Tuesday, May 21, 2019 John-Clark Levin & Jeff Chen

"Tiny Bubbles"

4. It's often worn with a hood and mortarboard: ACADEMIC ROBE.  10^-6 or 0.000001

10. Computer screen array: DESKTOP ICONS.  10^-12 or 0.000000000001

25. Longtime late-night host: CONAN OBRIEN.  10^-9   or 0.000000001 

26. Don Ho's signature song ... and a hint to this puzzle's circled letters: TINY BUBBLES.


The circled answers are three of the twenty metric system "unit prefixes" used in the International System of Units (SI).   The prefixes are used for multiples or  fractions of the seven base units of measurements, which include second for time, meter for length, kilogram for mass, etc.   In case you missed the news, big changes occurred yesterday, May 20, 2019 as the redefinition of the base units went into effect.

However, the theme is Tiny Bubbles, and we have:

• Microbubbles - Used in biomedical imaging and for targeted drug delivery.
• Nanobubbles - Change the characteristics of water molecules, with widespread potential uses.
• Picobubbles - Being studied to improve extraction in phosphate production.  

Who knew ?  I only knew of microbubbles, and that led me to see if there were indeed, nanobubbles and picobubbles. 

If you aren't buying in, just count all of those zeros in the SI unit prefixes as Tiny Bubbles.

Moving on...

Across:

1. Fur-protesting org.: PETA.  People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals

5. Criminals, to cops: PERPS.  Perpetrators.   Perps, to cruciverbalists:  perpendicular answers.

10. Idiotic: DUMB.

14. With, in France: AVEC. 

15. Paying careful attention: ALERT.

16. Biblical twin: ESAU.  The hirsute one that sold his birthright.

17. California county known for vineyards: NAPA.

18. JFK Library architect: I.M. PEI.  As you are aware, he died last week at 102.  Jackie Kennedy chose an unknown architect named I.M. Pei to design the Kennedy Library

19. Talked like a rat?: SANG.

20. Shoe brand with a three-stripe logo: ADIDAS.

22. Jabbing rudely: POKING.

24. Rescue helicopter: MEDEVAC.

26. Something for serving the English breakfast?: TEA TRAY.

27. Spanish hand: MANO.  Anatomy.  Mano a Mano: hand to hand. 

28. Crushing on: INTO.  Adoring on, or idolizing. 

29. Fronton game word: ALAI.  Didn't know the word fronton.  Had the clue been "Cesta game word" jai alai would have come to mind.   As it was, perps provided the answer.   If you are looking for a venue where you can watch a match, here's a list:  Frontons in the USA

32. Like about-to-be-toppled dominoes: ON END.

34. Surreptitious summons: PSST.

38. Branded wares, informally: MERCH.  Merchandise.

40. American gymnast Raisman with three Olympic gold medals: ALY.  Three Golds, Two Silvers and a Bronze in Olympic competition:

41. Magazine name: TITLE.  Caught me thinking of masthead names. 

42. Preface, briefly: INTRO. 

43. Tip of a quill: NIB.

44. Ensure the win: ICE IT.

45. "The Tempest" king: ALONSO.  Shakespeare.  That's about all I know about it. 

47. Send to iCloud: UPLOAD. 

49. "Doctor Who" airer, familiarly: THE BEEB.    "...a nickname originally coined by Peter Sellers...and popularised by radio DJ Kenny Everett."

50. Smoothie maker: BLENDER.

52. Gained altitude: ROSE.

53. "Survivor" faction: TRIBE.  If interested, here's a list of the tribes of "Survivor" through the years.  I think I've watched perhaps a total of 10 minutes of it in the 38 "seasons" it has been on TV.  They must average about two seasons a year, since Wiki tells me it has been on since 2000.   Apparently it's a very popular reality series.

55. Stud farm stud: SIRE.

56. Latin art: ARS.

57. Not yet sleeping: STILL UP.

59. Chicago ballplayer: CUB.


60. Show on which Tina Fey co-starred for six seasons: SNL. 

61. Cooks' prep tools: PEELERS.

62. India pale __: ALE.

63. "Yo!": HEY !

