Theme: At the Top of the Hour - For your busy commute.
20A. Lena Horne classic that begins "Don't know why there's no sun up in the sky ... " : STORMY WEATHER
26A. Measure of a store's visitors : FOOT TRAFFIC
48A. Bright spot in tough times : WELCOME NEWS
53A. What a Geiger counter measures ... or, as two words, what the ends of 20-, 26- and 48-Across are : RADIOACTIVITY. Radio Activity
Argyle here. A text book Monday. Easy but not stupid easy with interesting themes. I do wonder if it is a new collaboration from Don and C.C. or has it been waiting in the wings. Another appearance of PETSIT makes me wonder.
Across:
1. Birthstone between sapphire and topaz : OPAL. October.
5. Frees (of) : RIDS
9. Russian ruler until 1917 : TSAR. Nicholas II.
13. Get a better mtge. : REFI. (refinance)
14. Take by force : USURP
16. Germany's von Bismarck : OTTO. Prussian statesman.
17. Biting remark : BARB
18. "Divine Comedy" poet : DANTE
19. Auntie of Broadway : MAME. The original Broadway production starred Rosalind Russell.
23. Historic time : ERA
24. Earth tremor : SEISM
32. Tic-tac-toe win : OOO
34. Dryer screen buildup : LINT
35. German-born sex therapist, familiarly : DR. RUTH. PSA? She has her own YouTube channel.
36. Neither here __ there : NOR
37. Choir members : ALTOs
39. John, in Scotland : IAN
40. "All My Children" vixen : ERICA. Susan Lucci.
42. "Not so hot" : "MEH"
43. Tangerine kin : ORANGE
46. Subj. for nature lovers : ECOLogy
47. Before, to Byron : ERE
50. Sales talk : SPIEL
52. U.N. advocate for workers' rights : ILO. (International Labour Organization)
60. Tiny "smashing" target : ATOM
62. Gem measure : CARAT
10-Carat-Forever-Brilliant-Lab-Grown-Moissanite
63. __ of expertise : AREA
64. Works on the lawn : MOWS
65. Subway entrance : STILE. I tried STAIR first.
66. Fish home, at home : TANK
67. Game on horseback : POLO
68. Piped up : SAID
69. Grinds to a halt : ENDS
Down:
1. Planets, to poets : ORBS
2. Gardening moss : PEAT
3. Oversize coif : AFRO
4. Opera text : LIBRETTO. First of the four excellent long columns.
5. Poet Kipling : RUDYARD
6. "__ Mommy kissing ... " : I SAW. Santa doesn't kiss and tell ... unless it is Lois.
7. Sandy hill : DUNE
8. Madrid miss: Abbr. : SRTA. Señorita.
9. Marisa of "My Cousin Vinny" : TOMEI
10. Touring figure skating show : STARS ON ICE. Tinman approved use of _ _ _.
11. Emer. cash source : ATM
12. Caviar : ROE
15. Feed the neighbor's cat, say : PET SIT
21. "The A-Team" muscleman : MR. T
22. Actress Anne : HECHE
25. Milked animal, in kiddie-speak : MOO-COW
26. Olympic stadium centerpiece : FLAME
27. Mideast ships : OILERS
28. Hunting, catlike : ON THE PROWL
29. Common typeface : ARIAL
30. Old French money : FRANC
31. Practice fly ball, e.g. : FUNGO. Usually hit with a FUNGO bat. (1865-70, Americanism; of obscure origin)
33. Postgrad tests : ORALs
38. Spread, as seed : SOWED
41. Do over, as a kitchen : RENOVATE
44. They're dug up at digs : RELICS
45. Gave off : EMITTED
49. Yalie : ELI
51. "You are not!" rebuttal : "I AM SO!"
54. Cheerios grain : OATS
55. Opera showpiece : ARIA
56. Colombian city : CALI
57. Persia, now : IRAN
58. See to : TEND
59. Jabbers : YAKs. I dunno...they may have been yaking.
60. Rock band need : AMP
61. As well : TOO
Argyle
