Theme: This & That - Two words that start with "R" connected by "and". The unifier is an abbreviated form of the other four so it isn't really a revealer, just a hint.
17A. Music genre that evolved in the '50s: ROCK AND ROLL
28A. How the wheels on the bus go: ROUND AND ROUND
39A. Time off, briefly, and this puzzle's theme: R AND R
47A. "Old" nickname for Zachary Taylor: ROUGH AND READY
63A. Complain hysterically: RANT AND RAVE
Argyle here.
After I did the comments, I realized there are a lot of names in this puzzle for a Monday, even though the theme was easy to get.
Across:
1. Toad feature : WART
5. Cravings : URGES
10. W.W. Jacobs short story "The Monkey's __" : PAW. No, not his father.
13. Etonic competitor : AVIA. No, it doesn't mean to fly.
14. Hollandaise and barbecue : SAUCES. Yes, it could include cranberry.
16. Genetic molecule: Abbr. : RNA. Molecule doesn't sound right.
19. "__ complicated" : IT'S. Probably the explanation to the above clue.
20. Evil smile : SNEER
21. Pac-10 hoops powerhouse : UCLA. University of California, Los Angeles.
22. Cambridge sch. : MIT. Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
23. Letter before kappa : IOTA. Greek. (Handy chart, if you care about these things.)
26. Tranquil : AT PEACE
32. Possess : OWN
33. Italian "a" : UNA. Feminine and singular number.
34. Tide creations : POOLS. Here is a photo of a large one at Carmel, CA. Pools often have their own little ecosphere.
37. Formally relinquish : CEDE
42. Winter fall : SNOW
43. Hägar the Horrible's dog : SNERT
45. Zippy start? : ZEE. The letter "Z".
46. Well-armed org. : NRA. National Rifle Association. (Rifles aren't considered "heaters", either.) (From a recent clue.)
52. Nonsense : BALONEY
54. The ten in "hang ten" : TOES. Standing on the front edge of a surf board.
55. Batter's stat : RBI. "Runs batted in".
56. Power co. product : ELEC.
58. Freeze, as a plane's wings : ICE UP
62. + molecule, e.g. : ION. + indicates a positive charge.
66. Work unit : ERG
67. Like the night in a classic Van Gogh work : STARRY. Clip(4:12), w/ slide show.
68. All done : OVER
69. Knox and McHenry: Abbr. : FTs. Forts.
70. "Do the Right Thing" actor Davis : OSSIE. A younger version(Image) of the couple. Ruby Dee & Ossie Davis were married 56 years when Ossie died in 2005.
71. Wimpy : WEAK. My kind of Wimpy. Image.
Down:
1. Serious conflicts : WARS
2. Cosmetic caller : AVON
3. Paddy grain : RICE
4. Adopt, as a puppy : TAKE IN
5. "Top Gun" org. : USN. United States Navy, Navy Fighter Weapons School (better known as "TOPGUN").
6. "Groovy!" : "RAD!". Only in crosswords!
7. Hindu religious instructor : GURU
8. Chevy Volt or Ford Fusion : ECOCAR
9. Do business with : SELL TO
10. Temperamental diva, e.g. : PRIMA DONNA. Remember this one(2:41).
11. Shenanigan : ANTIC
12. Trash : WASTE
15. First-rate, in Rugby : SLAP-UP. New to me.
17A. Music genre that evolved in the '50s: ROCK AND ROLL
28A. How the wheels on the bus go: ROUND AND ROUND
39A. Time off, briefly, and this puzzle's theme: R AND R
47A. "Old" nickname for Zachary Taylor: ROUGH AND READY
63A. Complain hysterically: RANT AND RAVE
Argyle here.
After I did the comments, I realized there are a lot of names in this puzzle for a Monday, even though the theme was easy to get.
Across:
1. Toad feature : WART
5. Cravings : URGES
10. W.W. Jacobs short story "The Monkey's __" : PAW. No, not his father.
13. Etonic competitor : AVIA. No, it doesn't mean to fly.
14. Hollandaise and barbecue : SAUCES. Yes, it could include cranberry.
16. Genetic molecule: Abbr. : RNA. Molecule doesn't sound right.
19. "__ complicated" : IT'S. Probably the explanation to the above clue.
20. Evil smile : SNEER
21. Pac-10 hoops powerhouse : UCLA. University of California, Los Angeles.
22. Cambridge sch. : MIT. Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
23. Letter before kappa : IOTA. Greek. (Handy chart, if you care about these things.)
26. Tranquil : AT PEACE
32. Possess : OWN
33. Italian "a" : UNA. Feminine and singular number.
34. Tide creations : POOLS. Here is a photo of a large one at Carmel, CA. Pools often have their own little ecosphere.
37. Formally relinquish : CEDE
42. Winter fall : SNOW
43. Hägar the Horrible's dog : SNERT
45. Zippy start? : ZEE. The letter "Z".
46. Well-armed org. : NRA. National Rifle Association. (Rifles aren't considered "heaters", either.) (From a recent clue.)
52. Nonsense : BALONEY
54. The ten in "hang ten" : TOES. Standing on the front edge of a surf board.
55. Batter's stat : RBI. "Runs batted in".
56. Power co. product : ELEC.
58. Freeze, as a plane's wings : ICE UP
62. + molecule, e.g. : ION. + indicates a positive charge.
