Theme: Back in School - Four grid spanners that start, in order, with high school/college grades.
16A. Newcomer to Capitol Hill : FRESHMAN SENATOR
25A. Promising rookies' doses of reality : SOPHOMORE SLUMPS
41A. Young company supervisor : JUNIOR EXECUTIVE
56A. Breaks for AARP members : SENIOR DISCOUNTS
Argyle here. If you didn't get this theme, well.... Our constructor is more familiar for puzzles towards the end of the week and some of the fill reflects that. I confess I lingered over the NE corner way too long. The theme entries are all solid in language phrases.
Across:
1. Hawaiian greeting : ALOHA
6. Recital highlight : SOLO
10. Fr. religious figure : STE.
13. Fragrant purple flower : LILAC
14. Stadium level : TIER
15. Bookstore sect. : BIOG. Biography.
19. Long story : SAGA
20. Vessels like Noah's : ARKS
21. Frère du père : ONCLE. French, brother of father : uncle.
22. Massage facility : SPA
24. Begin a trip : SET OUT. I was 31-Across and thought it might be the start of a fall.
31. Nitwit : IDIOT
32. They may be locked in battle : HORNS. Clip(1:46) Yes, I know they are antlers. Stifle yourself.
33. Flexed : BENT
34. Heavenly head covers : HALOs
35. "Whatever shall I do?" : "AH, ME"
39. Writer Diamond or actor Leto : JARED. Jared Mason Diamond authored The Third Chimpanzee, Guns, Germs, and Steel, and Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed. He is currently Professor of Geography and Physiology at UCLA. Jared Joseph Leto - American actor, director, producer, musician and of late, sharing crossword space with Apollo's mother.
40. Overfill : BLOAT
46. Amerigo Vespucci, vis-à-vis America : EPONYM. Someone who gives his or her name to something
47. Score-raising stat : RBI. Baseball: bat in a run, raise the score. Question: Bottom of the ninth, tie score, runners on second and third. Batter hits into the corner and the runner on third scores before the outfielder reaches the ball. Is that the end or does the play continue until the ball is thrown back into the infield?
48. Whoop : SHOUT. Clip(0:02)
49. Home of the Buckeyes : OHIO
52. VCR insert : TAPE
59. Quod __ demonstrandum : ERAT. Latin.
60. "The Razor's __": Maugham novel : EDGE
61. Make sense, to a detective : ADD UP
62. China's Sun Yat-__ : SEN. Sun Yat-sen was the leader of China's republican revolution. He did much to inspire and organize the movement that overthrew the Manchu dynasty in 1911.
63. Arthur of tennis : ASHE. Arthur Ashe Stadium, Flushing, NY site of the US Open.
64. Varnish component : RESIN
Down
1. TV E.T. and namesakes : ALFs. Acronym for Alien Life Form.
2. Former coin of Italy : LIRA
3. Designer Cassini : OLEG
4. Just might pull it off : HAS A SHOT
5. "Bah," in Bavaria : "ACH". German.
6. Hollywood Walk of Fame feature : STAR
7. Sound from a snout : OINK
8. A smaller amount : LESS
9. Salem is its cap. : ORE
10. "Scrubs," for one : SITCOM
11. Get ready for production : TOOL UP
12. White wading birds : EGRETS
15. African language group : BANTU
17. Hat-tipping address : MA'AM
18. Yuletide carols : NOELS. Like 39D. "__ the World" : JOY TO
23. Stovetop item : POT
24. Federal IDs : SSNs
25. One of the fam : SIB
26. Shelley tribute : ODE
27. Wrestler's objective : PIN
28. Windy City airport : O'HARE
29. Pricey timepiece : ROLEX
30. Wash away slowly : ERODE
34. Injure : HARM
35. Cockpit reading : ALTITUDE
36. __ polloi : HOI. "The majority" in Greek.
37. Dallas NBAer : MAV. Basketball's Dallas Mavericks.
38. Août's season : ÉTÉ. French, August, summer.
40. Fella : BUB
41. James and Owens : JESSES. Jesse Woodson James, outlaw; James Cleveland "Jesse" Owens, track and field athlete.
42. "Psst!" from above : "UP HERE!"
43. Political columnist Peggy : NOONAN. Image.
44. Alaskan native : INUIT
45. Gator's cousin : CROC
49. __ and ends : ODDS
50. A bit tipsy : HIGH
51. "Makes sense to me" : "I SEE"
53. Common conjunctions : ANDS
54. Seed-spitter's sound : PTUI. Another baseball reference?
55. "Baseball Tonight" channel : ESPN
57. Stephen of "V for Vendetta" : REA. Also appeared in Michael Collins, Interview with the Vampire, Breakfast on Pluto and nominated for an Academy Award for The Crying Game.
58. Rowing need : OAR
Argyle
