Sunday November 28, 2021 Ed Sessa

Theme: "Two for Two" - Both words in each entry can follow "double"

 

23. *Band aide: BOOKING AGENT. Double booking. Double agent.

34. *Period after a crash, perhaps: DOWN TIME. Double down. Double time.

43. *Figure in many Monty Python routines: CROSS DRESSER. Double cross. Double dresser.

60. *Figurative place for deferred options: BACK BURNER. Double back. Double burner.

68. *Airbags in cars, e.g.: STANDARD FEATURE. Double standard. Double feature.

 

82. *Hoops buzzer-beater, for one: CLUTCH PLAY. Double clutch. Double play.

 

96. *Mall rarity on Black Friday: PARKING SPACE. Double parking. Double space.

 

105. *Nightly barracks routine: BED CHECK. Double bed. Double check.

 

Reveal: 

121. Wimbledon category, and a hint to the answers to starred clues: MIXED DOUBLES.

 

I'm amazed that Ed found a Sunday set with all solid-in-the-language entries. Theme entries often strain a bit for this theme type.

 

I've mentioned this before, Ed is one of those constructors who always strives for originality. Also one of very few who make great themed & themeless grids. Also probably the only one with Mr. in the byline in the NYT crosswords.

Ed Sessa

Across:

1. Balls and some apples: GALAS.

6. "Bicycle Thieves" director Vittorio: DE SICA. Saw the movie ages ago.

12. Cleopatra's killer: ASP.

15. Hindu epic hero: RAMA. The Ramayana epic.

19. Wanting words: I WISH.

20. Spots for spectacles: ARENAS. Sports spectacles.

21. Lobbying gp.: PAC.

22. Airline whose name means "to the skies": EL AL. Different EL in 27. Pacific current: EL NINO.

25. Stuck playing a familiar role: TYPECAST. Tony Danza has played quite a few Tonys in movie/TV. 

28. Top drawers?: ARTISTS. Draw-ers. Great clue.

30. Incomplete body of art: TORSO. Rich does not mind this kind of art/ARTIST clue/answer dupes.

31. Budgetary figures: NET COSTS.

36. Wood cutter: SAW.

39. Do another hitch: RE-UP.

40. Time VIPs: EDS. Editors. Rich Norris is ours.

42. Burglar's take: HAUL.

47. __ mentality: MOB.

48. Ones using mixers, for short: DJS.

51. Former Sony brand: AIWA.

52. Afghanistan neighbor: IRAN. I've never had saffron, you?

53. Saucer, briefly: UFO.

55. "Hey, that's great!": OH COOL. And 62. "Give me a break!": PLEASE.

58. Animal shelter: LAIR.

59. "Family Circus" creator Bil: KEANE.

64. MLB's "Splendid Splinter" Williams: TED. I heard from our own Splynter last week. He's still solving crossword every day. He's thinking of moving to Connecticut.

66. Phi follower: CHI.

67. Staggers: REELS.

73. "Bless you" evoker: ACHOO. And   76. "That feels good": AAH.

77. Rum __ Tugger: "Cats" role: TUM.

78. Making a big deal out of: HYPING.

85. Files in shop class: RASPS.

88. Emulate a frigatebird: SOAR.

89. "Godzilla" franchise co-creator Tomoyuki __: TANAKA. Learning moment for me.

90. LAX posting: ETA.

91. Job safety org.: OSHA.

92. Eclectic magazine: UTNE. Reader.

93. Cephalopod's discharge: INK. Want some?

94. "__L": "Bye for now": TTY.  Might be Rich's clue.

100. Pained expression: OUCH.

102. Bank account ID: SSN.

103. Very wide shoe: EEEE.

104. Pink Floyd's Barrett: SYD.

108. Biometric security procedure: IRIS SCAN. Another great fill.

112. Mtge. issuer: S AND L.

113. Like some eaves in winter: ICICLED. Not a word I use.

115. Pharaoh depicted on the Sphinx: KHAFRE. Learning moment also.

119. Capital east of New Delhi: KATMANDU. Nepal.

124. Gillette blade: ATRA.

125. Cool, like a cat: HEP.

126. Crib outfit: ONESIE.

127. Gaming rookies: NOOBS. Sometimes it's TYROS.

128. Back in the day: THEN.

129. Holiday song syllables: LAS.

130. Lipton rival: NESTEA.

131. Forum garments: TOGAE. Often TOGAS.

Down:

1. Barb: GIBE.

2. Base runner?: AWOL. Good old clue.

3. Oz traveler: LION.

4. Welcome at the door: ASK IN.

5. Fight souvenirs: SHINERS.

6. Hammarskjöld of the U.N.: DAG. Have not seen this fill for quite some time.

7. Historical period: ERA.

8. "Sonic" consoles: SEGAS.

