Theme: Double Trouble - Towns whose name can mean something else.
20A. Agreement in a Massachusetts city? : CONCORD CONCORD
26A. Adobe dwelling in a Colorado city? : PUEBLO PUEBLO
49A. Hanging sculpture in an Alabama city? : MOBILE MOBILE
58A. Bovine in a New York city? : BUFFALO BUFFALO
Argyle here. A simple theme yet hard to think of additional cities. Two of the cities/items do not change their pronunciations while the other two may. Straightforward with a few exceptions.
Across:
1. Carve in stone : ETCH
5. "Nana" novelist Émile : ZOLA. "...he is used enough in crosswords to be a considered a Monday entry." Nana, on the other hand, clued as the novel/movie, is Thursday fare.
9. Diagnostic aids : TESTS
14. Scott of "Happy Days" : BAIO
15. Red-wrapped cheese : EDAM
16. One of the archangels : URIEL. All perps for me.
17. State secrets? : BLAB. State is used as a verb here.
18. Disreputable guy : ROUE
19. Capone cohort Frank : NITTI. An entry that caused problems a while ago; a test of your memory.
23. "That's awesome!" : "OOH!"
24. Charlemagne's realm: Abbr. : HRE. (Holy Roman Empire)
25. Highland refusal : NAE
32. Wanted poster abbr. : AKA. (also known as)
33. Go right or left : TURN
34. Do figure eights, say : SKATE
38. Likely to mouth off : PERT
40. Slap a sale price on : RETAG
43. Go bonkers : SNAP
44. Gelatin garnish : ASPIC
46. Attention-calling type: Abbr. : ITAL
48. See 60-Down : TIE
53. 1977 Steely Dan album : AJA. The complete album, if you have the time.(39:19)
56. "Scream" director Craven : WES
57. Noise detector : EAR
64. Take up a hem, say : ALTER
65. __ fide : BONA
66. NATO alphabet ender : ZULU
68. Pasture : FIELD
69. Baldwin or Guinness : ALEC
70. Earns with difficulty, with "out" : EKEs
71. Bakery pastries : TARTS
72. Thorny bloom : ROSE. by any other name...
73. Light-tube gas : NEON
Down:
1. Recede : EBB
2. Bath powder mineral : TALC
3. Italian "Toodle-oo!" : "CIAO!"
4. Rub elbows (with) : HOBNOB. "Prison gave Martha Stewart the opportunity to hobnob with the hoi polloi"
5. Moment of attack : ZERO HOUR
6. Sign to take out the trash : ODOR
7. Praise highly : LAUD
8. Don of "Cocoon" : AMECHE. Here in his younger days.
9. Roads under rivers : TUNNELS. Under the channel, the Chunnel.
10. Songwriter Clapton : ERIC
11. Use, as a chair : SIT ON
12. Tri- plus one : TETRA
13. Lose traction : SLIDE
21. Stable youngster : COLT
22. Sun or moon, to a poet : ORB
26. Dada : PAPA
27. They're played at luaus : UKEs
28. Wyatt of the Wild West : EARP
29. Post- opposite : PRE
30. Up to : UNTIL
31. Signs off on : OKs
35. Not a supporter : ANTI
36. Cow's fly swatter : TAIL
37. Swordplay sword : ÉPÉE
39. Boy in "A Christmas Carol" : TIM
41. Devoured : ATE
42. Competitive look : GAME FACE
45. Fraidy-cats : COWARDS
47. Rye buy : LOAF
50. Ger. neighbor : BEL. (Belgium)
51. Atmospheric pressure line : ISOBAR
52. Impudent : BRAZEN
53. Sternward : ABAFT
54. Roberts of "Pretty Woman" : JULIA
55. On the trail of : AFTER
59. Traditional Stetson material : FELT
60. With 48-Across, Western neckwear : BOLO
61. Quelques-__: a few, in French : UNES
62. Gospel writer : LUKE
63. Butter look-alike : OLEO
67. Org. with SEALs : USN. (United States Navy) They know what ABAFT means.
Argyle
