Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Put a Pin in It

There are spoilers ahead. You might want to solve today's puzzle before reading further! Put a Pin In It

Constructor: Beth Rubin

Editor: Amanda Rafkin

Random Thoughts & Interesting Things

PHI (12A: The Eagles, on a scoreboard) The Philadelphia Eagles (PHI on a scoreboard) are one of two NFL team in Pennsylvania. The other Pennsylvania NFL team is the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Eagles have won two Super Bowl championships, in 2017 and 2024.

NI HAO (13A: "Hello" in Mandarin) I delighted myself today by coming up with this Chinese greeting without the help of crossing answers. Not that there's anything wrong with using crossing answers for help, because that's the whole point of crosswords. Still, it's always satisfying to plonk in an answer.

AVA (26A: Director DuVernay) I have previously written about a number of movies and TV series directed by AVA DuVernay: The Door (2013), Selma (2014), My Mic Sounds Nice: A Truth About Women and Hip Hop (2010), August 28: A Day in the Life of a People (2016), 13th (2016), Colin in Black & White (2021), and Origin (2023).

OTC (29A: Like nonprescription medicine (Abbr.)) OTC here stands for "over the counter."

WAS (30A: "Papa ___ a Rollin' Stone") The song "Papa WAS a Rollin' Stone" was originally recorded in May of 1972 by the Motown group, the Undisputed Truth. The Temptations recorded"Papa WAS a Rolling Stone"later the same year. Their version reached number one onBillboard's Hot 100.In 2024, Slash (best known as lead guitarist of Guns N' Roses) included"Papa WAS a Rollin' Stone"on his album,Orgy of the Damned. Slash's version features Demi Lovato.

NAN (31A: One of the Bobbsey twins) The Bobbsey Twins are the main characters in a series of 72 children's books published between 1904 and 1979 under the pseudonym Laura Lee Hope. The books recount the adventures of the Bobbsey family's four children: twins NAN and Bert and twins Flossie and Freddie.

RUH ROH (34A: Scooby-Doo's catchphrase) "RUH ROH!" is definitely a phrase that has become associated with Scooby-Doo. There is some controversy about whether Scooby-Doo actually says "RUH ROH," or whether people remembering him doing so is an example of the Mandela effect. The phrase "RUH ROH" originated with another cartoon dog, Astro of The Jetsons. Don Messick who voiced Astro was the original voice of Scooby-Doo.

RENEE (43A: Singer Rapp) Singer RENEÉ Rapp starred on Broadway as Regina George in the musicalMean Girls. She reprised the role in the 2024Mean Girlsmovie (the version of the movie based on the musical).RENEÉ Rapp's second studio album, Bite Me, is scheduled to be released on August 1.

EEK (65A: Startled cry) and EKE (63D: Homophone of 65-Across) This is a fun pair of answers, especially since they cross each other at the K.

EROS (67A: Greek god of love) In Greek mythology, EROS is the god of love and sex. The Roman equivalent of EROS is Cupid.

WHIP IT (5D: 1980 Devo hit, or Drew Barrymore's directorial debut) I was familiar with the Devo song, "WHIP IT," but not with the movie. Fortunately, since the clue gives two examples, that was okay. WHIP IT is a 2009 movie directed, as the clue informs us, by Drew Barrymore. The movie is based on a 2007 Shauna Cross book, Derby Girl. Elliot Page stars as Bliss Cavendar, a teenage girl living in a small town in Texas who joins a roller derby team.

LINT SCREEN (6D: Dryer's mesh filter) My first thought here was "LINT trap," but that obviously didn't fit. Crossing answers to the rescue.

ENYA (18D: One-named Irish singer) I'm always delighted to see ENYA in the puzzle. If you're in need of an ENYA earworm for today, might I suggest "Only Time."

ROCK TUMBLER (24D: Machine that smooths agate, quartz, e.g.) When we were kids, my sister got a ROCK TUMBLER for Christmas one year. The only thing I remember about it is that it was extremely loud.

MARIA (46D: "West Side Story" role (and song)) In the musical West Side Story, the song "MARIA" is sung by Tony after he learns that MARIA is the name of the girl he met at the dance.

SKI (53D: Bit of winter gear believed to be older than the wheel) This is interesting! The first skis date back to around 8000 BCE, while the wheel was invented around 3500 BCE.

Crossword Puzzle Theme Synopsis

GROUP INSURANCE (15A: Coverage for multiple individuals)

LET'S KEEP IN TOUCH (37A: "Don't be a stranger!")

DIAL-UP INTERNET (61A: Means of connecting to the web using a telephone line)

PUT A PIN IN IT: Each theme answer contains the word PIN: GROUP INSURANCE, LET'S KEEP IN TOUCH, and DIAL-UP INTERNET.

The phrase "PUT A PIN IN IT" is used to set aside a topic to be discussed at a later time. It makes a great theme for a crossword puzzle. In addition to the answers I highlighted above, I also liked THAT'S SO TRUE ((9D: "OMG yes, very accurate!") Thank you, Beth, for this enjoyable puzzle.

For more on USA TODAY’s Crossword Puzzles

USA TODAY’s Daily Crossword Puzzles

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Crossword Blog & Answers for July 10, 2025 by Sally Hoelscher