There are spoilers ahead. You might want to solvetoday's puzzlebefore reading further!Thinking Cap Constructor:Zhouqin Burnikel Editor:Amanda Rafkin KIA (65A: Sportage carmaker) The Sportage is a sports utility vehicle manufactured by the South Korean car manufacturer KIA. I was able to easily figure out this 3-letter answer, but I wouldn't say that I actually knew this. Now I do. PORK (41D: Meat used in shumai) Shumai is a type of Chinese dumpling traditionally filled with ground PORK. YEN (23A: Currency in Kyoto) Kyoto is a city in Japan. The Japanese YEN is the currency used in Japan. KAI (33A: "Cobra ___") The TV seriesCobra KAI(2018-2025) is a sequel to the first threeTheKarate Kidmovies (1984-1989). In the TV series, Ralph Macchio and William Zabka portray the same characters they played in the movie – Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence, respectively – who are now adults. SHAMPOO (42A: Pet salon cleanser) Fortunately, my pet, Willow, does a good job of keeping herself clean (she's an indoor cat, so that helps), so I have not had to use SHAMPOO on her or take her to a pet salon. I am one hundred percent certain that would not be a pleasant experience for either of us. The other day, Willow decided to take a bath on my desk, while I was trying to work; she's so helpful. PITA (44A: Pocketed bread for souvlaki) Souvlaki is a fast food dish in Greek cuisine. It consists of meat (often pork) grilled on a skewer that is served with or rolled inside a PITA. The phrase "pocketed bread" is a nice hint for solvers who might not be familiar with souvlaki. SAM'S (45A: ___ Club (Costco rival)) SAM'S Club and Costco are membership-only warehouse club retail stores. Both corporations were founded in 1983, SAM'S Club in Midwest City, Oklahoma, and Costco in Seattle, Washington. EPEES (70A: Heaviest fencing blades) Of the three sword types used in the Olympic sport of fencing - ÉPÉES, sabers, and foils - ÉPÉES are the largest and heaviest. The maximum legal weight for the foil and the saber is 500 grams, while an ÉPÉE may weigh as much as 750 grams. FLAG POLE (6D: One of 195 outside the U.N.) TheUnited Nations(U.N.) was established in 1945, after World War II. In its own words, the U.N. works for "peace, dignity and equality on a healthy planet." The U.N. is headquartered in New York City. The195 FLAG POLEsoutside of the U.N. display the FLAGs of the 193 member states and two observer states. The FLAGs are arranged in English alphabetical order. The FLAGs are raised at 8:00 a.m. and lowered at 4:00 p.m. each weekday (with some exceptions). Fun fact: The 195 FLAG POLEs cover a distance of six New York City blocks. DEERE (9D: Big player in ag-tech) Ag-tech, or agricultural technology, refers to the use of technology in agriculture. John DEERE founded his company in 1837 in Grand Detour, Illinois. That same year, he began manufacturing steel plows. The products that the DEERE company manufacturers havechanged significantly over the years. GARDENIA (11D: Fragrant white flower) GARDENIAs are large showy blooms that grow on shrubs or small trees. The flowers have a strong fragrance. There are currently 128 identified species of GARDENIA. ONE (12D: Number of horns on a unicorn) This is a playful way to clue the number ONE. REMY (26D: Rat chef in "Ratatouille")Ratatouilleis Pixar's 2007 animated movie about REMY, a rat who possesses a heightened sense of taste and smell, and who dreams of becoming a chef. ESAU (31D: Jacob's twin) This is a reference to the Biblical story of Jacob and ESAU in the book of Genesis. ESAU is the oldest twin, and thus entitled to receive the birthright from their father, Isaac. One day Jacob makes a trade with (a presumably very hungry) ESAU, giving him a bowl of stew in exchange for his birthright. CHILI OIL (38D: Spicy condiment for jiaozi) Jiaozi are a kind of dumpling commonly eaten in parts of East Asia. The dumplings consist of ground meat and/or vegetable filling wrapped in a thinly rolled piece of dough. Jiaozi are often served with condiments such as CHILI OIL. SPA (42D: Place to get a lymphatic drainage massage) A treatment option at some SPAs, a lymphatic drainage massage focuses on the lymphatic system, a part of the immune system that carries fluid (lymph). This type of massage is particularly helpful for reducing swelling in patients with lymphedema, a condition in which the lymph isn't returning to the blood as it should. MAGNET (46D: Fridge decoration) We have quite a collection of MAGNETs on our fridge. A few years ago, my sister gave me a set of National Park magnets. Unfortunately, only 24 of the 63 National Parks are represented in the set, but oh well... My husband and I decided we'd only put the MAGNETs on our fridge if we've visited the park. We're slowly working on getting that entire set of MAGNETs up. ECON (56D: GDP-tracking subject) GDP here stands for "gross domestic product," a measure used to assess the economic performance of a country. GDP is a topic discussed in economics classes. The abbreviation GDP in the clue alerts solvers that the answer will be ECON, a shortened form of the word economics. RAP (64D: Genre for Little Simz)Little Simzis an English RAP artist. Her sixth studio album,Lotus, is expected to drop this month, on June 6. A few other clues I especially enjoyed: OLD (68A: Like many family heirlooms) HATE READ (39D: Flip through just to get mad) WHEE (59D: "This ride is fun!") CUT AND PASTE (16A: Command combo that moves text) CHILDREN AT PLAY (38A: Words after "Slow" on a street sign in a residential neighborhood) COIN A PHRASE (62A: Come up with an idiom, say) THINKING CAP: Each theme answer has the initials CAP:CUTANDPASTE,CHILDRENATPLAY, andCOINAPHRASE. It took me a little while to see that each theme answer had the initials CAP, making for a nice "Aha!" moment when I made that discovery. I admit that I'm not sure where the "THINKING" part of the title comes into play with the theme. Is it just that we are THINKING about what CAP may stand for? That may be it. If you have another idea, let me know. Thank you, Zhouqin, for this thought-provoking puzzle. USA TODAY's Daily Crossword Puzzles Sudoku & Crossword Puzzle Answers This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Crossword Blog & Answers for June 1, 2025 by Sally Hoelscher
