Theme: Find Out - Parse it as "F in/D out" - D is replaced by F in each of the 8 common phrases.
23A. Flight attendant's reminder when serving alcohol? : THIS IS NOT A FRILL. This is not a drill.
32A. Equine exhibition with poor visibility? : FOG AND PONY SHOW. Dog and pony show.
45A. Stick around for sautéing? : HANG OUT TO FRY. Hang out to dry.
64A. Energizing bluegrass instruments? : FUELING BANJOS. Dueling banjos. From "Deliverance". What a scary movie!
75A. Craze for some moms? : STAY-AT-HOME FAD. Stay-at-home Dad.
95A. Pixie dust? : FAIRY PRODUCT. Dairy product.
104A. Written warning about gangster Gotti? : FEAR JOHN LETTER. Dear John Letter. John Gotti. The Teflon Don.
119A. Imposing monetary penalties with a nice Chianti? : WINING AND FINING. Wining and dining.
Clever title, isn't it? I wonder what came to Peter Wentz first, theme or theme title? I suspect the latter. Sometimes a phrase can inspire a theme. Sunday puzzle is a different animal. Very often constructors have a set of theme answers ready, then work on a fitting title, which has to be pertinent to the theme but can't be too revealing lest it spoil the solve.
Interesting for me to see THE WAY clued as "100D. Tao, literally". Tao actually just means "way", sans "the", since Chinese language has no articles. I often omit "the" when it should be present.
Across:
1. Come again? : REVISIT. Can't fool me.
8. Sampled, with "of" : HAD A BIT. Don't feel "of" is necessary. You?
15. Bright bunch : MENSA. Dennis is one, and he knows how much trouble I have with "the".
20. Anthem with the line "The True North strong and free!" : O CANADA
21. Muscle ache cause : OVERUSE
22. Prestigious octet : IVIES. Ivy League had 8 schools.
25. Mideast peninsula : SINAI
26. Fixed, as a pump : SOLED. Thinking of gas pump, not shoe.
27. Org. with a Double Down sandwich : KFC. No bread. Not real sandwich.
28. Hip-hopper's adjective : LIL. You'd think they want something big, so ego-driven.
29. Crashed, so to speak : SLEPT
30. Up to, in invites : TIL
37. "Conan" airer : TBS
40. __ Equis: Mexican beer : DOS. Two Xs.
42. Dice, e.g. : CUBES
43. Prefix with natal : NEO. Neonatal.
44. Be beholden : OWE
48. Well-mannered manor man : BUTLER. Liked the M alliteration.
50. Fridge problem : ODOR
51. It probably won't keep you up : DECAF. Clever clue.
52. Collectible frame : CEL. Disney cartoon cel.
55. "All yours!" : HERE
56. Sobriety checkpoint target, for short : DWI
57. "Tasty!" : MMM
58. '70s-'80s NHLer known as "Lucky Pierre" : LAROUCHE. First encounter with this guy.
62. Didn't deviate from : KEPT TO
69. U.K. medal : OBE. Officer of the Order of the British Empire.
70. Conservatory subj. : MUS. OK, Music.
72. Decrease : ABATE
73. Subj. for refugees : ESL (English as a Second Language)
74. "Annabel Lee" monogram : EAP (Edgar Allan Poe)
