0617-22 NY Times Crossword 17 Jun 22, Friday

Constructed by: Pao Roy
Edited by: Will Shortz

Today’s Theme: None

Bill’s time: 14m 15s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

10 File type used in paper-to-digital archiving : PDF

Portable Document Format (PDF) is a file format introduced by Adobe Systems in 1993. PDF documents can be shared between users and read using many different applications and platforms, making them more universally accessible than documents saved by one particular program.

14 ___ League : ARAB

The Arab League was formed in 1945 in Cairo with six founding members: Egypt, Iraq, Transjordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and Syria. As a result of events during the 2011 Arab Spring, the Arab League has suspended Syria’s membership.

17 Tahoe or Winnebago : LAKE

Lake Tahoe (often referred to simply as “Tahoe”) is up in the Sierra Nevada mountains, and is located right on the border between California and Nevada. It is the largest alpine lake in the country, and the largest lake in general behind the five Great Lakes. Tahoe is also the second deepest lake, with only the beautiful Crater Lake in Oregon being deeper. Given its location, there are tall casinos that sit right on the shore on the Nevada side of the state line where gambling is legal.

Lake Winnebago is the largest lake located entirely within the state of Wisconsin.

20 Mass agreement : AMEN

The principal act of worship in the Roman Catholic tradition is the Mass. The term “Mass” comes from the Late Latin word “missa” meaning “dismissal”. This word is used at the end of the Latin Mass in “Ite, missa est” which translates literally as “Go, it is the dismissal”.

25 Free educational spots, for short : PSAS

Public service announcement (PSA)

30 Costa ___ : RICA

Costa Rica is a country in Central America that is bordered by Nicaragua to the north and Panama to the South. Costa Rica is remarkable in my opinion, a leader on the world stage in many areas. It has been referred to as the “greenest” country in the world, the “happiest” country in the world, and has a highly educated populace. In 1949, the country unilaterally abolished its own army … permanently!

31 The Rockets, on a sports ticker : HOU

The Houston Rockets NBA team was founded as a league expansion team in 1967 in San Diego. The Rockets relocated to Houston in 1971. Surprisingly (to me), the Rockets were not named for Houston’s connection to NASA. The “Rockets” moniker was partly due to San Diego’s more tenuous NASA connection. General Dynamics’ San Diego operation developed and built the first Atlas rockets, including those used in Project Mercury.

36 Like some Marcel Duchamp works : DADAIST

Dadaism thrived during and just after WWI, and was an anti-war, anti-bourgeois and anti-art culture. The movement was launched in Zurich, Switzerland by a group of artists and writers who met to discuss art and put on performances in the Cabaret Voltaire. The same group frequently expressed disgust at the war that was raging across Europe.

Marcel Duchamp was a French artist whose works are associated with the Dadaist and Surrealist movements. One of his most celebrated “works” is simply what he called “readymade” art, a urinal which he titled “Fountain”. Even though this work is considered to be “a major landmark in 20th century art”, the original that was submitted for exhibition was never actually displayed and had been lost forever. Replicas were commissioned by Duchamp, and are on display in many museums around the world. I have no further comment …

39 Spread some dirt : SPILL THE TEA

To spill the beans is to divulge a secret. The expression first appeared in American English, in the early 1900s. The phrase arose as an alternative to “spoil the beans” or “upset the applecart”. The similarly meaning phrase “spill the tea” is more prevalent on the other side of the Atlantic.

48 Pittance : SOU

A sou is an old French coin. We use the term “sou” to mean “an almost worthless amount”.

A pittance is a small amount, often a living allowance or remuneration. The term “pittance” came into English from Old French, and is basically an amount given out of a sense of “pity”.

