Theme: WoW - Three-word phrases with W-O-W starting letters.
17A. Argument : WAR OF WORDS
35A. Extremely impressive quality, informally ... or, when read differently, what the four longest puzzle answers all have : WOW FACTOR
49A. Do the seemingly impossible, à la Jesus : WALK ON WATER
59A. 1937 Laurel and Hardy film involving a prospector's daughter and a gold mine : WAY OUT WEST. Clip, the dance scene.(2:50)
Argyle here. This being a Gareth puzzle, I guess I was expecting something harder. The NW filled in so easily I kept waiting for the second shoe to drop. I then realized the complexity wasn't in the solve but in the construction. Like yesterday, we see the strong columns in the corners with two less cheater squares. The reveal is still in the middle but did you note all the 'O' words are different. A nice touch.
Across:
1. Lute-like Indian instrument : SITAR
6. Genesis brother : ABEL and 30A. Genesis mother : EVE
10. Golfers' goals : PARS
14. Technique-sharpening Chopin piece : ÉTUDE
15. __ fide : BONA. (genuine)
16. From scratch : ANEW
19. Response to "Marco!" in a pool game : "POLO!"
20. Spreading tree : ELM
21. Chicago's Michigan, e.g.: Abbr. : AVE.
22. Hibachi spot : PATIO
23. __ de Janeiro : RIO
27. H.G. Wells genre : SCI-FI
29. Have regrets about : RUE
31. Bias : SLANT. Cute connection with 2D. Slanted letters : ITALICS
33. Skin blemish : ZIT
34. Raised, as horses : BRED
38. Cooking oil source : CORN
41. Many a mountain whose name ends in "horn" : ALP. Is this true, Marti?
42. Tickle : AMUSE
45. Bauxite, e.g. : ORE
46. Michelle of the LPGA : WIE
47. Scarfed down : ATE UP
54. Uni- + bi- : TRI-. Adding up prefixes.
55. Smelled a lot : STANK. Grammarist.
56. Bikini top : BRA
57. Skin art, for short : TAT
58. Pueblo-dwelling people : HOPI
63. Old-style "once" : ERST
64. Sunup direction : EAST
65. Eagle's home : AERIE
66. Tinting agents : DYES
67. Jazz group instrument : BASS
68. Actor Romero : CESAR
Down:
1. Underground waste conduits : SEWERS
3. Confused state : TURMOIL
4. "Much __ About Nothing" : ADO
5. NFL official : REF. (referee)
6. Higher in rank than : ABOVE
7. Destructive beetle : BORER
8. Conclude : END
9. __ Vegas : LAS
10. Large edible fruit : PAPAW. Pictured first is papaya or papaw or pawpaw. Slightly bigger than our Southern fruit, variously spelled pawpaw, paw paw, paw-paw, and papaw and pictured second.
11. One more : ANOTHER
12. Ease, as pain : RELIEVE
13. Fainted : SWOONED
18. Stroller cry : [WAH!]
22. Lead-in for heat or cook : PRE-
24. Derelict overdoing the grape : WINO
25. Idle of Monty Python : ERIC
26. "I'm __ here!": "Bye!" : OUTTA
28. Baby deer : FAWN
32. Creator of Finn and Sawyer : TWAIN
33. Microwave : ZAP
34. Very dry, as Champagne : BRUT
36. Aviated : FLEW
37. Poet Khayyám : OMAR
38. Bovine shelter : COW SHED
39. Cicero's skill : ORATORY
40. Health setback : RELAPSE
43. Hunting dogs : SETTERS
44. Landmass divided by the Urals : EURASIA
46. Stir-fry pan : WOK
48. Half of a rain rhythm : PITTER followed by patter...and it's headed this way.
50. Gentle washer setting : KNITS
51. Vast chasm : ABYSS
52. Runs easily : TROTS
53. __ de Cologne : EAU
59. Spider's creation : WEB
60. Little battery size : AAA
61. Tic-toe filler : TAC
62. Very little, to a Scot : WEE
Argyle
