Charles H. Sloan-Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Age Brackets

There are Charles H. Sloanspoilers ahead. You might want to solve today's puzzle before reading further! Age Brackets

Constructor: Adam Levav

Editor: Jared Goudsmit

What I Learned from Today’s Puzzle

• LEES (66A: Feminist activist Sue) Sue LEES (1941-2002) Sue LEES was a British writer, educator, and activist. Her writings include the 1996 book, Carnal Knowledge: Rape on Trial, which analyzed how rape was reported in the media and dealt with in the legal system in England. Her research was instrumental in changing how women were treated at rape trials in the United Kingdom.
• ODE (62D: "___ to Goby" (Juliana Spahr poem)) A goby is a type of fish. You can read Juliana Spahr's "ODE to Goby" on the American Poets website.

Random Thoughts & Interesting Things

• ANYA (1A: ___ Taylor-Joy (actress who played Beth Harmon)) Beth Harmon, portrayed by ANYA Taylor-Joy, is the main character in the 2020 miniseries, The Queen's Gambit. The series is based on Walter Tevis' book of the same name. Beth Harmon is a chess prodigy, and the show focuses on her rise in the world of competitive chess, and her struggle with drug and alcohol dependency.
• EMU (20A: Bird on an Australian coin) The EMU is endemic to Australia, and is an important cultural symbol of the country. The EMU appears in Australia's coat of arms, along with the kangaroo, another native Australian animal. The currency of Australia is the Australian dollar. The EMU appears on the reverse side of the dollar coin.
• SERUM (25A: Truth ___ (spy movie drug)) The use of truth SERUM is a popular trope in spy movies. Several different drugs – including scopolamine and sodium pentothal – have been described as truth SERUMs, and occasionally used as such. There is no drug that has been proven to be effective and reliable as a truth SERUM, and the use of such drugs (outside the realm of spy movies) has raised significant ethical questions.
• TAPIR (61A: Rhino's long-nosed relative) A TAPIR has a long snout that it uses to grab fruit and leaves. Although a TAPIR resembles a pig, its closest relatives are horses and rhinos.
• AP LIT (67A: H.S. class that may cover Shakespeare) and BRUTUS (6D: He betrayed Caesar) BRUTUS here refers to Marcus Junius BRUTUS (85 BCE - 42 BCE), who was a Roman politician and one of the assassins of Julius Caesar. I paired these two answers, because it was in LIT class (junior high LIT rather than AP LIT) that I learned about BRUTUS as we studied Shakespeare's play, JuliusCaesar, which contains the iconic line, "Et tu, Brute?" ("You too, BRUTUS?")
• OPEC (8D: Oil grp. that includes Iran and Kuwait) Twelve countries are a part of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). The five founding countries of OPEC are Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela. The other current members of OPEC are Algeria, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Libya, Nigeria, and the United Arab Emirates. OPEC has been headquartered in Vienna, Austria since 1965, although Austria is not an OPEC member.
• AESOP (21D: "Zeus and the Tortoise" fable writer) The AESOP's fable "Zeus and the Tortoise" is a story explaining how the tortoise got its shell. In the story, Zeus invited all of the animals to his wedding, but the tortoise didn't show up. The tortoise's excuse was that it preferred its own home. Zeus decided the tortoise would from that time on carry its house with it.
• ICE SPICE (37D: "Barbie World" rapper) "Barbie World" is a song on the soundtrack of the 2023 movie Barbie. The song is a collaboration between rappers ICE SPICE and Nicki Minaj. The band Aqua is also credited as performers and co-writers of the song.
• ETTA (56D: "Trust in Me" singer James) ETTA James recorded the song "Trust in Me" in 1961. Beyoncé sang a version of the song for the soundtrack of the 2008 movie Cadillac Records, in which she portrayed ETTA James.
• LARP (57D: IRL fantasy battle game) LARP stands for live action role-playing. In this IRL (in real life) activity, participants physically portray their characters, combining elements of gaming, cosplay (costume play), and improvisational acting. 
• A few other clues I especially enjoyed:
  • ATE ALONE (36D: Had a solo date at a restaurant, say)
  • MEN (45D: Two ___ and a Truck (moving company))
  • NOISES (49D: Splashes, clinks, etc.)

Crossword Puzzle Theme Synopsis

• ARTS COLLEGE (21A: Place to get a general education)
• AIRPORT LOUNGE (36A: Fancy place to wait for a flight)
• ALPINE LODGE (55D: Skier's shelter)

AGE BRACKETS: The letters of the word AGE serve as BRACKETS for each theme answer, appearing at the ends: ARTS COLLEGE, AIRPORT LOUNGE, and ALPINE LODGE.

This puzzle's title let me know just what to expect theme wise. The corners of this grid have a number of 6-, 7-, and 8-letter Down answers next to each other. When answers of this length are adjacent in a grid, it can be challenging for a constructor to find fill that is good, clean, and solvable. These corners are impressive in that the fill is smooth, and there are a number of lively answers such as LASER TAG, LINGUINE, and SNOOTY, in addition to some I've mentioned above. Thank you, Adam, for this enjoyable puzzle.

For more on USA TODAY’s Crossword Puzzles

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