puzzle

 ACROSS

  1 Mark from a sword fight

  5 Friends of France

  9 Muppet with a yellow best friend

 14 ___ Spade handbag

 15 Dryer accumulation

 16 Immense

 17 Soothing succulent

 18 VanDerveer or Lipinski

 19 Rousey of the WWE

 20 Pool plaything (see letters 6 to 11 in this answer)

 23 Country with a large Shia population

 24 Stubborn equine

 25 Walk through mud

 28 Some SUVs

 30 Stand-up bit

 33 Check up on, in a way (4 to 8)

 36 Apple throwaway

 37 Jabber

 38 Adderall alternative

 40 Cook-___ (food competitions)

 41 Regular joe? (4 to 5)

 43 33-Down star who sang "Gangnam Style"

 44 "All done!"

 45 Mysterious loch

 46 Short-term job

 47 Apartment building VIP, casually

 50 Video call activity, or a theme hint

 56 "___ the pity"

 57 Chinese currency

 58 The Big Easy

 60 Piece of paper

 61 Self-satisfied

 62 Door or dresser feature

 63 "Not in a million years!"

 64 Slippery swimmers

 65 Hems, for instance

DOWN



  1 Cousin of reggae

  2 Nickname that Golden State residents rarely use

  3 Oodles

  4 Sea anemone habitat

  5 Where to meet your spouse?

  6 Mazda roadster

  7 Close enough

  8 Casual attempt

  9 Way out

 10 Hilarious people

 11 Tiny: Prefix

 12 Hoosiers' state capital, slangily

 13 Gate info at LAX

 21 Word before "reading" or "show"

 22 Acid variety found in milk

 25 Feudal workers

 26 With 46-Down, vegetable such as kale

 27 Makes a selection

 29 Letters on a new car's sticker

 30 Tries for a birdie, say

 31 Spring zodiac sign

 32 Small part of an inheritance?

 33 Seoul music genre

 34 Period of life associated with wisdom

 35 Stereotypical trivia whiz

 36 Mocha seller

 39 Black powder in a cartridge

 42 "At least that's my best guess"

 44 Connects with

 46 See 26-Down

 48 Rental company whose trucks feature Super-Graphics

 49 Feelings of guilt

 50 Neighborhood near London's Chinatown

 51 Reputation, informally

 52 Nasdaq alternative

 53 Signs, like a contract

 54 Not any

 55 Aura

 56 Common food additive, briefly

 59 Muscles in a six-pack

solution