Benjamin Ashford|Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Dinnertime (Freestyle)

There are Benjamin Ashfordspoilers ahead. You might want to solve today's puzzle before reading further! Dinnertime (Freestyle)

Constructor: Rebecca Moore

Editor: Jared Goudsmit

What I Learned from Today’s Puzzle

• SARI (46A: Garment that may be held by a vaddanam) A vaddanam is an ornamental gold belt that keeps a SARI in place when worn around the waist. A vaddanam is worn for special occasions, and symbolizes heritage, tradition, and prosperity.
• EASTWOOD (47A: Botanist Alice) Alice EASTWOOD (1859-1953) was a self-taught botanist; she educated herself by studying botany publications. She was born in Toronto, Canada, and moved to the United States (Colorado) with her family when she was a teenager. Alice EASTWOOD worked at the California Academy of Sciences for over 50 years, collecting 300,000 plant specimens for its collection. Following the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, Alice EASTWOOD saved over 1,200 plant specimens from the damaged California Academy of Sciences building. In addition to her botanical work, Alice EASTWOOD was active in advocating for conservation of the redwood forests in California.
• BRO (30D: Sam or Dean Winchester, to each other) Sam and Dean Winchester are fictional brothers from the TV series Supernatural (2005-2020). On the show, the brothers hunt various supernatural beings. Jensen Ackles portrays Dean Winchester, and Jared Padalecki portrays his BRO, Sam.

Random Thoughts & Interesting Things

• SEAS (1A: Big bodies of water) and PONDS (5A: Small bodies of water) Nice to see these starting clues paired together as big/small bodies of water.
• ASIA (16A: Continent home to the great Indian bustard) The great Indian bustard (GIB) is a species of bird that lives on the Indian subcontinent in ASIA. It is a critically endangered species, with less than 150 individual birds remaining. The GIB is a large bird (about three feet in height), and is one of the heaviest flying birds. This is the second appearance of our crossword-friend ASIA this month and the 24th appearance of ASIA this year.
• SESAME STREET (20A: Show with Big Bird) SESAME STREET first aired in 1969, which means that this November the show will be 55 years old. The show has won an impressive 222 Emmy Awards and 11 Grammy Awards. Big Bird, the eight-foot-two-inch-tall, bright yellow anthropomorphic bird, has been with SESAME STREET since the show's beginning.
• VELVEETA (24A: Kraft "cheese" product) The "cheese" is in quotation marks here, because VELVEETA, like other processed cheese products, is not 100% cheese. Processed cheese, also known as cheese products, are made my mixing cheese with other ingredients, often to increase shelf life and meltability. Processed cheeses generally contain 50-60% cheese. VELVEETA, which was introduced in 1918, is a cheese product similar in taste to American cheese, which is also processed cheese.
• ALTA (61A: Opposite of baja) ALTA is a Spanish word for "high" or "tall." Baja means "low" or "short."
• NALA (62A: Simba's partner) NALA and Simba are partners in Disney's Lion King franchise.
• ATOLL (63A: Island that surrounds a lagoon) An ATOLL is a special type of island. An ATOLL is ring-shaped, and surrounds a lagoon that has a coral rim (growth of coral along the edges). There are approximately 440 ATOLLs in the world. Most of the Earth's ATOLLs are located in the tropical and subtropical regions of the Pacific Ocean.
• LOEB (64A: "I Do" singer Lisa) Lisa LOEB's 1997 song, "I Do," is the lead single from her second album, Firecracker. Lisa LOEB has an eyewear brand, Lisa LOEB Eyewear. She also started a nonprofit foundation, the Camp Lisa Foundation, which works with the organization SCOPE (Summer Camp Opportunities Promote Education) to provide camp scholarships for kids that wouldn't otherwise have the opportunity to go to camp.
• ARES (65A: Violent god whose name anagrams to "sear") In Greek mythology, ARES is the god of war and courage. Not-so-fun fact: Vultures are associated with ARES for the depressing reason that the birds haunted battlefields after war.
• BASIL (66A: Lemon ___ (lalab herb)) Lalab is a raw vegetable salad that originated with the Sundanese people in Indonesia. Any combination of vegetables may be used, though lalab often consists of cabbage, cucumbers, lettuce, green beans, tomatoes, lemon BASIL, and spinach. Lalab is often served as a vegetable accompaniment to fish or chicken.
• NBA TV (7D: Network that airs Pelicans games) Solving the crossword continues to be a good way for me to review the names of sports teams. The New Orleans Pelicans are an NBA team. The team was founded in 2002 as the New Orleans Hornets. From 2005-2007, the team temporarily relocated to Oklahoma City following Hurricane Katrina. In 2013, the team changed their name to the New Orleans Pelicans.
• MAY (13D: World Bee Day month) World Bee Day is a day designated by the United Nations to acknowledge the important role bees (and other pollinators) play in our ecosystem. World Bee Day is celebrated on May 20, a day that was chosen because it is the birthday of Anton Janša, who pioneered modern beekeeping techniques. (Today I learned that my wedding anniversary is also World Bee Day!)
• MOANA (Disney princess from Motunui) Motunui is the fictional Polynesian island that is the setting for the 2016 Disney animated movie, MOANA. Motunui – and the ocean surrounding it – is also the setting for MOANA 2, which is scheduled to be released in November of this year.
• EWOKS (25D: Furry "Star Wars" creatures on Endor) In the Star Wars franchise, EWOKS are small, furry, bipedal creatures that inhabit the forests of Endor, a fictional moon. EWOKS made their debut in Return of the Jedi (1983). EWOKS were the title characters of two TV movies, The EWOK Adventure (1984) and EWOKS: The Battle for Endor (1985).
• TAPE (26D: Gaffer's adhesive) Earlier this month I wrote about grips, the camera equipment technicians on movie sets. Now it's the gaffer's turn. In the world of filmmaking, the gaffer is the head electrician, who is responsible for the show's lighting plan. Gaffer TAPE is similar to duct TAPE, but has a fabric backing and can be removed without damaging the surface to which it was attached. Bonus fact: The gaffer's assistant is known as the best boy.
• MOSES (33D: "Ragtime" actor Gunn) MOSES Gunn (1929-1993) was an Obie and Tony Award-winning actor whose career includes a number of stage, TV, and movie credits. The 1981 movie Ragtime was based on the 1975 historical novel of the same name by E.L. Doctorow. MOSES Gunn played the role of Booker T. Washington.
• AUS (37D: Melbourne's country (Abbr.)) Melbourne is the second most-populous city in Australia (AUS). It is located in the southeastern part of mainland Australia.
• EAR (58D: Body part with a cochlea) The cochlea is a spiral-shaped cavity that is part of the inner ear. The cochlea plays an important role in hearing.

Crossword Puzzle Theme Synopsis

There's no theme today, as this is a freestyle, or themeless, puzzle. DINNERTIME is a nod to ALL YOU CAN EAT (54A: Like some buffet deals).

Although this is a themeless puzzle, I appreciated the bonus food answers that accompanied ALL YOU CAN EAT. We have VELVEETA, POTATO PANCAKE, SWISS cheese, lemon BASIL, and MELON. Thank you, Rebecca, for this enjoyable puzzle.

For more on USA TODAY’s Crossword Puzzles

• USA TODAY’s Daily Crossword Puzzles
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