September 28, 2025

Title: SPICING THINGS UP

Constructor: Adrian Johnson

Editor: Amanda Rafkin

Theme synopsis:

• MILD-MANNERED (22A: Having a gentle disposition)
• MEDIUM-RARE (37A: Like really pink steak)
• HOT DIGGITY DOG (48A: "I'm so jazzed to hear that!")

SPICING THINGS UP: The "spiciness level" of the first words of the theme answers progresses from MILD to MEDIUM to HOT.

What I learned from today's puzzle:

• BISAN (15A: Award-winning journalist Owda) BISAN Owda is a Palestinian journalist, activist, and filmmaker known for her social media posts documenting her experiences of living in the Gaza Strip during the ongoing Gaza War. She begins many of her messages with the words, "I am still alive." Her Instagram videos are heartbreaking to watch. She's doing important work sharing with the world about conditions in Gaza. In 2024, BISAN Owda was honored with an Emmy Award for Outstanding Hard News Feature Story: Short Form for her Al Jazeera Media Network show, It's BISAN from Gaza and I'm Still Alive.
• HALA (58A: "Salt Houses" author Alyan) Salt Houses is a 2017 historical fiction novel by HALA Alyan. The book tells the story of a fictional Palestinian family, the Yacoubs, as they live through multiple wars during the years 1963 to 2014. 
• UGALI (2D: African cornmeal dish) UGALI is a dish eaten widely across Africa. It is known by many different names in different places. UGALI is made by cooking cornmeal in boiling water or milk until it reaches a dough-like consistency. 
• CARDAMOM (4D: Spice used to flavor yazdi cake) Yazdi cake originated from Yazd, a city in central IRAN. As the clue informs us, it is spiced with CARDAMOM; raisins and pistachios are also sometimes added to the cake.
• TSUI (30D: "Once Upon a Time in China" director Hark) TSUI Hark is a filmmaker in Hong Kong. He created and produced the Hong Kong film and TV franchise Once Upon a Time in China. The movies and TV series of the franchise recount fictional adventures of a real-life Chinese martial arts master, Wong Fei-Hung (1847-1925).

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• TACO (8A: Food often served al pastor) TACOs al pastor is made with pork that has been marinated with pineapple, dried chilies, and spices, and then skewered on a spit and grilled. Would you like MILD, MEDIUM, or HOT salsa with your TACOs al pastor?
• ALAN (19A: Computer science pioneer Turing) I have previously written about ALAN Turing.
• RAPS (21A: Performs like GloRilla) GloRilla is a RAP artist from Nashville, Tennessee. Her breakout hit was the 2022 single "F.N.F (Let's Go)" (with Hitkidd). GloRilla's debut studio album, Glorious, was released last year.
• TIM (25A: Former "SNL" cast member Meadows) TIM Meadows is a former SNL cast member (1991-2000). During his time on SNL, he spoofed multiple famous people, including Oprah Winfrey, Erykah Badu, and Tiger Woods. TIM Meadows starred in the 2000 movie, The Ladies Man, which was based on an SNL character he played, Leon Phelps. More recently, TIM Meadows portrays Principal Duvall in the 2024 musical movie, Mean Girls, based on the stage musical of the same name. He also played the role of Principal Duvall in the 2004 movie Mean Girls, which the musical was based on.
• ISLA (36A: Cuba o Hispaniola) The key to this clue is the word "o" – Spanish for "or" – which is a hint that the answer will be a Spanish word. The island (ISLA en español) of Cuba along with the ISLA de la Juventud, and several minor island chains comprise the country of Cuba. Hispaniola is a Caribbean island that is part of the Greater Antilles. The countries of Haiti and the Dominican Republic are located on Hispaniola.
• CHEMIST (53A: Scientist to go to for solutions?) A CHEMIST may not be able to provide you with solutions to your problems, but they might be able to mix you up all kinds of solution in their lab.
• LUMON (6D: Fictional biotech company in "Severance") I have written about the TV series Severance several times previously. On the show, Adam Scott plays the role of Mark Scout, one of the workers at LUMON Industries who agrees to a "severance" procedure that separates work memories from non-work memories.
• CATS (10A: Scratching post users) Well, here's hoping the CATS are using the scratching post, and not the furniture. Here's a photo of my CAT, Willow, definitely not thinking about scratching a chair.

• ONE (11D: Number in this clue's number) Hmm, would that be the ONE or the ONE?
• HE'S (35D: "___ dead, Jim") "HE'S dead, Jim," is a catchphrase of the Star Trek character Dr. Leonard H. McCoy, known as "Bones." The line is addressed to Captain James Kirk, aka Jim.
• DING (38A: Apt rhyme for "ping") It seems like it's been some time since I've talked about compiling a list of all the fun "apt word for" or "apt name for" clues we've seen. Add ping and DING to the list.
• SATIRE (41D: Genre for "The Thanksgiving Play") The Thanksgiving Play by Larissa Fasthorse is a SATIRE that revolves around four white people attempting to create a respectful and culturally sensitive play about the first Thanksgiving.
• OMEGA (49D: End of the Greek alphabet) Yesterday I reviewed the beginning of the Greek alphabet. Now it's time to review the end. The 24-letter Greek alphabet finishes off with tau, upsilon, phi, chi, psi, and OMEGA.
• HODA (54D: "Today" co-host Kotb) HODA Kotb co-hosted Today (NBC's morning news show) from 2007 to 2025. She's also an author, and has written books for children and adults. Her 2010 autobiography is titled, HODA: How I Survived War Zones, Bad Hair, Cancer, and Kathie Lee.
• SHE (60D: ___Believes Cup (women's soccer tournament) The SHEBelieves Cup is an invitational women's soccer tournament held in the United States. The tournament was started in 2016, growing out of the SHEBelieves movement that was inspired by the U.S. national team's run-up to the World Cup.

HOT DIGGITY DOG! That theme answer certainly brought a smile to my face. HOT is not my choice of spice level, however – that would be MEDIUM. I enjoyed this theme. Congratulations to Adrian Johnson making a USA Today debut. Thank you, Adrian, for this spicy puzzle.