Theme: TWEET! - Those aren't birds tweeting.
20A. Locomotive operators: TRAIN ENGINEERS
25A. Singer for the cops?: POLICE INFORMANT
47A. Gridiron adjudicator: FOOTBALL REFEREE
52A. What 20-, 25- and 47-Across all are, in one way or another: WHISTLE BLOWERS
Argyle here. Unusual; the first three are needed to reveal the fourth, the unifier of the theme. I do like Michael's puzzles. I like the whole answer being theme, not just a part of it.
Across:
1. On the __: broken: FRITZ. Now there's a word to start the week on.
6. Dressed (in): CLAD
10. Quail or turkey, e.g.: FOWL. Ok, there are birds tweeting, sort of.
14. Prefix with economics: MACRO
15. Impulse: URGE
16. "Yeah, sure": "I BET"
17. Do over 60 in Hawaii, say: SPEED. Vermont, too. Any others?
18. Upsurge: BOOM
19. Null and __: VOID
23. Lao Tzu's "way": TAO
24. Republican org.: GOP
34. Flower painted by van Gogh: IRIS
35. Burns with hot liquid: SCALDS
36. Mai __: TAI
37. One who shuns company: LONER. Prefers solitude.
39. Many a Monopoly prop.: AVEnue
40. Kick out: EJECT
42. "Brokeback Mountain" director Lee: ANG. Ang Lee
43. Snoozing: ASLEEP
46. Rank between viscount and marquis: EARL
50. Motor City labor gp.: UAW. (United Automobile Workers)
51. Preacher's msg.: SERmon
60. Billiards triangle: RACK
61. "Garfield" pooch: ODIE
62. Paradises: EDENS
64. Lotion additive: ALOE
65. __ monster: lizard: GILA
66. "Rabbit food" course: SALAD
67. Remain undecided: PEND
68. Staircase part: STEP
69. Sporty sunroofs: T-TOPS
Down:
1. Radio choices: FMs. (frequency modulation)
2. Completely engrossed: RAPT
3. Bakery employee: ICER
4. Dissertation: TREATISE
5. It has a dozen signs: ZODIAC
6. Ice tray unit: CUBE
7. Scientologist Hubbard: L. RON
8. Intensely eager: AGOG
9. Divine-human hybrid: DEMIGOD. List of demigods, if you care to see if your name is there.
10. Quitting hr. for many: FIVE PM
11. Double-reed instrument: OBOE
12. Flow-altering dam: WEIR
13. Former Ford models: LTDs
21. Thumbs-down votes: NOes
22. Like Eric or Leif: NORSE
25. Rice dish: PILAF
26. Home of the University of Maine: ORONO
27. Jargon: LINGO
28. Poker wager-matching response: "I CALL"
29. Bellybutton: NAVEL
30. Baseball card rival of Topps: FLEER
31. On __: rampaging: A TEAR
32. Mother-of-pearl: NACRE
33. Owner's document: TITLE
38. Morocco's capital: RABAT
41. Made heckling remarks to: JEERED AT
44. Snooze loudly: SAW LOGS
45. Mexicali money: PESO
48. Like warthogs and walruses: TUSKED
49. Smallest number: FEWEST
52. Rolled-up sandwich: WRAP
53. In good health: HALE
54. Venerated image: ICON. A religious work of art.
55. Proofreader's change: EDIT
56. Irascibility: BILE
57. Jump: LEAP
58. Move, in Realtor-speak: RELO. (relocation)
59. Go off the deep end: SNAP
63. Vietnam War protest gp.: SDS. (Students for a Democratic Society)
Argyle
