Theme: Dick and Harry's friend - Four famous Toms start the theme entries. No fooling...'til you get to the unifier.
17A. Port of call : CRUISE STOP. TOM CRUISE, Here as Maverick in "Top Gun".
24A. Readily interchangeable, fashionwise : MIX AND MATCH. TOM MIX, here in the white hat, of course.
35A. Office fund for minor expenses : PETTY CASH. TOM PETTY, here, with whitish hair, singing "I Won't Back Down".(2:56)
49A. Head locks : HANKS OF HAIR. TOM HANKS, here as Captain John Miller in "Saving Private Ryan".
58A. Horseplay, and a hint to the starts of 17-, 24-, 35- and 49-Across : TOMFOOLERY
C.C. here. Argyle's computer was down before he could finish the write-up. I'll get his draft published. Then I'll do the formatting and fill in some comments. (Updated at 6:10am: Write-up is complete now).
Across:
1. McCartney bandmate : STARR (Ringo)
6. Minimal effort : EASE
10. "It seems to me," online : IMHO (In My Humble Opinion)
14. Fax predecessor : TELEX. Four X'es in this grid.
15. Makes collars, say : SEWS
16. Armstrong on the moon : NEIL
19. Hindu royal : RAJA
20. Rip to shreds : REND
21. City near Lake Tahoe : RENO. Janet's favorite city.
22. Inner Hebrides isle : IONA
23. Switch settings : ONs
27. Bygone deliverer : ICEMAN
29. "Rabbit, Run" author : UPDIKE (John)
30. Office copy : XEROX
31. Aid for a ref's review : SLO-MO
34. Original Dungeons & Dragons co. : TSR. Was this a gimme for you?
38. Held a hearing, say : MET
41. Give a rude awakening to : ROUST
42. African capital contained in its country's name : TUNIS. Tunisia. Ben Ali started this whole Arab Spring.
46. Easily bent : PLIANT
48. Ochoa of the LPGA : LORENA. Retired now.
53. Upsilon follower : PHI
54. Bozo, in Bath : TWIT. Bath, England.
55. Take it easy : LOLL
56. Place for a snow blower : SHED
57. Barrel of laughs : RIOT
60. Pacific island half? : BORA. Bora Bora.
61. Masterful server : ACER
62. "Fame" singer David, 1975 : BOWIE
63. Attends to, as a dry stamp pad : INKS
64. Terrier type : SKYE
65. Jokes around : JESTS
Down:
1. Largest of the Virgin Islands : ST. CROIX. Good entry.
2. "Separate Tables" dramatist Rattigan : TERENCE. Not a familiar name to me.
3. Four-time Indy 500 winner : AL UNSER. Comment away, eddyB.
4. Senate majority leader Harry : REID
5. Prescriptions, for short : RXs
6. County northeast of London : ESSEX
7. Insurance giant : AETNA
8. Beatles concert reaction, often : SWOON. More of a Justin Bieber concert reaction now.
9. Uncanny gift, for short : ESP
10. Encroachment : INROAD
11. Wasn't kidding : MEANT IT
12. Takes by force : HIJACKS
13. Ending for pay : OLA. Payola.
18. Ireland, in poetry : ERIN
22. Identity thief, e.g. : IMPOSTOR
24. Dada pioneer : MAX ERNST. Nice full name.
25. Russian assembly : DUMA. The term comes from the Russian word (dumat�), "to think" or "to consider".
26. "I've Grown Accustomed to __ Face" : HER
28. Swabbing tool : MOP
31. R-V connectors : S T U. Alphabetically.
32. Lille lily : LYS. As in Fleur de Lys. The flower.
33. Mo. to see Dracula at your door? : OCT. Halloween.
36. Pooch in Oz : TOTO
37. "Ben-__" : HUR
38. Dashboard abbr. : MPH
39. Walking-on-air feeling : ELATION
40. Craft using the element Sn : TIN WORK. Sn = Tin
43. Reunion attendees : NEPHEWS. Family reunion, not class.
44. Come into some money, maybe : INHERIT
45. Answered affirmatively : SAID YES
47. Tough watchdogs : AKITAs. Dennis' previous dog. Welcome back, Dummy!
48. Disney girl who adopted Stitch : LILO
50. Shepherd's charge : FLOCK
51. Comfy-cozy : HOMEY
52. Actress Woodard : ALFRE. Always have trouble remembering her name.
56. Plumlike fruit : SLOE
57. Baseball stat : RBI
58. Coll. helpers : TAs
59. Word after a transitive vb. : OBJ.
Answer grid.
