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.
Theme: ON YOUR FEET (63. "Stand up!" ... and a hint to the beginnings of the answers to starred clues)
17. *Divisive political topic: WEDGE ISSUE.
24. *Want-ad heading in the London Times, perhaps: FLAT FOR RENT.
40. *Get up and running, digitally: BOOT THE COMPUTER.
50. *Interrogate persistently: PUMP FORINFO.
Boomer
here. Kind of looks like a golf puzzle. Many times I take the WEDGE
out of the bag but I do not elevate the ball and it comes out FLAT.
Also it could be in the rough or behind a tree so I need to use the foot
WEDGE to BOOT it back into the fairway. Sink the putt and PUMP my
fist. On to the next tee.
Back
in 1961, the Washington Senators were known as "First on Land, First on
Sea, and last in the American League." They became the Minnesota Twins
and Washington may become our 51st state shortly, And the Twins
revived the tradition of being last in the American League.
Across:
1. Igloo shape: DOME. The Twins replaced the Humphrey MetroDOME with Target Field. Now if it snows in April they have an excuse.
5. Least satisfactory: WORST. I said "last" and that also means WORST.
10. Boars' mates: SOWS. This little Piggy went to market.
14. Did a takeoff on: APED.
15. "Christina's World" painter Andrew: WYETH.
16. Witty remark: QUIP. I keep trying.
19. Useful Word command for the error-prone: UNDO. "Error prone"? Even the puzzler is talking about our Twins.
20. "Good __!": Charlie Brownism: GRIEF. I think you can still buy PEANUTS at the ball park.
21. Immature newt: EFT.
22. Cake decorator: ICER. Could be a hockey player who sends the puck flying down the rink to get out of trouble.
23. Biological pouch: SAC.
28. MADD ads, e.g.: PSAS. I don't know about MADD but PSAS are also used to measure Prostate Specific Antigens. Hey guys, keep it under 4 if you can.
29. Gerbil or hamster, often: PET. We had hamsters when we were kids.
30. I-90 in Mass., say: TPKE. We do not have turnpikes in Minnesota. Just highways and lakes.
33. Defrost: THAW. And we are pretty well THAWed now in the Land of 10,000 Lakes. C.C. is cheering up. They don't get snow in Guangzhou.
36. Slack-jawed: AGAPE.
43. Vowel-heavy goodbye: ADIEU. "ADIEU, ADIEU my friend ADIEU, I can no longer stay with you."
44. Truck stop vehicle: SEMI. Everywhere I go I find myself driving behind a big SEMI or a school bus.
45. About to arrive at: NEAR.
46. Monopoly quartet, briefly: RRS. Take a ride on the Reading, Pennsylvania, Short Line, or B & O.
48. HQs for B-52s: AFBS.
55. Nor. neighbor: SWE.
58. Morales of "Ozark": ESAI. He was also in NYPD Blue. One of my favorites.
59. Female in the fam: SIS.
60. "Darn!" and "Dagnabbit!" are mild ones: OATHS.
62. Easy win: ROMP. Just play the Twins.
66. "My treat": ON ME.
67. Double-curved arches: OGEES.
68. Starting poker pot contribution: ANTE. Years ago we played "Nickel ANTE" at the Oak Ridge Caddie Shack. Bill Murray was not there.
69. Sign of joy, maybe: TEAR.
70. __-Dame de Paris: NOTRE. Then why is Notre Dame the "Irish"??
71. Went up: ROSE.
Down:
1. Georgia team, in sports headlines: DAWGS. The Georgia Bulldogs.
2. "Aida," for one: OPERA.
3. Battlefield doc: MEDIC. For a while at Fort Campbell I earned
that term driving an ambulance to the rifle range. Only had one
instance of a soldier overdose. But then there was an instance on April
4, 1968 when a gentleman named Martin Luther King was shot in Memphis
and ugliest spilled over to the emergency room at Fort Campbell Army
Hospital. I did my best but I was a lousy MEDIC so I worked my way into
a company clerk job.
4. Beat by a hair: EDGE. This is a little Ford SUV. We rented one in Las Vegas but I did not like it. I am over 6 feet tall.
5. Early 20th-cent. conflict: WWI. Before my time.
6. Yiddish laments: OYS.
7. Start-over button: RESET. Now our DirecTV has a way to start over but I have not figured it out.
8. Assorted items: STUFF. I think we may need to do a garage sale again.
9. Place to take it from?: THE TOP.
10. Water pistols: SQUIRT GUNS. Absolute fun.
11. Part of a pound: OUNCE.
12. Add a lane to, say: WIDEN. Normally there is no room to add a
lane. However Minnesota has reported that they are going to re-stripe
existing roads. Sounds stupid to me.
