My wife and I are in Ireland right now, starting off the New Year with family. I just managed to slip away to solve the puzzle, and write up this abbreviated post. I will get to the full post just as soon as I can.
1 Close ones : PALS
5 Group in which Iceland is the only member without an army : NATO
9 “Killer” members of a pod : ORCAS
14 Party in a biblical swindle : ESAU
15 Get the ball rolling, in a way : BOWL
16 Not on the dot : TARDY
17 Kinderklaviers : TOY PIANOS
19 Weird Al Yankovic’s “Amish Paradise,” for one : SPOOF
20 Postseason game played in Phoenix : FIESTA BOWL
21 Volleyball maneuver : SET
23 Pamper : BABY
24 Tests : TRIES
26 Wipe out : NEGATE
28 Favorably inclined toward : PRO
30 “That’s nice!” : AAH!
31 Holiday hit by Eartha Kitt : SANTA BABY
32 Trusted supporter : HENCHMAN
35 Buddhist scripture : SUTRA
38 Bring down, informally : DEMO
39 Non-PC? : MAC
41 “Despacito” singer Fonsi : LUIS
43 Step in a mathematical proof : LEMMA
46 Dixieland or bebop vis-à-vis jazz : SUBGENRE
49 Keeps out : BARS
51 “Son of,” in Arabic : BIN
52 A founding member of 5-Across : USA
53 Want : DEARTH
55 Audibly blown away : AGASP
57 All-you-can-eat venues with elbows and bow ties : PASTA BARS
58 Guru’s honorific : SRI
60 Extensive : BROAD
62 Ready to pour : ON TAP
64 It may have a down side : ESCALATOR
67 Clip component : SCENE
68 Traveled to another country : WENT ABROAD
69 Cornfield formation : MAZE
70 Unit associated with waves : HERTZ
71 Places to rest or sleep : DENS
72 Skilled climber in the logo of Italy’s Gran Paradiso National Park : IBEX
Down
1 Favored : PET
2 Starting on : AS OF
3 “I’m all ears” : LAY IT ON ME
4 Tiptop : SUPER
5 Timberwolves, e.g. : NBA TEAM
6 Multinational financial services firm : AON
7 Ducks, in poker : TWOS
8 Twins Mary-Kate and Ashley : OLSENS
9 2021’s Illinois vs. Penn State football game featured nine of these, an N.C.A.A. record : OTS
10 Rhyming competition : RAP BATTLE
11 Adriatic coast resident : CROAT
12 Brick material : ADOBE
13 “Resident Alien” channel : SYFY
18 Pistons great Thomas : ISIAH
22 Some leafy greens? : TEAS
25 Make-believe : SHAM
27 Bearded grazer : GNU
28 High degree : PHD
29 Tackle part : REEL
33 One in a skirmish : COMBATANT
34 Lil ___ X : NAS
36 Accumulate charges … or what you must do to answer four clues in this puzzle : RUN UP A TAB
37 Clears (out) : AIRS
40 Isla de la Juventud locale : CUBA
42 ___ change (profound transformation) : SEA
44 Damage : MAR
45 M.M.A. finale? : ARTS
47 Home run specialists, slangily : BIG BATS
48 Log feature : GNARL
50 Canny : SHREWD
53 Word after circle or square : DANCE
54 Compound in pheromones : ESTER
56 “Ditto here” : SO AM I
57 Like V.I.P. accommodations : POSH
59 Palm reader’s lead-in : I SEE …
61 Enjoy a bit of downtime : DOZE
63 Candy originally marketed as a smoking cessation aid : PEZ
65 ___ Newsroom (daily newscast) : CNN
66 Short-armed “Toy Story” character : REX
