Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Predators of the Deep-InfoExpress

There are spoilers ahead. You might want to solve today's puzzle before reading further! Predators of the Deep

Constructors: Caroline Darya Framke & Olivia Mitra Framke

Editor: Amanda Rafkin

Comments from Today’s Crossword Constructors

Caroline: I've loved watching Liv construct puzzles over the years, even if (or maybe especially because) our brains work in such completely different ways. She looks at a puzzle and sees the grid (helpful), while I tend to have more fun getting lost in the clues (less helpful). So when I offhandedly suggested the theme for today's puzzle while we were watching an episode of Blue Planet, I figured she'd go ahead and do it herself — so imagine my surprise when she informed me that we were, in fact, going to do this one together! Working on my first crossword with my sister was such a fun experience. I got to watch her work, come up with my own twisty clues, and sneak in some choice Framke family references. Thanks for the opportunity/inspiration, Liv/David Attenborough!

Olivia: Last year I collaborated with my dad on a Universal crossword and now I've roped my sister into the game, too!! 😄 I had a great time working with CARO, it was so fun to show her the ropes and work together choosing fill and brainstorming clues. We were thrilled to include POMEGRANATE, SAMIN, and POEM, all clued in ways that highlight our culture. I also love that we were able to include some things that make me think of my sister, such as ESPRESSO, SELTZER, and of course, CARO! How fun is it that in my last USA Today crossword I got my name in the grid, and in this one we got hers!! Hope you enjoyed the puzzle and felt some of the sisterly love.

What I Learned from Today’s Puzzle

PAP (10A: Word before "walk" or "smear") As a woman with a cervix, I'm familiar with the phrase PAP smear, and so immediately came up with the correct answer here. "But what is a PAP walk?" I wondered. It turns out that if I followed more celebrity news sites I would have been familiar with the term PAP walk. PAP in this case is short for paparazzi, photographers who take candid shots of high-profile people, and then sell the photos to media outlets, or post them on social media. A PAP walk is generally used to refer to organized candid shots; when celebrities plan outings knowing paparazzi will be present in order to control the narrative.

Random Thoughts & Interesting Things

EMOJI (5A: Rainbow or Women Holding Hands, e.g.) 🌈👭
CARO (13A: Nickname that drops "line" or "lyn") CARO can be a nickname for CAROline (the name of one of today's constructors...) or CAROlyn.
TIGER PRAWN (13A: Shrimp relative with stripes) Although TIGER PRAWNs can be found in many places, their natural habitat is the Indo-Pacific, in the waters around Southeast Asia and Australia. In parts of the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean (near southern U.S. states), the TIGER PRAWN is considered an invasive species (a species that has been introduced to an environment and causes damage to the habitat or ecosystem). TIGER PRAWNs got their name because of their light yellow color and brown stripes, reminiscent of TIGERs.
MOREL (19A: Mushroom variety) MOREL mushrooms are valued for their umami-rich flavor. Raw MORELs contain toxins that are destroyed by heat - known as thermolabile toxins - and therefore must be cooked before eating. MOREL mushrooms are difficult to cultivate, so MORELs used in cooking are usually harvested in the wild. MORELs grow in forests, and in my experience, people who know good spots to find MORELs tend to keep those locations a secret.
DES (25A: ___ Plaines, Illinois) DES Plaines, Illinois is a suburb of Chicago, and is named after the DES Plaines River which runs through the city.
EAGLE RAY (30A: Sea creature with a large wingspan) There are approximately 20 species of EAGLE RAY. They have wing-like pectoral fins, and long whip-like tails. Some EAGLE RAY species have a wingspan of up to 23 feet! EAGLE RAYs use their large fins to soar through the water, but they also occasionally leap out of the water to a height of about six feet. It's pretty spectacular to watch EAGLE RAYs do this; they appear to fly for a bit, flapping their fins, and then do a belly flop back into the water.
HERE (32A: "Mamma Mia! ___ We Go Again") Mamma Mia! HERE We Go Again is a 2018 movie that is a sequel to the 2008 movie, Mamma Mia! (which was based on the 1999 jukebox musical of the same name featuring the songs of ABBA).
INCA (39A: Tawantinsuyu resident) In the late 1400s and early 1500s, the INCA Empire incorporated a large part of western South America, including portions of the modern-day countries of Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, Argentina, Chile, and Colombia. The official language of the INCA Empire was Quechua. In Quechua, the INCA Empire is referred to as Tawantinsuyu, which translates to "Realm of the Four Parts."
OAHU (45A: Honolulu's island) OAHU is Hawaii's third-largest island. The state's capital, Honolulu, is located on OAHU.
WOLF EEL (46A: Long fish with canine teeth) Despite its name, a WOLF EEL is not an EEL, but rather a member of the wolffish family that has a long tail. A WOLF EEL can be up to eight feet long. WOLF EELs have canine teeth in the front of their mouths, and molars in the back. They use their powerful jaws to crush their prey.
LETTER (48A: What each Scrabble tile has on it) I'm always happy to see a Scrabble reference in the crossword.
MTV (52A: "The Challenge" network) The Challenge is a reality TV show on MTV that first aired in 1998 and finished airing its 39th season earlier this year. Contestants on the show compete against each other in various extreme challenges. Many contestants on The Challenge have appeared on other reality competitions.
SPIDER CRAB (59A: Crustacean with spindly legs) There are several species of SPIDER CRAB. One of them, the Japanese SPIDER CRAB, is the largest living species of CRAB. As you might guess from its name, the Japanese SPIDER CRAB lives in the waters around Japan. Its leg span can be up to 12 feet. It's obvious how the SPIDER CRAB got its name, as with it long legs, it resembles a SPIDER.
NENE (64A: Reality TV icon Leakes) NENE Leakes was an original cast member on the reality TV series, The Real Housewives of Atlanta. She is known for her zingers and one-liners, such as, "Why be so nasty and rude, when I can be so fierce and so successful?"
ROSS (69A: "Friends" character who couldn't get his couch to "PIVOT!") Even if you haven't seen the Friends scene described here, you can probably imagine it! In the scene, ROSS, Rachel, and Chandler are attempting to navigate a couch up a flight of stairs. If you've ever attempted to move a couch up or down a stairway, you may be able to relate to this scene. I happen to have a photo to accompany this clue, courtesy of one of the times I helped my son move. I'll leave the details of this specific adventure to your imagination!

