Theme: What are the odds? - Well?
17A. Baby book milestones : FIRST STEPS
23A. Backup player's backup : THIRD STRINGER
39A. Hershey's chocolate-and-peanut-butter products : FIFTH AVENUE BARS
52A. Bliss : SEVENTH HEAVEN
63A. Penultimate bowling game division : NINTH FRAME
Argyle here. A nice straightforward Monday.
Across:
1. A rather long time : AGES
5. Be of use to : AVAIL
10. Greenside golf shot : CHIP
14. Kauai cookout : LUAU
15. Alabama civil rights city : SELMA
16. Titled nobleman : LORD
19. Baghdad's country : IRAQ
20. Even if, briefly : ALTHO
21. Prepares, as a violin bow : ROSINS
27. Dusk-dawn link : 'TIL
28. Steeped brew : TEA
29. Low mil. rank : PVT.
31. Commotions : ADOs
35. Actor Kilmer : VAL
37. Road Runner chaser __ Coyote : WILE E.
43. Prepare beans, Mexican-style : REFRY
44. Square dance lass : GAL. CSO YR.
45. Island in a computer game : MYST
46. NHL tiebreakers : OTs
47. Zadora of "Hairspray" : PIA. Not her usual blond hair.
50. "Wait a __!" : SEC
58. Fill with bubbles : AERATE
59. Purple flower : LILAC
61. Cold War country: Abbr. : USSR
66. Hired hood : GOON
67. Baseball bobble : ERROR
68. Sport __: family cars : UTEs. (sport-utility vehicle)
69. Sharpen : HONE
70. Steed stoppers : REINS
71. Spanish muralist José María : SERT
Down:
1. __ Romeo: Italian sports car : ALFA
2. Feeling of remorse : GUILT
3. Target in alien-attack films : EARTH
4. Japanese fish dish : SUSHI
5. Long-eared beast : ASS
6. Doggie doc : VET
7. On the ball : ALERT
8. Non-domestic beer, e.g. : IMPORT
9. Film collie : LASSIE
10. Hang on (to) : CLING
11. Boisterous behavior : HORSEPLAY
12. Savings option, briefly : IRA
13. ASAP kin : PDQ. Was your solve PDQ? (pretty damn quick)
18. Lawsuit basis : TORT
22. Amazed : IN AWE
24. Distinguished soprano, say : DIVA
25. Pole or Croat : SLAV
26. Campground users, briefly : RVers. (recreational vehicle)
30. Driver's license prerequisite : TEST
31. Frizzy do : AFRO
32. Loses on purpose? : DIETS
33. Summer, at ski resorts : OFF-SEASON. but not without some excitements.
34. Orchestra sect. : STR. (strings)
36. Chair support : LEG
38. Tech co. known as Big Blue : IBM
40. All keyed up : HYPER
41. Poet Ogden : NASH
42. Peter Fonda title role : ULEE. (Ulee's Gold)
48. More absurd : INANER
49. Clothes : ATTIRE
51. Young cow : CALF
53. Sci-fi pioneer Jules : VERNE
54. Artist Rousseau : HENRI. Bio.
55. Computer invader : VIRUS
56. Tickle pink : ELATE
57. Snitch, when identifying the bad guys : NAMER
60. "__ la vie!" : C'EST
61. "That smells disgusting!" : "UGH!"
62. Jack of "Barney Miller" : SOO
64. Freight measure : TON
65. Baseball round-trippers: Abbr. : HRs. (home run)
Argyle