Theme: Snail mail.
Crossword constructor Janice Luttrell regularly brightens up our Monday mornings. In today's puzzle, Janice has four symmetrically placed theme entries (the last of which is the reveal) with subtly disguised references to items one sends in the mail.
The theme entries are:
20-Across. Metaphor for a plan that may collapse at any moment: HOUSE OF CARDS.
27-Across. Empire State NFL team: BUFFALO BILLS.
44-Across. Features of easy-to-read signs: BLOCK LETTERS.
52-Across. Stack heading to the post office, or what 20-, 27-, and 44-Across all have?: OUTGOING MAIL.
Oh, how we oldsters used to enjoy receiving CARDS and LETTERS in the MAIL! No one enjoyed receiving BILLS, but it beat getting notices of payment due via email, and navigating endless payment portals. We even sent snail mail to our nearest and dearest to share thoughts and feelings, and to brighten their days. Well, it's time to pick up the pace. Not everyone here is as ancient as yours truly.
Across:1. Sweeties: DEARS.
6. "Gimme a break!": C'MON.
10. Like Supreme Court arguments: ORAL.
14. Sight-related: OPTIC.
15. Tick off: RILE.
16. Item in a hotel closet: ROBE. Might have been a SAFE, but it wasn't.
17. One thumbing for a ride: HITCHHIKER. Prior to our marriage in the mid 1970s, my ex was a hitchhiker. During our marriage, he picked up hitchhikers. It was part of his hippie ethos. We were a mismatch, but remained HITCHed for 23 years.
 |
| Ex was taller, but otherwise, this coulda been him. I don't know who *she* is! |
19. Mother Earth, in Greek myth: GAIA. In Greek mythology, Gaia (or Gaea) is the personification of Earth. She is the mother of Uranus (Sky), as well as of Pontus (Sea).
 |
| Uranus and Gaia |
20. [Theme entry]
22. From __ Z: A TO.
25. Inc. kin: LLC.
26. Phase one: ONSET.
27. [Theme entry]
32. Chapel centerpiece: ALTAR.
33. Dishwasher capacity: LOAD.
34. Pop-ups in a free game: ADS. Online games, and phone apps, show you ads unless you pay for a subscription.
37. Snow toy with runners: SLED.
38. Shapewear company founded in 2000: SPANX.
40. "In __ of gifts ... ": LIEU.
41. Cornish game __: HEN.
42. "__ go bragh!": ERIN. Erin go Bragh is the English spelling of an Irish language phrase, Éirinn go Brách, and is used to express allegiance to Ireland. It is most often translated as "Ireland Forever."
43. Agreed (with): SIDED.
44. [Theme entry]
47. Insurance filing: CLAIM.
50. "There you __!": ARE.
51. Susan of "L.A. Law": DEY. Susan Dey is a retired actress, known for her roles as Laurie Partridge on The Partridge Family from 1970 to 1974, and as Grace Van Owen on L.A. Law from 1986 to 1992. She won the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Drama Series for L.A. Law in 1988.
 |
| Susan Dey |
52. [Theme entry]
57. Edinburgh resident: SCOT.
58. Rats out one's co-conspirators, say: NAMES NAMES.
62. Former Yankee slugger Martinez: TINO. Constantino "Tino" Martinez is a former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball for the Seattle Mariners, New York Yankees, St. Louis Cardinals, and Tampa Bay Devil Rays from 1990 through 2005.
57. Edinburgh resident: SCOT.
58. Rats out one's co-conspirators, say: NAMES NAMES.
62. Former Yankee slugger Martinez: TINO. Constantino "Tino" Martinez is a former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball for the Seattle Mariners, New York Yankees, St. Louis Cardinals, and Tampa Bay Devil Rays from 1990 through 2005.
 |
| "Tino" Martinez, 1998 |
63. Health resorts: SPAS.
64. The Met Gala, e.g.: EVENT.
65. Spread slowly: SEEP.
66. Org. with a white rabbit in its logo: PETA. PETA is People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. Their attention grabbing tactics have gone a long way toward popularizing concern for the treatment of animal companions, and of animals used for food and for scientific research.
67. Patinkin of "Homeland": MANDY. Mandy Patinkin has enjoyed a long career in musical theater, television, and film. He played Che in the first Broadway production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Evita (1979), earning a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical. He won the Emmy for Outstanding Leading Actor in a Drama Series for Chicago Hope in 1995. And among his many film roles, he played Inigo Montoya in The Princess Bride (1987).
 |
| Mandy Patinkin in The Princess Bride. |
Down:
1. Play-__: Hasbro toy clay: DOH.
2. Allergist's lead-in to Pen: EPI. EpiPen is a brand name for an auto-injector device containing epinephrine (adrenaline) used for emergency treatment of life-threatening allergic reactions (anaphylaxis). It works by quickly opening airways, raising blood pressure, and reducing swelling.