64. Bar tender in Tokyo?: YEN.  Two words for the currency clue rather than the singular word for an occupation.

65. For instance: SAY.  FREX, as JzB would abbreviate FoR EXample.

66. Blanc who voiced Bugs: MEL.


Down:

1. Former Delta rival: PAN AM.  Never flew Pan Am, but was a Delta frequent flyer member.  The only thing I got from them in return was lost and misrouted luggage at Hartsfield.   Still have my card

2. Give the slip: EVADE. 

3. Lukewarm: TEPID.

5. Italian chum: PAISANO. 

6. Massachusetts state tree: ELM.   They also have a state rock.  It's called Plymouth. And a state cream pie and terrier dog, both called Boston.

7. U.S. House member: REP.

8. Cursor beginning?: PRE.  Precursor - a person or thing that comes before another of the same kind; a forerunner.

9. Grad student's income: STIPEND. 

11. Delta rival, as it was once known: US AIR.  US Airways, nee Allegheny Airlines, merged with American Airlines.   I remember the expansions of Pittsburgh International in the 70s and 80s, largely to support Allegheny / US Air.   TWA was the other major carrier that had a hub at Pittsburgh.

12. Exodus food: MANNA.

13. Glitch-ridden, as software: BUGGY.   Hopefully the bugs are caught in Beta Testing.

21. "Selma" director DuVernay: AVA.

23. Bread grain: OAT.

29. "What __ missing?": AM I.

30. "Stormy Weather" singer: LENA HORNE.


31. In a naive way: ARTLESSLY.

33. Giants QB Manning: ELI.  The New York Giants of the National Football League.

35. Stabilizer for movie shooters: STEADICAM.   Invented by Garret Brown.  He also invented Skycam, "the robot camera that flies on wires over sporting events."

 Description

36. Outmoded calculator: SLIDE RULE.

37. Hanoi New Year: TET.

39. Sharpen: HONE.

41. Shower wall piece: TILE.

46. Divan kin: SETTEE.

48. Thorax membrane: PLEURA.  More anatomy.  Thank you perps.   The Crossword Corner's  resident physician wouldn't need to look these up, but I had to.  The last anatomy class I had was in high school...

• Thorax - "the part of the body of a mammal between the neck and the abdomen, including the cavity enclosed by the ribs, breastbone, and dorsal vertebrae, and containing the chief organs of circulation and respiration; the chest.
• Pleura - "each of a pair of serous membranes lining the thorax and enveloping the lungs in humans and other mammals."

49. Garbage: TRASH. 

51. Defy authority: REBEL.

54. __-at-ease: ILL.

57. MI6 agent: SPY.

58. "Gangnam Style" musician: PSY.   The video, if you care to watch it.   Now with 3,349,033,725 views and counting.   That's 3.349 billion  (10⁹⁾  or 3.349 gigaviews,  if one were to use the SI unit prefix.

Monday May 20, 2019 Robert E. Lee Morris

Theme: OBIE (56. Theater award ... and a phonetic hint to the answers to starred clues) - Each theme entry is in the patter of O* B*.

 

17A. *Bread with a schmear: ONION BAGEL.

61A. *Annual Florida football game: ORANGE BOWL.
 

11D. *Coastal North Carolina resort area: OUTER BANKS.

24D. *Source of free drinks: OPEN BAR.

29D. *Séance prop: OUIJA BOARD.

Boomer here.

Bad weather here again.  I had to go Out Back to make sure rain had not damaged our garden.  Also on Thursday I went Out Bowling to defend my title in the Minneapolis 700 club 4 game tournament.  I started with 193-197-215 -- 605.  It was my first 600 set since the Big C damaged my back.  However my 4th game was only 157 and I placed 7th out of about 30 entries.

Across:

1. Like some private communities: GATED.  We have one of these in the metro area out by the famous Hazeltine Golf Club.  I am pretty sure that everyone living there is a multi-millionaire so we are not planning to move there. 

6. Really dull: DRAB.  I think that was the color of a '53 Dodge I once owned.

10. Second-year student: SOPH.  Since this is an abbreviation, shouldn't there be an abbreviated clue??

14. Ex-Yankee manager Joe: TORRE. Lots of career catchers seem to make the best managers.  I think it's because they can tell when a pitching change is necessary.