9. Like krypton and xenon: INERT.

10. Don't get: CAN'T SEE.

11. Piedmont bubbly: ASTI.

12. Likely will, after "is": APT TO.

13. "Oh yeah?": SAYS WHO. Lots of colloquial phrases in Ed's puzzles.

14. Angel dust, briefly: PCP.

15. Snap back: RECOIL.

16. Cause to sweat: ALARM. Can you believe the looting happened in Minnesota on Black Friday? None of the guys was caught.

17. Vertical billiards shot: MASSE.

18. __ sax: ALTO.

24. Well-known: NOTED.

26. Julius' cry to Marcus: ET TU.

29. '60s activist gp.: SDS. Students for a Democratic Society.

32. Nobelist of 1903 and 1911: CURIE. Marie.

33. "William Tell," e.g.: OPERA.

35. Big cheese: NABOB. I did not know "big potatoes" is not a phrase until D-Otto commented last time. We have small potatoes, but no big potatoes.

36. Rogaine target: SCALP.

37. No-frills font: ARIAL.

38. "Holy Toledo!": WOWIE.

41. Beat handily: DRUB.

44. Florida coastal city or its county: SARASOTA.

45. Red-and-white topper: SANTA HAT. Really miss our Santa.

46. Scornful look: SNEER.

47. Latte variant: MOCHA.

48. Ready to eat: DONE.

49. "An Innocent Man" songwriter: JOEL (Billy)

50. Canon AE-1 et al., for short: SLRS.

54. Cover for some superheroes: FACE MASK. For us non-heroes also.

56. "We don't have much time!": HURRY.

57. Stealthily nears, with "on": CREEPS UP.

59. Mauna __: KEA.

61. Modeler's buy: KIT.

63. Seller's supply: STOCK.

65. Rachel Carson subject: DDT.

69. Quick snooze: NAP.

70. Family name in Chicago politics: DALEY. The Daley family.  Richard M. Daley here.

71. Hubbub: FUROR.

72. Sounds of hesitation: UHS.

73. Musical opening: ACT I.

74. Family group: CLAN.

75. Tarzan type: HUNK.

79. Little bits: IOTAS.

80. Rival of Tonya: NANCY. Nancy Kerrigan. Tonya Harding.

81. Devotion to Mammon, biblically: GREED. Mammon is biblical term for wealth. I did not know.

83. Come out of one's shell: HATCH.

84. Toy dog's barks: YAPS.

86. Draws back: SHIES.

87. Philatelist's buys: PANES. Stamps.

95. "What nerve!": THE IDEA.

97. Dye-making compound: ANILINE.

98. Insurance lizard: GECKO.

99. Old TV series with a scuba-diving hero: SEA HUNT.

100. Guy who's often out: ODD MAN. Odd man out.

101. Pac-12's Bruins: UCLA.

102. Go downhill fast: SKI.

105. Saddam's party: BA'ATH. Read more here. Saddam took power in 1979. Outed in 2003.

106. Between, in Brest: ENTRE.

107. Some bra features: C CUPS.

109. Curly-coated cats: REXES.

110. That is, to Cicero: ID EST.

111. Jar Jar Binks' planet: NABOO.

112. Card game for three: SKAT.

114. "Let's do it!": C'MON.

116. Aggressively promote: FLOG.

117. Singer McEntire: REBA.

118. Latin "to be": ESSE.

120. Devils org.: NHL. The New Jersey Devils.

122. Lose power, as a battery: DIE.

123. Org. that makes traffic stops?: DEA. Drug traffic.

Some extra notes:

1) I don't have any updates from Al, hopefully I'll hear from him soon. Please continue to keep him in your thoughts and prayers.

2) For those who have trouble posting links on our blog Comments section from your iPhone/iPad/Mac,  you can turn smart punctuation off by going to Settings, tap General. Then, tap Keyboards, and toggle Smart Punctuation to off. 

Thanks to TTP for the solution.