Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Kneecaps

There are spoilers ahead. You might want to solve today's puzzle before reading further! Kneecaps

Constructor: Max Schlenker

Editor: Jared Goudsmit

What I Learned from Today’s Puzzle

• APR (9D: National Ride Your Horse to a Bar Day mo.) I'm sorry to inform you that if you'd like to celebrate National Ride Your Horse to a Bar Day, you'll have to wait until next year. This holiday is observed on Apr. 2 each year. I found conflicting reports about whether National Ride Your Horse to a Bar Day began in 2015 or 2021. In either case, this lighthearted holiday is a newer addition to the calendar. The abbreviation of the word month (mo.) in the clue is a signal that the answer will be the abbreviation for April.

• APES (36D: Primates such as Binti Jua) Binti Jua is a western lowland gorilla living at the Brookfield Zoo in Brookfield, Illinois (west of Chicago). Gorillas are great APES. Binta Jua is a niece of Koko, who I have written about previously. In 1996, a three-year-old boy climbed a wall and fell into the gorilla exhibit at the Brookfield Zoo. Binti Jua walked toward the unconscious boy, cradled him, and carried him to safety, laying him down when she heard the door to her enclosure opened by zookeepers. Binta Jua is now 36 years old.

Random Thoughts & Interesting Things

• EDT (1A: Summer time zone on the Appalachian Trail) The Appalachian Trail is a hiking trail that extends approximately 2,200 miles in the Appalachian Mountains in the eastern United States. The southern end of the Appalachian Trail is in Springer Mountain, Georgia. From there, the trail extends north to Mount Katahdin in Maine. The trail passes through 14 states, and the entirety of the trail is in the Eastern time zone. In summer, those hiking the Appalachian Trail observe Eastern Daylight Time (EDT).

• LEO (14A: Summer zodiac sign) LEO has been a frequent sight in our puzzles recently. We saw LEO yesterday, and on May 4.

• WALDO (15A: Kids' book character with a striped shirt) The titular character of the Where's WALDO book series is identifiable by his red-and-white-striped shirt, knit hat, and glasses. Fun fact: These books originated in the United Kingdom, where WALDO is known as Wally.

• TIL (28A: "___ You're Home" (Rita Wilson song)) Rita Wilson is a singer-songwriter, actress, and producer. Rita Wilson sings "TIL You're Home" with Latin Pop singer Sebastián Yatra. The song is on the soundtrack for the 2022 movie, A Man Called Otto (which is a remake of a 2015 Swedish film, A Man Called Ove). Rita Wilson's husband, Tom Hanks, stars in A Man Called Otto.

• PERSEPHONE (40A: Greek queen of the underworld) In Greek mythology, PERSEPHONE is the queen of the underworld. The daughter of Zeus and Demeter, PERSEPHONE became queen of the underworld after being abducted by her uncle, Hades, the king of the underworld. PERSEPHONE was perceived as a vegetation goddess, and was thought to return from the underworld each spring.

• ICEE (69A: Frozen drink with a LlamaNade flavor) The frozen carbonated beverage sold by the ICEE Company is available in multiple flavors. In addition to the mentioned LlamaNade, ICEE flavors include IguaNana, PinaKoala, PenguiMelon, Mermaid, and Shark Bait.

• HAS (5D: "Rumor ___ it...") Although it's not necessarily clued as such, this clue has me singing the 2011 Adele song "Rumor HAS It." "But rumor HAS it / I'm the one you're leaving her for..."

• ELSA (6D: "Let It Go" singer in "Frozen") Do you need some "Let It Go" in your life today?  Idina Menzel is the voice of ELSA in Disney's 2013 animated movie, Frozen, and the voice behind ELSA's song, "Let It Go."

• ADOBO (7D: Chipotles en ___) Chipotles are smoked ripe jalapeño peppers. They are used for seasoning dishes, and are available in several forms, including canned in ADOBO sauce, known as chipotles en ADOBO.

• DOMED (8D: Like the Hagia Sophia's roof) The Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque is located in Istanbul, Turkey. Construction on the Hagia Sophia was begun in 360, and completed in 537. It has been an Eastern Orthodox Church (360-1204 and 1261-1453)), a Catholic church (1204-1261), a mosque (1453-1935 and 2020-present), and a museum (1935-2020). Oh, and as the clue informs us, the Hagia Sophia has a DOMED roof.

• ELI (13D: Lucky Thompson's birth name) ELI "Lucky" Thompson (1924-2005) was a tenor and soprano saxophonist. His playing combined elements of jazz, swing, and bebop, and during his career he worked with Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, Charlie Parker, and Dizzy Gillespie, among others.

• PURRS (25D: Hums like an engine)This made me laugh, because when our cat, Willow PURRS, my husband and I tell her, "Your motor is running."

• EPICS (38D: Grand stories such as the "Mahabharata" and "The Iliad") The Mahābhārata is considered the longest EPIC poem ever written. One of two Sanskrit EPIC poems, it narrates the struggle between groups of cousins during the Kurukshetra War.  The Iliad is an ancient Greek EPIC poem attributed to Homer. It is set during the 10-year siege of Troy known as the Trojan War.

• HOMONYMS (41D: The sentence "The rose rose up from the soil" contains them) HOMONYMS – such as rose and rose in this clue – are words that have the same pronunciation, although the meanings (and sometimes the spelling) are different. This is a fun little bonus for today's theme, which is based on the sound-alike endings of words.

• HRT (42D: Gender-affirming treatment) HRT = hormone replacement therapy

• EUCHRE (47D: Trick-taking card game) EUCHRE is a game for four players, and is played with a deck of 24-32 cards.

• TURNER (51D: Rebellion leader Nat) In 1831, Nat TURNER led a rebellion of enslaved persons in Virginia. The rebellion resulted in the death of over 55 people, and Nat TURNER lived in hiding for two months after the rebellion. In the aftermath of Nat TURNER's rebellion, many Black people were killed and harsh(er) laws were enacted against enslaved people.

• BOP (58D: ___ it! Twist it! Pull it!") "BOP it! Twist it! Pull it!" are directions the interactive game BOP It might give you. Since its release in 1996, many versions of BOP It have been created, including Bratz BOP It and BOP It! Tetris. Since 2008, the voice of BOP It has been Buddy Rubino.

Crossword Puzzle Theme Synopsis

• ESPRESSO MARTINI (17A: Cocktail garnished with coffee beans)

• PERSEPHONE (40A: Greek queen of the underworld)

• WORTH EVERY PENNY (65A: "A great purchase!")

Each of the theme answers ends with (is CAPped with) letters that are pronounced like the word KNEE, though each is spelled in a different way: ESPRESSO MARTINI, PERSEPHONE, and WORTH EVERY PENNY.

The theme of this puzzle had me stumped for several minutes after solving. I finally had the "Aha!" moment as I noticed the -NI, -NE, -NY endings of the theme answers, which all sound like KNEE. Clever! Thank you, Max, for this delightful puzzle.

For more on USA TODAY’s Crossword Puzzles

• USA TODAY’s Daily Crossword Puzzles

• Sudoku & Crossword Puzzle Answers

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Crossword Blog & Answers for May 12, 2024 by Sally Hoelscher