13. Hurling or curling: SPORT. I suppose Baseball or Football would be too easy.
18. Failing grades: EFFS. I got one in college.
25. Wood strip: LATH.
26. Campfire remnants: ASHES. I have mentioned previously that I shopped at a tobacco store named "Ashes" owned by a fellow named George Ash.
27. Harvest: REAP.
28. Guy in a popular tongue-twister: PETER PIPER. I heard that he "Picked a Peck of Pickled Peppers"
30. Not yet known: Abbr.: TBA.
31. Pea holder: POD. Or a metal can.
32. Decorative fish: KOI.
34. Pro: ACE. High Card
35. Wonder __: WOMAN. Lynda Carter on TV.
37. Had: ATE. Six was afraid of Seven because Seven ATE Nine.
38. Princess' bane, in a fairy tale: PEA.
39. Goof: ERR. Lots of last week's Twins memories in this puzzle.
41. Grass-and-roots layer: TURF. In football fields, TURF is not grass.
42. Tick off: MIFF.
47. "Already?": SO SOON. Almost Done.
49. Ill-mannered sort: BOOR.
50. '90s candidate Ross: PEROT. He ran against Bill Clinton and
George W. Bush in 1992. He won about 20% of the vote but no states. It
was the best third party result since 1912.
51. Me.-to-Fla. route: US ONE. Did you know that only one state borders Maine ?
52. Poppa's partner: MAMMA.
53. Drummer for John, Paul and George: RINGO. "Yeah, Yeah, Yeah"
54. "The best __ to come": IS YET.
55. Shorthand specialist, for short: STENO.
56. Stimulates: WHETS. You need to WHET the knife to fix the hole in the bucket.
57. Cosmetician Lauder: ESTEE.
61. Many miles away: AFAR.
64. "__ the ramparts ... ": OER. "Oh say can you see?"
Theme: "Director's Cut"* - Six famous directors are separated one black square. See Answer Grid.
21. *Marvel hero with a red-white-and-blue costume: CAPTAIN AMERICA. 23. *Soviet newspaper: PRAVDA. Frank Capra.
34. *Hunk: STUD MUFFIN. 36. *Take only the best: CHERRY-PICK. David Fincher.
49. *Instrument played with mallets: GLOCKENSPIEL.
53. *Citrus used to flavor tea: BERGAMOT.Steven Spielberg.
71. *Turkey's area: NEAR EAST.
72. *Symbol of worthlessness: WOODEN NICKEL. Clint Eastwood.
86. *Camper's knot: CLOVE HITCH.
89. *Ridiculous, as an excuse: COCKAMAMIE. Alfred Hitchcock.
103. *"Walk This Way" rap trio: RUN DMC.
104. *Oscar-winning role for Judi Dench: QUEENE LIZABETH. Steve McQueen.
Love
the theme and execution. I did a "Director's Cut" for the Universal a
while ago. But Joe's approach is far more impressive, with long director
names and full six grid-spanning entries.
Only 138 words (our
standard is 144). Lots of nice non-fill, some chewy. Not surprising
since we see more themeless grids from Joe.
Across:
1. Get gray, say: CLOUD UP. Not hair. Sky.
8. Iraq port city: BASRA.
13. Knighted English composer: ELGAR (Edward)
18. Bust of Pope Paul V sculptor: BERNINI. Gian Lorenzo Bernini. Here's the bust.
19. Language family including Finnish and Hungarian: URALIC.
Wiki says "The name "Uralic" derives from the family's original homeland
(Urheimat) commonly hypothesized to be in the vicinity of the Ural
Mountains."
20. "I Hope You Dance" singer Womack: LEE ANN.
24. Like a racehorse's hooves: SHOD.
25. Apple pie order: A LA MODE.
26. Last-second online auction bids: SNIPES.
27. OXO tool: PEELER. This is the peeler I use. It's made in Thailand. Works great with mangoes.
29. Comet, to some: OMEN.
30. Summer hrs. along the Mississippi: CDT.
32. Humdingers: LULUS.
38. Android alternative: IOS.
39. Halloween decoration: BAT.
40. "Family Guy" kid with a football-shaped head: STEWIE. Never watched the show.
41. __ Beta Kappa: PHI.
42. Diva's numbers: SOLI. Plural of solo.
44. Base-level rideshare option: UberX. OK, this sitehas
detailed information on UberX, UberXL, etc. "UberX seats 4 passengers.
UberX cars are typically sedans such as Toyota Prius, Honda Accord".
Gary used Uber during his DC trip a few years ago.