15. Goldberg who drew complex "machines": RUBE.

16. Make healthy: CURE.  Hormel Company of Austin Minnesota makes a Cure 81 Ham.  It is pretty good.  Much better than another Hormel product Spam.  Yuk.

19. __ Ant: tiny toon superhero: ATOM.  a cartoon by Hanna Barbera a long time ago.  Never gained the fame of Fred and Wilma. 

20. Therapy visit: SESSION. Add another "S" and you have a former Attorney General.

21. "Honor Thy Father" author Gay: TALESE.

23. Parody: SPOOF.

26. Fire engine signal: SIREN. A famous city in Western Wisconsin. My dad was born there, and my great uncle lived on a road, which is now named Burnikel Road.

27. "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown" singer Jim: CROCE.  Lot's of hits.  He had to say "I love you" in a song.

31. Can opener: POP TAB.  Wow. I am sooo old I remember when they first came out.  The tab came totally separated from the can.  Fishermen would open their beer and toss the tab into the lake where fish would eat them and die.  Finally a government agency in charge of fish killing litter told soda and beer makers to clean up their act.

33. Chief Greek god: ZEUS.

34. Mono successor: STEREO.  Yeah, I am old enough to remember the early ones.

36. __ Lingus: AER.

39. Somewhat: A BIT.

40. Hint of color: TINGE.

41. Escape key function: UNDO.  Also a function of a pull top on a can.

42. Friend of TV's Sheldon and Leonard: RAJ.

43. "For my next __ ... ": singer's intro: NUMBER.  And now, we have a group whose biting satire has gained popularity …. (Chad Mitchell at the Bitter End).

44. Pass over: SKIP. to my Lou

45. "Lawrence of __": ARABIA. A star studded cast including Peter O'Toole, Omar Sharif, Alec Guiness, and Anthony Quinn.  The movie lasted almost 4 HOURS !!  Yup I am old enough to remember that one too.

47. "Beau __": GESTE.

48. Scheming group: CABAL.

50. Serious play: DRAMA.

53. Roberto or Sandy of baseball: ALOMAR.  They were brothers. Sandy Jr. was a catcher for a number of teams, (Not all at the same time.)  Robbie played second base mostly in Toronto and was voted into the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.

Roberto Alomar and Sandy Alomar Jr.

55. Deep regret: REMORSE.  I had a bit of deep regret that I decided to play golf last week.

60. Line through the middle of a circle: Abbr.: DIAM.

64. To be, to Balzac: ETRE.

65. Mexican's zilch: NADA.  Okay but I have heard many Americans use this word also.

66. Primary foe: RIVAL.  I watched Brooks make his rival Tiger look pretty bad last week.

67. Lincoln in-law: TODD.

68. From __: all-inclusive: A TO Z.

69. Take care of: SEE TO.

Down:

1. Classic Pontiac muscle cars: GTOS.  I never had one, but they made my Mustang look silly.  Sorry, no more Pontiacs from GM.

2. Top-notch: A-ONE.  I have never had A One on my golf scorecard.  (Except when it precedes two other numbers in the total column.)

3. "Divergent" films heroine: TRIS.  Also Hall of Famer Mr. Speaker. NO I am not old enough to remember him.  I have only heard about him.

4. Greek god of love: EROS.

5. Actress Richards: DENISE.

6. Clog-busting brand: DRANO. I have heard it contains dangerous lye.  We use Liquid-Plumr.

7. "Area" floor covering: RUG.  We have several throw rugs in our home.  I think the big ones are called carpet.

8. Prez on a fiver: ABE. No I am not old enough to remember Abe, and neither are you.  But I have a lot of respect for his contribution to our country.  (Even though Mary Todd is known to throw potatoes at him).  Abe also replaced a Native American on the copper penny designed by Victor D. Brenner in 1909.

9. Pants holder-upper: BELT.  I took off a few pounds this past year so I might need a new one or two.  Sizes are confusing.  I ordered a couple from Dr. Leonard's and they were NOT the size that the catalog said.  I am not ordering blind through the mail any more, (except maybe baseball cards.)

10. Justice replaced by Gorsuch: SCALIA.  With all due respect to Neil, I think it should have been Judge Merrick Garland.

