Theme: Watch the Birdie - and say "CHEESE". The theme is four kinds of cheese.
17A. *1972 hit with the line "The day the music died" : AMERICAN PIE. American cheese.
26A. *County fair prize : BLUE RIBBON. blue cheese.
40A. *Home-based business : COTTAGE INDUSTRY. cottage cheese.
49A. *Beef-braised-with-tomatoes dish : SWISS STEAK. Swiss cheese.
62A. Green Bay Packer fans ... and a hint to the answers to starred clues : CHEESEHEADS
Argyle here and I've found Monday's puzzle. Anchored by a grid spanner in the middle and a subject dear to my stomach, food! This is a satisfying entertainment.
Across:
1. Babbling waterway : BROOK
6. Pillow covers : SHAMS. A decorative cover over the actual pillow case.
11. Healthful facility : SPA
14. Nocturnal primate with a ringed tail : LEMUR. The little guy with the big eyes.
15. Squiggle in "piñata" : TILDE
16. Make a mistake : ERR
19. Feel sick : AIL
20. Sharp turn : ZIG
21. Auction cry : "SOLD!"
22. "I'm innocent!" : "NOT ME!"
24. Pennsylvanie, par exemple : ÉTAT. French.
29. Receding tide : EBB
31. On edge : TENSE
32. Sambuca flavoring : ANISE
35. Place for a polar bear : FLOE
37. Street shaders : ELMS
43. __ II razor : TRAC
44. Tells in a bad way : RATS. Back in the day, "drop a dime".
45. Biblical beasts : ASSES
46. Blue gem, for short : LAPIS. Lapis lazuli, pretty as a burning shot of Sambuca.
48. "I __ you one" : OWE
53. Jones with a locker : DAVY
57. Cagney's TV partner : LACEY. Buddy cop show, ran from 1982-1988.
58. Spring bloomer : IRIS. Hey, Blue.
60. Go head-to-head : VIE
61. Prefix for the birds : AVI
66. Pince-__ glasses : NEZ
67. Prefix meaning "sun" : HELIO
68. Krupp Works city : ESSEN. On the River Ruhr in Germany.
69. Afternoon ora : TRE. Mid-afternoon time in Italia. (3:00 PM)
70. Bagel flavoring : ONION
71. "Star Wars" surname? : DETOO. (R2-D2)
Down:
1. Burn brightly : BLAZE. See 32-Across.
2. Send a money order, say : REMIT
3. Alpha's opposite : OMEGA. Start and end of the Greek alphabet.
4. "__ Man in Havana": Graham Greene novel : OUR. Made into a movie the year after it was published.
5. Barbra's "A Star Is Born" co-star : KRIS. Barbra Streisand / Kris Kristofferson (1976), Janet Gaynor / Fredric March (1937), Judy Garland and James Mason (1954).
6. Delay on purpose : STALL. But not on purpose, if it's a car.
7. Many an Indian, religiously : HINDU
8. The Eiger, e.g. : ALP
9. Start of the 16th century : MDI. (1501) Historical Events for Year 1501, LINK. (Slow year)
10. Greeted and seated : SEEN IN
11. Vehicle safety devices : SEAT BELTS
12. First-class : PRIMO. (slang)
13. Former senator Specter : ARLEN. Senator from PA, noted for switching parties.
18. __ salad : COBB. Food!
23. Excessively preoccupied : OBSESSED. Not me!
25. Precedent setter : TEST CASE
27. Boarding school jackets : ETONS
28. Bassoon vibrator : REED
30. "But I don't wanna __ pirate!": "Seinfeld" : BE A. The puffy shirt episode.
32. Do some film work : ACT
33. Partner of neither : NOR
34. Highlight in print, in a way : ITALICIZE
35. Banquet : FEAST
36. Put a match to : LIT. See 32-Across.
38. G.I. grub : MRE. (Meal, Ready-to-Eat)
39. Part of TBS: Abbr. : SYS. (Turner Broadcasting System)
41. Pinot __ : GRIS, Won't burn.
42. Detroit labor org. : UAW. (United Automobile Workers)
47. Film with a classic shower scene : "PSYCHO"
48. Sooner State migrant : OKIE
49. Bias : SLANT
50. Have second thoughts : WAVER
51. Five-letter song refrain : EIEIO. Did you know Farmer McDonald was a really bad speller?
52. Felonious fire : ARSON
54. Salt's "Halt!" : "AVAST!". Hey, talk like a pirate was last week.
55. Audio counterpart : VIDEO
56. Like "Will you marry me?" questionwise : YES/NO
59. Storage building : SHED
63. Clucker : HEN. "Hen, H,E,N,E,I,E,I,O" [buzz]
64. Yale alum : ELI
65. Suffix with Brooklyn : ESE
Argyle
