Theme: Mr. T on A-Team - Two long themes(14), two short(9) and one(7) in the middle. The "B.A." on the A-Team stood for...Bosco A. Baracus but pity the fool who called him Bosco.
20A. Ted Williams had a .344 lifetime one : BATTING AVERAGE
28A. Site of many a shady transaction : BACK ALLEY
39A. Boo-boo protector : BAND-AID
48A. Bullet-proof vest, e.g. : BODY ARMOR
55A. Common college degree, whose abbreviation is a hint to 20-, 28-, 39- and 48-Across : BACHELOR OF ARTS
Argyle here today. It must have been tough to create such an easy solve. Bravo, Jeff.
Across:
1. Baby bovine : CALF
5. At the drop of __ : A HAT
9. Ice cream brand that's "Grand" : EDY'S. Their Cookies 'N Cream do not mention OREO's by name.
13. Ice cream-and-cookies brand : OREO. Oreo Ice Cream is licensed by Breyers, Good Humor, and Klondike in the US, and Nestlé in Canada.
14. "The Thinker" sculptor : RODIN. Thinking about cookies.
16. Fat unit : GRAM
17. Tailless cat : MANX
18. Steak option : T-BONE. cooked 59D. Steak order : RARE
19. Hereditary code carrier : GENE
23. Stat start : RHEO. RHEOstat, adjustable resistor used in applications that require the adjustment of current or the varying of resistance in an electric circuit.
24. Fishing pole : ROD
25. Agreeable to doing : UP FOR
34. More or less : SORT OF
36. Cacophony : DIN
37. __ Linda, California : LOMA. Take the Santa Monica freeway to the San Berdoo Freeway east; can't miss it.
38. Chef's recipe words : À LA
42. "Bad Moon Rising" pop gp. : CCR
43. Go ape : FLIP
45. Go bad : ROT
46. Attached to the bulletin board : TACKED
51. Pries (into) : NOSES
52. P&L column : YTD. Year to date.
53. Visibility impairer : HAZE. Watch out for it on the freeways.
62. Japanese golfer Aoki : ISAO
63. With 67-Across, innovative or experimental artists' group : AVANT. 67. See 63-Across : GARDE
64. Birthday serving : CAKE
66. Envelope abbr. : ATTN.
68. Way out : EXIT
69. Give guff to : SASS
70. Shakespearean king : LEAR
71. Chip enhancers : DIPS
Down:
1. Dot-__ : COM
2. Man from Oman, often : ARAB
3. Actress Olin : LENA. As she appeared in The Reader.
4. Dance that precedes "golf" in the NATO phonetic alphabet : FOXTROT
5. Wheelchair guy on "Glee" : ARTIE. This guy.
6. Schmooze, as with the A-list : HOBNOB
7. Work like __ : A DOG
8. Fey of "30 Rock" : TINA
9. Asian menu appetizer : EGG ROLL
10. Rasta's hairdo : DREADLOCKS
11. Yin's counterpart : YANG
12. Hook's sidekick : SMEE
15. St. for gamblers : NEV.ada
21. Go pitapat : THROB
22. Disco __ : ERA
25. Vandenberg or Edwards: Abbr. : USAFB. Air Force bases.
26. Chico's chicken : POLLO. and
27. Chickens, to kids : FRAIDY CATS
29. Build up, as a collection : ADD TO
30. Hush-hush fed. org. : CIA
31. Make booties, e.g. : KNIT
32. Game show host : EMCEE
33. 36-inch units : YARDS
35. Jamie of "M*A*S*H" : FARR. Cpl. Klinger, took Radar's place as company clerk.
40. __ de plume : NOM. French for pen name.
41. Tony of 60-Down : DANZA. 60. Sitcom set in a garage : "TAXI". Reminded me of this garage.
44. Constricting snakes : PYTHONS
47. Compelled via force : COERCED
49. Suffix with lemon : ADE
50. "Help Me, __": Beach Boys hit : RHONDA
54. "... happily ever __" : AFTER
55. Skewed view : BIAS
56. "The Thin Man" canine : ASTA
57. Fall behind : LAG
58. Roundish shape : OVAL
61. Not attend : SKIP
65. "Men in Black" baddies, briefly : ETs. Not at all like the one in the the movie, "E.T.".
Argyle