66. Work unit : ERG
67. Like the night in a classic Van Gogh work : STARRY. Clip(4:12), w/ slide show.
68. All done : OVER
69. Knox and McHenry: Abbr. : FTs. Forts.
70. "Do the Right Thing" actor Davis : OSSIE. A younger version(Image) of the couple. Ruby Dee & Ossie Davis were married 56 years when Ossie died in 2005.
71. Wimpy : WEAK. My kind of Wimpy. Image.
Down:
1. Serious conflicts : WARS
2. Cosmetic caller : AVON
3. Paddy grain : RICE
4. Adopt, as a puppy : TAKE IN
5. "Top Gun" org. : USN. United States Navy, Navy Fighter Weapons School (better known as "TOPGUN").
6. "Groovy!" : "RAD!". Only in crosswords!
7. Hindu religious instructor : GURU
8. Chevy Volt or Ford Fusion : ECOCAR
9. Do business with : SELL TO
10. Temperamental diva, e.g. : PRIMA DONNA. Remember this one(2:41).
11. Shenanigan : ANTIC
12. Trash : WASTE
15. First-rate, in Rugby : SLAP-UP. New to me.
Some great sleuthing by Clear Ayes: "About (15D) SLAP-UP: I "G'd" (15D) SLAP-UP as a rugby term and couldn't find anything other than Brit-slang "first-rate", usually referring to a meal. It took me a very non-Monday time to realize that the game is lower case and the clue must refer to a town named Rugby. Sure enough, the Warwickshire town in England is most famous as the place where the game was invented."
18. Yankee with 613 career homers, familiarly : A-ROD. "Alex" Rodriguez.
24. Bull: Pref. : TAUR. Such as TAURiform, shaped like a bull.
25. Oscar winner Paquin : ANNA. Canadian-born New Zealand actress. Paquin's first critically successful film was The Piano, for which she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1994 at the age of 11 – the second youngest winner in history. (Tatum O'Neal for "Paper Moon" (1973) age 10).
27. Nephew of Cain : ENOS
28. Big birds of lore : ROCs. A mythical giant bird.
29. Wilson of "Marley & Me" : OWEN
30. Subordinates : UNDERLINGS
31. "Who's the Boss?" star Tony : DANZA. 80's TV sitcom. Tony was in Taxi, also.
35. Manor master : LORD
36. Oscillate : SWAY
38. Sock ending : EROO. Sockeroo.
40. Car scar : DENT
41. Overhaul, as a Web site : REDO
44. Workers with an ear for music? : TUNERS
48. Italian ice cream : GELATO
49. "Laughing" critters : HYENAS
50. Longtime Nevada senator Harry : REID
51. Money for taxes and insurance may be held in it : ESCROW
52. Lawyer's filing : BRIEF
53. NASA "Stop!" : ABORT
57. NBA's Shaq and Yao, e.g. : CTRs. The big men who play the position of center on the National Basketball Association teams.
59. A gutter is often under it : EAVE. It's over your head.
60. Eye part containing the iris : UVEA
61. Exec's extra : PERK. Formed by by shortening and respelling of perquisite, an incidental payment, benefit, privilege, or advantage over and above regular income, salary, or wages.
64. "Taking Heat" memoirist Fleischer : ARI. Taking Heat: The President, the Press, and My Years in the White House. Cover. He is the former White House Press Secretary for U.S. President George W. Bush.
65. PBS science guy Bill : NYE
Answer grid.
Argyle
24. Bull: Pref. : TAUR. Such as TAURiform, shaped like a bull.
25. Oscar winner Paquin : ANNA. Canadian-born New Zealand actress. Paquin's first critically successful film was The Piano, for which she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1994 at the age of 11 – the second youngest winner in history. (Tatum O'Neal for "Paper Moon" (1973) age 10).
27. Nephew of Cain : ENOS
28. Big birds of lore : ROCs. A mythical giant bird.
29. Wilson of "Marley & Me" : OWEN
30. Subordinates : UNDERLINGS
31. "Who's the Boss?" star Tony : DANZA. 80's TV sitcom. Tony was in Taxi, also.
35. Manor master : LORD
36. Oscillate : SWAY
38. Sock ending : EROO. Sockeroo.
40. Car scar : DENT
41. Overhaul, as a Web site : REDO
44. Workers with an ear for music? : TUNERS
48. Italian ice cream : GELATO
49. "Laughing" critters : HYENAS
50. Longtime Nevada senator Harry : REID
51. Money for taxes and insurance may be held in it : ESCROW
52. Lawyer's filing : BRIEF
53. NASA "Stop!" : ABORT
57. NBA's Shaq and Yao, e.g. : CTRs. The big men who play the position of center on the National Basketball Association teams.
59. A gutter is often under it : EAVE. It's over your head.
60. Eye part containing the iris : UVEA
61. Exec's extra : PERK. Formed by by shortening and respelling of perquisite, an incidental payment, benefit, privilege, or advantage over and above regular income, salary, or wages.
64. "Taking Heat" memoirist Fleischer : ARI. Taking Heat: The President, the Press, and My Years in the White House. Cover. He is the former White House Press Secretary for U.S. President George W. Bush.
65. PBS science guy Bill : NYE
Answer grid.
Argyle
