17A. *Protective fuse container : BREAKER BOX. ICE BREAKER, a ship that opens up the ice. ICE BOX, dare I mention refrigerator?
39A and 40A. With "Baby," a 1990's hip-hop hit that answers the question, "What can precede both parts of the answers to starred clues?" : ICE and ICE. If you care to listen. Link.
61A. *Tailgater's brew chiller : BEER BUCKET. ICE BEER, so much hype. ICE BUCKET, to keep it cold.
11D. *Flood control concern : STORM WATER. ICE STORM, I hope you all escaped any serious one this winter. ICE WATER, or iced water. Cold either way.
29D. *Era of mass production : MACHINE AGE. ICE MACHINE, built-in, in some refrigerators. ICE AGE, a time, a movie(with sequels).
Argyle here. I like the grid arrangement; center reveal with the themes surrounding it. Tougher than the usual Tuesday. What will tomorrow bring?
Across:
1. 1860s Grays : REBS. Civil War.
5. Danger : PERIL
10. __ Spumante : ASTI
14. 50+ group : AARP. It is still called by the four letters but they don't stand for anything other than their organization. So it isn't an anagram or initialism since 1999. Before then, 21A. Part of 14-Across, originally : RETIRED. (American Association of Retired Persons)
15. Verdi aria : ERI TU
16. Trans Am roof option : T-TOP
19. Mower brand : TORO
20. Set up for a fall : ENTRAP
23. Gift for el 14 de febrero : ROSAs. Some roses for your señorita on día de San Valentín.
26. Tree for which New Haven is nicknamed : ELM. But, like most places, only a few of those elms of centuries past are still standing.
27. Summits : ACMES
30. Native American weapons : TOMAHAWKS
35. "Get a __ of this!" : LOAD
36. Loud, like sirens : ABLARE. An "A" word.
37. MSN alternative : AOL. Like AARP, it was previously known as America Online but uses only the letters now.
38. Partners' legal entity: Abbr. : LLC. An initialism for Limited Liability Company.
41. Lao Tzu's "path" : TAO
42. July 4th reaction : [OOH!]
43. Early Florida explorer : DE SOTO. Early Chrysler car.
45. Get gooey : MELT
46. School term : TRIMESTER
48. Saintly circles : AURAS
49. "Uh-uh, lassie!" : "NAE!"
50. Groupon offerings : DEALS
52. Rodeo hat : STETSON
56. With 48-Down, Felipe's outfielder son : MOISES. 48D. See 56-Across : ALOU
60. Keister in a fall? : PRAT. (means buttocks)
64. Bird house : CAGE
65. Really miffed : IRATE
66. "The Clan of the Cave Bear" heroine : AYLA
67. Thumbs-up votes : AYES
68. Bellhop, at times : TOTER. One who totes.
69. Out of concern that : LEST
Down:
1. Broccoli __ : RABÉ. Dark green leaf of the mustard family.
2. Be worthy of : EARN
3. Novelist __ Easton Ellis : BRET. West coast boy who came east for an education. (Bennington College)
4. Trained with gloves : SPARRED
5. Marshmallowy Easter treats : PEEPS. Probably stale by now.
6. Miscalculate : ERR
7. Curved bone : RIB
8. "Click __ Ticket": seatbelt safety slogan : IT OR. Is this PSA nationwide?
9. Elegance : LUXE
10. Hun honcho : ATTILA
12. Ran fast : TORE
13. Apple for a music teacher? : iPOD
18. "Get Smart" evil agency : KAOS. Spelled with all capital letters but pronounced as a single word, it also is not an anagram. The individual letters do not represent anything. We have a mini-theme going here.
22. Little chuckle : TE-HEE. So little, there is only one E in TE.
24. In a perfect world : AT BEST
25. Sevillian sun : SOL. Seville, a city and province in Spain.
27. Portion out : ALLOT
28. Enjoy crayons : COLOR. The ones from Easton, PA. Remember? (Crayola manufacturer)
31. __ d'hôtel: headwaiter : MAÎTRE
32. With the bow, to a cellist : ARCO. But on the road, to a driver, it's an anagram for Atlantic Richfield Company.
33. Cuddly-looking marsupial : KOALA
34. Casino attractions : SLOTS
36. Unreturned serves : ACES
39. Inventeur's list : IDÉES. In France.
44. U.K. lexicological work : OED. (Oxford English Dictionary)
45. Many a Tony winner : MUSICAL. The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, known informally as the Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. - per Wikipedia.
47. Unglossy finishes : MATTEs. Enough with the MATTES.
51. Jewelry resin : AMBER
52. Pet adoption org. : SPCA
53. Printer paper holder : TRAY
54. Final bio? : OBIT
55. Detective Wolfe : NERO
57. Largest of the Inner Hebrides : SKYE. (Scotland)
58. Wiggly swimmers : EELS
59. On-base pct., e.g. : STAT. (statistic)
62. Have a meal : EAT
63. 66, notably: Abbr. : RTE. Time to hit the road!
Argyle
