Theme: Two Letters - S & A (essay)
35A. Anthology of personal writings ... and a phonetic hint to what is literally comprised by the answers of 17-, 23-, 46- and 56-Across: ESSAY COLLECTION. Words starting with S and A.
17A. Wise guy: SMART ALECK
23A. Original "Tonight Show" host: STEVE ALLEN
46A. Home safety feature: SMOKE ALARM
56A. Home of the NBA's Spurs: SAN ANTONIO
Argyle here. Easy-peasey Monday.
Across:
1. Part of a flower: PETAL
6. Not working: IDLE
10. Final notice?: OBIT
14. "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" playwright Edward: ALBEE
15. "Hud" actress Patricia: NEAL
16. Foreshadow: BODE
19. Highway off-ramp: EXIT
20. Major Can. city: TOR. (Toronto)
21. Composer Stravinsky: IGOR
22. Reverse of a hit 45: B SIDE
26. Computer antivirus brand: McAFEE
28. Dugout rack lumber: BAT
29. Neon or Freon: GAS
32. Oyster gem: PEARL
33. Tasseled topper: FEZ
34. "City of New Orleans" singer Guthrie: ARLO
39. Madeline of "Paper Moon": KAHN. Trixie Delight(1973)
40. Lennon's lady: ONO
41. "Grey's Anatomy" patient who proposed to Izzie: DENNY. I'm sure some Cornerite can fill us in on this.
42. Suffix with legal: ESE. (legalese)
43. __ de plume: NOM. Pen name.
44. Yanni's genre: NEW AGE. Music.
49. Helped with the dishes: DRIED
51. Spice Girl Halliwell: GERI. Ginger Spice.
52. "Sorta" suffix: ISH
55. Charged particles: IONS
59. "Famous" cookie guy: AMOS
60. Saint Laurent of fashion: YVES
61. Surplus: EXTRA
62. Madcap: ZANY
63. Small salamander: NEWT
64. Status symbol watch: ROLEX
Down:
1. Over and done with: PAST
2. Red Muppet: ELMO
3. Ski lift: T-BAR
4. __ Lingus: AER
5. Shoot the ball, in hoops lingo: LET IT FLY
6. Totally smitten: IN LOVE
7. Big name in field equipment: DEERE
8. Fond du __, Wisconsin: LAC
9. Antlered animal: ELK
10. More than a little heavy: OBESE
11. Where Ali did his rope-a-dope: BOXING RING
12. Confession to "Who broke this?": "I DID"
13. Noggin in Nice: TÊTE. Nice, France.
18. Tommie Ageeof the Amazin' Mets: AGEE. Tommie Agee, the center fielder who made two of the most spectacular catches in World Series history, died in 2001 in Manhattan. He was 58.
22. Sandwich initials: BLT. (Bacon, Lettuce, and Tomato)
23. Transparent wrap: SARAN
24. Brother of Cain: ABEL
25. Lounge (about): LAZE
26. Flat-topped formations: MESAs
27. Profits from: CASHES IN ON
30. Unaccompanied: ALONE
31. Walkman maker: SONY
32. Chinese lap dog, for short: PEKE. Pekingese
33. Progressive insurance spokeswoman: FLO
34. Elite group: A TEAM
36. Man the grill: COOK
37. Treater's words: ON ME
38. PC device also called a burner: CD WRITER
43. Wordless acknowledgment: NOD
44. Washington Nats' div.: NL EAST
45. Make, as money: EARN
47. In disarray: MESSY
48. Nixon's first veep: AGNEW. (Spiro Agnew)
49. Actress Cameron __: DIAZ
50. Tomato type: ROMA. Not the type for a BLT though.
52. Part of IOC: Abbr.: INTL. (International Olympic Committee)
53. Stable father: SIRE
54. Fraud: HOAX
56. Thesaurus abbr.: SYN. (synonym)
57. Fifth in NYC, e.g.: AVE. (Fifth Avenue)
58. Kitchenware brand: OXO
Argyle