December 26, 2025

Title: BOXING DAY

Constructor: Lee Taylor

Editor: Amie Walker

Theme synopsis:

• CAPTAIN HOOK (20A: Peter Pan's nemesis)
• HAWAIIAN PUNCH (36A: Beverage with a Cowabunga Grape flavor)
• FREUDIAN SLIP (54A: Inadvertently revealing statement)

BOXING DAY: The last word of each theme answer is a BOXING move: HOOK, PUNCH, and SLIP.

What I learned from today's puzzle:

• ANITA (21D: "La Dolce Vita" star Ekberg) "La dolce vita" is an Italian phrase meaning "the sweet life." La Dolce Vita is also the title of a 1960 satirical movie about a tabloid journalist in search of love and happiness. The film won the Palme d'Or at the 1960 Cannes Film Festival. In the movie, ANITA Ekberg portrays a famous Swedish American actress named Sylvia Rank.
• ELISHA (47D: "The Girl Next Door" star Cuthbert) The Girl Next Door is a 2004 romantic sex comedy. Emile Hirsch portrays high school student Matthew. ELISHA Cuthbert portrays the title character, Matthew's neighbor, Danielle, who is a former adult film actress.

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• CRUZ (1A: "Vanilla Sky" star Penelope) Vanilla Sky is a 2001 movie starring Tom Cruise as a magazine publisher who begins to question reality after being involved in a car crash. The movie is an English-language remake of the 1997 Spanish movie Open Your Eyes. In Vanilla Sky, Penélope CRUZ portrays Sofia, a role she also plays in Open Your Eyes.
• DRIVEL (16A: This is nonsense!) An exclamation point in a clue alerts solvers to interpret the clue literally. DRIVEL is literally nonsense.
• REMEDY (19A: Pressing your tongue against the roof of your mouth, for brain freeze) Wait, does this REMEDY work? I generally try to avoid getting brain freeze, but I'm filing this information away for the next time I experience it.
• SARI (29A: Garment worn with a choli) A choli is a fitted blouse worn with a SARI.
• FREUDIAN SLIP (54A: Inadvertently revealing statement) When I was in college, one of my friends showed up at a Halloween party dressed as a FREUDIAN SLIP. She was wearing a SLIP with a picture of Sigmund Freud pinned to the front. Now that is what I think of whenever I hear the term FREUDIAN SLIP.
• HISS (61A: Angry cat's warning) Rather than show you a picture of my cat, Willow, HISSing, I thought I'd share a picture of her in a box to celebrate BOXING DAY.

• SETH (7D: "Steve Jobs" actor Rogen) Steve Jobs is a 2015 biographical movie about the life of the co-founder of Apple. Michael Fassbender portrays the title character. SETH Rogen portrays Steve Wozniak, Steve Jobs' business partner and the other co-founder of Apple.
• HIM (10D: She & ___ (musical duo featuring Zooey Deschanel)) She & HIM is the musical duo comprised of Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward. Their first album, Volume One, was released in 2008. She & HIM released their most recent album in 2022, Melt Away: A Tribute to Brian Wilson.
• OFRENDA (22D: Dia de los Muertos altar) Yesterday we saw the word ALTARS clued as [Ofrendas, e.g.]. Today the clue is essentially flipped and OFRENDA is the word in the grid. Creating an OFRENDA to honor loved ones is a traditional way to celebrate the Mexican holiday Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, which is celebrated on November 1 and 2.
• A few other clues I especially enjoyed:
• PETTY (65A: Liable to hold a grudge)
• AIR (34D: What an inflatable castle is filled with)
• EARTHY (43D: How some root vegetables taste)

This puzzle is timely, as today is BOXING DAY. The holiday known as BOXING DAY has nothing to do with the sport of BOXING, however. Celebrated the day after Christmas, BOXING DAY originated in the United Kingdom as a DAY to donate gifts to people in need. BOXING DAY is still celebrated in some countries, though now the emphasis in many places is on shopping and sporting events. Congratulations to Lee Taylor making a USA Today crossword debut! Thank you, Lee, for this enjoyable puzzle.