October 23, 2025

Title: SHUT THE FRONT DOOR

Constructor: Katherine Baicker

Editor: Amie Walker

Theme synopsis:

• SLIDING SCALE (20A: Income-based fee structure)
• POCKET VETO (30A: "Bill-killing" executive power)
• SCREEN TEST (45A: Part of some chemistry exams?)
• STORMTROOPER (53A: "You can go about your business" speaker in "Star Wars")

SHUT THE FRONT DOOR: The FRONT part of each theme answer is a type of DOOR: SLIDING DOOR, POCKET DOOR, SCREEN DOOR, and STORM DOOR.

And now a word from our constructor:

Katherine: I'm thrilled to have my USA Today debut!  I started constructing in 2021, and would never have figured out how to break in without the generous help of so many experienced constructors who were willing to collaborate with an eager but clueless newbie.  I built this puzzle around the title phrase after casting about for a way to turn it into a theme.  Left on the cutting room floor: PET PROJECT, REVOLVING CREDIT, TRAP SHOOT, and GARAGE BAND, among others. I'm grateful to Amanda Rafkin for all of her work to make it better.  Hope you enjoy it! 

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• ADELE (14A: "Set Fire to the Rain" singer) "Set Fire to the Rain" is a 2011 song by ADELE, from her album, 21. ADELE's performance of the song at the Royal Albert Hall won a Grammy Award for Best Pop Solo Performance.
• POLAR (17A: "The ___ Express") The POLAR Express is a 1985 picture book by Chris Van Allsburg. In the book, the titular train takes children to the North Pole to visit Santa. The book was adapted into a 2004 movie of the same name.
• BAT (25A: Something to take to a ball?) This clue has me imagining a comical scene of taking a baseball BAT as one's date to a formal dress ball. That's not what the clue is suggesting, of course (fun as it is to imagine...). The question mark in the clue alerts solvers to be on the lookout for some trickiness. A BAT is something one would "take to a ball" as in "use to hit a ball."
• SAO (28A: ___ Tome and Principe) SÃO Tomé and Príncipe is an island country in the Gulf of Guinea, off the western coast of Africa. Its capital is SÃO Tomé.
• POCKET VETO (30A: "Bill-killing" executive power) In the United States, if a president does not sign a bill that Congress has passed, it becomes law after 10 days as if he has signed it. A POCKET VETO occurs if, at the end of the ten-day period, the bill cannot be returned to Congress because Congress is no longer in session. In that case, the bill does not become law, and must be reintroduced as a new bill by Congress in order to become law. A POCKET VETO can be avoided if Congress simply designates an agent to receive VETO messages and other communications while they are not in session. Franklin D. Roosevelt has the most POCKET VETOes of any U.S. president – 263.
• SCREEN TEST (45A: Part of some chemistry exams?) Here's another question mark clue, so expect some trickiness. The "chemistry" here is not referring to a high school or college science course, but to the chemistry between actors during a SCREEN TEST to audition for a movie role.
• IAGO (51A: "Othello" villain) The complete title of Othello, which William Shakespeare wrote around 1603, is The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice. It's been some time since I've read or seen Othello. Here's a summary of the play: Othello is a military commander. He secretly married Desdemona against her father's wishes. IAGO serves under Othello, and although Othello trusts him, IAGO is jealous of Othello. IAGO connives to make Othello believe Desdemona has been unfaithful. ***Spoiler Alert*** As many of Shakespeare's tragedies do, Othello ends with the deaths of several of its characters, including Desdemona and Othello. IAGO, however, is still alive at the end of the play.
• STORMTROOPER (53A: "You can go about your business" speaker in "Star Wars") This line, "You can go about your business," is spoken by a STORMTROOPER in the 1977 movie Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope. The STORMTROOPER says this line because Obi-Wan Kenobi is using a Jedi mind trick on it. In the same scene, Obi-Wan Kenobi also gets the STORMTROOPER to say, "These aren't the droids you're looking for."
• BABKA (58A: Sweet braided cake) A BABKA is a braided sweet bread that originated in Jewish communities in Eastern Europe. It may be filled with cinnamon, chocolate, fruit, or cheese. Earlier this month we saw BABKA clued as [Cake whose name translates to grandmother].
• GAY (61A: The "G" in GLAAD) GLAAD is a media monitoring organization whose name is an acronym of GAY & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. According to their website, GLADD serves as a "storyteller, media force, resource, and advocate" so that "authentic LGBTQ stories are seen, heard, and actualized." I'm happy to highlight the important work of GLAAD.
• EMO (64A: Genre for broody teens) and GOTHS (52D: (Some broody teens) I appreciate the echo of "broody teens" in these two clues.
• RAPS (1D: Performs like Eve) Eve is a RAP artist, songwriter, and actress. Her debut album, Let there be Eve ... Ruff Ryders' First Lady was released in 1999 and reached the top of the Billboard 200 chart.
• SPACEK (8D: "Carrie" actor Sissy) Sissy SPACEK played the title role in the 1976 movie, Carrie, the first movie adaptation of Stephen King's 1974 novel.
• GUILT TRIP (9D: "Travel" that may leave you feeling lousy) I generally enjoy travel, but I'm not a fan of the GUILT TRIP. Zero out of ten; would not recommend.
• ADA (11D: 1990 anti discrimination law) The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 prohibits discrimination based on disability, requires employers to make accommodations, and imposes accessibility requirements on public facilities.
• SEANCE (28D: Spirited gathering?) I was going to say that a SEANCE isn't a "spirited gathering" in the sense of being lively and energetic, but technically I guess one could have a SEANCE in which lively and energetic spirits gather. 
• VIC (32D: Old ___ (London theater)) The Old VIC is a theater in Waterloo, London, England. The theater was founded in 1818 as the Royal Coburg Theatre. In 1833 it was renamed the Royal Victoria Theatre. It has had a couple of other names over the years, but once it became known as "Old VIC," that name stuck. Old VIC was also the name of a repertory company based at the theatre for many years.
• TARGET (47D: Store with a mascot named Bullseye) The official mascot of TARGET is a white bull terrier named Bullseye, who made his debut in 1999. TARGET's red bullseye logo is painted around the dog's left eye when it is working as the mascot. The vegetable-based paint (approved by the Humane Society) is applied by a professional makeup artist. 
• DOO-WOP (48D: '50s music genre) DOO-WOP is a sub-genre of rhythm and blues. The focus of DOO-WOP is vocal group harmony with little to no instrumentation. DOO-WOP peaked in the 1950s, with groups such as the Drifters and the Platters. There have been occasional DOO-WOP or DOO-WOP-influenced hits since then, and the style remains popular with a cappella groups.
• RENT (57D: "One Song Glory" musical) "One Song Glory" is a song from Jonathan Larson's musical, RENT. The song is sung by Roger in Act 1. Two days ago we saw RENT clued as ["I'll Cover You" musical]. There are 42 songs in RENT – that's a lot of potential clue material.
• A few other clues I especially enjoyed:
• FAD (44A: It's here today, gone tomorrow)
• TWICE (62A: One more than once)
• EERIE (5D: Like things in the uncanny valley)

"SHUT THE FRONT DOOR" is a minced oath, a phrase used as a replacement for an expletive or blasphemous phrase. It's such a great evocative phrase – almost better than the phrase it's used to replace. This theme makes me realize that there are a lot of different types of DOORs. Congratulations to Katherine Baicker making her USA Today crossword debut! Thank you, Kate, for this enjoyable puzzle.