3. QB passing stat: ATT. In football statistics, ATT stands for "Attempts," referring to the number of passes a quarterback (QB) throws, or the number of carries a running back makes.
4. Like a billionaire: RICH.
5. Intellectual: SCHOLAR. According to Wikipedia, an intellectual is a person who engages in critical thinking, research, and reflection about the nature of reality, especially the nature of society, and proposed solutions for its problems. Coming from the world of culture, the intellectual participates in politics and defends a system of values. So ... SCHOLAR is a little narrow as a definition, but I think Wikipedia's definition is a little broad. Do all intellectuals propound their viewpoints publicly?
6. Butter substitute, in some recipes: CRISCO.
7. Angels outfielder Trout: MIKE. Mike Trout is a professional baseball outfielder for the Los Angeles Angels of Major League Baseball. He is an 11-time All-Star, three-time American League MVP, and 9-time winner of the Silver Slugger Award. He captained the United States national team during the 2023 World Baseball Classic and was named to the All-WBC Team. He is regarded by many as the best baseball player of his generation and one of the greatest players in baseball history.
 |
| Mike Trout |
8. Butter substitute: OLEO.
9. Backyard water fight brand: NERF.
10. Instruments with many pipes: ORGANS.
11. Laughs noisily: ROARS.
12. Endure: ABIDE.
13. "That's the __ of my worries": LEAST.
18. Ship's framework: HULL.
21. Frosty: COLD.
22. Embarrass: ABASH.
23. Bridal veil netting: TULLE. Tulle is a sheer netting fabric with a hexagonal mesh pattern.
 |
| Tulle |
24. Frequently: OFTEN.
28. Passing trend: FAD.
29. Like a brand-new canvas: BLANK.
30. Lithium-__ battery: ION.
31. Hardly strict: LAX.
34. Supported: AIDED.
35. Name on much farm equipment: DEERE.
36. Foamy, as soap: SUDSY.
38. B'way sign: SRO. Broadway sign: Standing Room Only.
39. Insta post: PIC. On the social media app INSTAgram, most posts are PICtures or reels (short videos) with commentary.
40. Held a match to: LIT.
42. Ticklish Muppet: ELMO.
43. Women's Media Center co-founder Gloria: STEINEM. Gloria Steinem is an American journalist and activist who emerged as a feminist leader in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Steinem was a columnist for New York magazine and a co-founder of Ms. magazine. She co-founded the National Women's Political Caucus, the Women's Action Alliance, and the Women's Media Center.
 |
| Gloria Steinem and Dorothy Pitman Hughes, co-founders of Ms. magazine, 1971 |
44. Three-ring circus setting: BIG TOP.
45. San Diego suburb whose name means "the table": LA MESA.
46. Historic stretches: ERAS.
47. Expenditures: COSTS.
48. Port St. __, Florida: LUCIE. This reviewer was ignorant of the existence of Port St. Lucie (the sixth most populous city in Florida), and it crossed in the grid with TINO Martinez, who was unknown to me, so I had make a bit of a WAG (wild ass guess) there, but it wasn't difficult.
45. San Diego suburb whose name means "the table": LA MESA.
46. Historic stretches: ERAS.
47. Expenditures: COSTS.
48. Port St. __, Florida: LUCIE. This reviewer was ignorant of the existence of Port St. Lucie (the sixth most populous city in Florida), and it crossed in the grid with TINO Martinez, who was unknown to me, so I had make a bit of a WAG (wild ass guess) there, but it wasn't difficult.
 |
| The dart marks Port St. Lucie on the map |
49. Make amends: ATONE.
53. Clouseau or Gadget's rank, briefly: INSP. Inspector.
54. Sensitive neck part: NAPE.
55. MBA hopeful's exam: GMAT. Graduate Management Admission Test.
56. Volcanic flow: LAVA.
59. Guys: MEN.
60. Conclusion: END.
61. Hog farm pen: STY.
Here's the grid:
Dear Solvers, 
Did this puzzle RILE you up, taunting you with BLANK spaces?
Or were you AIDED by perpendicular entries?
Can you CLAIM to have FIR (finished it right)?
Let us know in the comments!
Fondly,
NaomiZ
