April 23, 2026

Title: SIDEBURNS

Constructor: Faren Roth

Editor: Amie Walker

Theme synopsis:

• BATS OUT OF TURN (19A: Doesn't follow the lineup, in baseball)
• BUTTERED POPCORN (37D: Salty movie theater snack)
• BURMESE PYTHON (58A: Snake native to Southeast Asia)

SIDEBURNS: The word BURN is found at the SIDEs of each theme answer: BATS OUT OF TURN, BUTTERED POPCORN, and BURMESE PYTHON.

And now a word from our constructor:

Faren: I'm really excited to make my debut in USA Today! I'm joining a softball league this summer (for the first time since middle school...), so I will take care not to BAT OUT OF TURN. I unfortunately have no opinions on sideburns, I just recognized (and appreciated!) the potential for a crossword theme. I'm also excited to be able to contribute to the featured cats on the blog: here is my ROOMBA-fearing orange kitty, Mr. Toast!

Mr. Toast

What I learned from today's puzzle:

• WARE (14A: Lotus ___ (type of porcelain)) Lotus WARE porcelain was produced at the Knowles, Taylor & Knowles pottery in East Liverpool, Ohio from approximately 1892 to 1896. Lotus WARE is generally considered to be the finest porcelain produced in the United States. At the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago, Lotus WARE won every prize for fine porcelain. The production of Lotus WARE was eventually discontinued due to financial reasons. It's estimated that approximate 5,000 pieces of Lotus WARE are still in existence. The largest public display of Lotus WARE in the world can be found at the Museum of Ceramics in East Liverpool, Ohio.
• FREE (17A: Like the peanuts at Five Guys) Five Guys is a fast food chain that specializes in hamburgers, hot dogs, and french fries. Although I've driven past multiple Five Guys locations, I've never actually eaten at one. Therefore, I learned from this clue that FREE roasted peanuts are offered at most locations for customers who dine in. 

