There are spoilers ahead. You might want to solvetoday's puzzlebefore reading further!...In a Bottle Constructors:Dan Kammann & Zhouqin Burnikel Editor:Amanda Rafkin PERU (32A: Country home to Rainbow Mountain) Vinicunca, or Rainbow Mountain, is located in the Andes Mountains in PERU. Until 2013, Rainbow Mountain, which has an elevation of 16,522 feet, was covered by glacier caps. The mountains name is a reference to its stripes of various colors, caused by the mineralogical composition of its rock. Rainbow Mountain features stripes of seven colors: pink, whitish, red, green, earthy brown, mustard yellow, and purple. I was not familiar withRainbow Mountain, and I enjoyed learning about it and looking at photos of it. Definitely an amazing sight. MOCHA (6D: Drink named after a city in Yemen) This is fun; I enjoy when I learn a new fact from solving a crossword. Although I have had a MOCHA, a chocolate and coffee drink, before, I did not know where the beverage's name came from. The word MOCHA is derived from the name of the Yemen city of Mokha, a port well-known for its coffee trade from the 15th to 17th century. IKEA (23A: Swedish furniture chain founded by a 17-year-old) Speaking of fun facts, the ready-to-assemble furniture chain IKEA was founded in 1943 in Sweden by Ingvar Kamprad. He was 17 years old at the time. The store's name is an acronym of Ingvar Kamprad's initials plus an E for Elmtaryd, the family farm where he was born, and an A for Agunnaryd, his hometown. TBH (29A: "Truthfully," in a text) TBH = to be honest GAME GENIE (35A: Bygone device that could give players infinite lives) GAME GENIE was a line of cartridges that, when used in conjunction with some Nintendo games, modified game play and allowed the player to cheat. Codes gave the player invulnerability, endless ammunition, or allowed the player to skip levels. As you might imagine, Nintendo was not a fan of GAME GENIE. Nintendo sued the makers of GAME GENIE, claiming a violation of copyright law, but lost the suit. SHERPA (49A: Nepali ethnic group) The SHERPA are a Nepali ethnic group who live in the high mountain region of the Himalayas, a mountain range in Asia. Mount Everest, Earth's highest peak, is located in the Himalayas. Many climbers who attempt to reach the peak of Mount Everest use SHERPA guides. ACLU (60A: Legal advocacy org.) Through legal advocacy, theAmerican Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)works to protect the individual rights of all people in the United States. As they state on their website: "The ACLU dares to create a more perfect union — beyond one person, party, or side. Our mission is to realize this promise of the United States Constitution for all and expand the reach of its guarantees." SMURFS (1D: Blue cartoon characters) The blue humanoid creatures known as SMURFS were introduced as comic book characters in 1958. They were created by Belgian comics artist Peyo (the pen name of Pierre Culliford). Since that time, theSMURFSfranchise has expanded into animated TV shows, movies, video games, toys, and theme parks. LUMP SUM (10D: Lottery winner's option) In some lottery games, the winner may choose to receive their winnings as an annuity payment or a LUMP SUM. The LUMP SUM payment is a smaller amount than the advertised jackpot. PIG (12D: "If You Give a ___ a Pancake")If you Give a PIG a Pancake(1998) is a children's book by Laura Joffe Numeroff and illustrated by Felicia Bond. The book is one of a series of children's books imagining a sequence of events, the first of which wasIf You Give a Mouse a Cookie. "If you give a PIG a pancake, she'll want some syrup to go with it..." TIARA (20D: Sailor Moon's headpiece)Sailor Moonis a Japanese manga (graphic novel) series written and illustrated by Naoko Takeuchi. The protagonist of the series is a schoolgirl, Tsukino Usagi, who can transform into the superhero Sailor Moon.Sailor Moon's TIARAis a magical item that can be used as a weapon. REN (26D: "The ___ & Stimpy Show")The REN & Stimpy Showis an animated TV series that originally aired from 1991-1996. REN is a chihuahua, and Stimpy is a Manx cat. CERA (34D: "Superbad" actor Michael)Superbadis a 2007 coming-of-age movie. Jonah Hill and Michael CERA star as teenagers Seth and Evan who want to party and lose their virginity prior to graduating from high school. MARATHON (36D: Race that's 26.2 miles long) The race known as a MARATHON was created for the first modern Olympics in 1896, which was held in Athens, Greece. The distance of 26.2 miles was standardized in 1921. MARATHONs have become popular with recreational athletes, and worldwide more than 800 MARATHONs are held each year. BEAGLES (44D: Snoopy and Gromit, e.g.) Snoopy is Charlie Brown's BEAGLE in thePeanutscomics created by Charles M. Schulz. Gromit is Wallace's BEAGLE in the claymation franchiseWallace & Gromit. SLEUTH (48D: Nancy Drew, for one) I've mentioned before that I credit Nancy Drew books as a main reason mysteries are my favorite literary genre. Therefore, I'm always happy to see this teen SLEUTH mentioned in the puzzle. The first Nancy Drew mystery,The Secret of the Old Clock, was published in 1930. The books have been written by a number of authors, all using the pseudonym Carolyn Keene. PBS (57D: Broadcaster with pledge drives) As PBS reminds people following shows,"This program was made possible by contributions to your PBS station by viewers like you. Thank you." RUN A TIGHT SHIP (19A: Keep operations orderly and efficient) GAME GENIE (35A: Bygone device that could give players infinite lives) GET THE MESSAGE (54A: Understand what's implied) ...IN A BOTTLE: The last word of each theme answer is something that may be found IN A BOTTLE: SHIP IN A BOTTLE, GENIE IN A BOTTLE, and MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE. A title that begins with an ellipsis is quite intriguing. I immediately wanted to solve the puzzle and uncover the theme. Discovering RUN A TIGHT SHIP let me know what was happening. A SHIP IN A BOTTLE is an iconic example of a seemingly impossible construction feat. I have a SHIP IN A BOTTLE, but I built it from a Lego kit my son gave to me a few years ago, so not quite as challenging as the classic constructions. Thank you Dan and Zhouqin, for this enjoyable puzzle. USA TODAY's Daily Crossword Puzzles Sudoku & Crossword Puzzle Answers This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Crossword Blog & Answers for June 30, 2025 by Sally Hoelscher