53 Comic who said “I’m not addicted to cocaine. I just like the way it smells” : PRYOR

Richard Pryor was a stand-up comedian and actor from Peoria, Illinois. Pryor had a rough childhood. He was the son of a prostitute and was raised in his grandmother’s brothel after his mother abandoned him at the age of ten years. He was regularly beaten by his grandmother, and was molested as a child. Pryor grew up to become the comedian’s comedian, one who was much respected by his peers. Jerry Seinfeld once referred to Pryor as “the Picasso of our profession”.

57 On trend : CHIC

“Chic” is a French word meaning “stylish”.

60 1987 Lionel Richie hit : SELA

Singer-songwriter Lionel Richie got his big break as a singer and saxophonist with the Commodores starting in 1968. Richie launched a very successful solo career in 1982. Richie is the father of socialite Nicole Richie, childhood friend of Paris Hilton and co-star on the Fox show “The Simple Life”.

61 They’re rolled out once a year at the White House : EASTER EGGS

Tradition states that the first Easter Egg Roll in the nation’s capital was staged by Dolley Madison, wife of President James Madison. The inaugural event was held in 1814, but not at the White House, where it is held today. That first Egg Roll was held on the grounds of the US Capitol. After a new lawn was planted in 1877, Congress passed a law making it illegal to use the lawn as a children’s playground (boo! hiss!), and so President Rutherford and his wife Lucy brought the Egg Roll to the White House (hurrah!).

Down

1 Southern cornmeal dish : PONE

“Pone” is another name for corn bread, and comes from the Powhatan term “apan” meaning “something baked”.

3 Skateboarders’ stunts : OLLIES

An ollie is a skateboarding trick invented in 1976 by Alan “Ollie” Gelfand. Apparently it’s a way of lifting the board off the ground, while standing on it, without touching the board with one’s hands. Yeah, I could do that …

4 Workshop fasteners : T-NUTS

A T-nut is so called because it has a T-shape when viewed from the side.

8 Runway hazard : SLEET

Apparently, “sleet” is a term used to describe two different weather conditions. One is a shower of ice pellets that are smaller than hail, and the second is a mixture of rain and snow, with the snow melting as it falls.

10 Heroic knights : PALADINS

The paladins were warrior attendants of Charlemagne, the King of the Franks. Also called the Twelve Peers, the paladins often feature in fictional tales of heroism about the period.

13 Babe, for one : PIG

The hit 1995 film “Babe” was produced and filmed in Australia. The movie is an adaptation of a 1983 novel called “The Sheep-Pig” written by Dick King-Smith. “Babe” was a smash hit at the box office and was extremely well received by the critics. The film was nominated for the Best Picture Oscar, but lost out to “Braveheart”. However, it did win the Oscar for Best Visual Effects by beating out “Apollo 13”, which was an amazing feat, I’d say…

15 “Molto ___” : BENE

In Italian, the crossword solving experience might be “molto bene” (very good).

22 Art capable : CANST

Thou art capable, thou canst.

25 Many college profs : PHDS

“Ph.D.” is an abbreviation for “philosophiae doctor”, Latin for “teacher of philosophy”. Often, candidates for a PhD already hold a bachelor’s and a master’s degree, so a PhD might be considered a “third degree”.

34 Mr. of film : DEEDS

“Mr. Deeds Goes to Town” is a 1936 Frank Capra romantic comedy starring Gary Cooper in the title role, and Jean Arthur in her first leading role. The wonderful 1936 original inspired a less-than-wonderful 2002 remake “Mr. Deeds” starring Adam Sandler and Winona Ryder.

44 Time to go in : CURFEW

Our word “curfew” comes from an Old French word meaning “cover fire”. In medieval days a bell would ring in the evenings as a signal to bank the hearths in preparation for sleeping. The intent was to prevent uncontrolled fires starting from fireplaces that were not tended during the night.

45 Campaign grps. : PACS

A political action committee (PAC) is a private group that works to influence the outcome of a particular election or group of elections. Any group becomes a PAC by law when it receives or spends more than $1,000 for the purpose of influencing the outcome of an election. In 2010 the Supreme Court ruled that PACS that did not make direct contributions to candidates or parties could accept unlimited contributions. These “independent, expenditure-only committees” are commonly referred to as “super PACs”.

