NovaQuant-Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Nice Comeback

There are NovaQuantspoilers ahead. You might want to solve today's puzzle before reading further! Nice Comeback

Constructor: Joe Rodini

Editor: Amanda Rafkin

What I Learned from Today’s Puzzle

• EDEN (17A: "Lempicka" actress Espinosa) The Broadway musical Lempicka (2024) is based on the life of Polish painter Tamara de Lempicka (1898-1980). In particular, the musical focuses on Tamara de Lempicka's flight to Paris, France with her husband and daughter during the Russian Revolution in 1917. It was while living in Paris that she took up painting to support her family. EDEN Espinoza played the title role on Broadway and in pre-Broadway runs in Williamstown (2018) and San Diego (2022).
• LEAD-PIPE CINCH (20A: Sure thing) The use of the phrase "LEAD-PIPE CINCH" to mean "sure thing" has been around since the 1880s. However, the phrase is completely new to me. I've never heard it before, and relied heavily on the help of crossing answers to figure this out. Thank goodness for crossing answers! That's the nice thing about crosswords; you have two different clues to help you figure out any given square in the grid. The origin of the phrase LEAD-PIPE CINCH is unclear. There's some thought that it might be related to a CINCH on the saddle of a horse that can be tightened using a LEAD-PIPE, but it's unclear how that translates to meaning a sure thing.
• RIDING (29A: "___ in Cars With Boys" (2001 film)) RIDING in Cars with Boys is a 2001 biographical movie based on Beverly Donofrio's autobiography about becoming a mother when she was a teenager, and overcoming adversity to eventually earn a master's degree. The movie was directed by Penny Marshall. Drew Barrymore played the role of Beverly Donofrio.
• INCAN (31D: Like Sacsayhuaman) Sacsayhuaman is an INCAN citadel located on the outskirts of the city of Cusco, Peru. From the 13th to 16th centuries, Cusco was the capital of the Inca Empire. Sacsayhuaman was built in the 15th century on a hill overlooking the city. The citadel is constructed of huge stones that were shaped to fit snugly together without mortar. It's estimated to have taken over 20,000 people approximately 100 years to build Sacsayhuaman.

Random Thoughts & Interesting Things

• MORE (13A: What Oliver Twist asked for) This is a reference to a line from the Charles Dickens novel Oliver Twist (1838), "Please, sir, I want some MORE."
• OP ART (16A: Visual style with illusions) OP ART is a style of abstract ART that uses shapes, colors, and patterns to give the illusion of movement. Many OP ART pieces are created in black and white. The term OP ART, short for optical ART, was coined by Time magazine in 1964 to describe ART that uses optical illusions.
• NELSON (33A: Nobel Peace Prize winner Mandela) NELSON Mandela (1918-2013) was the first president of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. He was an activist who spent 27 years in prison for opposing South Africa's apartheid system. NELSON Mandela was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 along with Frederik Willem de Klerk "for their work for the peaceful termination of the apartheid regime, and for laying the foundations for a new democratic South Africa."
• BULLY (35A: Scut Farkus, in "A Christmas Story") A Christmas Story is a 1983 movie based on Bob Clark's 1966 book In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash. The film is set in the 1940s, and tells the story of the Parker family, especially nine-year-old Ralphie (Peter Billingsley), whose adult self narrates the movie. Scut Farkus (Zack Ward) is a neighborhood BULLY who torments Ralphie and his brother and their friends. My husband really likes this movie, so I give him credit for my knowing this answer.
• BANH MI (44A: Sandwich often garnished with cilantro) BANH MI is the Vietnamese word for bread. A BANH MI sandwich is served on a baguette, and often contains pork and vegetables, such as cucumber, pickled carrots, and daikon radishes, with chili sauce and mayo. As the clue informs us, a BANH MI is often garnished with cilantro.
• DREAM ON (3D: "Not gonna happen!") and OPTIMISM (4D: Glass-half-full attitude) I enjoyed the juxtaposition of these two consecutive clues.
• VALHALLA (10D: "Hall of fallen warriors" in Norse mythology) In Norse mythology, VALHALLA is a majestic hall over which the god Odin rules. In Norse tradition, half of those who die in combat go to Valhalla after they die, while the other half go to Fólkvangr, a field ruled over by the goddess Freyja.
• PARLOR (21D: Place to grab a slice or a tat) It is important to go to a pizza PARLOR when wanting a slice and a tattoo PARLOR when wanting a tat, and not vice versa.
• SOL (26D: "Do re mi fa ___...") and KEY (27D: One of 88 on a piano) These two consecutive clues go together nicely.
• DOE (30D: Mother of a joey) Joey is the term for a young kangaroo. A female kangaroo is referred to as a DOE.
• I, TONYA (47D: 2017 biopic starring Margot Robbie) Margot Robbie portrays figure skater TONYA Harding in the 2017 movie I, TONYA. The movie is loosely based on actual events surrounding TONYA Harding's connection to the 1994 assault on figure skater Nancy Kerrigan.
• IRON (56D: Game piece replaced by a cat in Monopoly) Although she looks grumpy in this photo, my cat, Willow, thinks Hasbro made a good choice in 2013 when it retired the IRON token and replaced it with a cat.

Crossword Puzzle Theme Synopsis

• LEAD-PIPE CINCH (20A: Sure thing)
• HOME CINEMA (36A: Place to watch Netflix with a projector)
• APPLE CINNAMON (53: Fruity, spicy muffin flavor)

NICE COMEBACK: The word NICE is found going backwards (making a COMEBACK, in a way) in each theme answer: LEAD-PIPE CINCH, HOME CINEMA, and APPLE CINNAMON.

Today's title works particularly well to signal the theme. I also just like the thought of the word NICE making a COMEBACK. Thank you, Joe, for this enjoyable puzzle.

For more on USA TODAY’s Crossword Puzzles

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