Middling Grades by Fred Piscop

Across 1. Give temporarily 5. Nasty campaign tactic 10. See 52-Down 14. Natural balm 15. Poet Federico García __ 16. "Damn Yankees" femme fatale 17. Early automobile dud? 19. Not in favor 20. Missing link 21. Suave 23. Notes following do 24. Twiddling one's thumbs 26. Slow throw 27. Classic auto 28. Katharine of "The African Queen" 32. Scotland's __ Ness 36. "Arrivederci, __" 38. "Stompin' at the __" 39. Jai __ 40. Extends over 42. Many summer births 43. 2000 Masters winner Vijay 45. "So, what __ is new?" 46. Poor, as excuses go 47. Can't-miss shooting, in basketball 49. Diplomat's place: Abbr. 51. __-Magnon 52. Director Kazan 53. Wrong: Prefix 56. Trapped, in a way 60. Sorrowful cry 62. Creme-filled cookie 63. Time to honor catering hall VIPs? 65. Go the distance 66. Houston pro 67. Not "fer" 68. Stud stake 69. Sodas quaffed on "M*A*S*H" 70. "A __ formality"

Down 1. Truman's Missouri birthplace 2. Get hitched hastily 3. Junction points 4. Hold, as an opinion 5. Defames 6. Riotous bunch 7. Whittle away 8. High point 9. Riotous bunch 10. Not the first choice for a gala event? 11. Hebrides island 12. Height: Prefix 13. Worth a C, perhaps 18. Place to hibernate 22. Klutz's utterance 25. Inebriated 28. Gretel's brother 29. Eye layer 30. Cyber-chat area 31. Big Board letters 32. Tie down securely 33. Mixed bag 34. Is unable to 35. $100 spent on beer? 37. __ de mer 41. Part-time ballplayers 44. Aesop's also-ran 48. "Psycho" sicko Bates 50. Hay unit 52. With 10-Across, France's "Little Sparrow" 53. Gnatlike insect 54. "... the bombs bursting __ ..." 55. "Funny Girl" composer Jule 56. Carbonated canful 57. Algerian port 58. Intermission 59. Slacken 61. Comic Sandler 64. TNT part Copyright © Fred Piscop