Theme: P*TT - Three constant consonants with five progressive vowels.
25. Coast Guard rank: PETTY OFFICER
37. Roberto Clemente, notably: PITTSBURGH PIRATE
48. Ceramics shaper: POTTER'S WHEEL
59. Tinker in the workshop: PUTTER ABOUT
BOO! Argyle here. A diagonal solvers puzzle, but upper right to lower left. Maine to California. Washington and Florida are isolationists with just a one square connection to the rest of the puzzle.
FLASH: Husker Gary pointed out that the first vowel of the second word is regressive, U thru A. Coincidence, I think not.
FLASH: Husker Gary pointed out that the first vowel of the second word is regressive, U thru A. Coincidence, I think not.
Across:
1. Capital of Poland: WARSAW
7. Actress Moore: DEMI. IMDb
11. Dick and Jane's dog: SPOT
15. Tropical lizard: IGUANA
16. Large-scale: EPIC
17. Vagrant: HOBO
20. __-ran: ALSO
21. Diminutive suffix: ETTE
22. Fort full of gold: KNOX
23. Guitarist Clapton: ERIC
24. Spanish king: REY
29. Prefix with sol: AERO CAN
30. Flight height: Abbr.: ALT. (altitude)
31. Ambient music pioneer Brian: ENO
32. Rural road surface: DIRT
34. Carpal or tarsal lead-in: META. Bones of the hands or feet.
36. Prilosec target: ACID. Prilosec is made by AstraZeneca.
41. "__-daisy!": UPSY
42. Approximately: OR SO
43. Small fishing boat: DORY
44. D.C. United's org.: MLS. (Major League Soccer)
45. Sweetie pie: HON
46. Urge: PROD
52. 34-Down, in Toledo, Sp.: SRA. 34-Down. 52-Across, in Toledo, OH: MRS.
55. Naturalist John: MUIR
56. "__ Lang Syne": AULD
57. Truant GI: AWOL
58. Fatherly nickname: PAPA
62. Move a bit: STIR
63. "__, Brute?": ET TU
64. Not inclined (to): AVERSE
65. Meat safety org.: USDA. ( United States Department of Agriculture)
66. Loch with a mystery: NESS
67. Blowtorch user: WELDER
Down:
1. Windshield cleaner: WIPER but sometimes 17-Across.
2. Striped quartz: AGATE
3. Like old wagon trails: RUTTY
4. Appease, as hunger: SATE
5. Smart game-show vowel purchase for "F_LM CR_T_C": AN 'I'. It would be smarter to solve it unless the player wanted to gamble on one more spin.
6. "The Color Purple" author Alice: WALKER
7. Bus terminus: DEPOT
8. Modeling glue: EPOXY
9. 60 secs.: MIN.
10. Devils' playing surface, ironically: ICE. The New Jersey Devils are a pro ice hockey team in Newark, NJ. Ironic in the sense devils come from a very hot place. Watch out for little devils tonight!
11. Puppeteer Lewis: SHARI, with Lamb Chop, puppet.
12. Patrol vehicle: POLICE CAR. {One Adam Twelve, see the man...}
13. Target of captioning censorship: OBSCENITY
14. "That's __ bad": TOO
19. "Do __ others ... ": UNTO
23. Young salamander: EFT. Crossword and Scrabble staple.
25. Caresses, as a dog: PETS
26. Inaugural recitation: OATH
27. Envelope part: FLAP
28. Used a bike: RODE
29. Superficially cultured: ARTY
32. Embassy workers: DIPLOMATS
33. "What a harebrained idea!": "IT'S STUPID!"
35. Self-esteem: EGO
36. Retired Yankee slugger, to fans: A-ROD
37. Gas station machine: PUMP
38. Crude dude: BOOR
39. Catering coffeepots: URNS
40. Big screen star: IDOL
45. Ship's pronoun: HER
46. One-named soccer great: PELÉ
47. Change, as map details: REDRAW
49. Sparkly crown: TIARA
50. Light bulb units: WATTS
51. Many Rwandans: HUTUs
52. See 59-Down: SWORD
53. Shake awake: ROUSE
54. Change: ALTER
57. Brother of Cain: ABEL
58. Nittany Lions' sch.: PSU. (Pennsylvania State University)
59. It's mightier than the 52-Down, so they say: PEN
60. 4 x 4, for short: UTE. (utility vehicle)
61. Blvd.: AVE.. Streets.
Argyle
