17a. GREEN : CONSERVATIONIST. environmentally beneficial.
27a. GREEN : VILLAGE COMMONS. a common, open area within a settlement.
48a. GREEN : PUTTING SURFACE. on a golf course, where the flagstick and hole are located.
63a. GREEN : THE COLOR OF MONEY. the color of US paper money, and the name of a 1986 movie starring paul newman and tom cruise, a follow-up to the hustler.
melissa here.
two grid-spanning theme entries - the black squares look so pretty the way they cascade diagonally down.
no extra charge (get it?) for these:
5a. Parsley family herb : DILL
9a. Straight from the garden : FRESH
23a. First word of "Greensleeves" : ALAS my love, you do me wrong.
33a. Green prefix : ECO. as in eco-friendly.
34a. Green shade : TEAL. check him out.
57a. "The Green Hornet" airer, 1966-'67 : ABC. superhero, a little before my time.
across
1. Sound finely tuned : PURR. motor.
14. Role for Ronny : OPIE. ronny howard, in the andy griffith show.
15. Neighborhood : AREA
16. Ceiling : LIMIT. i won't say it.
20. Next in line : ON DECK
21. Hobbyist's buy : KIT. model airplane or car, etc.
22. Tennis racket part : GRIP. the handle.
25. In a glass by itself : NEAT. tin!
35. Aimée of "La Dolce Vita" : ANOUK. fellini film, italian for the sweet life.
37. Cozy reading rooms : DENS
39. Personal property : STUFF. unless you have a cat, then not so much.
42. "At Wit's End" humorist Bombeck : ERMA
43. Drilling tool : AUGER
45. Buster? : NARC. new clue.
47. It might say "Wipe your paws" : MAT
52. __ carotene : BETA
53. Draws : TIES
54. Parlor piece : SOFA. quaint.
59. Puget Sound port : TACOMA. washington state.
66. Japan's commercial center, historically : OSAKA
67. Accessory on the handlebars : BELL. does anyone use these anymore?
68. TV part? : TELE
69. __-case scenario : WORST
70. Oscillation : SWAY. a little tricky.
71. Body art, briefly : TATS
down
1. Little, to Leoncavallo : POCO. italian opera composer, poco is italian for little.
2. Aware of, as the latest : UP ON
3. Fruit coat : RIND. peel.
4. Protect again, as a driveway : RESEAL
5. Pre-Renaissance period : DARK AGES. sometimes i think we're going back there.
6. Football commentator Cross : IRV
7. Drip, say : LEAK
8. Emilio Estefan, notably : LATINO
9. Producer Ziegfeld : FLO. short for florenz - creator of ziegfield follies.
10. Cellphone customer's creation, perhaps : RINGTONE
11. Mideast ruler : EMIR
12. "Right away, señor!" : SI SI. c.c!
13. Internet address letters : HTTP
18. Brilliance : ECLAT
19. Gossip tidbit : ITEM
24. Install in Congress : SEAT
26. Dr.'s group : AMA. american medical association.
27. Sanskrit scripture : VEDA. archaic form of sanskrit.
28. Frost over : ICE UP
29. Mute sound? : LONG U. trying to trick us.
30. Stuck (to) : CLUNG
31. Marilyn, before she was Marilyn : NORMA jeane mortenson.
32. Poison __ : SUMAC
36. Latest addition to the British Royal Family : KATE. not for long.
38. Reversals : SETBACKS
40. __ food : FAST
41. Genetic research insect : FRUIT FLY. haven't seen tse-tse in a while.
44. U.S. 1, for one : RTE
46. Lobster Newburg ingredient : CREAM.
49. Emphatic type: Abbr. : ITALics
50. Big wheels : NABOBS. just sounds funny.
51. Author Fitzgerald : F. SCOTT. the great gatsby.
54. Put in the overhead bin : STOW
55. Very : OH SO
56. Cold feet : FEAR. alright.
58. Seagoing help : CREW
60. Military classification : ONE A
61. Go all weak in the knees : MELT. mmmm.
62. Seagoing assents : AYES
64. Bit of muesli : OAT
65. Schnozz extender : OLA. ha.