Theme:
17. Good thing to bring to the table: HEALTHY APPETITE. Tutti a tavola a mangiare!
23. Tailless Atlas Mountains monkey: BARBARY APE. This one looks like he's 65D HAHing.
52. Sugary snack on a stick: CANDY APPLE.
63. 1995 Woody Allen film: MIGHTY APHRODITE.
And the reveal ...
And the reveal ...
40. Past due salary ... and what's literally hidden in 17-, 23-, 52- and 63-Across: BACKPAY.
Melissa here. Yet another stellar offering from our prolific C.C. All four theme clues, two of which are grid-spanners, are two words, the first ending with Y, and the second beginning with AP - perfectly consistent, spelling PAY backwards. Also consistent with C.C. puzzles, it is sprinkled with sporting clues.
Across:
1. Feature of distressed jeans: RIP. Kate Beckinsale, sporting this fashion, below. Remember when we used to patch them?
4. Condé __: Vanity Fair publisher: NAST.
8. It may be set on a smartphone: ALARM.
13. Qualified: ABLE.
15. Dead set against: ANTI.
16. Show with skits: REVUE.
20. Strunk and White topic: STYLE.
21. Colour suffix: ISE. The U in colour indicates the UK spelling, so ISE follows, as opposed to the U.S. spelling colorize.
22. False front: MASK.
27. Hog heaven: STY. Snort.
29. Close friend: PAL.
30. Hang around: LOITER.
34. Hockey trophy: CUP.
35. Arizona's third-largest city: MESA.
38. Sound from one with 37-Down, perhaps: SNORE.
39. SunTrust Park MLB team: ATL.
42. Big Band __: ERA.
43. Apartment agreement: LEASE.
45. Deadly septet: SINS. Inspired a decent bottle of wine, among other things ...
46. Polo or tee: TOP.
47. Mescaline-yielding cactus: PEYOTE.
49. Evian water: EAU.
51. Day divs.: HRS.
56. "No harm done": I'M OK.
59. Livy's lucky number?: VII. This is a cute clue, but I'm not sure of the reference. Could it be Elizabeth of York who married Henry VII, and gave birth to seven children, including Henry VIII? Anyone?
60. Sub shops: DELIS.
67. Hospital prep area: PRE-OP.
68. Orderly: NEAT.
69. From square one: ANEW.
70. Trickles (through): SEEPS.
71. Namesake of the sports-oriented Courage Award: ASHE. Arthur.
72. Ambulance letters: EMS. Emergency Medical Services.
Down:
1. Shouts from the stands: RAHS. Noun, not verb.
2. "Fat chance!": I BET.
3. Detailed sports commentary: PLAY BY PLAY.
4. "No can do": NAH.
5. At all: ANY.
6. Part of an angled case: STAIR. Nice clue.
7. Buzzed: TIPSY.
8. "Odds __ ... ": ARE. Most know Johnny Mathis's Chances Are, not as many know Bob Marley's tune by the same name.
9. Admission demand: LET ME IN.
10. Nike competitor: AVIA.
11. Dirt road features: RUTS.
12. Timid: MEEK.
14. "Enchanted" fantasy film girl: ELLA.
18. U. of Maryland athlete: TERP. From Wikipedia: The Maryland Terrapins, commonly referred to as the Terps, consist of 19 men's and women's athletic teams that represent the University of Maryland, College Park in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I competition. The school's football coach and later the school's president, Harry C. "Curley" Byrd, thought "Terrapins" was a good nickname choice because of the diamondback terrapins endemic to the Chesapeake Bay region.
19. Big ring: PEAL.
24. "Roll Tide" school: BAMA. The rallying cry for the Alabama Crimson Tide athletic teams.
25. Smart ones?: ALECS.
26. Bride's throwaway: POSY.
27. Massage target: SCALP.
28. Daniel LaRusso, to Mr. Miyagi: TUTEE.
31. Follow orders: TOE THE LINE.
32. Muffed grounder, e.g.: ERROR.
33. Harvests: REAPS.
36. Take part in a biathlon: SKI. Winter sport that combines cross country-skiing and rifle shooting.
37. Sleep clinic focus: APNEA.
40. __ carotene: BETA.
41. Often-barked letters: ASAP.
44. Dance in a gym: SOCK HOP.
48. Reason to go green?: ENVY. Nice.
50. Bun, e.g.: UPDO.
53. __ Prince, Wonder Woman's alias: DIANA.
54. "Holy cow!": YIPES. Not yikes.
55. Helen of Troy's mother: LEDA.
56. Little tricksters: IMPS.
57. Boggy area: MIRE.
58. Double-curved arch: OGEE.
61. Tabloid twosome: ITEM.
62. Tends to tears: SEWS. Tricky clue.
64. Pulls a Charmin shenanigan, briefly: TPS. Wouldn't want to clean that up.
65. "That's a laugh!": HAH.
66. GPS output: RTE.
