Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, I Could Have Sworn...

There are spoilers ahead. You might want to solve today's puzzle before reading further! I Could Have Sworn...

Constructor: Geoffrey Schorkopf

Editor: Jared Goudsmit

Comments from Today’s Crossword Constructor

Geoffrey: Hope you had a freakin' great time solving this one!

What I Learned from Today’s Puzzle

• TATUM (23A: NBA All-Star Jayson) Jayson TATUM is a professional basketball player for the NBA's Boston Celtics. Jayson TATUM was drafted by the Celtics in 2017. He is a five-time NBA All-Star. Add this to the list of sports information I've learned from crossword puzzles.
• AMC (30A: MacGuffins Bar theater chain) AMC, which is headquartered in Kansas, is the largest movie theater chain in the world. Some AMC locations include a MacGuffins Bar, where moviegoers can get a cocktail to enjoy with their movie. A MacGuffin is a plot device that utilizes a normally insignificant or unimportant object, event, or character to keep the plot moving forward. Alfred Hitchcock is known for popularizing the use of MacGuffins. For example, in Alfred Hitchcock's 1935 movie, The 39 Steps, the MacGuffin was plans for a silent plane engine.
• MARS (31D: Olympus Mons' planet) Olympus Mons is a volcano located on MARS. Olympus Mons is a shield volcano, a type of volcano with a low profile. Of course, low profile is relative. Olympus Mons is three times as high as Mt. Everest, and roughly the size of the state of Arizona. Scientists estimate that Olympus Mons last erupted approximately 25 million years ago.

Random Thoughts & Interesting Things

• ELIOT (16A: "Adam Bede" novelist George) Adam Bede is George ELIOT's first novel, published in 1859. George ELIOT was a pen name of Mary Ann Evans. Adam Bede tells the stories of four characters living in a rural, small community (the fictional town of Hayslope) in 1799, one of whom is the title character.
• TONKA (19A: Toy truck brand) TONKA has been selling toy trucks since the 1940s. In 1991, the brand was acquired by Hasbro. TONKA trucks were originally mostly metal, but since the 1980s, some of the steel in their construction has been replaced by plastic. This answer reminds me of a story from my childhood (when TONKA trucks were still metal...). When I was two years old, my brother, who is a year older than me, threw a TONKA truck at me. We were both young, and I don't really remember the incident, but I do have a tiny scar near my right eye as a reminder.
• SHO (29A: "The Chi" network) The Chi is a TV series that premiered on Showtime (SHO) in 2018. The show is a coming-of-age drama centered on a group of residents of Chicago's South Side, who are "linked by coincidence but bonded by the need for connection and redemption."
• ASIA (33A: Alimathaa's continent) Maldives is an island country in South ASIA. Located in the Indian Ocean southwest of India and Sri Lanka, Maldives is an archipelagic country of 1,192 coral islands, about 200 of which are populated. Alimathaa is one of the islands of Maldives. It is known for its white sand beaches and turquoise water.
• RED (46A: Rambutan's color) A rambutan is the fruit of the tree of the same name that is native to Southeast ASIA. A rambutan has leathery RED skin covered with spines. The inside of the fruit is translucent or whitish with a sweet, slightly acidic flavor. 
• CDC (47A: V-safe health org.) The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is an agency of the Department of Health and Human Services. V-safe is a program of the CDC that monitors safety of COVID-19 and RSV vaccines, by collecting data from the public. Current COVID-19 boosters became available a few weeks ago.
• CHAI (50A: Tea sometimes served in a kulhar) A kulhar is a traditional South Asian pottery cup. It is typically undecorated and unglazed, and meant for one time use. Since the cup is unglazed, CHAI served in a kulhar will have a distinctive earthy aroma.
• SEWS (69A: Does some tailoring) and HEMS (60D: Does some tailoring) Clue echo! It's fun that these two answers cross in the grid.
• SING (11D: Perform like SZA) SZA is the professional name of Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter Solána Imani Rowe. The title track of SZA's second album, SOS (2022), debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart.
• POKE (12D: ___ bowl (Hawaiian dish)) A POKE bowl (POKE here rhymes with "okay" not "joke") is a dish of diced raw fish. POKE is the Hawaiian word for "cut crosswise into pieces.
• TMI (21D: "You didn't need to tell me all that!") and OH HUSH (25D: "Be quiet, you!") TMI here stands for "too much information." It made me chuckle that the clues for TMI and "OH, HUSH!" appear consecutively.
• CAT (27D: Jaguar or lion) My CAT, Willow, appreciates this shoutout to her big CAT cousins.

• I DID (35D: Possible response to "Who left dishes in the sink?") In my experience, other possible responses to this question are, "Not me," and "I dunno."
• AYO (51D: Emmy winner Edebiri) AYO Edebiri won an Emmy Award in 2023 for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her portrayal of chef Sydney Adamu on the TV series The Bear.
• LUNA (58D: Roman moon goddess) In ancient Roman religion and mythology, LUNA is considered the divine embodiment of the Moon.

Crossword Puzzle Theme Synopsis

• SHOOT POOL (20A: Play a billiards game)
• FUDGE THE NUMBERS (40A: Be a dishonest accountant)
• FLIPPING HOUSES (57A: Buying and selling residences for profit)

I COULD HAVE SWORN...: The first word of each theme answer is a minced oath. A minced oath is an expression that is similar to and used in place of a swear word.

This puzzle has a fun theme, and a clever title. Forgive me for not telling you what word each of the minced oaths – SHOOT, FUDGE, and FLIPPING – are standing in for. I'm trusting in your ability to figure that out. Thank you, Geoffrey, for this enjoyable puzzle.

For more on USA TODAY’s Crossword Puzzles

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