October 21, 2025

Title: SLEEP CYCLE

Constructor: Carina da Rosa

Editor: Amie Walker

Theme synopsis:

• DOUBLE ESPRESSO (20A: Coffee order with an extra shot)
• PICKLE SPEAR (38A: Dill-icious topping on a Chicago-style hot dog?)
• FULL SPEED AHEAD (58A: "Hit the gas!")

SLEEP CYCLE: Each theme answer contains an anagram of the word SLEEP: DOUBLE ESPRESSO, PICKLE SPEAR, and FULL SPEED AHEAD.

And now a word from our constructor:

Carina: For my solo debut in the USAT, it seemed only fitting that I'd create a puzzle about one of my favorite parts of life: sleeping. It's when I do my best work... I don't know what that says about my waking brain.

My husband will also tell you that I always have wild dreams--and that I (annoyingly for him) can recall everything about them in vivid, movie-like detail. Big thanks to Amanda for helping me refine the themers. All credit goes to her for PICKLE SPEAR!

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• ACTS (5A: There are eight in the two-part play "Angels in America") Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes is a two-part play – with eight ACTS – by Tony Kushner. The play, which tells the story of a gay man living with AIDS, won a Pulitzer Prize for Drama and a Tony Award for Best Play. It has been adapted into an HBO miniseries and an opera.
• RENT (14A: "I'll Cover You" musical) "I'll Cover You" is a song from Jonathan Larson's musical, RENT. The song is sung in Act 1 by the characters Angel and Collins, and a reprise is sung in Act 2 by Collins and the company.
• WHAT (15A: First word of many Google searches) I really like this clue. In the process of writing this blog, I do many Google searches that begin with the words, "WHAT is..."
• URSA (17A: "Major" player in astronomy?) The question mark in this clue alerts solvers to expect some trickiness. The clue is not referring to an important astronomer who might be considered a major player, but to a constellation that includes the word "major" in its name. URSA Major, also known as the Great Bear, is a constellation visible in the northern sky. Its main seven stars form the Big Dipper.
• GENE (18A: "Singin' in the Rain" star Kelly) Singin' in the Rain is a 1952 musical movie starring GENE Kelly, Donald O'Connor, and Debbie Reynolds. The rom-com portrays Hollywood in the late 1920s, and the main characters are performers caught in the transition from silent movies to "talkies." The movie contains the iconic scene of GENE Kelly tap dancing through puddles while singing the 1929 song which from which the movie takes its title.
• ESTAR (27A: Counterpart of "ser," in Spanish) In Spanish, the words "ser" and "ESTAR" both mean "to be." Ser is used to talk about what something is (permanent qualities), while ESTAR is used to talk about how something is (temporary states such as locations or emotions). The crossword is encouraging me to brush up on my limited Spanish knowledge. Here's a Duolingo guide: "ser vs. ESTAR: what's the difference?"
• ETAS (35A: ORD landing predictions) ORD is the airport code for Chicago's O'Hare International Airport.
• USA (37A: Country that's home to Carhenge) Carhenge is a Stonehenge replica created out of cars painted with gray spray paint. It is located in the USA near Alliance, Nebraska. I haven't been to Carhenge, but it's on my list of places to stop one of these days when my husband and I are on a road trip out west.
• PICKLE SPEAR (38A: Dill-icious topping on a Chicago-style hot dog?) A Chicago-style hot dog is an all-beef hot dog served on a poppy seed bun and topped with yellow mustard, chopped onions, relish, a dill PICKLE SPEAR, tomato, pickled peppers, and celery salt. There is no ketchup on a traditional Chicago-style hot dog. 
• ELISE (49A: Tony winner Renee ___ Goldsberry) Renée ELISE Goldberry originated the role of Angelica Schuyler in the original Broadway production of Hamilton. She won a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for this role. 
• ARTIST (53A: Frida Kahlo or Jean-Michel Basquiat, for example) Frida Kahlo (1907-1954) was a Mexican painter known especially for her self-portraits. Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960-1988) was part of the neo-expressionism art movement in the late 1980s. This is a nice clue because solvers need only be familiar with one of these ARTISTs to be successful.
• GAGA (66A: "Poker Face" singer Lady ___) "Poker Face" is a 2008 song by Lady GAGA.
• TRUDGE (1D: Walk through deep snow) and IT'S (31D: "___ not that deep") The interplay between these two clues made me chuckle.
• EPA (26D: Clean Air Act org.) The Clean Air Act, which is intended to control air pollution in the U.S., was enacted in 1963 and has been amended multiple times since then. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is the agency that administers the Clean Air Act and develops regulations to meet the law's mandates.
• SELENA (36D: "Bidi Bidi Bom Bom" singer) "Bidi Bidi Bom Bom" is a 1993 song by SELENA. The song's title is an onomatopoeic phrase referring to the heartbeat of a lovestruck person.
• PORTUGAL (38D: Country where pasteis de nata originated) Pastéis de nata (singular pastel de nata) are tarts that consist of flaky layers of pastry filled with creamy egg custard. The pastry originated in PORTUGAL prior to the 18th century. Catholic convents and monasteries at that time used egg whites to starch clothing. This resulted in an excess of egg yolks, which were used to make cakes and pastries. One of those pastries was pastel de nata.
• LAO (39D: ___ Gan Ma (chili sauce brand)) LAO Gan Ma is a brand of chili sauces originating from China and marketed worldwide. "LAO Gan Ma" translates to "old godmother."
• ICE AGE (50D: Period in Earth's history with a chill vibe?) Of course, none of us know if the ICE AGE had a relaxed, easygoing vibe, but it definitely had a "chill vibe" in terms of chilly temperatures. Over the Earth's more than 4.5-billion-year history there has actually been more than one ICE AGE. If you'd like to read more, I recommend this extensive NOAA article.
• A few other clues I especially enjoyed: 
• HIS (33A: Word replaced in "herstory")
• HEROES (2D: "Not all ___ wear capes")
• IDEAS (56D: Thoughts that might be floated)

The word CYCLE in today's title is functioning as an anagram indicator. The word SLEEP is cycling through letter configurations of LE/ESP, LE/SPE, and L/SPEE. It occurs to me upon reviewing the theme that a DOUBLE ESPRESSO might interfere with one's SLEEP CYCLE. Thank you, Carina, for this delightful puzzle.