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

There are spoilers ahead. You might want to solve today's puzzle before reading further! Use the Force (Freestyle)

Constructor: Dena R. Witkes

Editor: Jared Goudsmit

What I Learned from Today’s Puzzle

• CHAI (17A: Sulaimani ___ (type of black tea)) Sulaimani CHAI is a spiced black tea in Indian cuisine. Common spices used in sulaimani CHAI are cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, and ginger, but the exact spice mixture used varies depending on the region. Sulaimani tea is served without milk, but with a splash of lemon juice. This type of tea is new to me, but since I know the word "CHAI" means "tea" in several languages, the answer was inferable.

• RALPH (62A: ___ Wiggum ("The Simpsons" kid who says "I'm in danger!") On the animated TV series, The Simpsons, RALPH Wiggum is the son of Police Chief Wiggum and a classmate of Lisa Simpson. The line of dialogue referenced in the clue comes not from an episode of The Simpsons, but from an episode of the animated TV series Family Guy titled "The Simpsons Guy." In the episode, the cast of Family Guy visits the fictional town of Springfield and enters the universe of The Simpsons. At one point in that show, RALPH is shown sitting in the back of a school bus, chuckling and saying, "I'm in danger!" That image has been turned into a meme (as so many things are!) and RALPH's sentiment has been applied to a number of situations.

Random Thoughts & Interesting Things

• ASIA (10A: Chandigarh's continent) Chandigarh is a city in northern India, and as such is located on the continent of ASIA. Chandigarh is the shared capital of the Indian states of Punjab and Haryana. This is the fifth appearance ASIA has made in the crossword this month.

• BINDI (15A: Forehead decoration placed on the ajna) Chakras are focal points used in meditation practices and some spiritual traditions. According to Hindu tradition, the ajna, also known as the third eye chakra, is the sixth primary chakra in the body, and is located in the center of the forehead. The word "BINDI" comes from a Sanskrit word meaning "drop" or "particle." The practice of placing a colored dot on the forehead, to represent opening the third eye, originated among Hindus, Jains, Buddhists, and Sikhs from the Indian subcontinent.

• HOBBIT (20A: Creature such as Frodo Baggins) Frodo Baggins is a HOBBIT of the Shire in J.R.R. Tolkien's epic tale, The Lord of the Rings. In The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy, Frodo Baggins is portrayed by Elijah Wood (who, of interest to this Iowan, was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa).

• SHIA (33A: Branch of Islam) The two main branches of Islam are SHIA and Sunni.

• AVATAR (34A: Virtual representation of a gamer) As is the case with many words, the meaning of the word AVATAR has morphed over time. When it first appeared in English in the late 18th century, it referred to the descent of a deity to the Earth—typically, the incarnation in earthly form of Vishnu or another Hindu deity. It later came to refer to any incarnation in human form, and then to any embodiment (such as that of a concept or philosophy), whether or not in the form of a person. In the age of technology, AVATAR has developed another sense—it can now be used for the image that a person chooses as his or her "embodiment" in an electronic medium, such as a video game.

• JEDI MASTER (36A: Yoda or Obi-Wan Kenobi) In the Star Wars universe, JEDI MASTER is a rank in the JEDI Order applied to wise and powerful JEDI who have dedicated their lives to the Force, and have trained others as JEDI knights. Yoda was a JEDI Grand MASTER. A green humanoid alien, Yoda trained many JEDI, including Obi-Wan Kenobi, who eventually became a JEDI MASTER himself.

• LUX (41A: Soap brand with a lavish-sounding name) LUX is a global brand of soap developed by the British company Unilever, and marketed primarily in South ASIA.

• BONES (54A: Mandible, clavicle, etc.) The mandible is the lower jawBONE. Fun fact: The mandible is the only movable BONE of the skull. The clavicle is also known as the collarBONE. A human has two clavicles, one on each side of the body connecting the scapula (shoulder bade) to the sternum (breastBONE). Personal fact: I broke my right clavicle when I was eight months old when I fell out of my high chair. (I say I was smart enough to figure out how to get the tray off of my high chair, but not quite smart enough to stay in the chair.)

• BOHO (2D: ___-chic (fashion style)) BOHO-chic is a fashion style that emerged in the 1990s, and is influenced by bohemian and hippie styles. BOHO-chic is characterized by loose-fitting clothing with relaxed silhouettes, and colorful accessories.

• BLAB (3D: Let the cat out of the bag) Did someone mention letting the cat out of the bag? This is Toby, my daughter's cat, illustrating that sometimes the cat is content to stay in the bag.

• ENG (7D: One of Kenya's official languages (Abbr.)) Kenya is a country in East Africa. Its capital is Nairobi. The official languages of Kenya are Swahili and English (Eng.).

• ION (12D: Rb+ or Br-) An ION is a molecule with a net electrical charge, either positive or negative, as a result of an unequal number of electrons (negatively-charged subatomic particles) and protons (positively-charged subatomic particles). Rb+ is a positively-charged ION of the chemical element rubidium. Br- is a negatively-charged ION of the chemical element bromine.

• IT'S ME (21D: Unhelpful reply to "Who's there?") and I AM NOW (28D: Peeved response to "Are you awake?") These two answers made me chuckle. A bit of an unhelpful, peevish vibe here.

• APACHES (45D: Southwestern people) APACHES are indigenous people of the Southwestern United States. Traditionally, the APACHES were nomadic people. Linguistically, the APACHES are related to the Navajo people.

Crossword Puzzle Theme Synopsis

This is a themeless, or freestyle, puzzle, so there's no theme today. USE THE FORCE is a nod to JEDI MASTER (36A: Yoda or Obi-Wan Kenobi).

In a freestyle crossword, there's no particular theme tying together any of the puzzle's answers. In addition to the answers I've highlighted above, I also particularly enjoyed I DID MY BEST, SLEEP TIGHT, AERIAL SHOT, FJORDS, and OH PLEASE. Thank you, Dena, for this entertaining 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 25, 2024 by Sally Hoelscher