November 28, 2025

Title: A FILLING PUZZLE

Constructor: Matthew Stock

Editor: Amanda Rafkin

Theme synopsis:

• MOTHER LODE (17A: Large ore deposit)
• GAZILLIONAIRE (27A: Super-wealthy person)
• CHOCOLATE CAKE (45A: Baked dessert that might be flavored with cocoa powder)
• THAT'S RICH (58A: Response to a hypocrite … or what might be said about 17-, 27- or 45-Across)

A FILLING PUZZLE: THAT'S RICH is the revealer here. A MOTHER LODE is RICH with ore, a GAZILLIONAIRE is RICH with money, and a CHOCOLATE CAKE is RICH with calories.

What I learned from today's puzzle:

• LEE (46D: MLB Hall of Famer Smith) I wanted this answer to be Ozzie, but that obviously didn't fit. Ozzie Smith is an MLB Hall of Famer, and I know about him because he played most of his career for the St. Louis Cardinals. He was elected to the MLB Hall of Fame in 2002. But I digress. Since Smith is a common last name, I suppose it's not surprising that there is more than one Smith in the MLB Hall of Fame. (There are three, actually, in addition to Ozzie Smith and LEE Smith, there is also Hilton Smith.) The Smith referenced in this clue is LEE Smith, a pitcher who played for eight different teams during his MLB career. One of those teams was the St. Louis Cardinals, so perhaps I should have known him. Now I do! LEE Smith was elected to the MLB Hall of Fame in 2019.
• ALSTON (47D: Harlem Renaissance artist Charles) Charles ALSTON (1907-1977) was a painter, sculptor, illustrator, muralist, and teacher. He was active in the Harlem Renaissance, an intellectual, social, and artistic movement in the 1920s and 1930s.

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• BIRD (6A: Robin, rail or redstart) I appreciate the alliteration here. I also like that a solver only needs to be familiar with one of these BIRDs in order to be successful.
• ARIA (16A: Prima donna's solo) and OPERAS (53A: Prima donna's performances) This is a lovely pairing and clue echo.
• ARMOR (25A: What might be in a Zelda treasure chest) The Zelda referenced here is the protagonist of The Legend of Zelda video game franchise. The original Legend of Zelda was released by Nintendo in 1986. In the games there are different types of ARMOR that confer various effects. 
• INTO (63A: "Spider-Man: ___ the Spider-Verse") Spider-Man: INTO the Spider-Verse is a 2018 animated movie. The movie, which features several Spider-Man characters, won an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.
• RASTA (64A: ___ pasta (rhyming Jamaican dish)) RASTA pasta is a creamy pasta dish with the flavors of Jamaican jerk chicken and bell peppers.
• EAST (66A: The "E" of SSE) EAST is making back-to-back puzzle appearances. We saw it yesterday clued as ["___ of Eden"].
• THE WIZ (5D: Musical featuring the Emerald City and a protagonist from Harlem) THE WIZ: The Super Soul Musical "Wonderful Wizard of Oz" (often referred to simply as THE WIZ) is a 1974 retelling of L. Frank Baum's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in the context of African American culture. THE WIZ won seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical. Stephanie Mills originated the role of Dorothy. A movie adaptation of THE WIZ was released in 1978, with Diana Ross portraying Dorothy.
• BIAS (12D: Implicit ___ training) We all have implicit BIAS, or unconscious BIAS, which is often shaped by our early experiences. Implicit BIAS training can help one become aware of and overcome those biases. If you'd like to learn more about implicit BIAS and test yourself for hidden BIAS, check out this article.
• LAKE ERIE (38D: Source of Niagara Falls' water) Niagara Falls is the main outlet for LAKE ERIE. The Detroit River carries water from Lake Huron and Lake St. Clair into LAKE ERIE. Water drains from LAKE ERIE into Lake Ontario via the Niagara River and Niagara Falls. We often see ERIE in the puzzle. It's fun to see the longer entry LAKE ERIE today.
• RINA (54D: Singer Sawayama) I learned about RINA Sawayama from the July 12, 2022 puzzle.

Today's puzzle has a revealer, a theme answer that explains the connection between the other theme answers. With most USA Today puzzles, the title serves as the revealer. Therefore, it feels like a treat to discover a revealer in the grid. I experienced a delightful "Aha!" moment when I uncovered THAT'S RICH. Up to that point I had been perplexed about what the theme might be. Thank you, Matthew, for this excellent puzzle.