October 16, 2025

Title: IT'S A SETUP

Constructor: John McClung

Editor: Amie Walker

Theme synopsis:

• GREAT WHITE SHARK (4D: Ocean predator with around 300 teeth)
• CHOCOLATE SYRUP (10D: Gooey sundae topping)
• PIRATE SHIPS (17D: Vessels with cannons in a Disneyland water ride)

IT'S A SETUP: Each vertical theme answer contains the letter string T-E-S, which is the word SET going UP: GREAT WHITE SHARK, CHOCOLATE SYRUP, and PIRATE SHIPS. 

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• ARCTIC 8A: Region that includes parts of Finland and Canada) The ARCTIC is the region around the North Pole. In addition to parts of Finland and Canada, the ARCTIC also includes the northernmost parts of Norway, Sweden, Russia, the United States (Alaska), and Iceland.
• SAHARA (15A: Largest hot desert in the world) It's interesting to have the ARCTIC and the SAHARA bumping up against each other in the grid; they certainly aren't adjacent areas of Earth. The SAHARA Desert is located on the African continent, quite a ways from the ARCTIC.
• TIME LOOP (16A: "Groundhog Day" plot device) Groundhog Day is a 1993 movie in which the main character – played by Bill Murray – is stuck in a TIME LOOP and has to relive February 2 repeatedly. Six days ago I told you what song Bill Murray's character wakes up to each morning. Do you remember?
• RUTH (36A: "Passing" star Negga) Passing is a 2021 movie based on Nella Larsen's 1929 book of the same name. In the movie, Tessa Thompson and RUTH Negga portray Irene and Clare, Black women who were childhood friends. When the two reconnect as adults, Irene realizes Clare has been "passing" as white, and has married a wealthy, racist, white man. 
• ACAI (39A: Three-syllable fruit) Well, there are a number of three-syllable fruits – banana, blueberry, strawberry, cantaloupe, just to name a few – but none of those fit here, of course. The four-letter, three-syllable fruit is our crossword-friend ACAI, pronounce "ah-sah-EE."
• SUSHI (50A: ___Go! (game in which a squid nigiri scores 3 points)) This is a fun clue, because even solvers who aren't familiar with the game SUSHI Go! can make an educated guess at the answer if they recognize squid nigiri as a type of SUSHI. I did recognize the game SUSHI Go! and actually own it. It's a fast-paced card game themed around various types of SUSHI.
• VAMPIRE (68A: The "It" of "Say it. Out loud. Say it" in "Twilight") In the 2008 movie, Twilight, based on the 2005 Stephanie Meyer book of the same name, Bella (Kristen Stewart) says to Edward (Robert Pattinson), "I know what you are." Edward replies, "Say it. Out loud. Say it." And Bella replies, "VAMPIRE."
• DONKEY (69A: Braying animal) and ASS (70A: Braying animal) A DONKEY by any other name is still an ASS ... or something like that. Fun clue echo.
• GREAT WHITE SHARK (4D: Ocean predator with around 300 teeth) I appreciate a clue with a fun animal fact. The teeth of a GREAT WHITE SHARK are arranged in rows, conveyer belt-style, with back teeth moving forward to replace teeth in front when they fall out. About 50 teeth are in the front row. For comparison, most adult humans have 32 teeth. 
• RAP (9D: Flo Rida genre) Flo Rida is the professional name of RAP artist Tramar Lacel Dillard. Flo Rida's debut single, "Low," was released in 2007 and stayed at the top of the U.S. charts for 10 weeks. 
• TATE (11D: ___ Modern (London museum)) TATE Modern is one of four TATE galleries that house the United Kingdom's national art collection.
• LUCIA (28D: Saint ___ (Caribbean nation named after a woman)) Saint LUCIA is an island country in the Caribbean Sea. It is located northwest of Barbados. Saint LUCIA is named after Saint Lucy (also known as LUCIA of Syracuse), a Roman Christian martyr whose traditional feast day is December 13. The capital of Saint LUCIA is Castries.
• ASADO (33D: Pollo ___ (grilled chicken dish)) Pollo ASADO, also known as pollo a la brasa, blackened chicken, or charcoal chicken is a variety of rotisserie chicken associated with Peruvian cuisine.
• HSU (44D: "Joy Ride" star Stephanie) Joy Ride is a 2023 movie starring Stephanie HSU, Ashley Park, Sherry Cola, and Sabrina Wu as four friends on a once-in-a-lifetime adventure. Stephanie HSU portrays Kat Huang, a Chinese soap star.
• AHS (48D: "_merican _orror _tory") With a split fill-in-the-blank clue such as this one, each blank represents one missing letter. In this case, the missing letters are AHS, for the anthology TV series American Horror Story.
• NOVA (58D: Word after word"bossa" or before "Scotia") NOVA is making back-to-back appearances, as we saw it yesterday clued as [___ Scotia, Canada].
• ASIA (60D: Nepal's continent) Nepal is a landlocked country in South ASIA. It borders India and the Tibet Autonomous Region of China. The capital of Nepal is Kathmandu. Most of Nepal is located in the Himalayas. Mount Everest, Earth's highest above-sea-level mountain, is located on the Nepal-Tibet border. This is the second appearance this month for our crossword friend ASIA.
• DEE (64D: Actor and activist Ruby) Ruby DEE (1922-2014) played the role of Ruth Younger in the stage and film versions of A Raisin in the Sun. In addition to acting, Ruby DEE was a well-known civil rights activist. She emceed the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom and gave the eulogy at Malcolm X's funeral in 1965.
• YAS (66D: Affirmation with ball culture origins) YAS is a playful and celebratory alternative to the word "yes." As the clue informs us, the use of YAS has roots in ball culture, a predominantly Black and Latino LGBTQ+ subculture in the late 1980s.

The title of today's puzzle let me know just what to expect theme-wise. I correctly guessed that "SETUP" needed to be parsed as "SET UP," and that the theme would therefore, be found in the vertical answers. It was gratifying to fill in GREAT WHITE SHARK and see the word SET as I read UP the word. Congratulations to John McClung making a USA Today debut. Thank you, John, for this excellent puzzle.