Sally breaks down USA TODAY’s daily crossword puzzle, As Above, So Below

There are spoilers ahead. You might want to solve today’s puzzle before reading further! As Above, So Below

Constructor: Sara Cantor

Editor: Amanda Rafkin

What I Learned from Today’s Puzzle

• AFRICA (“How Europe Underdeveloped ___” (Walter Rodney book)) Walter Rodney (1942-1980) was a Guyanese historian and political activist. How Europe Underdeveloped AFRICA – perhaps the most influential of his works – was published in 1972. The book explores the exploitation of AFRICA by Europeans, and the effect that has had on AFRICA’s political and economic development.

• RAVEN (8D: Avian means of long-distance communication in Westeros) Westeros is a fictional continent in the George R. R. Martin book series A Song of Fire and Ice. Because I know of these books and the TV series based on them (Game of Thrones and House of Dragon) only from crosswords, I did not immediately recognize Westeros. The answer here was inferable once I had a couple of letters filled in from crossing answers. Westeros RAVENs are highly intelligent and have superior homing instincts. On Westeros, the RAVEN is the primary means of long-distance communication.

Random Thoughts & Interesting Things

• BEASTS (36A: Lions, tigers and bears (Oh my!)) This clue made me smile. My cat, Willow, is always delighted to see her big cat cousins in the puzzle. She looks delighted in this photo, doesn’t she?

• ANAPOLIS (44A: Brazilian city with a similar name to a U.S. state capital) ANÀPOLIS, Brazil is located in the Central-West region of Brazil in the state of Goiás. The Wikipedia article for ANÀPOLIS, Brazil offers a friendly reminder: “Not to be confused with Annapolis, Maryland.” The capital city of Maryland spells its name with a double N.

• BLEU (46A: Le Cordon ___ (French culinary school)) Le Cordon BLEU began in Paris, France in 1895, and has grown into a network of schools around the world focused on hospitality and culinary education. The school’s name means “The Blue Ribbon” in French. Alumni of Le Cordon BLEU include Julia Child and Dame Mary Berry (former judge on The Great British Bake Off).

• CASPIAN (47A: Sea that borders Turkmenistan) The CASPIAN Sea is the world’s largest inland body of water. It covers a surface area of over 143,000 square miles. For reference, New Mexico, the fifth-largest state in the U.S., has an area of 121,560 square miles. In addition to Turkmenistan, the CASPIAN Sea borders Kazakhstan, Russia, Azerbaijan, and Iran.

• LA BREA (60A: ___ Tar Pits (paleontological research site)) Hancock Park in Los Angeles, California was formed around the LA BREA Tar Pits. For tens of thousands of years, natural asphalt has seeped up from the ground in this area. The tar preserved the bones of animals who were unlucky enough to get caught in the pits centuries ago. The LA BREA Tar Pits Museum displays the results of research done in the area.

• OLIVER (63A: Musical with the song “Food, Glorious Food”) The musical OLIVER! is based on Charles Dickens’ 1838 novel, OLIVER Twist. OLIVER! originally appeared on Broadway in 1963, after premiering in London in 1960. “Food, Glorious Food” is the musical’s opening number, sung by the Workhouse Boys.

• AGATHA (1D: Mystery author Christie) Dame AGATHA Christie (1890-1976) wrote over 66 mystery novels and 14 collections of short stories. She also wrote several plays, including the world’s longest running play, The Mousetrap. With the exception of a hiatus during the COVD-19 pandemic, The Mousetrap has been playing in London since 1952. AGATHA Christie is one of the best-selling fiction writers of all time. (Some lists show her essentially tied with William Shakespeare in sales, and other lists show her ahead.) In my opinion, AGATHA Christie is the queen of the cozy mystery genre. I will always be happy to see her referenced in a crossword.

• FENNEL (2D: Bulb in the carrot family) Although it is in the carrot family, the FENNEL bulb doesn’t look or taste like a carrot. The leaves of the two plants are similar, though – both have a somewhat feathery appearance. A FENNEL bulb is white to light-green in color, and has layers that remind me of a head of celery. FENNEL has a smell and flavor reminiscent of licorice.

• IRL (4D: Opposite of online, for short) IRL = in real life

• GLASS ONION (10D: 2022 mystery film starring Janelle Monae) GLASS ONION (2022) is the second of the Knives Out movies. Each of the movies stars Daniel Craig as detective Benoit Blanc and features an ensemble cast (different for each movie). In GLASS ONION, Janelle Monae played two roles, twin sisters Helen and Andi Brand. Her performance is spectacular. References to AGATHA Christie and GLASS ONION in the same crossword? What a day!

• CHRISTMAS SONG (15D: “Santa Tell Me,” for example) Ariana Grande’s CHRISTMAS SONG, “Santa Tell Me,” was released in 2014. A “naughty version” of “Santa Tell Me,” with slightly revised lyrics, was included on Ariana Grande’s 2015 CHRISTMAS album, CHRISTMAS & Chill.

• DMS (25D: D&D game runners) Dungeon Masters (DMS) serve as referees and storytellers for Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) games.

• IDLI (31D: Breakfast rice cake) IDLI is a savory rice cake that originated in South India.

• EEL (37D: That’s a moray!) An exclamation mark at the end of a clue that is not part of a quotation is an indicator to interpret the clue literally. In this case, a moray is, literally, an EEL.

• ATHENS (European capital that almost chose Poseidon as its namesake) ATHENS is the capital of Greece. In Greek mythology, Athena – the goddess of wisdom, handicraft, and warfare – and Poseidon – the God of the Sea – are said to have competed for the patronage of ATHENS. Poseidon struck a rock with his trident, causing a saltwater spring to appear. Athena planted an olive tree. The king of ATHENS, who was judging the contest, realized the city would benefit from the fruit, oil, and wood produced by the tree, and declared Athena the patron of ATHENS.

• SWEET (52D: “Short n’ ___” (Sabrina Carpenter album)) Short n’ SWEET is Sabrina Carpenter’s most recent studio album, released in 2024. The album has been nominated for Grammy Awards in three categories: Album of the Year, Best Pop Vocal Album, and Best-Engineered Album, Non-Classical. Short n’ SWEET includes the single, “Espresso,” which was nominated for two Grammy Awards: Record of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance. (The 2025 Grammy Award winners will be announced next month.)

• A few other clues I especially enjoyed:

  • HORSE (56A: Basketball game where missed shots mean earned letters)

  • HELLO (50D: “Greetings!”)

Crossword Puzzle Theme Synopsis

• GLASS ONION (10D: 2022 mystery film starring Janelle Monae)

• CHRISTMAS SONG (15D: “Santa Tell Me,” for example)

• PASS OUT COLD (23D: Fall suddenly into a deep sleep)

AS ABOVE, SO BELOW: Each vertical theme answer contains the words AS and SO. The word AS is ABOVE the word SO, which means, of course, that SO is BELOW AS: GLASS ONION, CHRISTMAS SONG, and PASS OUT COLD.

Today was one of those days where I did not have a guess about what the theme would be after I read the title. I did guess that the theme answers would be vertical but that was as far as I got. I was about three-fourths of the way through the puzzle before I realized the theme, making for a wonderful “Aha!” moment. Thank, you, Sara, for this splendid puzzle.

For more on USA TODAY’s Crossword Puzzles

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Crossword Blog & Answers for January 13, 2025 by Sally Hoelscher