There are spoilers ahead. You might want to solvetoday's puzzlebefore reading further!Break Out In Song Constructor:Rachel Fabi Editor:Amanda Rafkin PGA (27D: Charlie Sifford's org.) Charlie Sifford (1922-2015) was a professional golfer. He was the first Black American to play on the PGA Tour. Charlie Sifford was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2004. OSAKA (1A: Tennis star Naomi) We saw OSAKA in the puzzlethree days agoclued as [2020 US Open winner Naomi]. ALAMO (15A: Rental car company inaptly based in Missouri) This clue made me chuckle. It's true! Although the landmark known as the ALAMO is located in Texas, the ALAMO Rent a Car company has its headquarters in Clayton, Missouri. ALAMO wasn't founded in Missouri, but it wasn't founded in Texas either. ALAMO began in Florida in 1974. T. S. ELIOT (23A: Author whose work 8-Down is based on) and CATS (8D: Creatures that come in tuxedo and tortoiseshell varieties) T. S. ELIOT (1888-1965) was a poet, essayist, and playwright. His 1939 book of poetry,Ol Possum's Book of Practical CATSwas the basis for the Andrew Lloyd Webber musicalCATS(1981). My CAT, Willow, is neither a tuxedo CAT nor a tortoiseshell CAT. However, she is a tremendous help when I am writing, often situating herself between the keyboard and computer monitor. I LIED (34A: "Sorry, that wasn't true") and WASN'T ME (36A: "Someone else did it!") It occurs to me that if these two answers were flipped they would form a humorous pairing and admission of guilt. "WASN'T ME!" ... "I LIED." MGM (39A: Studio with a lion logo) Leo the Lion is the mascot of the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) movie studio. CHARIOT RACE (60A: Equestrian event in ancient Greece) CHARIOT racing is a sport with a long history. The image of a CHARIOT RACE appears on fragments of Greek pottery that date as far back as thirteenth century BCE. The sport was also popular in ancient Rome. CHARIOT racing became less prominent after the fall of Rome. ERS (68A: Workplaces for some RNs) and ORS (1D: Workplaces for some RNs) Nice clue echo. A LA (7D: "___ peanut butter sandwiches!" (The Amazing Mumford catchphrase))The Amazing Mumfordis a magician Muppet who appears onSesame Street. Even with the help of his catchphrase,"Á LA peanut butter sandwiches,"his magic tricks don't always go as intended. Fun fact: The Amazing Mumford's voice is based on W. C. Fields. STEPPE (11D: Grassy region) A STEPPE is a geographical region characterized by grassland plains. It may have shrubs, but its climate is too dry to support forest growth (although not dry enough to be classified as desert). OOTD (22D: Hashtag on a mirror selfie post) OOTD = outfit of the day AYO (37D: "Bottoms" actress Edebiri)Bottomsis a movie released in 2023. The satirical comedy is about PJ (Rachel Sennott) and Josie (AYO Edebiri), two queer high school girls who start a fight club with an ulterior motive of attracting girls. MALL RAT (44D: Person hanging out in a food court, maybe) As I filled in this answer, it occurred to me that I was thankful the clue specified "person." If the clue were [One hanging out in a food court], MALL RAT could have a different (less welcome) meaning. NATO (49D: Grp. with its own alphabet) NATO is enjoying a moment in the crossword spotlight, as this is the third day in a row we've seen it in the puzzle.Two days agowe saw NATO clued as [Org. with a phonetic alphabet], andyesterdaywe saw it clued as [Sweden joined it in 2024 (Abbr.)]. CNN (63D: Channel for Abby Phillip) Abby Phillip is a senior political correspondent for CNN. She currently hostsCNN Newsnight. SWING STATES (17A: Electoral battlegrounds) LOW BATTERY (28A: What a beeping smoke detector may indicate) SWEET ONION (45A: Milder version of a pungent veggie) CHARIOT RACE (60A: Equestrian event in ancient Greece) BREAK OUT IN SONG: The first words of theme answers form the title of a SONG: "SWING LOW, SWEET CHARIOT." I had a delightful time solving this puzzle. From the title I had a vague idea the theme might have something to do with the word SONG. I filled in the answer SWING STATES and I thought, "Hmm, SWING SONG?" Then I filled in LOW BATTERY, and I immediately began singing the African American Spiritual, "SWING LOW, SWEET CHARIOT / Coming for to carry me home..." In other words, I truly did BREAK OUT IN SONG while solving this crossword. Thank you, Rachel, for this amazing puzzle. USA TODAY's Daily Crossword Puzzles Sudoku & Crossword Puzzle Answers This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Crossword Blog & Answers for June 19, 2025 by Sally Hoelscher
