Monday, August 14, 2017 ~ Gail Grabowski & Bruce Venzke

Theme: Bookends - Same letters at start and end of theme entries.

65A. Wander aimlessly ... and a hint to a divided word in the answers to starred clues: BUM AROUND

17A. *Half a percussion pair: BONGO DRUM

24A. *Fill-in-the-blanks agreement, e.g.: BUSINESS FORM

34A. *Cake soaked in alcoholic syrup: BABA AU RHUM

44A. *Brand for bubble blowers: BAZOOKA GUM

52A. *Security device that may be silent: BURGLAR ALARM

Argyle here. A lot of entries for a Monday but little trouble. Gotta love a puzzle with FONZARELLI.

Across:

1. Rifle range rounds: AMMO

5. Rainfall measure: INCH. Lately, that should be plural.

9. Transitional state: LIMBO

14. Bread buy: LOAF

15. NYC area above Houston Street: NOHO. Not as famous as SOHO.

16. Hunter constellation: ORION

19. "__ bleu!": SACRÉ

20. From India, say: ASIAN

21. Civil uprising: RIOT

23. Account exec: REP. (representative)

28. Post-WWII feminine flier: WAF. Women in the Air Force (WAF), organized in 1948 and active until 1976.

31. Small swallow: SIP. No, not a bird.

32. __ bubbles: SOAP

33. Bigheadedness: EGO

39. Cake pan trademark: BUNDT

42. Zilch: NIL

43. Africa's Sierra __: LEONE

47. Trivial point: NIT

48. Yet again: ANEW

49. High-arcing tennis shot: LOB

51. Purported UFO fliers: ETs. (Extra-Terrestrial)

57. Opposite of WNW: ESE

58. __ about: roughly: ON OR

59. Soothed: EASED

63. Golf analyst Nick: FALDO

68. Get ready to compete, bodybuilder-style: OIL UP

69. Parting words?: OBIT. (Obituary)

70. Actress Hayworth: RITA

National Screen Heritage Award of the National Film Society (1978)

71. Crisscross frameworks: GRIDS. The answer is right there in front of us!

72. London gallery: TATE

73. __-bitsy: ITSY

Down:

1. Actress Jessica: ALBA

2. Cattle chorus: MOOs

3. Salon service with a pedi: MANI. (pedicure/manicure)

4. Gift __: chattiness: OF GAB

5. Hoosier St.: IND. (Indiana)

6. Here-there link: NOR

7. Butter-making device: CHURN. I found one like this in our horse barn.

8. Bro: HOMIE

9. One in need of spiritual guidance: LOST SOUL

10. Gershwin brother: IRA

11. Emcee's need: MICROPHONE

12. Destructive insect: BORER

13. Hr. after noon: ONE PM

18. Burden: ONUS

22. Mount of Greek myth: OSSA. In Greek mythology, the Aloadaes attempted to pile Mount Pelion on top of Mount Ossa in an attempt to scale Mount Olympus.

25. Bro, to a sis: SIB. (sibling)

26. "Brusha, brusha, brusha" toothpaste: IPANA

27. Cab ride price: FARE

28. Jack of "Dragnet": WEBB

Jack Webb Harry Morgan Dragnet 1968

29. Water, to Juan: AGUA

30. Full last name of a "Happy Days" cool dude: FONZARELLI

35. Gargantuan: BIG

36. __ in the conversation: A LULL

37. Self-storage compartment: UNIT

38. Citi Field team: METS. The New York Mets, National League East division.

40. Doorbell sound: "DONG!" (the DING! is broken.)

41. Figure skating jumps: TOE LOOPS

45. Nine-time U.S. skating champ Michelle: KWAN

46. Extinct emu-like bird: MOA

50. Uncle Remus rabbit's title: BR'ER

52. Confuse: BEFOG

53. TWA competitor: USAIR. Both names are no longer in use.

54. Many a modern assembly-line worker: ROBOT

55. Caribbean resort isle: ARUBA

56. New Zealand settler: MAORI. What they think of us? Pic

60. Hearts or clubs: SUIT

61. Sinus docs: ENTs. (ears, nose, throat)

62. WWII turning point: D-DAY. June 6, 1944.

64. Defective firecracker: DUD

66. Cambridge univ.: MIT. (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

67. Munched on: ATE

Argyle