Theme: "Be Mine" - Words that indicate a relationship begin the theme entries.
20. Put on trial, in the military : COURT MARTIALED
32. Fruity loaf : DATE BREAD
43. Caption under a monkey covering its eyes : SEE NO EVIL
58. End dramatically : GO OUT WITH A BANG
Argyle here. No unifier or reveal today and it wasn't needed. Some learning moments but not likely to become common crosswordese. I did smile a lot while solving; what more could you ask for?
Across:
1. Medicine-testing org. : FDA. (Food and Drug Administration)
4. Brief chat : WORD. But if you're having words, it's not good for today's theme.
8. Destructive insect : MOTH But not 68A. Long-tailed 8-Across : LUNA
12. Tolkien henchmen : ORCs
14. Astrological Ram : ARIES
16. Days of old : YORE
17. Frequent prank caller to Moe's Tavern : BART
18. Snicker : TE-HEE
19. Ostrich cousin : RHEA
23. Forrest Gump's Army friend : BUBBA. LINK Lt. Dan fit also.
24. "Nifty!" : "NEAT!"
25. Chowed down : ATE. Shrimp!
26. One of the Gulf States: Abbr. : ALA. Home to Forrest and Bubba, Alabama.
27. Springsteen's "__ to Run" : BORN
30. One who hems but doesn't haw? : TAILOR
35. Séance sounds : RAPS
36. Even-steven : TIED
37. Indian prince : RAJA
40. "Nerts!" : "DRAT!"
48. Casual comment : REMARK
51. __ helmet: safari wear: PITH
52. "__ Yankee Doodle ..." : I'M A
53. Sleeve filler : ARM
54. Broadcasts : AIRS
56. Parachute fabric : NYLON. (ripstop nylon, woven with a double thread approximately every quarter inch to prevent the expansion of small rips.)
62. Catches some rays : SUNS. Hand up for TANS.
63. Freeze over : ICE UP. Never at Villa Incognito.
64. Committed perjury : LIED
66. "Miss __ Regrets": Porter song : OTIS. I love this song. LINK(3:33)
67. Perform brilliantly : SHINE
69. Approach : NEAR
70. Sinusitis docs : ENTs. (ear, nose, and throat)
71. Darn or baste : SEW
Down:
1. Watch chain : FOB
2. Bram Stoker's count : DRACULA
3. Nimble circus performer : ACROBAT
4. Light bulb unit : WATT
5. Utah city : OREM
6. One-named Barbadian singer : RIHANNA. Barbadian may refer to anything of or relating to Barbados. She was born in Saint Michael, Barbados, but her name comes from the Welsh name Rhiannon.
7. Brand that "Nothing runs like" : DEERE
8. British pianist Hess : MYRA. Dame Myra Hess, DBE (1890 – 1965) classical pianist.
9. "C'est magnifique!" : "OOH LA LA!"
10. "Rock-a-bye baby" spot : TREETOP. Rock-a-bye my Saro Jane(2:46)-Flatt & Scruggs.
11. Painful-looking soccer shots : HEADERS. Even a dog can do it. LINK
13. Puny pencil : STUB
15. Tuned to, as a radio dial : SET AT
21. Synagogue leader : RABBI
22. Call __ day : IT A
23. Defective : BAD
28. Miner's discovery : ORE
29. Wine shop section : REDS
31. "Dies __": hymn : IRAE. (Day of Wrath)
33. Jones of jazz : ETTA
34. Half of sechs : DREI. German 6/3
38. Colony crawler : ANT
39. Sloop in a Beach Boys hit : JOHN B. Hugh write-up in Wikipedia; interesting. LINK
40. Seems to last forever : DRAGS ON
41. Require to detour : REROUTE. No problem with GPS.
42. Strong-smelling cleaner : AMMONIA
44. Oscar-winning "Casablanca" co-screenwriter Julius or Philip : EPSTEIN. Trivia.
45. Lithuania's capital : VILNIUS. A combination of old and new. MAP
46. Comic Coca who worked with Sid Caesar : IMOGENE
47. PC-to-PC system : LAN. (local area network)
49. Wharf rodent : RAT
50. Fuzzy green fruits : KIWIs
55. Wealthy, in France : RICHE
57. Southern pronoun : Y'ALL
59. U.S. ally in WWII : USSR
60. Follow the game? : HUNT. Game = prey.
61. "Planet of the __" : APES
65. Margery of nursery rhymes : DAW. A close shout out for Marge.
See-Saw, Margery Daw,
Jacky shall have a new master;
Jacky shall have but a penny a day,
Because he can't work any faster.
Argyle
