Theme: Young Boy's Dream - A girl can follow the first word of the starred answers.
17A. *Sensitive spot on the elbow : FUNNY BONE. "Funny Girl", based on the story of Fannie Brice, it will always be associated with Barbra Streisand.
39A. *Conceal : COVER UP. Cover Girl
11D. *1777-'78 Continental Army campsite : VALLEY FORGE. "Valley Girl"(4:52 but I couldn't make it to the end.)
24D. *Political head honcho : PARTY LEADER. "Party Girl"
57A. Like many a teen boy ... and like the starts of the answers to starred clues? : GIRL CRAZY
Argyle here. I hope your Memorial is pleasant. This Monday puzzle is pleasant enough with an unusual grid. The two longest entries are in the columns, a short theme in the middle and the reveal where it belongs. But there is one dreaded A-*** word.
Across:
1. Stately shade trees : ELMS
5. Like tails in the dog park : AWAG. Really?
9. Cupfuls after OJ and cereal : JAVAs. Not before?
14. In __ of: replacing : LIEU
15. No __ traffic : THRU
16. Tequila plant : AGAVE
19. Contradict : BELIE
20. Hindu teachers : SWAMIS
21. __ eclipse : SOLAR
22. Distinct feature : ASPECT
25. Immigrants' night sch. class : ESL. (English as a Second Language)
27. Microscope part : LENS
28. Mazda sports car : MIATA
29. Like days when hats fly : WINDY
31. Gets it wrong : ERRS
32. Lime-garnished Mexican beer : CORONA
35. In good shape : FIT
38. Ping-Pong barrier : NET
40. Tokyo-born Yoko : ONO
41. Susan of "L.A. Law" : DEY. She hasn't been active since 2004 except, of course, in crosswords.
42. Smart __: wise guys : ALECKS
43. Study feverishly : CRAM
44. Work hard : LABOR
46. Actor's nickname that sounds like a golf term : BOGIE. Clip on how he came to be in a large sand trap.
47. Fruity drinks : ADES
49. Johannesburg's land: Abbr. : RSA. (Republic of South Africa)
51. Lawn cutters : MOWERS. The rain has stopped coming down but the grass hasn't stopped coming up.
52. Not entirely: Pref. : QUASI. Origin: Latin - quasi as if, as though, equivalent.
54. Foist (upon) : IMPOSE
56. Below : UNDER
61. End of __ : AN ERA
62. Be mindful of : HEED
63. Crossed (out) : EX'ED
64. Puts mail in boxes, say : SORTS
65. Baker's amts. : TSPs
66. Cub Scout groups : DENS
Down:
1. Arctic toymaker : ELF. One of my North Pole buddies.
2. Lucy of "Charlie's Angels" : LIU. Now she is on "Elementary" as Dr. Watson.
3. "That's just like a guy!" : "MEN...!"
4. Events before evening twilight : SUNSETS
5. Facing the pitcher : AT BAT
6. "To __ it may concern" : WHOM
7. Golfer Palmer, to fans : ARNIE. Still going.
8. Conjecture : GUESS WORK
9. Short punches : JABS
10. From way back when : AGE OLD
12. Birdlike : AVIAN
13. Clairvoyants : SEERS
18. Female advocacy org. since the 1850s : YWCA
22. Make changes to : AMEND
23. "Yes __, Bob!" : SIREE
26. "Peanuts" boy with a blanket : LINUS
30. Not a deep sleep : NAP
32. Red, white or blue : COLOR. There will be a lot of all three today.
33. Inadvertent omission : OVERSIGHT
34. __ hall: campus hangout : REC. Yes, we know it's short for recreation hall.
36. "... bombs bursting __" : IN AIR
37. Big books : TOMES
39. Hailed car : CAB
43. Crouched in fear : COWERED
45. State with confidence : ASSERT
46. Pear variety : BOSC
47. Greenish blues : AQUAS
48. "Ain't got a clue!" : "DUNNO!"
50. Pierre's female friends : AMIES
51. Gelatin shapers : MOLDS
53. Some nest eggs: Abbr. : IRA's
55. Get ready, briefly : PREP
58. Lumberjack's tool : AXE
59. Meditative practice : ZEN
60. Golf course meas. : YD's. (yards)
Argyle
