Theme: Various Women - Four women with the same initials, as indicated by the unifier.
20A. Venerable woman of literature : VIRGINIA WOOLF
23A. With 24-Across, voguish woman of bridal fashion : VERA and 24A. See 23-Across : WANG
44A. Jettas and Beetles, or an apt title for this puzzle : VW's
49A. With 51-Across, vivacious woman of game show fame : VANNA and 51A. See 49-Across : WHITE
59A. Voluptuous woman of stage and screen : VANESSA WILLIAMS
Argyle here. The puzzle has MIRROR (left to right) crossword symmetry. Normally we have DIAGONAL symmetry. It is impossible with the four ladies having different length names. I don't see a relevant pattern to the black squares other than a vee in the center. Oh wait, all four are described with a VEE adjective. Duh!
Across:
1. Nile slitherers : ASPS
5. Melodies featuring sitars : RAGAs
10. "Git!" : "SCAT!". "Shoo!", "Beat it!" Ok, stay at your own risk!
14. Enjoy some gum : CHEW
15. Disappear slowly but surely : ERODE
16. Soft throw : TOSS
17. Ocean motion : TIDE and 38A. Minimum-range 17-Across : NEAP
18. Winger of "Black Widow" : DEBRA. IMDb.
19. Bumped knee, to a tot : OWIE
25. Supermodel Bündchen : GISELE
28. Flirty giggle : TEE-HEE
32. Coffee vessel : URN
33. Hatches evil plans : SCHEMES
37. Networking connections : INS. Sometimes related to 33-Across?
40. Eiffel creation : TOWER
41. A/C units : BTU's. (British thermal unit)
42. Finalize, as a tattoo : INK UP. A common term in printing but I failed to find how it is used to mean finalizing a tattoo. It is used similarly to tat up, to get a tat. I googled for over a half-hour.
45. More than eccentric : OUTRE
46. Tribal tent : TEEPEE. A Lakota name for a conical tent.
48. Gets unruly in a crowd, say : PUSHES
52. Bar order : ALE
54. "SNL" alum Cheri : OTERI
56. Once existed : WAS
64. Call to mind : EVOKE
65. Problem in old wood : ROT
66. Do-or-die poker bet : ALL IN
67. College dinner staple : RAMEN
68. '50s presidential nickname : IKE. Dwight D. Eisenhower, our 34th President.
69. Joins with a torch : WELDS
Down:
1. Perform on stage : ACT
2. Hood's blade : SHIV. I think it came from skive, meaning to use a very sharp thin knife to thin leather. "Skiving" is a word I learned from "Harry Potter".
3. Feet pampering, briefly : PEDI
4. Sudden turn : SWERVE
5. Forward, as to an updated website : REDIRECT. I'm always leery of redirects.
6. Gladiator's realm : ARENA
7. Asian desert : GOBI
8. Play to __: tie : A DRAW
9. Ocean makeup : SEAWATER
10. Larry, Curly or Moe : STOOGE
11. Monastic hood : COWL
12. "Ain't gonna happen!" : "AS IF!"
13. "The Waste Land" poet's initials : TSE. (Thomas Stearns Eliot)
21. Hair tamers : GELs
22. Bills not found in ATMs : ONEs
25. Put the pedal to the metal : GUN IT
26. "Fame" star Cara : IRENE
27. Cobra's weapon : SNAKE VENOM. Cobras never signed the Geneva Convention concerning chemical weapons.
29. Reach one's endurance limit, in a marathon : HIT THE WALL
30. Accustom (to) : ENURE
31. Slalom curves : ESSES
34. Carpool lane letters : HOV. (high-occupancy vehicle)
35. "Yuck!" : "EWW!"
36. Enero o febrero, por ejemplo : MES. January or February, for example : MONTH
39. Stage in a bug's life : PUPA
41. Head-and-shoulders sculpture : BUST
43. Ink-filled tool : PEN
45. Yvette's yes : OUI
47. Grandson of Adam : ENOS
48. Rizzuto of the Yankees : PHIL
50. Video game pioneer : ATARI
51. Drop a line : WRITE
52. Affirm as true : AVER
53. Molten rock : LAVA
55. "Star Wars" furball : EWOK. Crazy party animals.
57. Within : AMID
58. IDs with two hyphens : SSN's
60. __ out: barely manage : EKE
61. Six-yr.-term holder : SEN.
62. Barrister's field : LAW
63. Suffix with project : ILE (projectile)
Argyle
