Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Top Speed Sally Hoelscher, USA TODAYJuly 23, 2025 at 6:00 AM There are spoilers ahead. You might want to solve today's puzzle before reading further! Top Speed Constructor: Wendy L.
- - - Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Top Speed
Sally Hoelscher, USA TODAYJuly 23, 2025 at 6:00 AM
There are spoilers ahead. You might want to solve today's puzzle before reading further! Top Speed
Constructor: Wendy L. Brandes
Editor: Amie Walker
July 23, 2025What I Learned from Today's Puzzle -
FBI (38A: Org. that has historically employed undercover lipreaders) I did not know that the FBI historically employed lip-readers as undercover specialists, but it makes sense. In searching for more information about this, I learned about Sue Thomas (1950-2022), who worked for the FBI from 1979-1983 as a lip-reader for an undercover surveillance team. I also learned about the TV series Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye (2002-2005), which was loosely based on Sue Thomas' real-life experiences.
ENRICO (27D: "Luca" director Casarosa) Set in the Italian Riviera, the animated movie Luca (2021) tells the story of its title character. Luca is a 12-year-old sea monster/boy who assumes human form while on land. ENRICO Casarosa directed Luca. Although I had previously learned about this movie, I did not remember the director's name.
Random Thoughts & Interesting Things -
ADDING (1A: Inviting a plus one, say?) The question mark in this clue alerts solvers to be on the lookout for some wordplay and trickiness. The answer does not have to do with invitations or RSVPs, but rather with ADDING numbers.
MEANIE (14A: Stereotypical ogre (but not Shrek or Fiona)) I enjoyed the parenthetical in this clue. Ogres are traditionally thought of as MEANIEs, and it occurs to me that Shrek and Fiona have been hard on the "MEANIE" reputation of ogres.
PET SAT (16A: Cared for a friend's dog or cat) My cat, Willow, is not a fan of being PET SAT, but she is a fan of pet content in the crossword. I have a story about Willow that relates to the constructor of today's puzzle. Last week, Wendy sent me a present – it's a pink-and-white striped scarf she made, and I can't wait to wear it when the weather gets cooler. However, Willow has decided the scarf is now hers!
Willow taking a nap on my scarf -
SUE (21A: Olympic basketball player Bird) SUE Bird is a retired professional basketball player. She played for WNBA's Seattle Storm from 2002-2022. The Seattle Storm won four WNBA championships during SUE Bird's time on the team. SUE Bird also has five gold medals from her time playing on Team USA in the Olympics.
OATMEAL (22A: Lumpy breakfast food) This clue made me laugh! I make myself OATMEAL every morning for breakfast. I try not to make it lumpy, but some days...
ETHAN (52A: "Drive-Away Dolls" director Coen) Drive-Away Dolls is a 2024 movie directed by ETHAN Coen, who also co-wrote the movie with Tricia Cooke. The movie stars Margaret Qualley and Geraldine Viswanathan and has been described as a "queer comical road trip."
KEN (58A: Documentarian Burns) KEN Burns is known for his documentaries, including The Civil War (1990), The National Parks: America's Best Idea (2009), and The Roosevelts (2014). His most recent documentary is Leonardo da Vinci (2024).
CENTER (70A: Juicy parts of Fruit Gushers) Fruit Gushers are chewy gummy candies with a liquid CENTER. These fruit snacks, which are a Betty Crocker product, were first sold in 1991.
NIA (5D: "Candyman" director DaCosta) There are currently four movies in the Candyman film series. The horror movies are inspired by a short story by Clive Barker about an urban legend called the Candyman, the ghost of an artist murdered in the late 19th century. NIA DaCosta directed the fourth movie, Candyman, which was released in 2021 and is a direct sequel to the first movie, which was released in 1992 and is also titled Candyman.
ELI (12D: Retired QB Manning) ELI Manning played 16 seasons with the NFL's New York Giants. During his career, he led the Giants to two Super Bowl victories, and was named MVP in both of those years (2008 and 2012).
BARS (32D: Places to find Kentucky Mules and Alabama Slammers) Kentucky Mules are cocktails made of bourbon, lime juice, and ginger beer. Alabama slammers are cocktails made of amaretto, Southern Comfort, sloe gin, and orange juice. BARS are, of course, places to find cocktails. I appreciate the choice of two cocktail examples that feature state names.
BEER (57D: Hoppy ingredient in some shampoos) For many years, BEER rinses have been promoted as a secret to healthy hair. (There haven't been any scientific studies to prove the efficacy of this treatment, however.) Some companies have made trying this trend even easier, by selling shampoo that includes BEER.
ESTE (60D: Direction opposite oeste) I'm taking this opportunity to review my Spanish directions: norte, sur, ESTE, and oeste (north, south, east, and west).
TEN (64D: Angel Reese's former number) Angel Reese is a professional basketball player for WNBA's Chicago Sky. She began her college career at the University of Maryland before transferring to Louisiana State University (LSU). She led LSU to a National Championship in 2023, and was named the Most Outstanding Player. At the beginning of her time at LSU, Angel Reese wore the number one on her jersey, but when the number TEN became available, she switched and wore that jersey for the rest of her time at LSU. Angel Reese's jersey number on the Chicago Sky is number five.
Crossword Puzzle Theme Synopsis -
DATE OF BIRTH (3D: Info on a passport)
DIAL IT BACK (17D: "Maybe lose the intensity!")
READ THE ROOM (26D: Consider a group's vibe before speaking)
TOP SPEED: The TOP word of each vertical theme answer can be paired with the word SPEED to form a new phrase: SPEED DATE, SPEED DIAL, and SPEED READ.
The word TOP in the title is a clue that the theme might be in the vertical answers, which is exactly where it is today. I had a bit of déjà vu as I was figuring out the theme of today's puzzle; it seemed familiar. Sure enough, we saw a puzzle titled "Top Speed" a couple of months ago with the same theme. Only one of the theme answers and resulting phrases is the same in these two similarly-themed puzzles. It's not unusual for crossword constructors to come up with similar theme ideas independently. This doesn't bother me – both puzzles were fun to solve. Thank you, Wendy, for this enjoyable 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 July 23, 2025 by Sally Hoelscher
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