eldest daughter on the animated sitcom Bob's Burgers. In May we saw TINA clued as ["Bob's Burgers" child who likes horses, music, and boys], and in July we saw her clued as [Butt-obsessed "Bob's Burger's teen].
• BENIN (46D: Country west of Nigeria) BENIN is located in West Africa. BENIN is a relatively small country, with coastline along the Bay of BENIN (part of the Gulf of Guinea). In addition to Nigeria, its neighbors are Togo, Burkina Faso, and Niger. The capital of BENIN is Porto-Novo.
• ANNA (48D: Actress ___ May Wong) ANNA May Wong (1905-1961) made her first movie appearances during the silent film era. In 1921, she dropped out of high school to pursue a full time acting career. She went on to star in numerous movies and TV shows, and is credited as being the first Chinese American Hollywood movie star. ANNA May Wong is one of the women honored with the American Women Quarters Program. The ANNA May Wong quarter, released in 2022, features ANNA May Wong surrounded by marquee lights.
• ESTA (54D: "Tres leches? En ___ economia?") This clue made me laugh! "Tres leches? En ESTA economia?" translates to "Three milks? In this economy?" The phrase, which is a reference to tres leches cake (made with evaporated milk, condensed milk, and whole milk), has been used as a joke and a meme on social media.
• A few other answers I particularly enjoyed:
  • OK YOU GOT ME (5D: "Ugh, I don't actually know that")
  • SENIORITIS (9D: "Affliction" for soon-to-be-grads)
  • MERCY RULES (27D: They're invoked to end very lopsided games early)

Crossword Puzzle Theme Synopsis

"RED VELVET, PLEASE" (Freestyle): There's no theme today, as this is a freestyle, or themeless puzzle. The title is a nod to MARIE ANTOINETTE (37A: French royal who probably didn't actually say "Let them eat cake!").

When I solve a freestyle puzzle, I'm on the lookout for the clue (or clues) that inspired the title. I was intrigued by the title today. RED VELVET happens to be one of my husband's favorite types of cake. When I came across the clue for MARIE ANTOINETTE, I started laughing. I appreciate the clever and subtle title today. Also, the stack of three grid-spanning answers in the middle of the puzzle is definitely impressive. Thank you, Rafa, for this excellent puzzle.

For more on USA TODAY’s Crossword Puzzles

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