December 31, 2025

Title: BALL DROP

Constructor: Stella Zawistowski

Editor: Amanda Rafkin

Theme synopsis:

• BALLET SLIPPERS (4D: Alternatives to pointe shoes)
• GLOBAL LEADERS (14D: Prime ministers, presidents, etc.)
• MASQUERADE BALL (15D: Fancy costume party)

BALL DROP: The word BALL is found in each vertical theme answer and DROPs from the top to the bottom of the grid as we move from left to right: BALLET SLIPPERS, GLOBAL LEADERS, and MASQUERADE BALL.

What I learned from today's puzzle:

• FINSTA (34A: Secondary, more private social media account) FINSTA is short for "fake Instagram." It's possible I heard this term at one time, but I definitely needed the help of crossing answers to remember it here.
• MONDO (54D: Fashion designer Guerra) MONDO Guerra is a fashion designer from Denver, Colorado. In 2012, MONDO Guerra won the first season of Project Runway All Stars.

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• SCUBA (1A: Diving acronym) SCUBA = Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus
• PANAMA (12A: Country with a famous canal) The PANAMA Canal is 51 miles long, and divides North and South America, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Construction on the PANAMA Canal began in 1904, and the canal opened in 1914. An expansion project was started in 2007 and was completed in 2016. This clue about the famous canal has me thinking of the famous palindrome: A man, a plan, a canal: PANAMA.
• EVS (21A: Cars with charging ports, for short) EVS are electric vehicles. As an EV driver, I'm always happy to see them get some representation in the puzzle.
• SETI (43A: Board game in which players try to find life beyond Earth) In the board game SETI: Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, players are in charge of a scientific institution looking for evidence of extraterrestrial life. This answer is reminding me of learning about the FERMI PARADOX from yesterday's puzzle. 
• EVE (44A: "Tambourine" rapper) "Tambourine" is a 2007 hip hop song by EVE. The song is featured in several movies, including Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007) and Meet the Spartans (2008).
• SEAWEED (48A: Nori or wakame, e.g.) Nori, also known as edible SEAWEED, is dried red algae (red here refers to its genus, not its color). Sheets of nori are used to wrap some sushi rolls. Wakame is another type of edible SEAWEED; it's a species of kelp. Wakame fronds have a subtle sweet flavor and a satiny texture. Wakame is used in salads and soups.
• SLEPT (50A: Went out for the night?) The question mark in the clue alerts solvers to expect wordplay. The clue is not referring to going out on a date or to see a show, but rather "went out" as in "fell asleep" – SLEPT. 
• NDA (52A: "Don't tell our secrets" doc) NDA stands for non-disclosure agreement.
• BOOP (61A: ___ the snoot) Sometimes I just can't resist, and when I look at my cat, Willow, I just have to BOOP her snoot.

• HDTVS (8D: Sharp devices?) Not devices with a sharp point, but devices made by the Sharp Corporation, a Japanese electronics company whose products include HDTVS. 
• A few other clues I especially enjoyed:
• GOLD MINE (14A: Source of wealth, literally and figuratively)
• HOLDER (69A: Apt rhyme for "folder")
• OVEN (41D: Appliance that's a metaphor for a hot day)

Happy New Year's Eve! How fun to see BALL DROP as the title of today's puzzle and immediately think of the BALL DROP in New York City's Times Square that happens from 11:59 p.m. to midnight to signal the beginning of the new year. I rarely stay up to ring in the new year, but I'm always happy to greet it when I wake up on January first. Thank you, Stella, for this celebratory puzzle.

One more thing today. Since it's December 31, I have compiled a year-end recap. As regular readers have likely noticed, I like data and numbers. So here is the 2025 recap of Sally's Take by the numbers:

• 3 = Goals. Since I began blogging about the USA Today crossword in June of 2020, I've had 3 main goals for my write-ups: that they be Informational, Conversational, and Kind. I consider this blog to be less of a review, and more of a conversation about each day's puzzle. (And yes, I realize my goals for the blog form the acronym, ICK. The acronym was unintentional, but when I realized it I was amused, so now I try to avoid being ICK by adhering to my ICK goals!)
• 365 = Puzzles. The 365 USA Today crosswords of 2024 were constructed by 120 different constructors. Of those constructors, 35 of them (29%) made their USA Today crossword debut in the past year. Congratulations again to all of them! This past year, 65% of the crosswords were constructed by women and nonbinary constructors. There were 57 puzzles in 2025 (that's 16% of the puzzles) that were collaborations by two constructors. I am grateful to all of the constructors for making puzzles that have been delightful to write about.
• 5291 = Answers highlighted. The 5291 unique answers I've highlighted this year (some have been highlighted multiple times, of course) range alphabetically from A DEAL'S A DEAL to ZOSIA MAMET.
• 204 = Cat mentions. I do talk about cats frequently. Have you noticed? My cat, Willow, and I have a deal. She "helps" me write, and in return I highlight any and all cat references in each puzzle. Sometimes I begin talking about other things and end up talking about cats. At any rate, CAT has been mentioned in some way in 56% of my write-ups this year. I appreciate that I'm able to make cats (and other pets, too!) a part of my columns. Thank you to the constructors who have shared their pet photos with me.
• 27 = OREO appearances. OREO led the way in puzzle/blog appearances this year. Every other time I have done this kind of recap, it has been a race between ASIA and ERIE for the most blog appearances. This year OREO became a contender. (OREO has "entered the chat," as they say ... do they still say that?) If you've been reading the blog this month, you may recall that we've seen ASIA five times this month. ASIA made a valiant end-of-the-year attempt to retain the title of "Most blogged about crossword friend" (which it claimed last year for the first time over ERIE). However, ASIA fell just short with only 26 appearances this year. We saw ERIE 22 times this year. (Keep in mind that there are some words – such as ORE, perhaps – which may appear in the puzzle more often, but I only track answers when I highlight them.) Congratulations to our crossword friend OREO.
• 1 = Blog move. A significant event of 2025 was, of course that in August my blog transitioned back from being on the USA Today site to being on my own personal site. Lots of mixed emotions accompanying that move, but I'm glad I decided to continue blogging. Sally's Take continues to bring me many moments of joy. Thank you for reading! I am thankful for you! Whether you read the blog daily or just occasionally, I'm grateful. I love hearing from you, so feel free to email me or leave a comment on the blog at any time. 

Special thanks to Amanda Rakfkin, Amie Walker, Jared Goudsmit, and Anna Gundlach for their amazing editing of the puzzles of the past year. 

I'll see you next year!