Theme: I can't tell you. - But you'll guess soon enough.
17. Big corporations, lawsuit-wise : DEEP POCKETS
27. Godiva choice : DARK CHOCOLATE
48. Anonymous fan : SECRET ADMIRER
64. "For your ears only" ... and a hint to first words of 17-, 27- and 48-Across : "MUM'S THE WORD"
Argyle here. For those of you that like to solve in just one direction, this is your puzzle.
Across:
1. Out of the office : NOT IN. Post election, this phrase takes on added significance.
6. NRA part : RIFLE
11. La-la lead-in : TRA
14. Madison Square Garden, e.g. : ARENA
15. How some losses are shown : IN RED
16. French water : EAU
19. Sprint alternative : AT&T
20. Alan of "M*A*S*H" : ALDA
21. Retriever restraint : LEASH
22. Folk music's Kingston __ : TRIO. Their song about a deep, dark secret. Tom Dooley.(3:02)
23. Divining implement : ROD. Dowsing, from Wikipedia.
25. Native blanket makers : NAVAJOs
32. Sch. in the smallest state : URI. The University of Rhode Island.
33. Bull: Pref. : TAUR
34. Petite pastries : TARTS
37. Money maker : MINT
39. More factual : TRUER
42. Hop, __ and jump : SKIP. The triple jump is sometimes referred to as the hop, step and jump or the hop, skip and jump. This is one answer you need the perp to decide which is right.
43. Lox holder : BAGEL
45. Hollywood Walk of Fame feature : STAR
47. Campus URL ender : .EDU
52. Shapewear fabric : SPANDEX
54. Quaint stopover : INN
55. Sir __ Belch of "Twelfth Night" : TOBY. Sir Toby, Olivia's uncle, drinks a great deal, keeps late hours and is generally rowdy by nature.
56. Lavish celebrations : FETEs
59. Bangkok tongue : THAI
63. Play for a sap : USE
66. V.P. Biden's state : DEL. Ah, the state with an arc on its northern border.
67. March march VIP : ST. PAT
68. U or I, e.g. : VOWEL
69. Armani competitor, initially : YSL. Yves Saint Laurent was founded in 1961.
70. Flashy tank fish : TETRA
71. Part of a college application : ESSAY
Down
1. Nothin' : NADA
2. Baseball's Hershiser : OREL
3. Ready for kickoff : TEED. Usually with UP.
4. Out of gear, as a car : IN PARK because neutral doesn't fit.
5. Hammock snooze : NAP
6. Paddy product : RICE
7. Durante song title word : INKA. Rare record recording version.(3:05)
8. City ESE of San Francisco : FRESNO
9. Murderous : LETHAL
10. Newspaper VIPs : EDs. Editors.
11. Two-hanky film : TEARJERKER
12. Betting odds, e.g. : RATIO
13. Traffic jam components : AUTOS
18. Passé : OLD HAT
22. Breezy bye-byes : TATAs. Word Origin & History - "good-bye," 1823, a word first recorded as infant's speech. Abbreviation T.T.F.N., "ta-ta for now," popularized 1941 by BBC radio program "ITMA," where it was the characteristic parting of the cockney cleaning woman character Mrs. Mopp, voiced by Dorothy Summers. Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
24. Leaf-peeping mo. : OCT.
26. Winery container : VAT
27. Idiotic : DUMB
28. "La Traviata" number : ARIA
29. Sounds familiar : RINGS A BELL
30. Pronoun for you and me : OUR
31. Sicilian pizza has a thick one : CRUST
35. Ocean phenomenon : TIDE
36. Cowpoke's prod : SPUR. I was watching an early TV Lone Ranger(#2, I think) when he tamed Silver and proclaims he and Silver will be compatriots for life and his trusty steed will to his bidding out of friendship. So why is he wearing spurs?
38. Itsy-bitsy : TEENY
40. Expected coming-in hr. : ETA
41. Red root veggie : RADISH
44. HDTV feature, often : LCD
46. LBJ follower : RMN. Lyndon Baines Johnson & Richard Milhous Nixon.
49. Prove wrong : REFUTE
50. Not subject to taxes : EXEMPT
51. Paired up : IN TWOS
52. Hit the books : STUDY
53. Prepares to be photographed : POSES
57. Old Russian despot : TSAR
58. Bluesy James : ETTA
60. "__ it going?" : HOW'S. ¿Qué Pasa?
61. Word with dining or picnic : AREA
62. Lazy way to sit by : IDLY
64. Hrs. in Phoenix, Arizona : MST. Mountain Standard Time.
65. Eden's second resident : EVE
Argyle
