Theme: Western Williams - Threre Bills from the old West.
20A. Bovine skin once used as a painting surface by Native Americans: BUFFALO HIDE. Buffalo Bill Cody
33A. Untamed equines: WILD HORSES. Wild Bill Hickok.
40A. Rio Grande feeder: PECOS RIVER. Pecos Bill of Texas. (I apologize for the non-PC lyrics that are offensive by today's standards.)
52A. Stack for the bookkeeper to pay ... or, literally, what 20-, 33- and 40-Across' first words constitute: PILE OF BILLS
Argyle here. We haven't had a Jerome for almost year now and with all the CSO's to me, I'm not saying one bad word about it.
Across:
1. Words before "Tricked you!": "HA-HA!"
5. Whirled: SPUN
9. Exxon merger partner: MOBIL
14. Musk of Tesla Motors: ELON
15. Syllables from Santa: "HO, HO"
16. Get away from, as pursuers: EVADE
17. Tooth anchor: ROOT
18. Border on: ABUT
19. Female 33-Across: MARES. 33A. Untamed equines: WILD HORSES
23. Nocturnal flier: BAT
24. Partner: ALLY
25. Peruvian peaks: ANDES
27. Music room system: STEREO
30. Zsa Zsa, to Eva: SISTER. Magda, Zsa Zsa, and Eva. Zsa Zsa is in frail health as she nears 100 but is still with us at this point.
32. Toasty: WARM
37. Baba who outwitted thieves: ALI. And there was forty of them!
38. Actor Mineo: SAL. He lives on in crosswords.
39. Med. care option: HMO. (Health Maintenance Organization)
45. Italia's capital: ROMA
46. Halloween goodies: TREATS. I think I'll hand out Sky Bars if I can find them.
47. Equal to, with "with": ON A PAR
49. Like sheep sans wool: SHORN
50. Pained cry: MOAN
51. Guerrilla Guevara: CHE
58. Western writer Bret: HARTE. He created a character called Yuba Bill.
60. Many: A LOT
61. Tidy: NEAT
62. "Know what __?": I MEAN
63. Rural storage cylinder: SILO. Some are repurposed.
64. Scarlett O'Hara's home: TARA
65. IRS examination: AUDIT
66. Go berserk: SNAP
67. "Not great, not bad": "OKAY"
Down:
1. Basil or rosemary: HERB
2. Baseball family name: ALOU
3. Pig's foot part: HOOF
4. Insect nest with tunnels: ANT FARM. Tried hill first.
5. Perfect for wading: SHALLOW
6. N'awlins sandwich: PO'BOY. New Orleans, yum.
7. "Nope": "UH-UH"
8. "The Little Red Hen" denial: "NOT I". "Nope, UH-UH"
9. Souvenir: MEMENTO
10. Eggs in a lab: OVA
11. Clip joint?: BARBERSHOP. Are they holding their own against salons?
12. Imagination output: IDEAs
13. For fear that: LEST
21. Stein filler: ALE
22. Pinch from a chef: DASH
26. German article: DER. "der", "die" and "das".
27. Trade: SWAP
28. "Cautionary" account: TALE
29. Leif's father: ERIC, THE RED. Norwegian Viking explorers.
30. Poles and Serbs: SLAVs
31. Not doing much of anything: IDLE
34. "What time __?": IS IT
35. Poet Lazarus: EMMA. She penned, “Give me your tired, your poor, / Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.”
36. Fly high: SOAR
41. Guatemala gold: ORO
42. Eden tempter: SERPENT
43. Rajah's mate: RANI
44. Santa's landing spot: ROOF TOP
45. Met by chance: RAN INTO
48. Catch, as a crook: NAB
49. SeaWorld orca: SHAMU
50. Dough in a wallet: MOOLA
51. "Pet" with Smiley and Winky versions: CHIA
53. Young lady: LASS
54. Model Nordegren once married to Tiger Woods: ELIN
55. Radiator problem: LEAK
56. Tomb Raider's __ Croft: LARA. Video game.
57. Stick around: STAY
59. Mai __: TAI
Argyle
