Theme: Tuesday Toadies - All are dupes that get used.
57A. Classic comedy team, with "The" ... and what the last words of 20-, 38- and 44-Across comprise : THREE STOOGES
20A. Rock used for hammering, e.g. : STONE AGE TOOL
38A. Shari Lewis' Lamb Chop, memorably : SOCK PUPPET
44A. First piece moved in chess, often : QUEEN'S PAWN
Argyle here. Eighty words but it although it didn't feel like that many. All the letters except J Z.
Across:
1. Many an Amman man : ARAB
5. Grab, as ice cubes : TONG
9. Seuss character who "speaks for the trees" : LORAX
14. Ship bottom : HULL. Perhaps Spitzboov can elaborate.
15. Auth. unknown : ANON. But we know anons; they're not all bad.
16. Fit to be tied : IRATE
17. Opposed to : ANTI
18. Flat-topped elevation : MESA
19. Consumerist Ralph : NADER
23. Mousse kin : GEL
24. NBC skit show : SNL. (Saturday Night Live)
25. Neighbor of Can. : USA
28. Seasoned veteran : PRO
31. Sneaker brand : KEDS
34. Sharper, as vision : KEENER
36. One that falls in the fall : LEAF
40. Media workers' org. : AFTRA. (American Federation of Television and Radio Artists)
42. Mentalist Geller : URI
43. Home of baseball's Marlins : MIAMI
47. Takes a load off : SITS
48. "Incredible!" : "UNREAL!"
49. __ Piper : PIED. Def. having two or more different colors.
51. Half a colon : DOT
52. Blog VIPs : EDs. (editor)
53. Bubble bath spot : TUB
55. Arctic sea bird : AUK
63. Mexican mom : MADRE. (madre política : mother-in-law) Plus 63D. Mother's Day month : MAY. (el día de la madre, diez de mayo)
66. Wrap for a sprain : TAPE
67. Agatha Christie's title : DAME. She was made a Dame by Queen Elizabeth in 1971.
68. Universal principle : AXIOM
69. Letter-named thoroughfares in Bklyn. : AVEs. Full of snow, I suppose.
70. Soprano Gluck : ALMA
71. Gossipmonger : YENTA
72. Religious offshoot : SECT
73. Ringful on a belt : KEYS
Down:
1. Triumphant cries : A-HAs. When I 'got' 73-Across.
2. Littlest of a litter : RUNT
3. Voice below soprano : ALTO
4. Showy jewelry : BLING
5. Fare steamed in corn husks : TAMALEs
6. Ten C-notes : ONE G. 10 x $100 = $1,000
7. Wine quality : NOSE
8. Annoying swarm : GNATS
9. Kitchen flooring : LINOLEUM and 41D. Detested thing : ANATHEMA. I had trouble spelling these two climbers.
10. Like much early history : ORAL
11. "Cool!" : "RAD!" (radical)
12. Had a bite : ATE
13. Gen-__: boomer's kid, usually : Xer
21. Surprised scream : [EEK!]
22. Cleaning up after the mess? : ON KP. in the service.
25. Still owed : UNPAID
26. Appear that way : SEEM TO
27. Palette user : ARTIST
28. Inscribed award : PLAQUE
29. Check from the IRS : REFUND. They may be late this year.
30. Films featuring chaps in chaps : OATERS. (Westerns)
32. Fasten, as buttons : DO UP
33. Junkyard metal : SCRAP
35. Protestant denom. : EPIS. (Episcopal)
37. Let loose : FREE
39. Fuzzy fruit : KIWI
45. Insult : SLUR
46. Most shipshape : NEATEST
50. Lovebirds, e.g. : DUO
54. Software test versions : BETAs
56. George Eastman's camera : KODAK
57. Easy race pace : TROT
58. Whence icicles hang : EAVE
59. Building detail, briefly : SPEC. Specification, different from on spec: Speculation.
60. Big windstorm : GALE
61. Award for a sitcom : EMMY
62. Red and Coral : SEAs. The Coral Sea.
64. Bough breaker : AXE. Axe must have been too dull to chop it.
65. Racket : DIN
Argyle