12. It's not poetry: PROSE.

13. Macho guys: HE MEN.

18. Jazz genre: BOP.  Reminds me of the restaurant in "Happy Days".

22. Regarding: AS TO. Two short words.

25. Valley __, Pa.: FORGE.  History was never my best subject, but this city is in the historical hall of fame.  A year or so after the Declaration of Independence, and after George III had time to digest it, George Washington led a large unit of brave men at Valley Forge and defeated a large number of men of the British Army. Now - the city is loaded with historical memories and a national park.   (NO I am not old enough to have been there.  I think I read about it in National Geographic.) 

27. Business magnate: CZAR.

28. Country star McEntire: REBA.  Mostly country music, I believe she has appeared at the Minnesota State Fair more than once.

30. Ill. winter hours: CST.  Minnesota is also on Central time.  I hate when the Twins are on the West Coast and games start around 9:00 PM - CST.

32. Equal: PEER.  If you PEER into the past you may see a Norwegian, PEER Gynt.

34. Ticket remnant: STUB.  Some stubs may fetch a few bucks.  I have 5 of the 1987 World Series stubs of the games I attended.  (Four at the Metrodome and one at Busch Stadium, St. Louis).

Boomer's World Series Stubs

35. Shy: TIMID.

37. Polish a manuscript: EDIT.

38. Dogie catcher: ROPE.

41. Take advantage of: USE.

43. Simba's mate: NALA.  "The Lion King's lady"

46. Smashed into: RAMMED.  I wonder why Dodge Trucks are called "RAM",  Have they been smashed into, or did they do the smashing.  Or maybe it is what happened to the Vikings last year when they visited Los Angeles.

47. Online players: GAMERS.  About the only thing I game on line is FreeCell Solitaire.

48. Military academy student: CADET.

49. Samuel of the Supreme Court: ALITO.  I respect our Supreme Court, but why does it take so long for them to make up their mind and why are decisions seldom unanimous?

51. Desi of "I Love Lucy": ARNAZ.  Yes, "I Love Lucy" was a great sitcom in the 50's and I am old enough to remember watching it on our 19 inch black and white console TV.  But then in the sixties, Desi did not love Lucy any more.

52. Bit of computer RAM: MEG.  No Dodge Truck there also.

54. Gossip columnist Barrett: RONA.  I am just not interested in Gossip.

57. Roam: ROVE.

58. Smack, as a fly: SWAT.  Special Weapons and Tactics.  I use them when I bowl.

59. Cockney greeting: ELLO.  Where the "H" is the "H"??

62. Stool pigeon: RAT.  James Cagney's favorite word.

63. Big fuss: ADO.  Adieu, Adieu my friends Adieu, yes Adieu.  I can no longer stay with you, Stay with you.  I'll hang my harp on the weeping willow tree, and may the world go well with thee.

Boomer

Sunday May 19, 2019 Ross Trudeau

Theme:  "Elimination"- EL is removed from each theme entry.

22A Cracked river barriers?: DAMS IN DISTRESS. Damsels in distress.

40A. What a generous mechanic might do after a wreck?: THROW IN THE TOW. Throw in the towel.

50A. David or Saul?: JEW IN THE CROWN. Jewel in the crown.

68A. Request to the local marriage oath writer?: CAN I BUY A VOW. Can I buy a vowel?

89A. Variety headline for director Lee's U.S. debut?: ANG'S IN AMERICA. Angels in America.

97A. Magician's tote?: EVERYTHING BAG. Everything bagel. Should have avoided BAGEL CHIP (63D. Crunchy snack)

118A. Talks about woks?: PAN DISCUSSIONS. Panel discussions.

I wonder if Ross's original title was "Noel", which describes the gimmick better.

EL is removed from the end of each key word, so very consistent. Ross is also known for his long sparkling fill. Today's grid is a great example. Lots of nice Downs, including a few never-been-seen debut entries.

Across:

1. __ vu: DEJA.

5. Command from Kirk: BEAM ME UP.

13. Drink word for "strained": COLADA. "Pina colada" means "strained pineapple".

19. [Sigh]: ALAS.

