Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Whodunit? (Freestyle)

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

Constructor: Hoang-Kim Vu

Editor: Anna Gundlach

Random Thoughts & Interesting Things

• EDIE (14A: "Bupkis" actress Falco) Bupkis is a TV series that premiered on Peacock in May 2023. The series is described as a fictionalized version of Pete Davidson's life, in which actor and comedian Pete Davidson plays himself. EDIE Falco portrays Pete Davidson's mother, Amy Davidson. Although the show was renewed for a second season, Pete Davidson decided not to continue with the show.
• DESSERTS (18A: Courses sometimes listed on separate menus) Whenever I am asked, "Would you like to see the DESSERT menu?" I always say, "Yes."
• RAINEY (22A: "Mother of the Blues" Ma ___) Ma RAINEY (1886-1939) has been called the "Mother of the Blues." Ma RAINEY is in the Blues Foundation's Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Her song, "See See Rider," is in the Grammy Hall of Fame, and has been added to the National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress.
• SARA (39A: "Spamalot" Tony winner Ramirez) SARA Ramirez began their acting career on Broadway. They originated the role of Lady of the Lake in the Broadway musical Spamalot (2005), a role for which they won a Tony Award.
• KURDS (40A: People of northern Iraq) KURDS are an ethnic group in Western Asia. The KURDS are native to the region of Kurdistan, which includes southeastern Turkey, northwestern Iran, northern Iraq, and northern Syria.
• YEW (43A: Wood used for bows)YEW is considered the best wood for making bows. This is due to YEW's strength and flexibility.
• PET TOY (44A: Squeaky goose doll or feather wand) My cat, Willow, is delighted with the PET content in recent puzzles. One of Willow's favorite PET TOYs at the moment (that wasn't made to be a PET TOY...) is a stuffed crocheted dinosaur that I made. She likes to carry it around and deliver it to me as a present.

• MURDER MYSTERIES (55A: Themes of some dinner parties) Dinner parties that feature MURDER MYSTERIES invite participants to solve the mystery as they eat. These dinners may be hosted by professional venues, though there are also kits available to allow people to host a mystery dinner in their own home. My husband and I have been to several MURDER MYSTERIES, both professional productions, and hosted by friends. They are always a good time, and remind me a bit of the movie Clue (1985), and the board game that the movie is based on.
• SERRANOS (8D: Peppers between jalapeños and habaneros on the Scoville scale) The Scoville scale is used to describe the spiciness of chili peppers. Jalapeño peppers measure 2,500-10,000 Scoville heat units (SHU) and habanero chili peppers measure 100,000-350,000 SHU. SERRANOS measure 10,000-25,000 SHU. Pepper X is currently the world's hottest pepper, coming in at 2,693,000 SHU.
• E-BIKE (14D: Pedal- and motor-powered vehicle) An E-BIKE – or electric BIKE – differs from an electric scooter in that, in most cases, it doesn't move if only the electric motor is engaged. The rider needs to be pedaling in order to activate the pedal-assist motor. (Some E-BIKES do have a function that allows the bike to move for a short while under the power of the electric motor only.)
• BALI (21D: Indonesia's "Island of the Gods") BALI is a province of Indonesia that includes the island of BALI and a few smaller islands. BALI is the only province of Indonesia where Hinduism is the main religion. Over 85% of BALI residents follow Balinese Hinduism. In the remainder of Indonesia, the majority religion is Islam. BALI is known as "Island of the Gods" due to the numerous temples and religious sites located on the island. Another of BALI's nicknames is "Island of a Thousand Temples."
• SPORT (27D: Sumo or kendo) Sumo is a Japanese SPORT of full-contact wrestling. Kendo is a Japanese martial art that uses bamboo swords.
• NERDS (42D: ___ Gummy Clusters) NERDS are a candy essentially made of sugar crystals. NERDS Gummy Clusters are bite-sized gummy balls with an outer coating of NERDS.
• HYDE (51D: Jekyll's alter ego) Dr. Jekyll and Mr. HYDE first appeared as characters in the 1886 novella by Robert Louis Stevenson, Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. HYDE. Mr. HYDE was the evil alter ego of Dr. Jekyll. These characters have appeared in numerous adaptations of the novella.
• YSL (54D: High-fashion monogram) YSL is a high-end French fashion house founded in 1961 by Yves St. Laurent (1936-2008) and Pierre Bergé (1930-2017).
• MOE (56D: Leader of the Three Stooges) We just saw MOE in the puzzle three days ago.
• A few other clues I especially enjoyed:
  • RIDE (10D: Lift from a Lyft)
  • KEYS (11D: Hotel room cards, essentially)
  • PSHAW (25D: "Poppycock!")

Crossword Puzzle Theme Synopsis

WHODUNIT? (Freestyle): There's no theme today, as this is a freestyle, or themeless, puzzle. WHODUNIT? is a nod to MURDER MYSTERIES (55A: Themes of some dinner parties).

I enjoy a good WHODUNIT? and this puzzle was no exception. In addition to the answers I've already highlighted, I also liked DOESN'T EVERYBODY?, WHAT IS THIS ABOUT?, NEMESIS, and SAY SORRY. Thank you, Kim, for this excellent puzzle.

For more on USA TODAY’s Crossword Puzzles

• USA TODAY’s Daily Crossword Puzzles
• Sudoku & Crossword Puzzle Answers