Theme: Descriptive Earnings - The theme answers (two across and two down) are common financial terms but are clued as if they were descriptions of income.
21. Honky-tonk owner's income? : JOINT RETURN
56. Actor's income? : PART PAYMENT
3. Trawler's income? : NET PROFIT
36. Librarian's income? : HUSH MONEY
Argyle here. Another unusual grid for early in the week.
Our first LAT encounter with Norma Steinberg, a regular constructor for Newsday. We also had more than 20 offerings from her in our old TMS Daily Crossword.
Across:
1. Pained expression : WINCE. Wince suggests an involuntary contraction of the facial features triggered by pain, embarrassment, or a sense of revulsion: to wince as a needle pierces the skin; to wince at coarse language.
6. City in Peru or Ohio : LIMA
10. Disallow : VETO
14. Standard of excellence : IDEAL
15. Satan's doing : EVIL
16. They can take a yoke : OXEN. Did you hear the one about....
17. __ dish: lab item : PETRI
18. Direction indicator : VANE
19. Legends and such : LORE
20. Cassandra's gift, for short : ESP. Not quite what the Greek Miss myth had but close.
24. Byways : ROADS
26. Sampled : TASTED
27. Dress (in) : CLOTHE
29. Rumple, as hair : MUSS
31. 47-Across handle : HAFT. 47A. Fencing weapon : �P�E. You need the perps to decide if you want HILT or HAFT. Norma has used this before.
32. Numbers for Noah : TWO'S
34. Early anesthetic : ETHER
39. Pierre's significant other : AMIE. French.
40. Cut off : SEVER
42. Govern : RULE
43. Take a mulligan in golf, say : RETRY. I took a mulligan; I had REHIT.
45. Workshop gadget : VISE
46. Altai Mountains' continent : ASIA. The Altai Mountains define where Xinjiang meets with Russia, Mongolia and Kazakhstan, the region is studded with prodigious peaks.
49. Political commentator Maddow : RACHEL. MSNBC
51. Spiral-shelled mollusks : SNAILS
55. Capital between Eugene and Portland : SALEM
59. Org. that advises the president in financial planning : OMB. Office of Management and Budget.
62. "We try harder" sloganeer : AVIS
63. Praise : LAUD
64. "Rubber Duckie" singer : ERNIE. Ernie went solo with this one, left poor Bert behind.
66. Consider : DEEM
67. Marseilles miss: Abbr. : MLLE.. French/Mademoiselle.
68. Oscar winner Witherspoon : REESE
69. Ultimatum ender : ELSE
70. Fortuneteller : SEER
71. Watch surreptitiously : SPY ON
Down:
1. Use a dust rag on : WIPE
2. Bad day for Caesar : IDES
4. Wheels, so to speak : CAR
5. Hebrew prophet mentioned during 55-Downs : ELIJAH. 55D. Passover meal : SEDER. Why is There a Cup of Wine for Elijah at the Passover Seder?
6. Casual brand : LEVIS
7. Tennis great Lendl : IVAN
8. Condition like new : MINT
9. Warns : ALERTS
10. Electrical units : VOLTS
11. Remove from text : EX OUT
12. __ Haute, Indiana : TERRE
13. Without stopping : ON END
22. "Golden Boy" playwright Clifford : ODETS. Big in the Thirties, he avoided being black-listed by giving up names, though he never gave a name the committee didn't already have..
23. Comfort : EASE
25. Aquatic frolicker : OTTER
27. Sear : CHAR
28. Hobbling : LAME
29. Film : MOVIE
30. Functions : USES
33. "__ Only Just Begun": Carpenters hit : WE'VE. So sweet.(3:07)
35. Smidgen : TRACE
37. "Night" author Wiesel : ELIE
38. Tangible : REAL
41. Aired again : RERAN
44. Cry from the litter : YELP
48. Biblical poems written partly by King David : PSALMS
50. Changes : ALTERS
51. Gardening tool : SPADE
52. Bellybutton : NAVEL
53. Sign of spring? : ARIES. The Ram, first astrological sign in the Zodiac.
54. "Who's there?" reply : "IT'S ME"
57. Clinton's alma mater : YALE
58. Stubborn animal : MULE
60. Sushi bar soup : MISO
61. "How've you __?" : BEEN
65. Salesperson, briefly : REP
Argyle
