Theme: Small retail stores - SHOP can be added to the last word of the starred entries.
17. *Fluffy carnival treat : COTTON CANDY. Candy shop.
23. *"West Side Story" film actress : NATALIE WOOD. Her death is still shrouded in controversy. Wood shop.
50. *Favorite in the classroom : TEACHER'S PET. Song(2:48). Pet shop.
64. Discussing the job with colleagues, and what the last words of the answers to starred clues seem to be doing : TALKING SHOP
Argyle here. I doubt these stores will be swamped on Black Friday. Four long entries and one grid spanner: good start for the week. Still, there may be some nits.
Across:
1. "Drat!" : "DARN!"
5. On the agenda : SLATED
11. __-at-ease : ILL
14. Melville's "Typee" sequel : "OMOO"
15. Writer de Beauvoir : SIMONE. Ahead of her time and maybe a little early in the week, too.
16. Mop & __: cleaning brand : GLO. (for floors)
19. Restroom, briefly : LAV. Oops, not LOO.
20. "Attack, Rover!" : "SIC 'EM!"
21. Sworn __: given the oath of office for : IN AS
22. First-class : A-ONE
26. Free of charge : GRATIS
30. "Tut!" kin : "TSK!"
31. Puerto __ : RICO. Maria, played by Natalie Wood in West Side Story, was Puerto Rican.
32. Slanted print: Abbr. : ITAL.
36. Mark who created Tom Sawyer : TWAIN
43. '70s-'80s Egyptian president Anwar : SADAT
44. Mideast ruler : EMIR. Also, emeer, amir, ameer.
45. 38-Down and others: Abbr. : RTEs. 38D. Fla.-to-Cal. highway : I TEN
46. "Proud Mary" band, for short : CCR. (Creedence Clearwater Revival)
48. Has had enough : IS DONE
56. Wartime honoree : HERO
57. Spanish painter Francisco : GOYA. Despite La Maja Desnuda and La Maja Vestida, most of his work is dark and somber.
58. First Greek letter : ALPHA
63. Tax-collecting agcy. : IRS
66. __ de Janeiro : RIO. I wonder if they have cotton candy at their carnival?
67. Claim without proof : ALLEGE
68. Floor square : TILE
69. Room for a TV : DEN
70. Ruined, with "up" : MESSED
71. Go in snow : SLED. Time to shine up those runners.
Down:
1. Medical pros : DOCs
2. Mine, to Marcel : À MOI
3. Campus military org. : ROTC. (Reserve Officers' Training Corps)
4. Promissory __ : NOTE. Fancy term for an IOU.
5. Taxpayer ID : SSN
6. On the up and up : LICIT
7. Appliance brand : AMANA
8. Melodious : TONAL
9. Breaks up with a lover : ENDS IT
10. Susan of "The Partridge Family" : DEY
11. Domed Arctic home : IGLOO
12. Southwestern grassy plain : LLANO
13. Thought the world of : LOVED
18. Prefix with present : OMNI
22. Singsongy "This is an uncomfortable moment" : "AWKWARD"
24. "Yeah, right!" : "AS IF"
25. Direction in which el sol rises : ESTE
26. Mardi __ : GRAS
27. Capital of Latvia : RIGA
28. Scored 100 on : ACED
29. Cash crop for the southern American colonies : TOBACCO
33. From head to __ : TOE
34. Elbow's locale : ARM
35. Flower necklace : LEI
37. Car : AUTO
39. Wall St. index : NYSE. (New York Stock Exchange)
41. Engrave on glass, say : ETCH
42. Soft cheese : BRIE
47. Entertain lavishly : REGALE
49. Guys-only party : STAG
50. Word with party or degree : THIRD
51. Willies-inducing : EERIE
52. Pyromaniac's crime : ARSON
53. Diner basketful : ROLLS
54. Comedian Wanda : SYKES. She's not everyone's cup of tea so I won't link her.
55. Baseball Hall of Famer Satchel : PAIGE. He pitched in the Negro leagues and in Major League Baseball. Quite the character.
59. D-Day transports : LSTs. (landing ship, tank)
60. Talk show pioneer Donahue : PHIL. Married to Marlo Thomas as we found out the other day.
61. Golfer's target : HOLE
62. Copied : APED
64. Scottish hat : TAM
65. Beatty of film : NED. "a chubby, cherubic character actor who rarely gets the girl, but almost always has the audience's sympathy, even when he plays bad guys."
Argyle