20. Unsuccessful competitors: ALSO-RANS.

21. One-footed creature: UNIPED. Like what?

25. Spiced up: ZESTED.

26. Sign of contempt: SNEER.

27. In a lab, it's often white: RAT.

28. "Yesterday!": STAT.

30. Cart count: ITEMS. Do you prefer Walmart or Target?

31. Pop by: STOP IN.

33. Org. with quarantine authority: CDC.

35. Western alliances: POSSES. I was thinking of NATO-style alliances.

37. How the satisfied stand: PAT.

39. "Psych!": NOT.

44. Indistinct mass: BLOB.

46. Deck-enclosing option: SCREEN.

48. Brainchild: IDEA.

49. Mani-pedi locale: SPA.

53. "Sunday Morning" channel: CBS.

55. __-de-sac: CUL.

56. Felt: SENSED.

57. Greek X: CHI.

58. Jolly syllables: HO HO. Dear Spitzboov and Santa, who loved the blooming onion. So glad they met.

60. Words of defeat: I LOST.

62. Chipotle alternative: QDOBA.

64. Kind of artery: RENAL.

65. DNC chair Tom: PEREZ. He beat the then Minnesota congressman Keith Ellison for the position. Ellison (right) is now our Attorney General.

66. Pittance: SOU.

72. Some dishwashers: GES. Ours is Samsung. We do have have a GE stove. The "Burner On" glitch is annoying.

73. Gap rival: J CREW.

75. Memoir, for one: GENRE.

76. Odist's inspiration: ERATO.

78. Rib: TEASE.

79. Best Female Athlete, e.g.: ESPY.

80. Eur. country in the Olympics since 1992: CRO. Croatia.

82. Dulles alternative: REAGAN.

86. Place to stay: INN.

87. Business card no.: TEL.

92. Calf spot: LEG.

93. With 66-Down, when Lady Macbeth says, "Leave all the rest to me": ACT I. 66. See 93-Across: SCENE V. 

95. Nonprofit reporting app: AP NEWS.

96. Coal carrier: TRAM.

101. Clancy's "The __ of All Fears": SUM.

103. More-than-stretchy statement: LIE.

104. "The Yodeling Cowgirl" in "Toy Story" films: JESSIE.

105. Novelist Rand: AYN.

106. Rodeo contestants, at times: ROPERS.

108. Quiet order: SHUSH.

110. Run smoothly: PURR.

112. It's dropped for emphasis: MIC.

113. Implied: TACIT.

116. Pioneer 35mm cameras: LEICAS.

122. Shmoo creator: AL CAPP. Nice to have his full name. We see CAPP often.

123. Tapered cigar: PERFECTO.

124. __ Brasi, "The Godfather" enforcer: LUCA.

125. Frank: WIENER.

126. Regular guys?: STEADIES. Nice clue.

127. Headliner: STAR.

Down:

1. Some diaper changers: DADS.

2. Panache: ELAN.

3. 1607 settlement: JAMESTOWN.

4. Selling point: ASSET.

5. Abolish: BAN.

6. Spooky: ELDRITCH. Never heard of word. Looks like Tiger's real name.

7. Like about 25% of Russia's population: ASIAN.

8. Part of MVP: MOST.

9. "The A-Team" muscle: MR T.

10. Singer's skill: EAR.

11. World Heritage Site org.: UNESCO. Italy is the leader with 54 sites. China has 53, one of them is in my hometown.

12. Subtle "Over here!": PSST.

13. Member of the fam: CUZ.

14. Flexible lunch hour: ONEISH.

15. Directory name: LISTEE.

16. College Bd. result using a 1-to-5 scale: AP TEST SCORE. Also 61. Creations with colorful blocks: LEGO ART.91. "Oh, that's adorable!": AW SO CUTE. All debut entries. Lovely.

17. Consider: DEEM.

18. Throws in: ADDS.

23. Golfer's wedge, e.g.: IRON. Most of Boomer's clubs are hybrids.

24. Delicious: SAPID.

29. Musical timbre: TONE COLOR.

32. Ph.D.'s next hurdle: POSTDOC

33. French sweetie: CHERI.

34. Crab Key villain: DR NO. Google shows that "Crab Key is a fictional island off the coast of Jamaica that served as the stronghold of Dr. Julius No."