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• CLEO (13A: Last pharaoh of Egypt, informally) Cleopatra (70/69 BCE - 30 BCE) – or CLEO, informally – was the last Pharaoh of Egypt. She ruled over Egypt for 21 years, from 51-30 BCE. After her death, Egypt became a province of the Roman Empire.
• EL CAP (15A: Yosemite rock climbing formation, for short) EL Capitan, frequently referred to simply as EL CAP, is a vertical rock formation located in California's Yosemite National Park. I have previously shared a photo of EL CAP and written about the Ahwahneechee legend about its creation.
• FLY (23A: Travel like Falcon or a falcon) This is a fun clue. Falcon aka Samuel Thomas Wilson is a Marvel Comics superhero who uses mechanical wings to FLY. 
• RHO (32A: Greek letter that looks like a "p") RHO (𝜌) is the seventeenth letter of the 24-letter Greek alphabet. It follows pi and precedes sigma.
• EGG (33A: ___ in the basket aka toad in the hole) EGG in the basket is a dish consisting of an EGG fried in the hole of a slice of bread. In addition to toad in the hole, there are many other names for this dish including one-eyed Jack, framed EGGs, and belly button EGGs.
• TACO BELL (39A: Chain with Mexican Pizza) I have eaten at TACO BELL, but I've never tried their Mexican Pizza – beef and refried beans between two tortillas, topped with tomato sauce, cheese, and tomatoes. The Mexican Pizza was added to the menu in 1985, though it was originally called Pizzazz Pizza until 1988. In 2020, TACO BELL removed the Mexican Pizza from its menu, citing the environmental impact of its packaging. Due to public demand for its return – including a petition with 170,000 signatures – TACO BELL added Mexican Pizza back onto its menu. TACO BELL even made a TikTok musical about the return of its Mexican Pizza. 
• UNC (45A: Chapel Hill sch.) The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, commonly referred to as UNC, is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. UNC is one of three colleges that claims the title of the oldest public university in the United States.
• ROOMBA (52A: Vacuum that might scare a cat) The ROOMBA has been scaring cats since its introduction in 2002. Not all cats are scared of ROOMBAs, of course. There are many videos of ROOMBA-riding cats. We don't have a ROOMBA, so I don't know for sure which category my cat, Willow, would fall into in. She's not very brave, however, so I think she would probably be ROOMBA-fearing like Faren's cat, Mr. Toast. I'm delighted to welcome Mr. Toast to the Cats of Sally's Take!
• SHO (57A: "Yellowjackets" network, for short) Showtime (SHO) describes their TV series, Yellowjackets, as "part survival epic, part psychological horror, and part coming-of-age drama." The show tells the story of a high school girls' soccer team whose plane crashes in the wilderness. The show recounts the time of survival after the crash, as well as events that occur 25 years later. 
• BURMESE PYTHON (58A: Snake native to Southeast Asia) The BURMESE  PYTHON, which can grow to over 16 feet long, is one of the largest species of snakes. The BURMESE PYTHON is found in the wild throughout Southern and Southeast Asia. The BURMESE PYTHON is an invasive species in Florida, a result of its popularity in the pet trade. In 1992, Hurricane Andrew destroyed a PYTHON-breeding facility, resulting in snakes escaping into the wild. It's estimated that anywhere between 30,000 and 300,000 BURMESE PYTHONs live in the Florida Everglades. These snakes have had a negative effect on native bird populations. They've also been implicated in the decline of fox, rabbit, and raccoon populations. Some BURMESE PYTHONs in Florida have even eaten alligators and deer.
• PEETA (62A: "The Hunger Games" co-victor Mellark) The first book in The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins was published in 2008. The books became the basis for The Hunger Games franchise of movies and TV series. In the fictional nation of Panem, two tributes from each of 12 districts (one boy and one girl between the ages of 12 and 18) participate in the Hunger Games, a contest in which the tributes fight to the death until only one remains. Katniss Everdeen and PEETA Mellark are the tributes from District 12. Through a dramatic series of events (otherwise it would be a boring read!) Katniss and PEETA become the first ever co-victors of the Hunger Games.
• TALC (67A: Softest mineral) Since TALC is the softest mineral, it is a one on the Mohs scale of mineral hardness. Diamond, the hardest mineral, is a ten..
• OREO (6D: Cookie you might enjoy "cream first!") I am not at all consistent in my OREO-eating method. Sometimes I twist the cookie apart and eat the cream filling first; other times I leave the cookie whole. This is the first April appearance of our crossword friend OREO and its seventh appearance of 2026.
• RERUN (8D: Any "Modern Family" episode, now) Modern Family is a mockumentary TV series following the lives of three families. It originally aired for 11 seasons from 2009-2020, which means if you watch the show now it's a RERUN.
• ALERT (9D: Like a meerkat sentry) This is a fun clue. Meerkats are known for being highly vigilant. Those who are acting as sentries stand up on their rear legs and turn their heads side to side, ALERT for danger. This answer reminded me of an Instagram post a friend recently brought to my attention (because she knows I like rubber duckies). This meerkat somehow manages to look ALERT and relaxed (and adorable) at the same time.
• PAD (11D: Libero's knee protection) A libero is a volleyball player who is a defensive skills specialist. The libero wears a contrasting jersey color from their teammates to set them apart, as there are some specific rules that apply to the position. 
• TOON (26D: Phineas or Ferb) Phineas and Ferb are the title TOONs of Phineas and Ferb, an animated Disney channel TV series that first aired in 2007.
• GRAHAM (34D: ___ crackers) I have previously written about the interesting origin of GRAHAM crackers and about my cat, Willow's fondness for them.
• A few other clues I especially enjoyed:
• SCENARIO (10D: Element of many campaign games)
• ADDER (30D: Viper that sounds like it'd be good at math)
• CHORES (50D: "Adulting" tasks, e.g.)

Today's title let me know exactly what to expect from this puzzle's theme. Here's a fun fact about the word SIDEBURNS. Ambrose Burnside (1824-1881) was an American Civil War general known for his unusual facial hairstyle – thick hair along the sides of his face connected by a moustache. In the 19th-century, a corruption of his last name led to the term SIDEBURNS. Congratulations to Faren Roth making a USA Today crossword debut! Thank you, Faren, for this delightful 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.)