Theme: Insults 101 - Four common insults for when someone does something stupid are the last word of the theme entries when they precede the first word of the unifier.
17A. Not-so-humorous humerus spot: FUNNY BONE. Bonehead.
23A. Exam taker's dread: MENTAL BLOCK. Blockhead.
39A. Daydreams: CASTLES IN THE AIR. Airhead.
49A. Devoid of niceties, as some politics: BARE KNUCKLE. Knucklehead.
61A. Racer's edge, or the ends of 17-, 23-, 39- and 49-Across, unflatteringly: HEAD START
Argyle here. I liked the theme; some of the fill, not so much.
Across:
1. Pert : SAUCY. If you remember, we had this before.
6. Top grade, in slang : ACE. I did find it used this way in Dictionary.com, listed as the last use as a noun.
9. Trees along tropical beaches : PALMS
14. Aptly named cooler brand : IGLOO. Image.
15. Small island : CAY. Sorry, not AIT today.
16. Perpendicular to the keel : ABEAM
19. Tri- plus bi- : PENTA-
20. Drink from leaves : TEA
21. Hockey legend Bobby et al. : ORRs. A stinker entry.
22. Sea north of Poland : BALTIC
25. Grubs and maggots : LARVAE
29. Manhattan sch. : NYU. The Manhattan in New York City, this time.
30. "Garfield" pooch : ODIE
31. Fan mag : ZINE
34. Annual parade celeb : ST. PAT. It should have indicated an abbv., not for PAT, that shortened version was indicated by 'celeb', but for ST.
42. Joe Cocker's "You __ Beautiful" : ARE SO. Clip.(2:22)
43. Formal coiffure : UPDO
44. Alan of "The Aviator" : ALDA
45. Slangy "No reason" : 'CUZ. Based on BECAUSE.
47. "Amen to that!" : "I'LL SAY!"
55. Disinclined : AVERSE
56. Works a tough row? : HOEs. Easy now.
57. "The Amazing Race" airer : CBS. TV show(I never watch).
60. Prove apt for : BEFIT
63. Mountain ridge : ARETE
64. www address : URL
65. Otherworldly : EERIE
66. IHOP condiment : SYRUP
67. 1/30 of abril : DIA. Spanish. 1 abril - el Día de los Inocentes. (All Fools Day)
68. Seed anew : RESOW
Down:
1. Sort through, as for clues : SIFT
2. Fit of fever : AGUE
3. It's near the 17-Across : ULNA. Diagram that shows where the ulna nerve stretches over the bone in the elbow. That is what tingles when you hit it.
4. Put one over on : CON
5. Cellist with 16 Grammys : YOYO MA. Elgar Cello Concerto, 2nd mvmt.(3:00) The Jimi Hendrix of classic music.
6. Item in a fall stash : ACORN. If you're a squirrel.
7. Art able to : CANST. Dost thou knoweth this word?
8. Tropical cyclone center : EYE
9. 41st president, affectionately : PAPA BUSH
10. Clear as __ : A BELL
11. Slowly, in music : LENTO
12. "It slices! It dices!" gadget Veg-O-__ : MATIC
13. Wallop : SMACK
18. Zephyr : BREEZE
22. Journalist Nellie : BLY. Nellie Bly (1864 – 1922) was the pen name of American pioneer female journalist Elizabeth Jane Cochran.
24. What all good things come to : AN END. That English proverb from yesterday.
25. Crazy, in a Ricky Martin song : LOCA. "Livin' La Vida Loca".
26. Month after Shevat : ADAR
27. Increase : RISE
28. November honorees : VETS
32. Liar Joe in old TV car ads : ISUZU. David Leisure as Joe Isuzu, Isuzu Pup - Island Ad.
33. Hip flask quickie : NIP
35. Greenish blue : TEAL
36. Sidekicks : PALS
37. Verdi opera : "AIDA"
38. Projector's slide holder : TRAY
40. Rigidly inflexible process : LOCKSTEP. Surprize.
41. Worked arduously : TOILED
46. Arles article : UNE. French.
48. Like the preferable evil : LESSER
49. Rum-soaked cakes : BABAs
50. Lincoln Center's __ Fisher Hall : AVERY. The hall was named for Fisher in 1973 after he made a $10.5 million donation to the Philharmonic. (Well, no wonder.)
51. Allude (to) : REFER
52. Verdi aria that means "It was you" : ERI TU
53. Strasbourg sweetheart : CHERI. Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in northeastern France.
54. Eucalyptus muncher : KOALA
57. Jaguar and Impala : CARS
58. Verve : BRIO
59. Hearty entrée : STEW
61. 1963 Paul Newman film : "HUD"
62. Casual top : TEE
Answer grid.
