July 17, 2026

Title: PLATE SPINNING

Constructor: Rebecca Goldstein

Editor: Amanda Rafkin

Theme synopsis:

• HIMESH PATEL (17A: Actor who played Jeevan Chaudhary in "Station Eleven")
• ACCORDION PLEAT (38A: Fold on an expanding folder)
• FLOWER PETAL (64A: "She loves me, she loves me not" item)

PLATE SPINNING: The word PLATE is anagrammed (i.e. "spun") into new words that appear at the end of each theme answer: PATEL, PLEAT, and PETAL.

What I learned from today's puzzle:

• PINE (32A: ___ straw (landscaping product)) We have five PINE trees in our backyard. As a result, parts of our yard are covered with PINE straw. I just didn't know that's what it's called. PINE straw is mulch made of the dried needles shed by PINE trees. Technically, PINE needles and PINE straw aren't considered the same thing. PINE straw is PINE needles that have been processed and bundled to be used as mulch.

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• CLAMPS (13A: Woodworker's securing tools) My husband does a bit of woodworking, and he owns a lot of CLAMPS. A couple of years ago I bought him a sticker that reads, "I own too many CLAMPS said no woodworker ever." A couple of weeks later he texted me this photo. (Yes, he texted it to me even though we were in the same house. Hey we were on different levels!) I think I've shared this photo before, but it fit here so perfectly I decided it was worth resharing.

• HIMESH PATEL (17A: Actor who played Jeevan Chaudhary in "Station Eleven") Station Eleven is an HBO Max post-apocalyptic dystopian miniseries that premiered in 2021. The show is based on a 2014 novel of the same name by Emily St. John Mandel. Station Eleven tells the story of a group of traveling performers. The group are survivors of a flu pandemic that resulted in the collapse of civilization. HIMESH PATEL portrays Jeevan Chaudhary who was an audience member the night of the pandemic.
• HOYA (15A: Georgetown athlete) "HOYA" is a Greek word meaning "what." The origin of the use of HOYAs to refer to the name of Georgetown University athletes is unknown. The Georgetown University's mascot is Jack the Bulldog.
• NOV (19A: Native American Heritage mo.) Native American Heritage Day is observed in the United States in November the day after Thanksgiving. 
• IOWA (21A: "Field of Dreams" setting) Hey, I know this answer. And I've even seen this movie! Field of Dreams is a 1989 movie based on W. P. Kinsella's 1982 book Shoeless Joe. Kevin Costner stars as a farmer in Dyersville, IOWA who builds a baseball field in his cornfield. Fun fact: When Field of Dreams was being filmed, my husband's brother and his wife, who live in Dubuque, IOWA,  responded to a call for extra vehicles. Their van appears in the line of cars shown in the final scene of the movie.
• OBIE (30A: Award that sounds like the initials of "Off Broadway") The OBIE Awards, also known as the Off-Broadway Theater Awards are presented annually to honor off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway theatre. The OBIE Awards were created in 1955 by The Village Voice newspaper. 
• TOLL (46A: Bridge fee) When I first read this clue I was thinking of the game of bridge and I thought, "Wait, you don't ante in bridge, do you?" Oh, not that kind of bridge!
• CARL (62A: Linnaeus who developed scientific nomenclature) CARL Linnaeus (1707-1778) was a Swedish biologist and physician. He is known as the "father of modern taxonomy" for his development of binomial nomenclature, the system of naming organisms by giving them two names (genus and species).
• ELMS (71A: Trees mentioned in the "Iliad") In Homer's epic Greek poem, The Iliad, there is a reference to mountain nymphs planting ELM trees on top of a tomb. There is another instance in The Iliad, when Achilles grabs onto an ELM tree to try and save himself from drowning when the river floods.
• RESET (72A: Button that might be pressed with an unbent paper clip) This is a great clue. I imagine many of us can relate to unbending a paper clip in order to press a RESET button.
• OLIVES (2D: One of the seven species in the Torah) The Torah lists seven agricultural products as being special products of the Land of Israel. These seven species – wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, OLIVES, and dates – play an important role in the religious traditions of Judaism.
• ROTATION (7D: Trial period in the first year of some Ph.D. programs) During a ROTATION, doctoral students work in a number of different labs to help them decide on a dissertation advisor.
• MONA LISA (10D: Iconic da Vinci painting) Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) painted the MONA LISA in the early 1500s. The painting is on display at the Louvre in Paris, France, where approximately 1,500 people visit it every hour.
• SHIA (14D: Branch of Islam) The two main branches of Islam are Sunni and SHIA. Sunni is the largest branch of Islam and accounts for 87-90% of Muslims.
• TAO (29D: "___ Te Ching") The TAO Te Ching is a fundamental text for Taoism. The oldest excavated portion of the TAO Te Ching dates back to the 4th century BCE. The word TAO is making back-to-back puzzle appearances. We saw it yesterday clued as [Mathematician and Fields Medal winner Terence].
• FLAME (36D: Calgary NHL player) The Calgary FLAMEs are based in Calgary, Alberta and are one of two NHL franchises in Alberta. The Edmonton Oilers are the other NHL team in Alberta. The two teams have a rivalry known as the "Battle of Alberta."
• MULLET (53D: Hairstyle popularized by the Beastie Boys) Versions of the MULLET hairstyle - short in front and longer in the back - have been around for many years, dating as far back as first century AD. The term "MULLET" to describe the hairstyle, however, is much newer. The term was coined and popularized by the hip-hop group, The Beastie Boys. The group released a 1994 song called "MULLET Head" which contained a description of the haircut. A 1995 issue of the group's magazine, Grand Royal, contained a six-page article discussing the MULLET.
• Other clues and answers I especially enjoyed:
• MIC (10A: Barbie Pop Star Doll accessory)
• SOCK (44A: Garment often "eaten" by the dryer)
• COOL AUNT (39D: Adult who might take kids to their first concert)

The word SPINNING in today's title is serving as an anagram indicator. We see quite a few hidden anagram themes in USA Today puzzles, but today's anagrams aren't hidden in the theme answers. Each anagram forms a new word. I like this. Thank you, Rebecca, 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.)