36. Wild attempt: STAB.

37. Lunchbox staples, initially: PBJS. Standard Chinese lunch box. Lots of plain rice. Paleo diets won't work for me.

38. Protected while sailing: ALEE.

40. Silicon Valley field: TECH.

41. Ryder of "Stranger Things": WINONA.

42. Works: OPUSES.

43. Chopin work: WALTZ.

45. Creamy soups: BISQUES. This looks delicious.

47. Mends, as a rattan chair: RE-CANES.

51. Stark in "Game of Thrones": NED.

52. Muffet fare: WHEY.

54. Nurse: SIP.

59. "Try it": HAVE ONE.

64. Regret: RUE.

67. Breakfast staple: ORANGE JUICE. 11-letter non-theme entry!

69. Hurting: IN PAIN.

70. __ Mawr College: BRYN.

71. Gets ready to play: WARMS UP.

73. Scrabble 8-pointer: J TILE. What's the score of your name? Try here. I (Zhouqin Burnikel) probably beat most of the regulars on our blog.

74. Rainy: WET.

77. Driving aid: TEE.

80. It covers the House: C SPAN.

81. Encircle: RING.

83. Thin Mints seller: GIRL SCOUT. This cookie selling is very American.

84. Trendy berry: ACAI.

85. Finger: NAME.

88. Has: EATS.

90. "Girls" Emmy nominee Hoffmann: GABY. Unknown to me.

94. Make a mess of, as traffic: TIE UP.

98. Swipe again?: RE-SCAN.

99. Slingshot feature: Y SHAPE.

100. January birthstone: GARNET.

102. Queens squad: METS.

106. 2014 Lizzie Borden portrayer Christina: RICCI.

107. Flight safety equipment?: RAILS. What a great mislead.

108. Crunchy side: SLAW.

109. Port opener: HELI.

111. See 119-Down: RAPS. 119. Dr. who 111-Down: DRE.

112. Advanced teaching deg.: MSED.

114. Machu Picchu denizen: INCA. Hahtoolah was there. She and Kazie are globe-trotters. JD too.

115. Peter the Great, e.g.: TSAR.

117. Mar. arrival, in theory: SPR.

120. "__ tree falls ... ": IF A.

121. USCG reception: SOS.

I heard from Dudley a few days ago. He said he gave up doing the puzzle in March when Cruciverb had a prolonged glitch and he had not returned since. Dudley told me "I'm actually kind of surprised that, after 20 years of the LAT and about 10 years at the Corner, I don’t miss puzzle solving."

I'm glad his absence is not health-related. I do hope he continues to solve the puzzles and visits us from time to time.

C.C.

Saturday, May 18, 2019, Ed Sessa

Themeless Saturday by Ed Sessa

I am very happy to mention any day that celebrates members of the Armed Services. The third Saturday in May is now designated Armed Forces Day and I salute all who have served.

Today's constructor is Ed Sessa M.D., our retired N.Y. pediatrician who is now a resident of Sanibel Island, Florida 

This puzzle was just what the doctor ordered (Hey, you had to see that coming!). I came up dry in the NW but the NE yielded quickly and pretty soon the entire east coast was fully populated and it was Westward Ho! 

Triple horizontal and vertical stacks always impress me 

Now let's see the results of Dr. Sessa's making a house call to our little part of the world:

Across:

1. Noble: ARISTOCRAT and 4. Address for a 1-Across, perhaps: SIR.

11. Tic __: mints: TACS - In a rare moment of comity last week, President Trump offered Speaker Pelosi a TIC TAC and she accepted it


15. Play with unseen players: RADIO DRAMA - Perhaps the most famous RADIO DRAMA performance of all time. Orson Wells doing H.G. Wells 

16. Buck heroine: OLAN - O-LAN is a strong but mostly silent Chinese woman in Pearl Buck's The Good Earth 

17. Certain clinic contributor: SPERM DONOR - Uh, BLOOD DONOR was close but...

18. Hall of Fame quarterback Graham: OTTO - We NFL fans from the 50's remember

19. Significant span: ERA

20. Satirized: SENT UP - A great purveyor of the art:

21. Kind of list: TO DO.

22. Homework shirker's comeuppance: NO TV

24. It may hold broken pottery: RUIN- I'm sure Pompeii's RUINS had lots of broken pottery

25. Hilarious: A HOOT 

26. Frozen beverages: ICEES.

28. Source of blowups: TNT.

29. They're off-limits: NO NOS.

30. Olympic figure skating gold medalist after Kristi: OKSANA - OKSANA Baiul and her doubles partner Victor Petrenko having some fun

