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

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

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

Constructor: Rachel Simon

Editor: Amanda Rafkin

Crossword Puzzle Theme Synopsis

• LAST MINUTE (18A: When procrastinators might cram)
• DON'T MIND IF I DO (36A: Phrase said when taking samples from a platter)
• BAT MITZVAH (54A: Rite of passage for many Jewish girls)

Each theme answer contains the letter string TMI across a word break: LAST MINUTE, DON'T MIND IF I DO, BAT MITZVAH.

What I learned from Today's Puzzle

• SCI-FI (9D: "Interstellar" genre) Interstellar is a 2014 dystopian SCI-FI movie set in the year 2067. Humans are facing extinction, and a group of astronauts set off in search of a new home for humankind. Interstellar was directed and co-written by Christopher Nolan, and starred Matthew McConaughey and Anne Hathaway.
• EDISON (31D: Photographer Laurie Toby) Laurie Toby EDISON is an artist and visual activist. Her books of photography, Women En Large: Images of Fat Nudes (1994) and Familiar Men: A Book of Nudes (2004) feature black and white portraits. Since 2020, Laurie Toby EDISON has been taking a series of photos she calls "Pandemic Shadows."
• LASZLO (43D: Nadja's husband on "What We Do in the Shadows) What We Do in the Shadows is a mockumentary TV series about four vampire roommates living on Staten Island. The show is based on a 2014 movie of the same name. Natasia Demetriou plays the role of Romani vampire, Nadja, and Matt Berry portrays, Nadja's husband, a British vampire named LASZLO. Although I learned about the show What We Do in the Shadows from a previous crossword, I needed the help of crossing answers to figure out this character's name.

Random Thoughts & Interesting Things

• SARA (1A: Pop duo Tegan and ___) Tegan Rain Quin and SARA Keirstein Quin are identical twin sisters, and the members of the indie pop duo Tegan and SARA. Their tenth studio album, Crybaby, was released in 2022.
• A LA (26A: Arroz ___ cubana) Arroz A LA cubana is a rice dish that did not originate in Cuba, despite what its name suggests. The exact origins of the dish are unknown, but it is popular in Spanish cuisine, as well as in the Philippines. Arroz A LA cubana typically consists of white rice, tomato sauce, and a fried egg. It is often accompanied by a fried plantain.
• TESLA (29A: Pioneer of AC power) Nikola TESLA (1856-1943) was an electrical engineer, mechanical engineer, and inventor. He obtained nearly 300 patents for his inventions and made significant contributions to the design of alternating current (AC) electrical supply systems.
• HOURS (44A: There are 168 in a week) This is a fun and interesting way to clue HOURS. Remember, there are indeed 186 HOURS in a week, and there are 525,600 minutes in a year. (That's a non leap year; this year will have 527,040 minutes.) It's fun that this answer pairs nicely with the theme answer of LAST MINUTE.
• BAT MITZVAH (54A: Rite of passage for many Jewish girls) BAT MITZVAH is a Jewish coming-of-age ritual for girls. It is usually celebrated when a girl is 12 or 13 years old.
• LILO (60A: "___ & Stitch") LILO is a six-year-old girl that lives in Hawaii. Stitch is an illegally-made extraterrestrial animal-like creature that is called Experiment 626 until it is adopted by LILO and renamed. LILO & Stitch is the 2002 animated movie that first introduced us to these characters. A live-action remake of LILO & Stitch is in the works and scheduled to be released later this year.
• ARAB (6A: The "A" of UAE) The United ARAB Emirates (UAE) is a Western Asian country located on the Arabian Peninsula. The capital of the UAE is Abu Dhabi. One interesting thing about the UAE is that, while the population of the country is just over 10 million people, only 12% of those are UAE citizens. The vast majority of people living in the UAE are expatriates.
• GOTHAM (8D: Batman's city) GOTHAM City, often referred to simply as GOTHAM, was first identified as Batman's home in the DC comic, Batman #4 (1940). Although the look and feel of the fictional city were influenced mainly by New York City, GOTHAM is generally depicted as being located in New Jersey. GOTHAM is, of course, not only home to Batman, but also many of his foes, including the Joker and the Penguin.
• ABU (11D: "Aladdin" monkey) In the Disney movie Aladdin, ABU is Aladdin's kleptomaniac pet monkey. Frank Walker provided the vocal effects for ABU in both the 1992 animated movie, and the 2019 live-action remake.
• MEMPHIS (19D: Beale Street's city) Beale Street is located in MEMPHIS, Tennessee, and is the street that W.C. Handy's 1917 song, "Beale Street Blues" took its name from. Beale Street is an entertainment district with historical significance for Black musicians. In 1977, an act of Congress declared Beale Street the "Home of the Blues."
• MALT (52D: Brewing ingredient) Beer is made from water, MALT, hops, and yeast. MALT is grain that has been prepared in a specific way. Various grains can be malted; barley is perhaps the most common. MALT provides the sugar that feeds the yeast during the fermentation process.
• TBS (56D: "Miracle Workers" channel) Miracle Workers is a TV series that premiered on TBS in 2019. It is an anthology comedy series based on the writings of Simon Rich. An anthology series presents a different story each season. The first season of Miracle Workers is set in Heaven, and was based on the 2012 novel What in God's Name. The second season, based on the short story, "Revolution," was set in the Middle Ages. The third season of Miracle Workers is titled Oregon Trail. The fourth season, End Times is set in a post-apocalyptic future.

TMI is an abbreviation for "too much information," and is generally used when someone is sharing overly personal details about their life. TMI shows up as an answer in crossword puzzles on occasion. The clues we've seen for TMI include ["Eww, don't finish that story!"] and ["Please, no more details!"]. It was fun to see this occasional crossword answer used as a theme today. My favorite of the theme answers is DON'T MIND IF I DO. Congratulations to Rachel Simon making a USA TODAY crossword debut! Thank you, Rachel, for this enjoyable puzzle.

For more on USA TODAY’s Crossword Puzzles

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