Argyle
17A. Not-so-humorous humerus spot: FUNNY BONE. Bonehead.
23A. Exam taker's dread: MENTAL BLOCK. Blockhead.
39A. Daydreams: CASTLES IN THE AIR. Airhead.
49A. Devoid of niceties, as some politics: BARE KNUCKLE. Knucklehead.
61A. Racer's edge, or the ends of 17-, 23-, 39- and 49-Across, unflatteringly: HEAD START
Argyle here. I liked the theme; some of the fill, not so much.
Across:
1. Pert : SAUCY. If you remember, we had this before.
6. Top grade, in slang : ACE. I did find it used this way in Dictionary.com, listed as the last use as a noun.
9. Trees along tropical beaches : PALMS
14. Aptly named cooler brand : IGLOO. Image.
15. Small island : CAY. Sorry, not AIT today.
16. Perpendicular to the keel : ABEAM
19. Tri- plus bi- : PENTA-
20. Drink from leaves : TEA
21. Hockey legend Bobby et al. : ORRs. A stinker entry.
22. Sea north of Poland : BALTIC
25. Grubs and maggots : LARVAE
29. Manhattan sch. : NYU. The Manhattan in New York City, this time.
30. "Garfield" pooch : ODIE
31. Fan mag : ZINE
34. Annual parade celeb : ST. PAT. It should have indicated an abbv., not for PAT, that shortened version was indicated by 'celeb', but for ST.
42. Joe Cocker's "You __ Beautiful" : ARE SO. Clip.(2:22)
43. Formal coiffure : UPDO
44. Alan of "The Aviator" : ALDA
45. Slangy "No reason" : 'CUZ. Based on BECAUSE.
47. "Amen to that!" : "I'LL SAY!"
55. Disinclined : AVERSE
56. Works a tough row? : HOEs. Easy now.
57. "The Amazing Race" airer : CBS. TV show(I never watch).
60. Prove apt for : BEFIT
63. Mountain ridge : ARETE
64. www address : URL
65. Otherworldly : EERIE
66. IHOP condiment : SYRUP
67. 1/30 of abril : DIA. Spanish. 1 abril - el Día de los Inocentes. (All Fools Day)
68. Seed anew : RESOW
Down:
1. Sort through, as for clues : SIFT
2. Fit of fever : AGUE
3. It's near the 17-Across : ULNA. Diagram that shows where the ulna nerve stretches over the bone in the elbow. That is what tingles when you hit it.
4. Put one over on : CON
5. Cellist with 16 Grammys : YOYO MA. Elgar Cello Concerto, 2nd mvmt.(3:00) The Jimi Hendrix of classic music.
6. Item in a fall stash : ACORN. If you're a squirrel.
7. Art able to : CANST. Dost thou knoweth this word?
8. Tropical cyclone center : EYE
9. 41st president, affectionately : PAPA BUSH
10. Clear as __ : A BELL
11. Slowly, in music : LENTO
12. "It slices! It dices!" gadget Veg-O-__ : MATIC
13. Wallop : SMACK
18. Zephyr : BREEZE
22. Journalist Nellie : BLY. Nellie Bly (1864 – 1922) was the pen name of American pioneer female journalist Elizabeth Jane Cochran.
24. What all good things come to : AN END. That English proverb from yesterday.
25. Crazy, in a Ricky Martin song : LOCA. "Livin' La Vida Loca".
26. Month after Shevat : ADAR
27. Increase : RISE
28. November honorees : VETS
32. Liar Joe in old TV car ads : ISUZU. David Leisure as Joe Isuzu, Isuzu Pup - Island Ad.
33. Hip flask quickie : NIP
35. Greenish blue : TEAL
36. Sidekicks : PALS
37. Verdi opera : "AIDA"
38. Projector's slide holder : TRAY
40. Rigidly inflexible process : LOCKSTEP. Surprize.
41. Worked arduously : TOILED
46. Arles article : UNE. French.
48. Like the preferable evil : LESSER
49. Rum-soaked cakes : BABAs
50. Lincoln Center's __ Fisher Hall : AVERY. The hall was named for Fisher in 1973 after he made a $10.5 million donation to the Philharmonic. (Well, no wonder.)
51. Allude (to) : REFER
52. Verdi aria that means "It was you" : ERI TU
53. Strasbourg sweetheart : CHERI. Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in northeastern France.
54. Eucalyptus muncher : KOALA
57. Jaguar and Impala : CARS
58. Verve : BRIO
59. Hearty entrée : STEW
61. 1963 Paul Newman film : "HUD"
62. Casual top : TEE
Answer grid.
Argyle