32. Makes a lot of progress: GETS FAR.

34. Many an Irish song: LILT.

36. Try for a better hand: DRAW - Even if you DRAW cards, it's going to be tough to make this a good hand

37. Smirks: SIMPERS - Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered has the lyric "I'm a whimpering, SIMPERING child again" and I always thought whimpering and simpering were synonyms

40. Stir to action: AROUSE  and 52. Barbarian horde: HUNS - A WWI call to action

44. Mystical views: AURAE - AURAS didn't cut it

45. Saddle-making tool: AWL - Many holes are required

47. Muesli brand: ALPEN - Swiss style muesli made in Northhampshire, England

48. Constellation points: STARS - These STARS makeup the constellation ORION

49. Musician Lennon: SEAN - son of John and Yoko 

51. Banjo bar: FRET.

53. It includes AAPL and MSFT: THE DOW Jones Average - YTD for Microsoft and Apple

59. Steal, perhaps: DEAL - At Apple's IPO, the stock price was $22/share. Four splits and nearly forty years later it would be worth $11,144/share. What a steal/DEAL!

55. Devoured, with "up": ATE.

56. Thrill from Sills: ARIA - Beverly Sills at La Scala

57. Start: ACTIVATION.

60. Dropped in on: PAID A VISIT.

61. Mrs. Krabappel (Kruh bap' ull) of "The Simpsons": EDNA - The Our Gang Comedies had Mrs. Crabapple as a teacher who spelled her name slightly differently 

62. Giovanni Ribisi title con man: SNEAKY PETE - Here 'ya go


Down:

1. Former late-night talk star, familiarly: ARSENIO - Hall

2. Limp Bizkit genre: RAP ROCK - If you're curious

3. Has a thought: IDEATES - Example from Merriam Webster - "A psychotic would repeatedly IDEATE the act of committing murder" Awkward perhaps, but look at all those compliant letters

5. Farm males: TOMS.

6. More kooky: ODDER.

7. Pastry portmanteau: CRONUT - When a croissant meets a doughnut

8. Sounding off: RANTING.

9. Came (to): AMOUNTED - My birthday meal "came to" $102 and was fabulous

10. One may be rolled out in the park: TARP - Roll it out (cylinder is in left field) and then spread it out

11. "Macbeth" brew ingredient before "Witches' mummy": TOOTH OF WOLF - Do want fries with that?

12. City with a Penn State campus: ALTOONA - Last week we had Penn State Schuykill 

13. Persian passageway: CAT DOOR - This is not a Persian cat but it is a CAT DOOR that only opens when the cat with the right microchip uses it

14. Pompous sorts: SNOOTS.

23. Trattoria entrÈe: VEAL MARSALA.

25. Cochise player of early TV: ANSARA - Syrian born Michael who played Native American Cochise

27. Wading birds with camouflage plumage: SNIPES 

31. Tavern offering: ALE.

33. Refrain opener: TRA.

35. Domicile in front of 123 Sesame Street: TRASH CAN - You'd be grouchy too if you lived there

37. Medically closed up: SUTURED.

38. Khamenei or Khatami: IRANIAN.

39. What often comes before pie: SWEETIE.

41. Hoist: UPRAISE.

42. Take care of business: SEE TO IT.

43. Agreement between states: ENTENTE - One is shown in green below that fought during WWI

44. Barely: A SHADE - Just A SHADE short

46. Uppity: LA DI DA.

50. B.J. of "The Office": NOVAK - He played Ryan Howard on the show and also was a writer and executive producer

53. Light touches: TAPS.

54. Rippled, like chips: WAVY.

58. Point or pointer: TIP - I'll give you a TIP on how to use the TIP of that pointer 

I hope today puts today will remind you to say, "Thank you for your service" to any member of the armed forces you see today.