POEM (4D: Work by Rumi or Hafez) Rumi was a 13th-century Persian poet. Rumi's POEMs have been widely translated, and remain popular, even more than 700 years after his death. Hafez was a 14th-century Persian poet know for his lyric POEMs (poetry expressing personal emotions). The work of Hafez remains popular, and October 12 is celebrated as Hafez Day in Iran.
POMEGRANATE (10D: Auspicious fruit in Armenian culture) The POMEGRANATE is a red, apple-sized fruit that contains hundreds of juicy, edible seeds. In Armenian culture, the POMEGRANATE symbolizes fertility, abundance, and good fortune. A wedding custom in ancient Armenia involved a bride throwing a POMEGRANATE against a wall. The scattered seeds of the broken POMEGRANATE were said to ensure future children.
AMEN-RA (11D: Egyptian deity) AMEN-RA was the principal deity of the ancient Egyptian city of Thebes. Described as the king of the gods, his mystical powers were believed to include bringing light to the sky.
NOLA (21D: City with a French Quarter, for short) The French Quarter is the oldest neighborhood in New Orleans, Louisiana (NOLA, for short). It is the section of the city around which development occurred when the city was founded in 1718 by Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville.
THEO (23D: "The White Lotus" actor James) I have previously written about The White Lotus, an anthology TV series about a fictional resort chain called White Lotus. In the show's second season, THEO James portrayed investments manager Cameron Sullivan.
MARY POPPINS (24D: Julie Andrews' Oscar-winning role) The wonderful Julie Andrews portrayed the title role in the 1964 movie MARY POPPINS. For this role she won an Academy Award (aka Oscar) for Best Actress.
SAMIN (26D: "Salt Fat Acid Heat" author Nosrat) Salt Fat Acid Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking is a 2017 cookbook by SAMIN Nosrat, which was a New York Times bestseller and won the James Beard Award. A four-part Netflix series of the same name, starring SAMIN Nosrat, premiered in 2018. In the cookbook and on the show, SAMIN Nosrat proposes that salt, fat, acid, and heat are the four elements of successful cooking.
SEOUL (29D: 1988 Olympics site) The 1988 Summer Olympics were held in SEOUL, South Korea.
ELIOT (31D: Mary Ann Evans aka George ___) Mary Ann Evans contributed pieces to The Westminster Review as Marian Evans. Under the pen name George ELIOT, she wrote novels, including Middlemarch and Silas Marner.
CHER (40D: "Believe" singer) Do you need a little CHER in your day? (The answer is yes, of course you do.) Here's "Believe," from CHER's 1998 album of the same name.
ADS (62D: "Mad Men" products) Mad Men (2007-2015) is a TV series centered on the fictional Sterling Cooper advertising agency. This is a fun and clever way to clue ADS.
A few other clues I especially enjoyed:
- YO-YO (36A: Plaything on a string)
- JAW (8D: Body part that can "drop")
- PANTRY (12D: Snack closet)

Crossword Puzzle Theme Synopsis

TIGER PRAWN (13A: Shrimp relative with stripes)
EAGLE RAY (30A: Sea creature with a large wingspan)
WOLF EEL (46A: Long fish with canine teeth)
SPIDER CRAB (59A: Crustacean with spindly legs)

Each theme answer is an animal that lives in the ocean, aka "the DEEP," whose name begins with the name of a land animal who is a PREDATOR.

Not only did I enjoy solving today's puzzle, I also enjoyed that its theme allowed me to highlight some animal facts, a topic I enjoy writing about. Some great finds in these theme answers. Congratulations to Caroline Darya Framke making a USA TODAY debut! It's nice to see a collaboration from a sister team. Thank you, Caroline and Olivia, for this delightful puzzle.