NovaQuant Quantitative Think Tank Center:Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Outside Hire

There are NovaQuant Quantitative Think Tank Centerspoilers ahead. You might want to solve today's puzzle before reading further! Outside Hire

Constructor: Ryan Mathiason

Editor: Jared Goudsmit

What I Learned from Today’s Puzzle

• PODS (9A: Shows such as "Sistas Who Kill," for short) PODS here is short for podcasts. Sistas Who Kill: A True Crime Podcast is a weekly podcast launched in 2020. Hosts MaRah and Taz "research and tell stories of Black women who kill." In addition to describing the crimes and outcomes, they take a look at how Black women are treated in the justice system. I really enjoyed reading this interview with MaRah and Taz, in which they talked about starting their podcast, their emphasis on Black women, and their decision to use their ad space for small businesses.
• AVE (27A: St. Charles or Esplanade, in NOLA) It's been over 30 years since I have been to New Orleans, Louisiana (NOLA), so these avenue (AVE) names didn't immediately sound familiar to me. The answer was fairly inferable, however. The abbreviation NOLA in the clue is an indication that the answer will be an abbreviation. St. Charles AVE. in New Orleans is one of the main parade routes during the annual Mardi Gras celebration. St. Charles AVE. is also the route of the St. Charles Streetcar Line, the oldest continuously operating streetcar in the world, in operation since 1835. Esplanade AVE. is another historic street in New Orleans. It runs northwest from the Mississippi River, and served as a portage route in the 18th century. Several mansions built in the 1800s are still located on Esplanade AVE.
• SPEAR (22D: Weapon such as a yari) A yari is a traditionally-made Japanese SPEAR. Yari had straight blades that varied in length from several inches to three feet.

Random Thoughts & Interesting Things

• GIANT (18A: BIG) It was a fun choice to put the word BIG in capital letters here. The clue works without the capital letters, of course – just a little playfulness. Capital letters aren't quite GIANT, but more so than lowercase letters.
• MARA (46A: Actress Rooney) Rooney MARA's filmography includes the role of computer hacker Lisbeth Salander in the 2011 movie, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. She also portrayed Therese Belivet in the 2015 movie, Carol.
• NATO (52A: Alliance formed in 1949) The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is a military alliance established with the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty in 1949. There were 12 founding members, and there are currently 32 NATO members. The most recent country to join NATO was Sweden on March 7 of this year. Three additional countries (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, and Ukraine) have informed NATO of their desire to join the alliance.
• ARI (56A: "yes, and?" singer Grande, to fans) Ariana Grande, known as ARI to her fans (and also Riri), released "yes, and?" in January of this year. The song debuted at the top of Billboard's Hot 100 chart. The lyrics of "yes, and?" focus on self-confidence, and address negative press Ariana Grande received during the last few years.
• OSCAR (58A: Award for "Parasite" or "Soul") The movie Parasite (2019) won four OSCARs (Academy Awards): Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best International Feature Film. Parasite, which was directed by Bong Joon-Ho, is about a family that insinuates itself into a wealthy household. The animated movie Soul (2020) won two OSCARs: Best Animated Feature and Best Original Score. I wrote about Soul last month.
• HINDU SCRIPTURE (60A: The Bhagavata Purana, for example) The BhagavataPurana is a Sanskrit text that is an important HINDU SCRIPTURE. The Bhagavata Purana consists of 12 books with 18,000 verses. It promotes devotion to Krishna, one of the avatars of Vishnu.
• ASIA (67A: Wat Mahathat's continent) Wat Mahathat, which translates to "Temple of Great Relic" is a Buddhist temple in Ayutthaya, Thailand, which is in Southeast ASIA. Wat Mahathat was built in the 1300s by King Borommarachathirat I, the third king of the Ayutthaya Kingdom (a Siamese kingdom in Southeast Asia from 1351 to 1767). This is the second appearance of our crossword-friend ASIA this month.
• NEEDLES (3D: White pine's green features) There are multiple species of white pine, which grow in Eurasia and North America. The name of white pine refers to the light-colored wood of the trees. All white pines are evergreens and have green NEEDLES.
• PERU (9D: Colombia's neighbor) PERU is a country on the western coast of South America. In addition to Colombia, PERU is a neighbor to Ecuador, Brazil, Bolivia, and Chile. The capital of PERU is Lima.
• VET (26D: Profession that aptly rhymes with "pet") My pet, Willow, approves of the rhyming clue, although she is definitely not a fan of the VET.

• ILIAD (40D: Epic poem featuring Achilles) Attributed to Homer, the ILIAD is an ancient Greek epic poem set during the 10-year siege of Troy known as the Trojan War. It depicts a fierce quarrel between a warrior named Achilles and King Agamemnon.
• RIPA (63D: TV host Kelly) Kelly RIPA is the co-host of Live! with Kelly and Mark. She has been a co-host of the morning talk show since 2001. In that time, her co-hosts have included Regis Philbin, Michael Strahan, Ryan Seacrest, and Mark Consuelos (her husband).
• IDOL (64D: Immunity ___ (valuable "Survivor" item)) The reality TV series, Survivor, first aired in 2000. Each season, a group of strangers are placed in an isolated location, and must provide themselves with food and shelter, while competing in challenges. The 46th season of Survivor aired earlier this year. Some seasons of Survivor feature hidden immunity IDOLs (a type of HIDDEN TREASURE, but there's no map indicating its location).  Once found the players can use the IDOLs to save themselves or others. 
• A few other clues I especially enjoyed:
  • PLAID (66A: Pattern associated with lumberjills)
  • AREA (68A: Calculation for a country or a rectangle)
  • SEAL (72A: Animal with blubber and whiskers)

Crossword Puzzle Theme Synopsis

• HIDDEN TREASURE (20A: What an X on a map might lead to)
• HIGH SCORE (39A: Achievement at an arcade)
• HINDU SCRIPTURE (60A: The Bhagavata Purana, for example)

OUTSIDE HIRE: The letters of the word HIRE are found on the OUTSIDE edges of each theme answer: HIDDEN TREASURE, HIGH SCORE, and HINDU SCRIPTURE.

I always make a guess about what the theme of a puzzle will be once I read the title. Today the word OUTSIDE led me to believe (correctly, as it turns out) that the theme would be found on the OUTSIDE edges of the theme answer. I guessed those edges would either feature letters from the word HIRE, or from a synonym of HIRE, such as employ. Uncovering HIDDEN TREASURE (see what I did there...) confirmed my guess, and let me know the word at the OUTSIDE edges was in fact HIRE. Thank you, Ryan, for this enjoyable puzzle.

For more on USA TODAY’s Crossword Puzzles

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