May 26, 2026

Title: SEVERED TIES

Constructor: Sara Cantor

Editor: Amanda Rafkin

Theme synopsis:

• TIKTOK DANCES (20A: Viral routines such as "Renegade" and "Chicken Banana," for example)
• TINDER MATCHES (35A: Some "swipe right" results, perhaps)
• TIME MACHINES (52A: Sci-fi travel devices)

SEVERED TIES: Each theme answer has SEVERED the word TIES: TIKTOK DANCES, TINDER MATCHES, and TIME MACHINES.

What I learned from today's puzzle:

• DREAM (36D: "In the ___ House" (Carmen Maria Machado memoir)) I have previously written about Carmen Maria Machado's 2017 short story collection, Her Body and Other Parties. Published in 2019, In the Dream House is Carmen Maria Machado's memoir about the domestic abuse she experienced while in a relationship with another woman. The memoir tells about the time the author spent in Iowa City, Iowa, studying for her MFA at the Iowa Writers' Workshop.  
• MESSY (50D: 2024 song with the lyric "And I'm too perfect 'til I open my big mouth / I want to be me, is that not allowed?") "MESSY" is a 2024 song by Lola Young. Earlier this year, Lola Young won a Grammy Award for Best Pop Solo Performance for "MESSY."

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• RUTH (16A: Barbie doll creator Handler) RUTH Handler (1916-2002) was the co-founder of the toy company Mattel (with her husband Elliot). RUTH Handler created the Barbie doll, which debuted in 1959, naming the doll after her daughter.
• TIKTOK DANCES (20A: Viral routines such as "Renegade" and "Chicken Banana," for example) "Renegade" is a 15-second DANCE choreographed in 2019 by 14-year-old Jalaih Harmon and performed to the song "Lottery" by K CAMP. The DANCE went viral on TIKTOK, with many people posting themselves doing the Renegade. The "Chicken Banana" TIKTOK DANCE went viral in 2025. It involves chicken-like motions and banana shape wiggles, all to the "Chicken Banana" song, a dance-pop track by Crazy Music Channel.
• BATMAN (47A: Alter ego of Bruce Wayne) BATMAN aka Bruce Wayne has been around for a long time. The DC comics superhero debuted in 1959 in the comic book Detective Comics #27.
• MOLE (63A: Sauce that may include chocolate) MOLE is a traditional sauce in Mexican cuisine. There are many varieties of MOLE, generally containing fruits, nuts, chili peppers, spices, and sometimes chocolate.
• ALEXA (64A: "Euphoria" actor Demie) Loosely based on an Israeli miniseries of the same name, Euphoria (2019-present) tells the various experiences of a group of high school students. ALEXA Demie plays the role of Maddy Perez. 
• ELMO (7D: Red Muppet who is perpetually 3 1/2 years old) Although ELMO celebrates his birthday on February 3, his age remains the same. 
• ATTIC (22D: "A Light in the ___" (Shel Silverstein book)) A Light in the ATTIC is a collection of poetry by Shel Silverstein. It was first published in 1981. Fun fact: There have been attempts to ban A Light in the ATTIC from some libraries. One of the poems people have cited as a reason to ban the book is "How Not to Have to Dry the Dishes," arguing that it teaches slothfulness and disobedience.
• ANA (42D: Santa ___ winds) The Santa ANA winds are strong, dry, dust-bearing winds that originate in the area over the Great Basin region and the upper Mojave Desert and blow across Southern California toward the Pacific coast. About 10 to 25 Santa ANA wind events occur every year, each lasting from one to seven days. The Santa ANA winds are the force that drive many wildfires in Southern California.
• SEE (59D: "All the Light We Cannot ___" (Anthony Doerr novel)) Anthony Doerr's 2014 novel All the Light We Cannot SEE is set during World War II. In alternating chapters it tells the story of a French girl and a German boy. All the Light We Cannot SEE won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. It was adapted into a Netflix miniseries in 2023. 
• Other answers and clues I especially enjoyed:
• YOUNG (17A: Like a puppy or calf)
• ABBA (19A: Pop quartet whose music inspired "Mamma Mia!")
• BARISTA (51A: Person who specializes in latte art)
• THAT IS ALL (34D: "We're done here")
• HOLA (55D: "___! Soy Dora")

I got curious about today's title, and wondered if it referred to anything other than simply a broken connection. I discovered there is a 1991 horror movie titled SEVERED TIES. The plot revolves around a mad scientist who tries to regenerate his SEVERED arm, which grows back as a deadly reptilian creature. I also learned that the rapper Logic has a song called "SEVERED TIES." It would be interesting to know if either of these things – or something else – inspired this puzzle. Thank you, Sara, for this enjoyable puzzle.

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