November 13, 2025

Title: DOWN TO EARTH (Freestyle)

Constructor: Sala Wanetick

Editor: Amanda Rafkin

Theme synopsis:

DOWN TO EARTH (Freestyle): There's no theme today, as this is a freestyle, or themeless, puzzle. The title is a nod to the first words of MODEST MOUSE (21A: "Float On" rock band) and HUMBLE BRAGS (57A: Statements of false modesty).

And now a word from our constructor:

Sala: This may be one of my first themeless puzzles (it was all Amanda's suggestion, I would never make a themeless unprompted) ever!

If you are looking to keep the solving going, Emily Biegas and I wrote a crossword book and it comes out in two days! Grab a copy here or if you are in the Detroit area - check with your favorite local bookstore (and come to our launch party/tournament on 11/15!!)

Follow along for upcoming events here: https://www.instagram.com/blockpartypuzzles/

What I learned from today's puzzle:

• ARE (62A: "___ You the One?" (reality show)) ARE You the One? is a reality dating show in which men and women are secretly paired into couples by a matchmaking algorithm. The contestants try to discover the "perfect matches," with a prize to be shared by the group if they succeed. 
• ANGOLA (49D: Luanda's country) ANGOLA is a country on the western coast of Southern Africa. Luanda is ANGOLA's capital and largest city. 

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• ACT (8A: Perform in "Oh, Mary!") I have previously written about the play Oh, Mary!
• ENO (20A: Ambient musician Brian) Brian ENO coined the term "ambient music" to describe music designed to induce calm and be interesting and ignorable at the same time.
• MODEST MOUSE (21A: "Float On" rock band) "Float On" is a 2004 song by the rock band MODEST MOUSE. The song was the band's first to reach the top of Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks chart.
• SEAM (Line (tailor's version)) This is such a fun clue! A SEAM is indeed a tailor's version of a line. The clue is formatted in a nod to Taylor Swift's rerecorded music. The rerecorded songs are titled "(song title)" (Taylor's Version).
• REY (26A: "Star Wars" heroine played by Daisy Ridley) In the Star Wars franchise, REY is the main protagonist of the sequel film trilogy. Daisy Ridley portrays REY in Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015), Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017), and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019).
• COMO (38A: Lake ___ (popular vacation spot in Italy)) Lake COMO is located in northern Italy at the foot of the Alps. The glacial lake has been a popular tourist destination since Roman times.
• OMAKASE (39A: Japanese culinary experience curated by the chef) I have previously written about OMAKASE, a Japanese phrase that means "I leave it up to you." When I encountered this clue, I remembered I had written about this, but I needed a bit of help from crossing answers to remember the word.
• ANN (51A: Journalist ___ Curry) ANN Curry is a retired journalist and photojournalist that has worked for NBC, and founded her own media company. In 2018, she co-hosted and co-produced a documentary series that aired on PBS, We'll Meet Again with ANN Curry.
• ELEMENT (67A: Air, earth, water or fire) Ancient Greek philosophers proposed that all matter consisted of four ELEMENTs: air, earth, water, or fire. These are sometimes referred to as the classic ELEMENTs. Fun fact: These ELEMENTs were the theme of the first USA Today puzzle I blogged about on June 9, 2020.
• SAMOA (3D: Country where men might have a pe'a tattoo) SAMOA is a Polynesian island country. The Samoan art of tatau (tattooing) has cultural significance and a long history. The traditional tatua for men, called pe'a, covers the lower body from the ribcage to the knees. For women, the traditional tatua, known as malu, extends from the thighs to just below the knees. With both the pe'a and the malu, the traditional patterns have significance and meaning passed down for generations. A tufuga ta tatua is a master of the tatau art, who uses traditional tools (sharp-toothed combs) to make the designs in a process that may take weeks, and often involves ceremonies with one's family and friends.
• TACOMA (6D: Washington city, or a Toyota truck) TACOMA is located on Puget Sound, about 30 miles southwest of Seattle, Washington. The Toyota TACOMA is a pickup truck introduced by Toyota in 1995.
• ACLU (11D: Constitutional rights org.) I'm always happy to highlight the work of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which works to "defend the rights of all people nationwide."
• TOES (12D: Polydactyl cats have extra ones) A polydactyl cat has extra TOES on their paws as a result of a genetic mutation. Polydactyly does not affect a cat's health, and in fact, the condition may help some cats become better hunters. Interestingly, polydactyl cats are more common in certain geographical regions: Western England, Wales, Canada, and the Eastern United States. It's hypothesized that polydactyl cats were transported to North America as ship cats, where they earned their way by keeping the ship's rat population in check. My cat, Willow is not 
  polydactyl.

• MORE (13D: "Gimme ___" (Britney Spears hit)) "Gimme MORE" is a 2007 song by Britney Spears.
• BOY SCOUTS (19D: Youth group that changed its name in 2025) The BOY SCOUTS changed their name this year to Scouting America. The organization has welcomed girls into their programs since 2018.
• WAVES (54D: Hand shakes?) The question mark in this clue alerts solvers to expect some trickiness and word play. The clue is not referring to handshakes, but to shaking hands, or WAVES.
• MIMI (59D: "The Emancipation of ___" (Mariah Carey album)) Mariah Carey's tenth studio album, released in 2005, is titled The Emancipation of MIMI. When the album was released, Mariah Carey said that MIMI was a nickname her close personal friends used, and the title was a signal she was revealing more of herself to fans.
• A few other clues I especially enjoyed:
• CONTRARY (9D: "___ to popular belief...")
• TOOT (31D: "I don't mean to ___ my own horn, but...")
• POSE (33D: Sorority squat, e.g.)

I missed the word "freestyle" when I first read the title. This resulted in a few moments of confusion as I attempted to figure out the theme. This is a reminder to myself to pay more attention! I did enjoy the interplay of the answers MODESTY MOUSE and HUMBLE BRAGS, and I thought "I don't mean to TOOT my own horn, but..." also played nicely with HUMBLE BRAGS. Thank you, Sala, for this enjoyable puzzle.