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

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

Constructor: Michael Berg

Editor: Amanda Rafkin

Crossword Puzzle Theme Synopsis

• PET INSURANCE (20A: Coverage for a kitty)

• PARTY INVITATION (39A: Note that might include an RSVP request)

• PASSIVE INCOME (55A: Investment returns, dividend stocks, etc.)

On today, which is Pi Day, each theme answer has the initials P.I.

Comments from Today’s Crossword Constructor

Michael: This puzzle was inspired by my love for pies and my enthusiastic endorsement for any and all excuses to consume them. It's tough, but if I had to pick a favorite it would be banana cream. ☺️

Random Thoughts & Interesting Things

• SIS (17A: Trans March on Broadway organizer) The Trans March on Broadway, organized by actress and activist SIS, was held on September 6, 2021. The March was held to call attention to erasure of trans bodies in the theatre and entertainment industry.

• WATER (18A: Makeup of about 60% of the human body) As a scientist by training, it makes my heart happy to see science facts in the crossword. The percentage of water in the body varies depending on age, sex, and hydration level.

• PET INSURANCE (20A: Coverage for a kitty) PET owners can buy INSURANCE that will cover vet bills, either in part or in full depending on the policy. PET INSURANCE dates back to 1890, when a company in Sweden issued policies covering horses and livestock. Sweden has the highest level of PET INSURANCE in the world, followed by Britain. PET INSURANCE is not as common in the United States, with less than 1% of U.S. PETs covered. Please don't tell my cat, Willow, that I don't have PET INSURANCE for her. Here's a photo of Willow helping me write this article.

• POE (24A: "The Tell-Tale Heart" author) "The Tell-Tale Heart" is a short story by Edgar Allan POE. It was first published in 1843, in a literary magazine called The Pioneer. In the over 180 years since it was first published, "The Tell-Tale Heart" has been adapted many times, and been a reading assignment for many students. I read "The Tell-Tale Heart" when it was assigned to me while I was in high school. That was quite a few years ago now, but I still remember the basics of POE's powerful short story, an unreliable narrator insisting on their sanity, and in the process confessing to committing a murder.

• CURE (32: Antibiotics, for strep throat) Strep throat is a bacterial infection. Therefore, antibiotics, which are active against bacteria, are an effective CURE for strep throat. Most sore throats are caused by viruses, which antibiotics are not effective in treating. This is why antibiotics are (hopefully) only prescribed after strep throat has been confirmed with a strep test.

• ARAL (36A: Shrinking sea in Central Asia) Prior to 1960, the ARAL Sea was the fourth-largest lake in the world. Located between the countries of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, it began shrinking in the 1960s as a result of Soviet irrigation projects that diverted the rivers feeding into the lake. By 2007, the ARAL Sea had declined to 1/10 of its original size, and split into four separate lakes. Satellite images of the ARAL Sea over time show the dramatic changes in the landscape. As one might imagine, the shrinkage of the ARAL Sea has had a tremendous impact on the communities in the area.

• BEETS (60A: Red veggies in borscht) Borscht is a soup that originated in Ukraine. BEETS are the main ingredient in borscht, which gives the soup a distinctive red color.

• LLAMA (64A: Alpaca relative that communicates by humming) This clue is an example of what I like to refer to as an "added value" clue. If the clue here had simply been [Alpaca relative], I would have filled in the answer of LLAMA, because I know that LLAMAs and alpacas are related. However, the clue gives us an extra bonus by providing us with the fun animal fact that LLAMAs communicate by humming. A mother LLAMA will often hum to its baby, and adult LLAMAs will communicate with each other by humming.

• ELLE (65A: "Legally Blonde" protagonist) The 2001 movie Legally Blonde is based on Amanda Brown's book of the same name. ELLE Woods is the main character of the book and the movie. Reese Witherspoon portrayed ELLE Woods in the movie.

• MISSY (67A: Rapper Elliott) MISSY Elliott is a four-time Grammy Award-winning rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. At various times MISSY Elliott has been referred to as the "Queen of Rap," the "Queen of Hip Hop," and the "First Lady of Hip Hop." She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last year, the first female rapper to receive that honor.

• ALIEN (2D: Marvin the Martian, for one) Marvin the Martian is an animated character from Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons. Although the ALIEN first appeared in a 1948 Bugs Bunny cartoon, he was unnamed until 1979. Marvin the Martian was originally voiced by Mel Blanc, and is usually depicted wearing a Roman soldier's uniform and basketball shoes.

• MAE (11D: "Good Girls" actress Whitman) Good Girls is a TV series that centers on three suburban mothers facing financial difficulties. They decide to rob a supermarket, and as a result end up involved with a crime boss and the FBI. The three women are portrayed by MAE Whitman, Retta, and Christina Hendricks.

• SHE (13D: "Nevertheless, ___ persisted") Seeing this phrase referenced in the puzzle always makes me smile. If you need a reminder of the significance of "Nevertheless, SHE persisted," I wrote about it on July 18, 2023 when the entire phrase was in the puzzle.

• JULIE (25D: "Mary Poppins" actress Andrews) JULIE Andrews won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance of the title character in the 1964 movie Mary Poppins.

• OREOS (26D: Cookies with a limited edition Space Dunk variety) OREOS are popular cookies, not only for eating, but also for crossword constructors to put in puzzles. Because the letters in the word OREO(S) are crossword-friendly, the word frequently appears in crosswords. Space Dunk OREOS were introduced earlier this year. These OREOS feature the classic chocolate wafers filled with two colors of marshmallow-flavored creme with popping candy mixed into the creme.

• CBT (32D: Common talk therapy for depression (Abbr.)) CBT here stands for cognitive behavioral therapy. CBT can be used for the treatment of anxiety. It focuses on challenging and changing thoughts and attitudes and developing coping strategies to improve emotional regulation.

• TNT (40D: Explosive in many Acme products) The Acme Corporation is a fictional business featured in the Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote cartoons. The company is the source of many devices used by Wile E. Coyote in his attempt to outwit the Road Runner.

• ELLA (58D: Jazz singer Fitzgerald) During her career as a jazz singer, ELLA Fitzgerald (1917-1996) earned several nicknames including "Queen of Jazz," "Lady ELLA," and "First Lady of Song."

• BLM (60D: Letters on some racial justice signs) Today's puzzle is reminding us that Black Lives Matter (BLM).

• ELI (61D: Former quarterback Manning) ELI Manning played for NFL's New York Giants for 16 seasons (2004-2019). During his career, he led the Giants to two Super Bowl victories, and was named MVP in both of those years (2008 and 2012).

Happy PI DAY! I am a fan of this day that combines celebrating mathematical nerdiness and eating pie. PI DAY is an annual celebration of π, the mathematical constant whose first three digits are 3.14. In 1988, a physicist named Larry Shaw, who worked at the San Francisco Exploratorium, organized what is considered to be the first PI DAY celebration. It involved marching around one of the museum's circular spaces, and then eating pie. In 2009, the House of Representatives passed a resolution designating March 14 as National PI DAY. Are you celebrating PI DAY by eating pie today? I am planning on making a coconut custard pie that makes its own crust, making it as easy as it is delicious. I like to follow up PI DAY with my own personally-designated holiday on March 15, "Eat Pie for Breakfast Day." Feel free to join me in celebrating that holiday tomorrow. Thank you, Michael, for this delightful timely 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 March 14, 2024 by Sally Hoelscher