<p>-
- USA TODAY and Yahoo may earn commission from links in this article. Pricing and availability subject to change.Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's crossword, Happily Ever After (Freestyle)</p>
<p>Sally Hoelscher, USA TODAYJuly 3, 2025 at 7:00 AM</p>
<p>There are spoilers ahead. You might want to solve today's puzzle before reading further! Happily Ever After (Freestyle)</p>
<p>Constructor: K.J. Sarr</p>
<p>Editor: Amie Walker</p>
<p>July 3, 2025Comments from Today's Crossword Constructor</p>
<p>K.J.: My USA Today debut is my favorite type of puzzle to construct … a themeless with a whimsical sensibility. I hope it brings a little magic to your day. Thanks for solving!</p>
<p>What I Learned from Today's Puzzle -</p>
<p>ODES (48A: Some poems by Aphra Behn) Aphra Behn (1640-1689) was a writer and translator known as being one of the first English women to earn a living by writing. She was an influential playwright in the late 17th century, and was also known for her poetry and novels. Some of her plays were considered scandalous, though Aphra Behn contended they would not have been described as such if a man had written them. You can read ODES by Aphra Behn on the Poetry Foundation website.</p>
<p>MOUSE (29D: Brambly Hedge rodent) Brambly Hedge is a children's book series by Jill Barklem (1951-2017). The illustrated books tell the adventures of a community of mice who live in the English countryside. The first four books in the Brambly Hedge series were published in 1980; each one represents one of the four seasons.</p>
<p>Random Thoughts & Interesting Things -</p>
<p>DEW (6A: What pixies might drink from acorn caps) This is an adorable clue and it brought a smile to my face.</p>
<p>GET READY WITH ME (25A: TikTok genre that might feature a makeup routine) "GET READY WITH ME," often abbreviated to GRWM, is a popular category of TikTok and YouTube videos that are exactly what they sound like. People film themselves getting READY and along the way offer beauty tips, fashion advice, or whatever else is on their mind.</p>
<p>OILY (32A: Like focaccia before it goes into the oven) Focaccia is a flat leavened Italian bread. Before focaccia is baked, the dough is brushed or sprinkled with olive oil.</p>
<p>PURR (38A: Sound from a satisfied sphynx cat) and PETS (55D: Animals in family photos) and TAX (58D: Cat ___ (online "toll" paid with a kitty pic)) My cat, Willow, is absolutely delighted to see this trio of cat/PET clues. As you know, I'm always willing to pay the (completely informal and just-for-fun) cat TAX by sharing pictures of Willow. I'm sure she was PURRing when I took this photo.</p>
<p>Willow -</p>
<p>OSLO (41A: Norwegian city home to the Holmenkollen Ski Museum) Holmenkollen is a mountain and a neighborhood in OSLO, the capital of Norway. Holmenkollbakken is a large ski jumping hill that is a landmark of the neighborhood. Located underneath the ski jump is the Holmenkollen Ski Museum that includes an exhibition of 2,500 pairs of skis.</p>
<p>STARING CONTEST (42A: Competition that ends in the blink of an eye?) What a great clue! The question mark here alerts solvers to be on the lookout (pun intended) for some tricky wordplay. Instead of a competition that ends quickly, i.e. "in the blink of an eye," the clue is looking for a competition that literally ends when one opponent blinks an eye – a STARING CONTEST.</p>
<p>APP (53A: Libby or Venmo, e.g.) The Libby APP allows users to access ebooks from libraries. Venmo is an APP that allows users to transfer money to and from other users.</p>
<p>CAFE (1D: Board game ___ (spot to eat, drink and play)) Board game CAFEs are often combination game stores and restaurants. Patrons can sit at their tables and play board games (either purchased or borrowed) as they enjoy food and drink. The first board game CAFE I visited was Mox Boarding House in Seattle, Washington with my son. It was great fun and I'm a fan of board game CAFEs.</p>
<p>EEYORE (5D: Disney donkey who's often gray in animation and blue in merchandise) I read this clue and thought, "Huh, that's true. I've never really thought about it." Canonically EEYORE is gray. To make him more marketable and eye-catching, Disney makes EEYORE merchandise blue.</p>
<p>IRIS (10D: Flower named for a Greek goddess) In Greek mythology, IRIS is considered to be a personification of the rainbow. In some stories IRIS is described as wearing a coat of many colors. She is also sometimes depicted as riding on rainbows to get from place to place. The flower genus IRIS takes its name from IRIS the Greek goddess.</p>
<p>ROSE (51D: Sleeping Beauty aka Briar ___) Briar Rose is an alias used by Princess Aurora in the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale. This is a nice bonus answer for this "Happily Ever After" themeless puzzle.</p>
<p>A few other clues I especially enjoyed:</p>
<p>TEE (39A: Shirt that's sometimes tie-dyed)</p>
<p>DRAPED (6D: Placed loosely, like the roof of a blanket fort)</p>
<p>DERAILS (15D: Throws off course, like a discussion)</p>
<p>Crossword Puzzle Theme Synopsis</p>
<p>HAPPILY EVER AFTER (Freestyle): There's no theme today, as this is a freestyle, or themeless, puzzle. The title is a nod to FAIRY TALE ENDING (17A: Outcome that's straight from a storybook).</p>
<p>HAPPILY EVER AFTER not only makes a great title for this puzzle, it also describes my feelings while solving. There are so many delightful answers here, and the clues have a lovely uplifting vibe. Congratulations to K.J. Sarr making a USA Today crossword debut! Thank you, K.J., for this wonderful puzzle.</p>
<p>For more on USA TODAY's Crossword Puzzles -</p>
<p>USA TODAY's Daily Crossword Puzzles</p>
<p>Sudoku & Crossword Puzzle Answers</p>
<p>This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Crossword Blog & Answers for July 3, 2025 by Sally Hoelscher</p>
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