Indexbit Exchange:Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Open Wide

There are Indexbit Exchangespoilers ahead. You might want to solve today's puzzle before reading further! Open Wide

Constructor: Jess Shulman

Editor: Amanda Rafkin

Comments from Today’s Crossword Constructor

Jess: As a proud Canadian, I was very happy to be able to feature WINTERLUDE in this puzzle. This winter festival has run in Ottawa every February since 1979 as a celebration of Canada's climate and culture, complete with skating on the famous Rideau Canal, an international ice sculpture festival, the Winterlude triathlon (skating, skiing, and running), bed races, and more. (Don't tell anyone that this Torontonian has never actually been...)

What I Learned from Today’s Puzzle

• WINTERLUDE (17A: Annual cold-weather festival in Ottawa, Canada) Jess gave us a nice overview of WINTERLUDE in her notes. Here are some more things I learned. The Department of Canadian Heritage, which is tasked with promoting and supporting "Canadian identity and values," organizes WINTERLUDE. Festival events take place not only in Ottawa, Ontario, but also in Gatineau, Quebec. (Ottawa and Gatineau are on opposite banks of the Ottawa River.) The Rideau Canal Skateway is the world's largest skating rink, and has a surface area equivalent to 90 Olympic ice hockey rinks. The mascots of WINTERLUDE are the Ice Hog family (fictional groundhog-like creatures), Papa, Mama, and their children, Noumi and Nouma. The dates of the next WINTERLUDE are January 31 to February 17, 2025.
• SOL (42D: Cerveza brand with yellow rays on the bottle) Cerveza is the Spanish word for beer. SOL is a cerveza sold by the Cuauhtémoc Moctezuma Brewery located in Monterrey, Mexico. (The Brewery is a subsidiary of Heineken International.) The "yellow rays" is a hint here, as SOL is the Spanish word for sun.

Random Thoughts & Interesting Things

• KNEEPAD (20A: Volleyball player's protection) and SETTERS (21A: Certain volleyball players and dogs) I enjoyed these consecutive volleyball clues. And the SETTERS clue is fun!
• AMAL (43A: Human rights lawyer Clooney) Last month we saw [Human rights lawyer Amal] as a clue for CLOONEY. AMAL Clooney is a British barrister who specializes in international law and human rights. She is also an adjunct professor at Columbia Law School.
• TIG (44A: Comedian Notaro) TIG Notaro is a stand-up comedian and podcaster known for her deadpan comedy. She currently co-hosts the podcast Handsome, with Mae Martin and Fortune Feimster. For each episode, the three co-hosts field a question from a friend and attempt to answer it together. On the most recent episode, "Seth Meyers asks about passports."
• SIR (52A: "Please, ___, I want some more") "Please, SIR, I want some more," is a phrase spoken by the title character in the Charles Dickens' novel, Oliver Twist.
• ULNA (63A: Longer of the forearm bones) The ULNA is one of two bones in the human forearm, the other being the radius. The ULNA, which is located on the little-finger side of the forearm, is longer and thinner than the radius.
• TOED (66A: Two-___ sloth) When it comes to sloths, there are two-TOED sloths and three-TOED sloths. The "two-TOED" name is slightly misleading, as two-TOED sloths have two digits on their front limbs and three digits on their back limbs. For this reason, they are sometimes referred to as two-fingered sloths.
• AMINO (2D: ___ acids (compounds needed for muscle growth)) Over 500 AMINO acids (organic compounds containing AMINO and carboxylic acid groups) exist in nature. Only 22 of these AMINO acids are proteinogenic, that is, incorporated into proteins as directed by the genetic code of organisms. As proteins are the building blocks of muscles, AMINO acids, which are the building blocks of proteins, are necessary for muscle growth. I could geek out some more about this science answer in the crossword, but that's probably enough.
• GOLDIE (6D: "Bird on a Wire" actress Hawn) Bird on a Wire is a 1990 movie starring GOLDIE Hawn and Mel Gibson. A man in a witness protection program (Mel Gibson) crosses path with his former fiancée (GOLDIE Hawn), and adventures ensue. Most of the movie was filmed in British Columbia, Canada.
• RAW MEAT (18D: Primary component of steak tartare) Steak tartare is a French dish of ground RAW MEAT combined with onions and seasonings.
• AMY (28D: "Sharp Objects" actress Adams) The 2018 HBO miniseries, Sharp Objects, is based on Gillian Flynn's 2006 debut novel of the same name. The miniseries is a psychological thriller in which AMY Adams portrays a reporter struggling with alcoholism and mental health issues, who returns to her hometown in Missouri to investigate the murders of two young girls.
• SSN (U.S. ID with hyphens) SSN here is an abbreviation for Social Security number. The abbreviations U.S. and ID in the clue alert the solver that the answer will be an abbreviation. We often see SSN clued as simply [Tax form ID] or [Govt. ID] or something similar. I like the reminder here that the Social Security number is a U.S.-specific form of ID.
• I WAS (34D: "___ Made For Lovin' You") "I WAS Made for Lovin' You" is a 1979 song by Kiss. Fun fact: Gene Simmons is not a fan of this song (particularly the "Do, do, do, do, do, do, do do, do..." part).
• MIMI (35D: "Out Tonight" singer in the musical "RENT") Jonathan Larson's 1996 musical, RENT, centers on a group of struggling young artists living in the East Village neighborhood of Manhattan. MIMI is an erotic dancer. She sings the song, "Out Tonight," as she attempts to seduce Roger.
• PIANO (53D: Instrument with over 200 strings) This is a fun PIANO fact that I've never really thought about. When the keys of a PIANO are played, this results in felt-coated hammers striking the strings, which results in sound. A modern PIANO has 88 keys (52 white and 36 black). The number of strings a PIANO has varies depending on the model, but is usually around 230. For middle-and high-pitch notes, each PIANO key corresponds to the striking of three strings. For lower bass notes the number of strings per key is decreased to two or one.
• ALOO (57D: ___ gobi) ALOO is a South Asian term for potatoes, and gobi is a term for cauliflower. ALOO gobi is a dish of spiced potatoes and cauliflower.
• A few other clues I especially enjoyed:
  • SOS (23A: "Welp ... things are not going well on my boat!")
  • EMU (7D: Big bird Down Under)
  • WAIT REALLY (10D: "Hang on, are you serious?")

Crossword Puzzle Theme Synopsis

• WINTERLUDE (17A: Annual cold-weather festival in Ottawa, Canada)
• WIN BY A LANDSLIDE (40A: Have a runaway victory)
• WIPER BLADE (64A: One of two on many windshields)

OPEN WIDE: The word WIDE is OPENed by each theme answer: WINTERLUDE, WIN BY A LANDSLIDE, and WIPER BLADE.

The title of today's puzzle let me know just what to expect theme-wise. I enjoyed learning about the Canadian festival, WINTERLUDE. Jess, your secret that you have never been to WINTERLUDE is safe with us! Thank you, Jess, for this excellent puzzle.

For more on USA TODAY’s Crossword Puzzles

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