Fastexy Exchange|Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Steak Tips

There are Fastexy Exchangespoilers ahead. You might want to solve today's puzzle before reading further! Steak Tips

Constructor: Sam Cordes

Editor: Anna Gundlach

What I Learned from Today’s Puzzle

• RATTAIL (13D: Padawan braid, essentially) The main characteristic of a RATTAIL hairstyle is a portion of hair on the back of the head that is significantly longer than the rest of the hair. The RATTAIL may be left as is, or braided or curled. In the Star Wars franchise, Padawans (Jedi apprentices) wear a RATTAIL braid as a way to signify their rank. The braid is cut when a Padawan is declared a Jedi Knight.
• AIM (25D: Early chat app with the "Running Man" mascot) AIM stands for AOL Instant Messenger. The "Running Man" – a yellow stick person figure – was the mascot for AIM, and AOL in general, beginning in the 1990s. The Running Man retired in 2017, when AIM was discontinued. I remember the Running Man, but was only coming up with AOL, not AIM. Crossing answers to the rescue.

Random Thoughts & Interesting Things

• OPERA (14A: "The Phantom of the ___") and COMPOSER (7D: Person writing the music for a musical) Andrew Lloyd Webber is the COMPOSER of the musical, The Phantom of the OPERA. After its 1986 premiere in London, The Phantom of the OPERA opened on Broadway in 1988. It ran on Broadway until 2023, and is the longest running show on Broadway, with 13,981 performances. The Phantom of the OPERA won seven Tony Awards in 1988, including Best Musical.
• ASIA (16A: Thailand's continent) Thailand is a country in Southeast ASIA. The capital of Thailand is Bangkok. Our crossword-friend, ASIA, is making its fourth appearance this month. Overall, ASIA is having a good year. My first few years of blogging, our crossword-friend ERIE edged out ASIA for the most appearances in the puzzle (and mentions in the blog). So far this year, we have seen ASIA 19 times, and we've seen ERIE 15 times. Can ASIA maintain this lead for the remainder of the year? Only time will tell. As always, a reminder that the only thing these numbers mean is that I like data!
• MEATY (17A: Like Bolognese sauce) Bolognese is a MEATY sauce in Italian cuisine. It takes its name from the northern Italian city of Bologna, where it originated.
• SUNSET STRIP (18A: Hollywood area home to The Comedy Store and Whisky a Go Go) SUNSET STRIP is the section of SUNSET Boulevard in California that passes through the city of West Hollywood. This 1.7-mile stretch is known for its boutiques, restaurants, and nightclubs, and it colorful billboards. The Comedy Store is a comedy club that opened on SUNSET STRIP in 1972. Past performers at The Comedy Story include Billy Crystal, Whoopi Goldberg, and Robin Williams. Whisky a Go Go is a historic nightclub on SUNSET STRIP. The first Whisky a Go Go opened in Chicago, Illinois in 1958. The SUNSET STRIP Whisky a Go Go opened in 1964. Bands that have played at Whisky a Go Go include The Doors, Fleetwood Mac, and AC/DC.
• I, TOO (32A: "___, am America" (Langston Hughes line)) Back-to-back appearances for I, TOO, as we saw it in yesterday's puzzle. Yesterday's "I, TOO" clue featured the first line of Langston Hughes's 1925 poem, ["___, sing America"]. Today's clue features the poem's last line, "I, TOO, am America."
• ROSS (42A: "black-ish" actress Tracee Ellis) The TV series black-ish originally aired on ABC from 2014-2022. The show centers on a Black family headed by Dr. Rainbow Johnson (Tracee Ellis ROSS) and her husband, Andre "Dre" Johnson (Anthony Anderson).
• BRUSSELS (46A: Capital of Belgium) Belgium is a country in Northwestern Europe. Its neighbors are the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg, and France, and it has coastline along the North Sea. BRUSSELS is the capital of Belgium.
• ADA (52A: Poet Limon) ADA Limón is the current Poet Laureate of the United States. When someone appears in the puzzle that I have written about multiple times, I sometimes dig a little deeper to learn something new about that person. Today I learned that ADA Limón wrote a poem that will be etched onto the Europa Clipper, a NASA spacecraft scheduled to launch in October of this year to travel to Europa, one of Jupiter's moons. The poem is titled, "In Praise of Mystery: A Poem for Europa."
• SAMOA (57A: Polynesian island nation) The island country of SAMOA is located in the Pacific Ocean, about halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand. The capital of SAMOA, and its only city, is Apia.
• YEARBOOKS (6D: They're often signed with "HAGS") HAGS stands for "Have a great summer."
• BTS (26D: "Dynamite" band) "Dynamite" is a 2020 song by the K-pop band BTS. It was the band's first song fully in English. Any mention of the song "Dynamite" reminds me of the delightful July 10, 2021 puzzle, which featured the song as a theme answer.
• ARI (39D: "BMO" singer Lennox) "BMO" is a single from ARI Lennox's debut album, Shea Butter Baby (2019).
• YOLO (55D: Acronym justifying some stunts) YOLO = you only live once

Crossword Puzzle Theme Synopsis

• SUNSET STRIP (18A: Hollywood area home to The Comedy Store and Whisky a Go Go)
• HULA SKIRT (35A: Luau dancing garment)
• MERRY-GO-ROUND (54A: Carnival ride also known as a carousel)

The last word, or TIP, of each theme answer is a type of STEAK: STRIP STEAK, SKIRT STEAK, and ROUND STEAK.

If you're in the mood for steak, you can take your pick from today's puzzle. This is a solid set of theme answers, and the title let me know exactly what to look for theme-wise. Congratulations to Sam Cordes making a USA TODAY debut! Thank you, Sam, for this enjoyable puzzle.

For more on USA TODAY’s Crossword Puzzles

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