March 23, 2026

Title: TOUCH GRASS

Constructor: Zhouqin Burnikel

Editor: Amanda Rafkin

Theme synopsis:

• PASO DOBLE (16A: Ballroom dance inspired by a bullfight)
• WE ARE SO DEAD (38A: "Mom and Dad will totally freak out")
• QUESO DIPS (62A: Cheesy appetizers served warm with chips)

TOUCH GRASS: The word SOD, another word for GRASS, is found in each theme answer where the two words in the answer TOUCH: PASO DOBLE, WE ARE SO DEAD, and QUESO DIPS.

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• PAWS (1A: Leopards' feet) My cat, Willow, would like it known that – like her big cat cousin the leopard – she also has PAWS.

• PASO DOBLE (16A: Ballroom dance inspired by a bullfight) PASO DOBLE (sometimes spelled as one word) is a theatrical ballroom dance with Spanish and French origins. As the clue informs us, the dance is based on a bullfight. The dance is characterized by staccato movements, theatrical movement, and flamenco-style footwork.
• SAHARA (40A: African desert with over 20 lakes) The SAHARA Desert, located in northern Africa, covers 31% of the African continent. I don't usually associate lakes with the desert, but it is true that there are lakes in the SAHARA. The Lakes of Ounianga is a series of lakes in the SAHARA in northeastern Chad. The area where the lakes are located receives less than 0.1 inch of rain per year. The water in the lakes comes from an underground aquifer that formed during a wet period of the SAHARA's history. (I wrote about the history of the SAHARA's climate a week ago.) 
• SCOT (46A: Person from Glasgow) Glasgow is the most populous city in Scotland. 
• OSU (52A: Brutus Buckeye's sch.) Brutus Buckeye is the mascot for Ohio State University (OSU), which is located in Columbus, Ohio. The buckeye is the official state tree of Ohio. Brutus Buckeye has been OSU's mascot since 1965. Brutus Buckeye has the body of a human with a buckeye for a head.
• ASL (57A: "A Quiet Place" language) The 2018 movie, A Quiet Place - starring Emily Blunt and John Krasinski - is a horror film that takes place in a post-apocalyptic world inhabited by blind monsters with acute hearing. The characters in the movie use American Sign Language (ASL) to communicate without making noise. 
• FONDA (59A: "On Golden Pond" Oscar nominee Jane) On Golden Pond is a 1981 movie that stars Jane FONDA and her father, Henry FONDA portraying a daughter and her father. Katherine Hepburn portrays Henry FONDA's wife and Jane FONDA's mother. The movie was Henry FONDA's last film role, and he won a Best Actor Oscar for the role. Katherine Hepburn also won an Oscar for the movie, for Best Actress. Jane FONDA was nominated for Best Supporting Actress, but didn't win. I'm often writing about movies I haven't seen, but I have seen On Golden Pond. It's a touching portrayal of family relationships and growing old.
• BASS (67A: "Upright" instrument) The quotation marks around the word "upright" in this clue indicate that this word is paired with the answer. An upright BASS is also known as a double BASS. It is the largest string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra. We used to have an upright BASS in our house, as my son played it while he was in high school. A few years ago my husband and I transported the BASS to Seattle, Washington where our son now lives. 
• POPSCI (1D: "NOVA" genre, for short) POPSCI, short for popular science refers to the genre of books, movies, TV shows, magazine articles, and web pages that interpret science in a way that can be understood by a general audience. NOVA is a POPSCI TV program broadcast on PBS since 1974. The show covers a variety of science topics and has received a number of awards for its programming.
• WASABI (3D: Pungent sushi condiment) WASABI, also known as Japanese horseradish, is made from the rhizome and part of the stem of the WASABI plant. WASABI paste has a pungent taste, similar to hot mustard or horseradish. Fresh WASABI loses its flavor quickly, so high-end restaurants grate it on an as-needed basis. Store-bought WASABI paste is usually made from dried WASABI powder.
• OTTO (9D: Minion debuted in "The Rise of Gru") Minions: The Rise of Gru is a 2022 animated movie in the Despicable Me film franchise. The Rise of Gru is the second installment in the Minions prequel series. It features an 11-year-old Gru planning to become a supervillain with the help of the Minions. Kevin, Stuart, and Bob are the three most familiar Minions in the franchise (many of the Minions are not named). As the clue indicates, The Rise of Gru introduces us to OTTO.
• FERRARI (24D: Italian car with a Prancing Horse" logo) The Italian company FERRARI makes luxury sports cars. The Prancing Horse logo – a prancing black horse on a yellow background – has been used since 1947 when the first FERRARI-branded sports car was produced.
• SWEAT (30D: Shvitz) Shvitz is a word for SWEAT that's borrowed from Yiddish.
• TYSON (32D: "Roots" actress Cicely) The 1976 novel, Roots: The Saga of an American Family tells the story of Kunta Kinte, a Gambian man captured and sent to the United States where he was enslaved. In the 1977 miniseries adaptation of Roots, the role of Kunta Kinte was played by LeVar Burton. Cicely TYSON portrayed Binta, the mother of Kunta Kinte.
• OAR (35D: Stick in the canoe emoji) Even if (like me) one couldn't immediately remember what the canoe emoji looks like, the answer here is fairly inferable. 🛶
• DEY (37D: "L.A. Law" star Susan) The legal drama TV series L.A. Law originally aired from 1986-1994. Susan DEY portrays Grace Van Owen, a deputy district attorney who becomes a judge.
• ALI BABA (41D: "Open, Sesame!" speaker) In the Arabic folk tale "ALI BABA and the Forty Thieves," ALI BABA discovers treasure, using the magic phrase, "Open, Sesame!" to enter a thieves' den.
• TEA SET (49D: Matching cups, saucers and pot) This answer reminds me of the August 14, 2023 puzzle, which is titled "TEA SET." That puzzle happens to be the first published collaboration for Olivia Mitra Framke and me, as well as my USA Today crossword debut. Good memories!
• ODOR (60D: Lure for a dung beetle) As one might guess from its name, a dung beetle feeds on feces. 
• A few other clues I especially enjoyed:
• OVAL (13A: Ladybug's body shape)
• BAKE (55A: Put a bun in the oven, say)
• DEC (17D: Mo. for advent calendars)

Figuring out the theme of today's puzzle required just a little bit of extra effort. One needed to notice that each theme answer contains the letter string S-O-D, and then recognize SOD as a synonym of GRASS. I experienced a nice, "Aha!" moment when I discovered the theme. Thank you, Zhouqin, for this enjoyable puzzle.

A note about comments: I welcome your comments on the blog! For one thing it's nice to know folks are reading what I've written. My goal for this blog has always been for it to be informational, conversational, and kind. I ask that you keep those goals in mind when commenting. Unkind comments will be deleted. Note that I am more likely to delete a negative comment if it is posted anonymously. (P.S. You can point out when I make a mistake – in fact, I appreciate that so I can correct it.)