September 6, 2025

Title: SOUP'S ON (Freestyle)

Constructor: Kareem Ayas

Editor: Amanda Rafkin

Theme synopsis:

SOUP'S ON (Freestyle): There's no theme today, as this is a freestyle, or themeless, puzzle. The title is a nod to LOBSTER BISQUE (37A: Creamy shellfish soup).

And now a word from our constructor:

Kareem: This is my favorite USA Today puzzle I’ve written! The two 14s going through the middle entry, references to “House” and dogs and bats and eid and hummus and labneh! Not to mention a favorite of mine: SOUP! Particularly the center seed entry - a creamy shellfish soup which I love love love!

What I learned from today's puzzle:

• ESME (16D: ___ & Roy (animated show)) ESME & Roy  is an animated children's TV series that originally aired from 2018-2021. The title characters are ESME, a 9-year-old black girl, and her best friend Roy, a lovable, yellow monster. ESME & Roy live in Monsterdale, an aptly-named town populated mainly by colorful monsters. ESME & Roy are in demand as monster sitters, and they work together to solve problems.

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• TELL ME MORE (13A: "I'm all ears!") This clue reminded me of the August 24 crossword in which I'M ALL EARS was a theme answer.
• LOO (27A: The head of Britain?) The question mark in the clue alerts solvers to be on the lookout for wordplay and trickiness. The clue is not referring to the head of a country, but rather using "the head" to mean a toilet, which is also referred to in Britain as a LOO.
• EID (32A: Post-Ramadan holiday) Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. Muslims around the world observe Ramadan by fasting from sunrise to sunset during the 29 or 30 days of the observance. EID al-Fitr, also called the "Festival of Breaking the Fast," marks the end of fasting during the month of Ramadan.
• NEO (33A: "The One" in "The Matrix") In The Matrix movies - of which there have been four to date - Keanu Reeves portrays computer programmer Thomas Anderson, who operates as a hacker using the name NEO. The name NEO is an anagram of "one." In The Matrix, "The One" refers to a randomly selected human that carries a special code. I have never seen The Matrix, but I have learned this information from solving crosswords.
• GATO (42A: Spanish for "cat") Mi GATO, Willow, agradece las referencias a GATOs en cualquier idioma. (My cat, Willow, appreciates cat references in any language.

• NYG (48A: MetLife Stadium team (Abbr.)) MetLife Stadium is located west of New York City in East Rutherford, New Jersey. It is the home stadium of two NFL teams, the New York Giants (NYG) and the New York Jets.
• COME ON DOWN (62A: "The Price is Right" catchphrase) As soon as I read this clue, I heard Johnny Olson's voice in my head saying "COME ON DOWN! You're the next contestant on The Price is Right!" Johnny Olson was the show's announcer from the time it premiered in 1972 until his death in 1985. The Price is Right aired its 10,000 episode earlier this year, and is the longest-running game show in the United States.
• DENTS (68A: Car dings that might be fixed with hot water) The hot (boiling) water serves to soften the car's surface so minor DENTS can be pushed out from the opposite side or popped out using a plunger. However, hot water may damage a car's paint, so proceed with caution.
• OLIVE OIL (2D: Ingredient customarily drizzled on labneh or hummus) Labneh is a thick, creamy dairy product made from strained yogurt. Hummus is dip made of chickpeas and tahini. Both of these Mediterranean dishes are delicious drizzled with OLIVE OIL.
• VELCRO DOG (3D: Pup extremely attached to its owner) This clue and answer made me smile! VELCRO DOG is such a great phrase. I have known a VELCRO DOG or two. (As I write this, my VELCRO cat is in my lap "helping" me...)
• DEC (5D: National Crossword Puzzle Day mo.) National Crossword Puzzle Day is celebrated each year on DEC. 21. That's the date in 1913 that the New York World published the first crossword puzzle, which was constructed by Arthur Wynne. Of course, National Crossword Puzzle Day is a holiday worthy of celebration, but we know any day is a good day to solve a crossword.
• AMES (9D: Iowa State University city) Iowa State University is located in AMES, Iowa. Not to be confused with the University of Iowa, which is located in Iowa City, Iowa. 
• SELA (12D: "House" actress Ward) The medical drama House originally aired from 2004 to 2012. Hugh Laurie portrays the title character, Dr. Gregory House. SELA Ward portrays Stacy Warner, House's ex-girlfriend in several episodes in the first two seasons of the show.
• UTE (20D: Salt Lake City athlete) The athletic teams of the University of Utah, located in Salt Lake City, are known as the Utah UTEs.
• LEE (29D: Gymnast Sunisa) I wrote about Sunisa LEE when we saw her name as a theme answer August 26.
• SUPERNOVA (36D: Huge display of star power?) The question mark in the clue alerts solvers to look out for a bit of trickiness. The trick here is that "star power" is not referring to a celebrity's influence, but the power of a celestial star. A SUPERNOVA is an explosion of a star.
• MASTERS (45D: Recordings that Taylor Swift regained ownership of in 2025) In May of this year, Taylor Swift bought the MASTERS for her first six albums. This purchase ended a years-long saga that saw the artist re-recording some of her earlier albums. 
• LUCID (51D: ___ dream (dream in which you know you're dreaming)) The term "LUCID dream" to describe a dream in which the dreamer is aware they are dreaming, was coined by Dutch psychiatrist Frederik van Eeden in 1913, though descriptions of such dreams predate the term. Psychologist Stephen LaBerge is a pioneer in the study of LUCID dreaming; he founded The Lucidity Institute at Stanford University in 1987. Some studies have suggested that 55% of people have experienced LUCID dreams. There is some evidence that the occurrence of LUCID dreams may be increased by training and practice. I don't have LUCID dreams often, but I have experienced being in a dream and thinking, "Oh, wait, this is a dream. I can change the scenario here." 
• AIRES (57D: Buenos ___, Argentina) Buenos AIRES is the capital of Argentina and the country's largest city. Its nicknames include "The Queen of El Plata" and "The Paris of South America."
• RENT (59D: Flat fee?) The question mark in this clue encourages solvers to think creatively. The clue is not referencing just any old "flat fee," but rather a fee for a flat (apartment) – RENT.
• A few other answers I particularly enjoyed:
• IDEA (4A: Product of a lightbulb moment)
• I DON'T GET IT (66A: "This confuses me")
• IT'S BEEN TOO LONG (4D: "I haven't seen you in forever!")

LOBSTER BISQUE is a great grid-spanning answer. Like Kareem, I also love this SOUP ... and now I'm hungry for it! There's a lot to enjoy in this freestyle puzzle, even if it did make me hungry. Thank you, Kareem, for this excellent puzzle.