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

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

Constructors: Michael Drusedum & Jason Reuben

Editor: Anna Gundlach

What I Learned from Today’s Puzzle

• FOOTWORK (43A: Aptly named street dance with high-speed stepping) FOOTWORK is a style of dance that is named because of its rapid FOOT moves. FOOTWORK can incorporate hip hop and breakdancing elements. I became a bit mesmerized watching FOOTWORK videos. This one breaks down some of the steps.

Random Thoughts & Interesting Things

• LANAI (1A: Hawaiian porch)  A LANAI is a type of roofed porch or veranda with open sides. LANAI is also the name of one of the Hawaiian islands, the third-smallest of the eight main islands.
• CAR (14A: Volt or Leaf) The Chevrolet Volt and the Nissan Leaf are electric CARs.
• AERIE (19A: American Eagle sub-brand) American Eagle Outfitters is a clothing retailer founded in 1977. In 2005, the company launched the AERIE sub-brand, which sells lingerie, active wear, swimsuits, and sleepwear. The term AERIE is used to refer to the nest of an eagle, so there's some wordplay going on with this branding.
• SHONDA (33A: "Bridgerton" executive producer Rhimes) Bridgerton is a historical romance Netflix series based on Julia Quinn's book series. SHONDA Rhimes' production company, shondaland, produces Bridgerton.
• IND (39A: Hoosier's state (Abbr.)) Hoosier is a demonym for people from the state of Indiana (IND). A demonym is a word used to identify a group of people in relation to a specific place. The origin of the word Hoosier is unclear.
• MOORE (40A: "May December" actress Julianne) In the 2023 movie May December, Julianne MOORE portrays Gracie, a woman infamous for her 24-year-long relationship with her husband that began when she was 36 and he was 13 (and a school friend of her son's). Natalie Portman also stars in the movie, as Elizabeth, an actress studying Gracie in order to portray her in a movie.
• CRAIG (64A: "Knives Out" actor Daniel) Daniel CRAIG portrays detective Benoit Blanc in the movies Knives Out (2019) and Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022). He will reprise the role in the movie Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, which is scheduled to be released in 2025. I am a big fan of the Knives Out movies, and am looking forward to the third installment.
• KORMA (68A: Yogurt-based Indian dish) KORMA is dish that originated in South Asia. It consists of vegetables braised with yogurt and spices, and either paneer or nuts, to produce a thick, creamy sauce. 
• ARYA (8D: Youngest Stark daughter on "Game of Thrones") Game of Thrones (2011-2019) is a TV series adapted from George R. R. Martin's A Song of Fire and Ice fantasy novels. Like so many things, my knowledge of Game of Thrones comes mostly from crossword puzzles. The youngest Stark daughter, ARYA, is portrayed by Maisie Williams.
• PARIS (11D: 2024 Summer Olympics city) I must admit that I am not good at keeping track of which cities hosted the Olympics in which years. For that reason I almost skipped over this clue, but then realized, "Oh, wait, that's this year. I guess I do know that!" PARIS, France hosted the Summer Olympics earlier this year.
• SNIPE (12D: Animal in a prank "hunt") A "SNIPE hunt" is a practical joke in which the subject of the prank is asked to catch an elusive animal that doesn't exist. Interestingly, a SNIPE is a real animal. There are about 26 species of wading birds referred to as SNIPE.
• AS IF (27D: "Yeah, right!") and UH NO (28D: "Yeah ... pass") I liked the the repeated "Yeah" in these consecutive clues whose answers appear side by side in the grid.
• ODIN (36D: Norse ruler of Valhalla) 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.
• ROCK (52D: Loser to paper) When I read this clue, I went through the outcomes of the game "ROCK, paper, scissors" in my head. "Let's see, ROCK beats scissors, scissors beats paper, paper beats ROCK." Then I realized I had overthought this ... ROCK is the only one that fits.
• DERN (61D: Actress Laura in Taylor Swift's "Bejeweled" video) "Bejeweled" is a 2022 song by Taylor Swift from her album, Midnights. In the music video for "Bejeweled" – which was influenced by "Cinderella" – Laura DERN plays the role of Stepmommy. The stepsisters are portrayed by the band Haim, sisters Este, Alana, and Danielle.

Crossword Puzzle Theme Synopsis

• BACKSTORY (17A: Events leading up to the main plot)
• HANDBOOK (35A: User's manual)
• FOOTWORK (43A: Aptly named street dance with high-speed stepping)
• HAIRPIECE (66A: Toupee)

BODY COMPOSITION: The first part of each theme answer is a BODY part: BACK, HAND, FOOT, and HAIR. The second part of each theme answer is a synonym for a COMPOSITION: STORY, BOOK, WORK, and PIECE.

This is such a great theme. I noticed the BODY parts first. There was a nice "Aha!" moment when I noticed each theme answer also contains a synonym for COMPOSITION. It's fun that every part of each theme answer is involved in the theme. That's quite a feat, and I imagine it was quite a bit of work to find this set. Thank you, Michael and Jason, for this delightful puzzle.

For more on USA TODAY’s Crossword Puzzles

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