Theme: Sound Alikes - Except for the first letter, all four start with _UMBLE.
17A. Modest abode : HUMBLE HOME
53A. Windblown desert plant : TUMBLEWEED
11D. Folding feature of an old roadster : RUMBLE SEAT
28D. Hogwarts headmaster : DUMBLEDORE
Argyle here with Bernice Gordon, age 100, whose birthday is next month. Fun words, ten letters long, two across, two down. Each set has a compound word, one open, one closed. Good mix in the field, easier than Monday's.
Across:
1. Netherlands export : EDAM
5. "500" initials on Wall Street : S AND P. (Standard and Poor) Index of 500 top companies.
10. Important time periods : ERAs
14. Outfielder Crisp nicknamed for a cereal box character : COCO
15. Acting award : OSCAR
16. Night in Nantes : NUIT
19. Armory supply : AMMO
20. Galena or hematite : ORE
21. Currier's partner : IVES
22. One in a congregation : MEMBER
24. Winnebago owner, briefly : RVer. (recreational vehicle)
25. Defendant in a defamation case : LIBELEE. But no SLANDEREE in the dictionary.
26. More orderly : TIDIER
29. Weak : FEEBLE
30. Grads : ALUMS
31. Tusked porcine animals : BOARS
32. Spot for rest and relaxation : SPA
35. Gimlet fruit : LIME
36. Urge forward : DRIVE
37. Help to withdraw : WEAN
38. Neighbor of Isr. : LEB. (Lebanon)
39. Attorney general under Reagan : MEESE
40. Map out : CHART
41. Seize, as a chance : LEAP AT
43. Grab greedily : SNATCH
44. __ City: Oz locale : EMERALD
46. Tiny energy source : ATOM
47. Title for Bovary and Butterfly : MADAME. Say 39D. Respectful address : MA'AM
48. Landed : ALIT
49. ROTC school near D.C. : VMI. (Virginia Military Institute)
52. Good buds : BROs
56. To be, to Bizet : ÊTRE
57. Prop for Picasso : EASEL
58. Inland Asian sea : ARAL
59. Like Easter eggs : DYED
60. Gin berries : SLOES
61. Lock maker : YALE
Down:
1. Reverberate : ECHO
2. Sullen : DOUR
3. Top : ACME
4. Unruly group : MOB
5. In any way : SO EVER. Usually with "what". Update: Dictionaries prefer "SOEVER" but Google shows much more use of "SO EVER".
6. Peter of Peter and Gordon : ASHER. The red head.
7. Cpls. and sgts. : NCOs
8. Aswan or Hoover : DAM
9. Opening night showing : PREMIERE
10. Tooth cover : ENAMEL
12. Actress Anouk : AIMEE
13. Put away for the future : STORE
18. Exists : LIVES
23. Recedes to the sea : EBBS
24. Hoarfrost : RIME
25. Sailor's time off : LEAVE
26. Hard to believe, as a story : TALL
27. Nastase of tennis : ILIE
29. Force unfairly (on) : FOIST
31. Naan, for example : BREAD
33. Jardin du Luxembourg, par exemple : PARC. It is located in Paris.
34. Lit. collection : ANTH. (anthology)
36. Seriously reduces : DEPLETES
37. "Kapow!" cousin : "WHAM!"
40. 100 bucks : C NOTE
42. Wiped off the board : ERASED
43. Motion picture frames : STILLS
44. Fix firmly : EMBED
45. Title role that won Borgnine a 15-Across : "MARTY". Initial release: April 11, 1955 (New York City)
46. "Tiny Alice" dramatist Edward : ALBEE. Tiny Alice, a three act play, premiered on Broadway on December 29, 1964.
48. "Are not" retort : "AM SO"
49. Wang known for wedding gowns : VERA
50. Supper, e.g. : MEAL
51. Out of a job : IDLE
54. Delta rival: Abbr. : UAL. (United Airlines)
55. Method : WAY
Argyle