46. Host before Carson: PAAR (Jack)
57. Cattle catchers: ROPES.
58. Cantina fare: TAPAS.
59. '60s-'70s epithet based on a 21st-century Emmy-winning drama: MAD MEN ERA. OK, Wiki comes to the rescue again: "According to the pilot episode, the phrase "Mad men"
was a slang term coined in the 1950s by advertisers working on Madison
Avenue to refer to themselves, "Mad" being short for "Madison".
60. Appliance found in Provence?: OVEN. Provence.
61. Survivalist Stroud: LES.
62. Okra or orca unit: POD.
63. "Dracula" author Stoker: BRAM.
64. Phisher's crime: WIRE FRAUD.
68. Throat problems: FROGS.
70. Grand Canyon sights: CACTI.
74. Cravings: YENS.
75. Slightly lit: TIPSY.
76. Kindle technology: E-INK. Always made me think of Jeff Chen, who debuted this entry long ago.
77. Back on a ship: AFT.
80. Gem weight units: CARATS.
82. Water source: TAP.
83. Little terror: IMP.
93. Worked on a Royal: TYPED. Royal Typewriter.
94. Fragrant neckwear: LEI. JimmyB sent me this fresh lei from Hawaii on the day our Hawaii puzzle was run in the LA Times. So fragrant.
95. Giants manager Kapler: GABE.
96. Cruel boss: TYRANT.
97. SoFi Stadium team: LA RAMS.
99. Family planning topic, familiarly: THE PILL.
102. Big apes: LUGS.
107. Made a case: ARGUED.
108. Seventh of eight: URANUS.
109. Part of town to avoid: BAD AREA. Here's the Asian grocery store I visit often. Still boarded up. Wells Fargo at our street corner just took down the boards yesterday.
110. They may be skinny: JEANS. Out of style now, according to TikTokkers.
111. Finish by: END AT.
112. Rock's Lynyrd __: SKYNYRD.
Down:
1. Ottawa-based media org.: CBC. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
2. Take on, as tenants: LEASE TO.
3. Mythological lyrist: ORPHEUS. Husband of Eurydice.
4. Boundless: UNTOLD.
5. Jeweled headgear: DIADEM.
6. Oxford, to Oxonians: UNI. University.
7. Fruta en una colada: PINA. Spanish for pineapple.
8. City in NW Germany: BREMEN. Home of Beck's Brewery.
9. "Breaking Bad" actor __ Paul: AARON.
10. Arrived headfirst, perhaps: SLID.
11. General Mills cereal: RICE CHEX. Boomer likes Wheat Chex more.
12. Landmark health legislation, briefly: ACA. Also 20. Health care provider: Abbr.: LPN.
47. Spend time in a cellar, perhaps: AGE. If you're a bottle of wine.
48. Returned, as a football kick: RAN BACK.
49. Cultivated: GROWN.
50. Houston Texans coach Smith: LOVIE. He was Bears' coach before.
51. "Carmen," e.g.: OPERA.
52. Henri's "Hi": SALUT.
53. Symbol of authority: BADGE.
54. Pfizer rival: MERCK. Hope I don't develop the itch again after my second Pfizer shot in early May.
55. More than just talk: ORATE.
56. Language of southern India: TAMIL.
59. Temperamental: MOODY.
62. (The) big leagues: PROS.
65. Bank charge: FEE.
66. French alternative: RANCH. What's your favorite dressing?
67. Has at: ASSAILS.
68. Dandy fellows: FOPS.
69. Move surreptitiously: SNEAK.
70. Bengals, on scoreboards: CIN. Cincinnati.
72. Accompanying: WITH.
73. Bite like a puppy: NIP AT.
75. Tight-lipped: TACITURN.
77. Do something: ACT.
78. Bit of fishing tackle: FLY LURE.
79. Santa Monica Mountains' __ Canyon: TOPANGA. Unfamiliar to me.
81. U.S. __ 1, East Coast hwy.: RTE.
82. Immune system component: T CELL.
83. Picturesque language: IMAGERY.
84. English church honorific: MINSTER.
85. Furry friend: PET.
87. WWI battle city: VERDUN. Also unknown to me. Wiki says the Battle of Verdun was the longest of the First World War and took place on the hills north of Verdun-sur-Meuse.
88. One of a quartet of '50s singing siblings: ED AMES.
89. Domed top for a threaded fastener: CAP NUT.
90. Relatives of Tonys: OBIES.
91. Polite two-word English term of address: MY LADY.
105. __ Starkey, longtime drummer for The Who: ZAK.
106. Once possessed: HAD.
Happy Birthday to Kazie (Kay),
who has shared with us many of her traveling pictures over the years. Hopefully she can visit her family in Germany soon.
Kay and her husband Barry on Tamborine Mountain, overlooking Brisbane
