6-Down. Doctors rarely make them these days: HOUSE CALLS. Our family pediatrician made house calls when we were little. Once my sister was too sick to make the trip to the doctor's so my mom asked the doctor to make a house call. When the doctor arrived, my sister was hiding under the bed and wouldn't come out. Mom was not amused.
11-Down. Artillery metaphor for a volatile sort: LOOSE CANNON.
25-Down. First major leaguer to hit 40 homers and steal 40 bases in a season: JOSE CANSECO. In 1988, Jose Canseco (né José Canseco Capas, Jr.; b. July 2, 1964) became the first member in the 40-40 club.
30-Down. Asian feline breed: SIAMESE CAT.
And the Unifier:
63-Across. Hickok's last hand, it's said ... and what's literally found in four Down puzzle answers: ACES UP. In each of the 4 theme answers, the word "Aces" is spelled "up".
Legend has it that Wild Bill Hickok (né James Butler Hickok; May 27, 1837 ~ Aug. 2, 1876) was holding a poker hand consisting of the Ace of Spades, the Ace of Clubs, the Eight of Spades and the Eight of Clubs when he was shot and killed. The term "Aces Up" apparently refers to having 2 pair, with Aces being the higher pair, hence the reason that Aces is spelled "up" in today's puzzle. [Thanks, Joseph! I couldn't have fully understood today's theme without your help.]
You would have thought he would have combed his hair before getting his picture taken.
I am placing the grid here today so you can see the Aces.
Note the nice symmetry of the word "Aces" in the theme answers. The first word in each phrase ends in "SE" and the next word begins with "CA".
Across:
1. Disappear: PERISH.
7. Pop star Lady __: GAGA. Lady Gaga (née Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta; b. Mar. 28, 1986) may have gotten her stage name from the Queen song, Radio Ga Ga.
11. "__ Miz": LES. Les Miz is the musical version of Victor Hugo's 1862 novel Les Misérables. I read the book years ago (in an English translation). I have also seen the musical numerous times. It is a fabulous story.
14. Not against hearing, as a suggestion: OPEN TO. I am open to an alternative theory on today's theme.
15. Amo, __, amat ...: AMAS. Today's Latin lesson.
16. Mork's home planet: ORK. I never undestood the attraction of Mork and Mindy. It was too crazy for me. The show ran from the Fall of 1978 through May 1982.
17. Martin of "Mission: Impossible": LANDAU. Although Martin James Landau (June 20, 1928 ~ July 15, 2017) appeared in numerous movies and television shows, he is probably best known for his role as Rollin Hand, the "Man of a Million Faces", in Mission: Impossible.
18. Excuse designed to elicit sniffles: SOB STORY.
20. Happening soon: IN STORE.
22. PDQ: ASAP. Pretty Darn Quick and As Soon As Possible. Not to be confused with PDQ Bach, the infamous 21st child of Johann Sebastian Bach.
23. Mexicali's peninsula: BAJA. Also known as Baja California.
The entire peninsula.
Portion of the peninsula showing Mexicali.
26. Roof overhang: EAVE. Soffits are under the Eaves.
31. The "A" in USNA: Abbr.: ACAD. As in the United States Naval Academy.
32. USO show audience: GIs. Did you know that the term GI might have originally stood for Galvanized Iron, which was the material used to make military buckets? By World War I, the term was expanded to include all things army related, and later became used to describe soldiers.
33. Ball game delayer: RAIN.
34. Mallorca, por ejemplo: ISLA. Today's Spanish lesson.
36. Make potable, as seawater: DESALT.
38. Not yet visible, as a fingerprint: LATENT.
40. Con's place of confinement: CELL.
41. Robin Cook medical thriller: COMA. This novel was first published in 1977. I read it many years ago. Robin Cook (né Robert Brian Cook; b. May 4, 1940) is a physician and many of his books focus on medical issues. Coma explores the black market of organ donation.
42. Currently: NOW.
44. Compact Chevy SUV: TRAX.
46. Elon Musk company concerned with travel to Mars: SPACEX.
48. Italian hour: ORA. Today's Italian lesson.
49. Payment in Monopoly: RENT.
50. LAX landing hrs.: ETAs. Estimated Time of Arrival has become a crossword staple. Where did the X come from?
51. Fort full of gold: KNOX. Fort Knox is Maine's largest historic fort. This was one of the last places I went with my mother before she died. The gold is not stored at this fort, however. You have to go to Kentucky for that fort.
52. "In that case ... ": IF SO.
53. Grime-fighting P&G mascot with folded arms: MR. CLEAN.
55. Evil: FIENDISH.
57. Lowlife, slangily: CREEP-O.
61. Inc. relative: LLC. As in a Limited Liability Company.
62. Melville novel: OMOO. Omoo is the sequel to Typee. Both books make occasional appearances in the crossword puzzles. Herman Melville (Aug. 1, 1819 ~ Sept. 28, 1891) spent much of his early years as a sailor on merchant ships. Both Typee and Omoo are based on Melville's experiences in the South Pacific. Of course, Melville is best known for Moby Dick. I wonder if anyone other than scholars ever reads these books.
64. "Evil Woman" rock gp.: ELO.
65. Nashville's st.: TENN.
66. Until now: TO DATE.
Down:
1. D.C. pro: POL.
2. Govt. pollution watchdog: EPA. As in the Environmental Protection Agency.
3. Stimpy's sidekick: REN. Ren is the sociopathic Chihuahua and Stimpy is the dim-witted Manx cat.
4. Nepal neighbor: INDIA.
5. Comics icon Lee: STAN. Stan Lee (né Stanley Martin Lieber; Dec. 28, 1922 ~ Nov. 12, 2018) was the primary creative leader of Marvel Comics. He makes frequent guest appearances in the crossword puzzles.
8. Loves, in Spain: AMORES. More of today's Spanish lesson.
9. Comedian Kaplan: GABE. Gabe Kaplan (né Gabriel Weston Kaplan; b. Mar. 31, 1945) is best known for his role as the teacher on the 1970 sit-com Welcome Back, Kotter. I never watched this show.
10. Donkey: ASS.
12. List of mistakes: ERRATA. More of today's Latin lesson.
13. Chatted via webcam: SKYPED. Do people still use Skype? We use either Zoom or FaceTime.
19. Steamed cantina food: TAMALE. Hi, Lucina!
21. Implied: TACIT.
23. Plead with: BEG.
24. Surrounded by: AMID.
29. Disappearing Asian sea: ARAL. Another crossword staple.
35. Lay's chips-in-a-can brand: STAX.
37. Church caretaker: SEXTON. The Sexton also served as the gravedigger in days of old.
38. Express opposite, trainwise: LOCAL.
39. Bull in a corrida: TORO. Still more of today's Spanish lesson.
41. Get the hang of it: CATCH ON.
43. Candle material: WAX.
44. Insignificant thing: TRIFLE.
45. Pharmacy follow-up order: REFILL.
47. Individual: PERSON.
51. Weak-__: wimpy: KNEED.
53. Actor with no lines: MIME.
54. West Coast gas brand: ARCO.
56. "i" topper: DOT. That little dot is formally called a Tittle.
58. That, to Pedro: ESA. Still more of today's Spanish lesson.
59. Delay, with "off": PUT.
60. Reveal, to a poet: OPE.
That's all folks!
חתולה
Today is my Dad's 91st birthday. He would appreciate the image below.
