Theme: "in the zone" - Various zones.
38A. One of two gridiron borders, and what the last words of 17-, 23-, 52- and 62-Across can have : END ZONE
17A. Big Bang, to a physicist : BEGINNING OF TIME. Time Zone
23A. Show stopper : ACTORS' STRIKE. Strike Zone
52A. Like some August sales : BACK TO SCHOOL. School Zone
62A. Alabama Slammer liqueur : SOUTHERN COMFORT. Comfort Zone
Argyle here. Tinbeni should like that last zone. It's made with amaretto, Southern Comfort, sloe gin, and orange juice. Pam's puzzle puts together four words that can have ZONE stuck on their END, included are two grid spanners. The four long columns are strong ones although a bit tame. That about sums it up; tame Tuesday.
Across:
1. Tibetan holy men : LAMAs
6. Voice above tenor : ALTO
10. Boy or girl lead-in : ATTA
14. Traditional saying : ADAGE
15. Sound of pain : MOAN
16. Scientology creator Hubbard : L. RON
20. Snarky state : SNIT
21. What comes before beauty? : AGE. " (apocryphal Dorothy Parker witticism) "The two ladies were trying to get out of a doorway at the same time. Clare drew back and cracked, “Age before beauty, Miss Parker.” As Dotty swept out, she turned to the other guests and said. “Pearls before swine.”" ~ 03.12.2012 blog
22. __-weensy : EENSY
27. Greeter and seater : HOSTESS
30. Frozen drink brand : ICEE
31. Started the pot : ANTED
32. Commercial suffix with Motor : OLA. (Motorola)
33. Pop's favorite root beer? : DAD'S
37. Old man's place, in Hemingway : SEA. "The Old Man and the Sea", a novel published in 1952.
42. Sock part : TOE
43. Hair line : PART. Didn't get me this time.
45. Aegean island : IOS. How's it looking, Montana?
46. Beachcomber's beat : SHORE
48. Selma or Patty, to Bart : AUNT. Simpsons.
50. One of the 3-Down : WISEMAN. so 3D. Gift-bearing trio : MAGI. And 29D. Guide for the 3-Down : STAR. Kalá Christoúgenna on Ios.
56. Cop __: bargain in court : A PLEA
57. Actor McKellen : IAN. The third and final movie in The Hobbit trilogy will be The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, opening December 17th.
58. Partners of cons : PROs
66. Gen. Robert __ : E. LEE
67. Truck maker with a bulldog logo : MACK
68. Mentor's charge : TUTEE
69. Fizzy drink : SODA
70. "Terrible" age : TWOs
71. Single-master : SLOOP
Down:
1. Some are chocolate : LABs. (Labrador Retriever)
2. Arabian Peninsula port : ADEN
4. Stir up : AGITATE
5. Hill VIP: Abbr. : SEN. (Senator)
6. Pamplona pals : AMIGOs
7. One who eschews company : LONER
8. Bag marker : TAG. Tote, luggage, suitcase, duffel, etc.;
9. Lennon collaborator : ONO
10. Let out, say : ALTERED
11. Singer Lopez : TRINI. Still going.
12. Siberian industrial center : TOMSK
13. In the blink of __ : AN EYE
18. 2014 N.L. East champs : NATS. (Washington Nationals)
19. Fancy party : FÊTE
24. Formally relinquish : CEDE
25. Rural skyline feature : SILO. It's come to this on the small farms.
26. Diagnostic test : SCAN
27. Door fastener : HASP
28. Most fit to be drafted : ONE A
32. Parts of lbs. : OZs. (ounces)
34. Physics particle : ATOM
35. Explorer on Nick Jr. : DORA
36. Detected : SEEN
39. Barcelona boy : NINO
40. Web address parts : DOTS
41. Name on some Canadian pumps : ESSO
44. Break for a meal and a beverage, in Britain : TAKE TEA. Steve?
47. Lending a hand : HELPFUL
49. Four Corners state : UTAH
50. Strikes sharply : WHACKS
51. Prefix with sphere : IONO
52. Fenway corners : BASES. Fenway Park, the baseball park in Boston is the oldest ballpark in MLB. Cute clue.
53. Speed skater __ Anton Ohno : APOLO. First appeared on the corner back on Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2010.
54. In the loop, with "in" : CLUED
55. __ de Mayo : CINCO. Fifth of May.
59. Tiller lead-in : ROTO. Rototiller.
60. Black-and-white treat : OREO
61. Setup instructions word : STEP
63. 911 respondent, briefly : EMT. (Emergency Medical Technician)
64. Rarer than rare : RAW
65. Places with peaks and passes: Abbr. : MTs. (mountains)
Argyle