46 Theater props? : OBIES

The Obies are the Off-Broadway Theater Awards. They have been presented annually since 1956. The recipients used to be chosen by “The Village Voice” newspaper, but now are jointly administered with the American Theatre Wing.

49 Word with light or space : OPERA

Space opera is a type of science fiction with storylines that resemble those in westerns, but set in outer space in the future. The term “space opera” derives from “horse opera”, which is used to describe formulaic western films.

55 Bacchanalia : ORGY

A bacchanalia is a drunken spree. The term “bacchanalia” derives from the ancient Roman festival held in honor of Bacchus, the god of winemaking.

56 Hotel offerings: Abbr. : RMS

Room (rms.)

59 Genealogical listing: Abbr. : REL

Relative (rel.)

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 It was all a dream, maybe : PLOT TWIST
10 File type used in paper-to-digital archiving : PDF
13 It helps keep your head above water : POOL NOODLE
14 ___ League : ARAB
16 Popular poster : INFLUENCER
17 Tahoe or Winnebago : LAKE
18 “Catch my drift?” : GET IT?
19 Nonbinary pronoun : THEM
20 Mass agreement : AMEN
21 Key that closes a window : ESC
23 “I’m there!” : IT’S A DATE!
25 Free educational spots, for short : PSAS
28 Zelle or Zillow : APP
30 Costa ___ : RICA
31 The Rockets, on a sports ticker : HOU
32 “Incidentally …” : ON A SIDE NOTE …
36 Like some Marcel Duchamp works : DADAIST
38 Not numb : SENSATE
39 Spread some dirt : SPILL THE TEA
41 Pro’s opponent : CON
42 Measure (out) : DOLE
43 Shaft : ROD
44 ___ sum (leafy vegetable in Chinese cuisine) : CHOY
45 “Shush!” : PIPE DOWN!
48 Pittance : SOU
50 Grayish : ASHY
51 Round and round and round? : BOUT
53 Comic who said “I’m not addicted to cocaine. I just like the way it smells” : PRYOR
57 On trend : CHIC
58 At one’s best : IN RARE FORM
60 1987 Lionel Richie hit : SELA
61 They’re rolled out once a year at the White House : EASTER EGGS
62 Taken care of : SET
63 Sneak off somewhere : STEAL AWAY
Down
1 Southern cornmeal dish : PONE
2 Artist’s pad, maybe : LOFT
3 Skateboarders’ stunts : OLLIES
4 Workshop fasteners : T-NUTS
5 One out of 10 : TOE
6 Refuse : WON’T
7 Aids in recovering lost pets : ID CHIPS
8 Runway hazard : SLEET
9 Lengths of rulers, maybe : TERMS
10 Heroic knights : PALADINS
11 Whose work may be all play? : DRAMA COACH
12 “Mom” for a day, say : FAKE TATTOO
13 Babe, for one : PIG
15 “Molto ___” : BENE
22 Art capable : CANST
24 Team building? : ARENA
25 Many college profs : PHDS
26 Shower stall accessories : SOAP DISHES
27 One with sound judgment? : AUDIOPHILE
29 Way to go : PATH
32 Like many baking sheets before baking : OILED
33 What a colon might mean : IS TO
34 Mr. of film : DEEDS
35 Wee, informally : EENY
37 Urban scavenger : ALLEY CAT
40 Certain essential worker, for short : ER NURSE
44 Time to go in : CURFEW
45 Campaign grps. : PACS
46 Theater props? : OBIES
47 Succeeded in : WON AT
49 Word with light or space : OPERA
52 “Peace!” : TA-TA!
54 Literally, Sanskrit for “joining” : YOGA
55 Bacchanalia : ORGY
56 Hotel offerings: Abbr. : RMS
59 Genealogical listing: Abbr. : REL