Theme: puzzle² - 1 through 4 squared and the unifier.
16A. *Start of a Jackie Gleason "Honeymooners" catchphrase : ONE OF THESE DAYS (1²)
29A. *Vivaldi classic, with "The" : FOUR SEASONS (2²)
36A. *Cat's blessing, so it's said : NINE LIVES (3²)
46A. *Tennessee Ernie Ford hit about coal mining : "SIXTEEN TONS" (4²)
59A. What the starred answers start with : PERFECT SQUARES
Argyle here with PSD - post-Superbowl Depression. Sorry to say but this puzzle doesn't lift my spirits. It is an ambitious debut but the theme seems like it's been done before and there are too many abbreviations.
Across:
1. PC screens : CRTs. Can you even buy a cathode ray tube(CRT) anymore?
5. Bumbling types : OAFS
9. Washer or dryer: Abbr. : APPL. (appliance)
13. Banister : RAIL
14. "Deck the Halls" syllables : FA LA
15. Cuba, to Castro : ISLA. Spanish for island.
19. Capone associate Frank : NITTI. "The Enforcer" was in charge of all strong-arm and 'muscle' operations.
20. Political satirist Mort : SAHL
21. Pale : WAN
23. "Be right with you!" : "IN A SEC!"
25. Moe, Curly or Larry : STOOGE
28. Space-saving abbr. : ETC.
33. Pot-scrubbing brand : S.O.S. An abrasive cleaning pad made from steel wool saturated with soap.
34. Fencing sword : EPEE
35. King with a golden touch : MIDAS
39. Brainstorms : IDEAs
42. Company with a "swoosh" logo : NIKE
43. "The Racer's Edge" : STP
49. Musician's asset : EAR
50. Big name in tea : TETLEY
51. New Orleans university : TULANE. The nickname of sports teams at Tulane University is the Green Wave.
53. Orch. section : STR. (strings)
54. Coarse file : RASP
58. Pantyhose that came in a shell : L'EGGS
63. Upscale hotel chain : OMNI
64. Potatoes' partner : MEAT
65. Post-Christmas retail event : SALE
66. Bog fuel : PEAT
67. Hwy. accident respondents : EMTs. (Emergency Medical Technicians)
68. Managed care gps. : HMOs. (Health Maintenance Organization)
Down:
1. Chums : CRONIES. You don't hear CRONIES that much and when you do, it often has an unsavory connotation.
2. Met by chance : RAN INTO
3. Men's wear accessories : TIE TACs
4. Bandits in Vegas? : SLOTS. One-armed bandits.
5. More than occasionally, to a bard : OFT
6. Oohs' partners : AAHs
7. Circus insect : FLEA
8. Scout uniform component : SASH
9. Help : AID
10. Free TV ad : PSA
11. Layered building material : PLYWOOD
12. Layered ristorante offering : LASAGNA. Interesting clecho.
17. Feudal estate : FIEF. The property granted to a vassal in return for service
18. "Do it, or __!" : ELSE. Something you might hear on a fief.
22. Loch of legend : NESS. Scottish legend.
24. Filmmaker Ethan or Joel : COEN
26. Domesticated : TAME
27. Suffix with psych : OSIS
30. Ivy League sch. in Philly : UPENN. (University of Pennsylvania)
31. Got going again, as a fire : RELIT
32. Fancy watch : SEIKO
36. NHL part: Abbr. : NATL. (National Hockey League)
37. "Understood" : "I SEE"
38. Dryer outlet : VENT
39. Followers: Suf. : ISTs
40. Low-cal soda : DIET POP
41. Radical : EXTREME
43. Company associated with the alcoholic "7" in a "7 and 7" : SEAGRAM. An extensive but interesting history of Seagrams. site I am still searching for the reason it's called 7 Crown.
44. Citrus hybrid : TANGELO
45. Gets the creases out of : PRESSES
47. Brontë's "Jane __" : EYRE
48. "Star Trek" helmsman : SULU. George Takei has been receiving a lot of press lately.
52. Dog restraint : LEASH
55. Zenith : ACME. I tried APEX first.
56. Goblet feature : STEM
57. Jr.'s exam : PSAT
60. Cell "messenger," briefly : RNA
61. Tailor's concern : FIT
62. Fourths of gals. : QTs. (quarts)
Argyle
