January 6, 2026

Title: LOVE STORY (Freestyle)

Constructor: Willa Angel Chen Miller

Editor: Amanda Rafkin

Theme synopsis:

LOVE STORY (Freestyle): There's no theme today because this is a freestyle, or themeless, puzzle. The title is a nod to TIE THE KNOT (15A: Get married).

What I learned from today's puzzle:

• EEP (59A: "The Croods" protagonist) The Croods is an animated franchise that started with the 2013 movie of the same name. A sequel movie, The Croods: A New Age was released in 2021. There are also two animated TV series and two video games in the franchise. The stories are set in a fictional prehistoric era – "The Croodaceous." The titular Croods are a cave family headed up by a father named Grug (voiced by Nicolas Cage). EEP (voiced by Emma Stone) is the teenage daughter. Somehow this entire franchise has flown off of my radar. Admittedly, that's not hard to do, but I'm always happy to learn new things.

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• THEORY (22A: ___ of relativity) The THEORY of relativity is actually two theories, both proposed by Albert Einstein (1879-1955). In 1905, Albert Einstein published the THEORY of special relativity. This THEORY explains the relationship between space, time, mass, and energy. He followed that up in 1915 by publishing about the THEORY of general relativity, which describes how gravity affects these things. Hooray for science in the crossword!
• FOOD FIGHT (30A: Event that might feature flying fish?) Ha! This question mark clue stumped me for a bit. When I finally figured it out – not actually flying fish, but fish thrown across the room – it made me laugh. 
• ROY (36A: "Succession" surname) Succession is an HBO TV series that focuses on the ROY family, the owners of a global media and entertainment conglomerate, Waystar RoyCo. The show originally aired from 2018 to 2023.
• SOONER (60A: University of Oklahoma student) SOONER was a name given to a settler who entered what is now the state of Oklahoma before the official start of the Oklahoma Land Rush of 1889. The word had a negative connotation when it was originally used, but it has come to be used as a demonym for people living in Oklahoma. The University of Oklahoma, located in Norman, adopted the nickname SOONERs for their athletic teams.
• KAWAII (16A: Japanese cultural phenomenon emphasizing cuteness) Although the notion of emphasizing cuteness has roots that go back further, KAWAII culture flourished in Japan in the 1970s, influenced by the rise of cute characters in manga and anime. The word "KAWAI" derives from a Japanese phrase that means "face aglow." 
• NO-NO (20D: Something verboten) and SIN (39D: Verboten act) I like the use of the word verboten (not permitted) to tie these two entries together. Also, verboten is just a fun word to say.
• YES (53D: "It's a love story, baby, just say ___") "It's a love story, baby, just say, "YES," is a line from Taylor Swift's 2008 song, "LOVE STORY." This is a lovely tie-in with the title of this puzzle, and it made me smile. Also, I just really like this song; it's a happy little bop.
• BPA (56D: ___-free plastic) BPA, or bisphenol A, is an additive used in the production of plastics. There are no BPA labeling requirements for plastics, so it's sometimes difficult to know if you are using BPA-free plastic, unless the manufacturer voluntarily discloses the fact.
• A few other clues I especially enjoyed:
• UNO (11A: Game whose name is shouted dead its end)
• SWEATER (24A: An ugly one might be worn to a Christmas party)
• EYE (4D: Image representing "I" in a rebus)

There are a ton of interesting entries in this grid. In addition to the ones I've already highlighted, I really liked I DON'T CARE, IT'S MY TREAT, GREEN FLAG, and HOUSE RULE. Thank you, Willa, for this enjoyable puzzle.