78. Fig. in many churches : ST MARY
80. Bronchitis sufferers' aids : INHALERS
81. Spinning toy : TOP
83. Orthogonal joint : ELL
84. Spill preceder : TRIP. Ah, spill here refers to "fall" then.
87. Conclusion letters : QED
88. "Yippee!" : WAHOO
90. Heads of England? : LOOS. Toilets. JOHN if the clue is singular.
92. Baseball's Matsui : HIDEKI. With the Yankees for a long time. Fun guy, unlike the somewhat aloof Ichiro.
98. Dutch city : EDE. Learned from doing Xword.
99. Iowa hrs. : CST
101. Gathers opinions from : POLLS
102. BART stop : STN
103. Chicken Little's concern : SKY. The sky is falling.
108. Auburn's conf. : SEC (Southeastern Conference)
110. Many a 19th-cen. map : LITHO
111. Fair-hiring abbr. : EOE
112. TV's "Science Guy" : NYE (Bill)
114. Shot with extreme spin : MASSE. Billiards shot.
118. Negative particle : ANION. We see ION so often.
124. Old tablet material : STONE
125. "No surprise" : AS USUAL
126. Holiday burner : YULE LOG. Sweet entry for Argyle.
127. Makes better : HONES
128. Mocha residents : YEMENIS. Mocha the port in Yemen.
129. Tiptoe past : SNEAK BY
Down:
1. Spoils : ROTS
2. Comeback : ECHO
3. Resort WSW of Boulder : VAIL. The Colorado ski resort.
4. Blown-up detail : INSET
5. Took the plunge : SAID "I DO". MARRIED has the same amount of letters.
6. Makes, as a perp : IDs
7. Word with car or top : TANK
8. Ski lodge drink : HOT COCOA
9. Charlton's "Earthquake" co-star : AVA (Gardner)
10. Excellent, in slang : DEF (Definitely)
11. SFO posting : ARR
12. Physiques : BUILDS
13. Long Island town : ISLIP. Not familiar with the town. What's it famous for, Splynter?
14. Rat out : TELL ON
15. Love letter sentiment : MISS YOU. Aww.
16. Pandora's boxful : EVILS. Thought of BANES.
17. Like a quick links round : NINE HOLE. Golf links.
18. 16th-century Spain, for one : SEA POWER
19. So to speak : AS IT WERE. In a way.
24. Wrong : OFF. He's off.
31. Indiscreet type : LOUDMOUTH. Nice answer.
33. Nonsense : GUFF
34. Like some bks. for kids : ABR (Abridged)
35. Napoleon cohort : NEY (Michel). Napoleon called him "bravest of the brave".
36. Big 12 rival of Kan. : NEB. Will become a Big 10 this July. For more info, ask Husker Gary.
37. E'en if : THO
38. Creditor's loss : BAD DEBT
39. Chinese food veggie : SNOW PEA. I like sugar peas more.
41. Flower feature : STEM
46. Sandpaper coarseness measure : GRIT
47. Airer of many old MGM films : TCM
49. After that : THEN
52. Shouted : CRIED
53. Years and years : EON
54. Winter Olympics event : LUGE
58. Thumbs (through) : LEAFS
59. Mont. neighbor : ALTA. Here it's again. Alberta.
60. Masters TV venue since 1956 : CBS SPORTS. Golf again. Masters & US Open are my favorite majors.
61. Word before "Who goes there?" : HALT
62. Fighter's stat : KOs (Knockouts). Boxing.
63. Fed after Capone : T MAN
64. Well-known : FAMED
65. Slangy prefix meaning "super" : UBER
66. Green-eyed : JEALOUS
67. Rowboat device : OARLOCK
68. Mole, perhaps : SPY
71. Oldest active NBAer : SHAQ. Oh, nice to know this trivia. Shaq is now 38 Years old.
76. "Goodness me!" : YIPE
77. Bulls' fans' chant? : OLE. Bullfighting. I was thinking of Chicago Bulls.
79. Pinochle declaration : MELD
81. Quaker possessive : THY
82. "Clumsy me!" : OOPS
84. Speedy superhero : THE FLASH. Was ignorant of this superhero.
85. Arrive at, cowboy-style : RIDE INTO
86. Thought process : IDEATION. We've seen IDEATE before. Weird word.
88. Sag : WILT
89. Clip joints? : ARSENALS. Cartridge clip.
91. Messy room, to mom : STY
93. Former Celtics guard and coach : K C JONES. Hall-of-Famer.
94. Metric lead-in : ISO. Isometric.
95. Hatfield, to a McCoy : FOE
96. PC space bar neighbor : ALT. Keyboard.
97. Four laps, often : ONE MILE. Four laps = 800 meters to me. We had 200 meter track.
101. Full legislative assembly : PLENUM
105. Lake Geneva feeder : RHONE
106. White __ : NOISE
107. Rembrandt van __ : RYN
109. Former capital of Crete : CANEA. No idea. Checked Wiki, then found out its current capital is Heraklion. Let's go back to Canea then.
113. "Grand" brand of ice cream : EDY'S
115. Epitome of smoothness : SILK
116. Stuffed shirt : SNOB
117. Like challah bread : EGGY
120. Sussex verb suffix : ISE. Ours is IZE.
121. Sister : NUN
122. Moo goo __ pan : GAI. Literally "chicken".
123. Good times : FUN
Answer grid.
Happy Birthday to Argyle, our witty and sharp Santa. I'd like to share with you a story. Sometime last year I mentioned to Argyle that it's bothering me that I still had not figured out the theme of a few earliest TMS Daily puzzles I blogged. I was not even sure I got the theme answers correct, as in those days I only wrote a few sparse clue/answer comments and attached no answer grid. Argyle went to his local library and found the exact puzzles for me. Like Dennis, he's done lots of small things for me, on and off the blog. Thanks, Santa, may your birthday be filled with sunshine, love and smiles.
C.C.