Argyle
17A. Port of call : CRUISE STOP. TOM CRUISE, Here as Maverick in "Top Gun".
24A. Readily interchangeable, fashionwise : MIX AND MATCH. TOM MIX, here in the white hat, of course.
35A. Office fund for minor expenses : PETTY CASH. TOM PETTY, here, with whitish hair, singing "I Won't Back Down".(2:56)
49A. Head locks : HANKS OF HAIR. TOM HANKS, here as Captain John Miller in "Saving Private Ryan".
58A. Horseplay, and a hint to the starts of 17-, 24-, 35- and 49-Across : TOMFOOLERY
C.C. here. Argyle's computer was down before he could finish the write-up. I'll get his draft published. Then I'll do the formatting and fill in some comments. (Updated at 6:10am: Write-up is complete now).
Across:
1. McCartney bandmate : STARR (Ringo)
6. Minimal effort : EASE
10. "It seems to me," online : IMHO (In My Humble Opinion)
14. Fax predecessor : TELEX. Four X'es in this grid.
15. Makes collars, say : SEWS
16. Armstrong on the moon : NEIL
19. Hindu royal : RAJA
20. Rip to shreds : REND
21. City near Lake Tahoe : RENO. Janet's favorite city.
22. Inner Hebrides isle : IONA
23. Switch settings : ONs
27. Bygone deliverer : ICEMAN
29. "Rabbit, Run" author : UPDIKE (John)
30. Office copy : XEROX
31. Aid for a ref's review : SLO-MO
34. Original Dungeons & Dragons co. : TSR. Was this a gimme for you?
38. Held a hearing, say : MET
41. Give a rude awakening to : ROUST
42. African capital contained in its country's name : TUNIS. Tunisia. Ben Ali started this whole Arab Spring.
46. Easily bent : PLIANT
48. Ochoa of the LPGA : LORENA. Retired now.
53. Upsilon follower : PHI
54. Bozo, in Bath : TWIT. Bath, England.
55. Take it easy : LOLL
56. Place for a snow blower : SHED
57. Barrel of laughs : RIOT
60. Pacific island half? : BORA. Bora Bora.
61. Masterful server : ACER
62. "Fame" singer David, 1975 : BOWIE
63. Attends to, as a dry stamp pad : INKS
64. Terrier type : SKYE
65. Jokes around : JESTS
Down:
1. Largest of the Virgin Islands : ST. CROIX. Good entry.
2. "Separate Tables" dramatist Rattigan : TERENCE. Not a familiar name to me.
3. Four-time Indy 500 winner : AL UNSER. Comment away, eddyB.
4. Senate majority leader Harry : REID
5. Prescriptions, for short : RXs
6. County northeast of London : ESSEX
7. Insurance giant : AETNA
8. Beatles concert reaction, often : SWOON. More of a Justin Bieber concert reaction now.
9. Uncanny gift, for short : ESP
10. Encroachment : INROAD
11. Wasn't kidding : MEANT IT
12. Takes by force : HIJACKS
13. Ending for pay : OLA. Payola.
18. Ireland, in poetry : ERIN
22. Identity thief, e.g. : IMPOSTOR
24. Dada pioneer : MAX ERNST. Nice full name.
25. Russian assembly : DUMA. The term comes from the Russian word (dumat�), "to think" or "to consider".
26. "I've Grown Accustomed to __ Face" : HER
28. Swabbing tool : MOP
31. R-V connectors : S T U. Alphabetically.
32. Lille lily : LYS. As in Fleur de Lys. The flower.
33. Mo. to see Dracula at your door? : OCT. Halloween.
36. Pooch in Oz : TOTO
37. "Ben-__" : HUR
38. Dashboard abbr. : MPH
39. Walking-on-air feeling : ELATION
40. Craft using the element Sn : TIN WORK. Sn = Tin
43. Reunion attendees : NEPHEWS. Family reunion, not class.
44. Come into some money, maybe : INHERIT
45. Answered affirmatively : SAID YES
47. Tough watchdogs : AKITAs. Dennis' previous dog. Welcome back, Dummy!
48. Disney girl who adopted Stitch : LILO
50. Shepherd's charge : FLOCK
51. Comfy-cozy : HOMEY
52. Actress Woodard : ALFRE. Always have trouble remembering her name.
56. Plumlike fruit : SLOE
57. Baseball stat : RBI
58. Coll. helpers : TAs
59. Word after a transitive vb. : OBJ.
Answer grid.
Argyle
