Middling Grades
by Fred Piscop

Across

1. Give temporarily
5. Nasty campaign tactic
10. See 52-Down
14. Natural balm
15. Poet Federico GarcĂ­a __
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