Theme: "In and Out" - "In" can proceed the first part of each theme entry, "Out" the second part.
23A. Wolfing down burgers and fries while driving? : A BAD WAY/ TO LUNCH. In a bad way. Out to lunch.
38A Rocky road from fad to fashion? : FITS AND STARTS /OF STYLE. In fits and starts. Out of style.
57A. Solidarity among commoners? : UNISON/OF THE ORDINARY. In unison. Out of the ordinary.
79A. Reenactment of a memorable scene from "The Exorcist"? : FULL SWING/ OF ONE'S HEAD. In full swing. Out of one's head.
95A. "Dismount" or "settle"? : OTHER WORDS/LIKE ALIGHT. In other words. Out like a light.
117A. Food-fight evidence at the picnic? : A PICKLE/ ON A LIMB. In a pickle. Out on a limb.
When did you get the theme? I was feeling dense this morning and did not grok the gimmick until I was done.
4 of today's 6 theme entries are very long. Personally I found grid spanners or near grid spanners make 21*21 challenging to fill. I do like 1 or 2 grid spanners in a 15*15 grid, but not 4, which immediately take 60 theme squares.
Across:
1. Inn option : RAMADA
7. Assigned in spades : PILED ON
14. Sources of some stadium images : BLIMPS
20. Spanish novelist Blasco __ : IBANEZ. Never heard of this guy.
21. Monster with both a lion's and goat's head : CHIMERA
22. Piano brand : YAMAHA
25. Like corn in the kettle : HUSKED
26. Tibetan priest : LAMA
27. Rough talk : RASP
28. Meryl Streep's alma mater : VASSAR. What a talented actress.
30. Pasture parent : EWE
31. Depilatory cream : NAIR
33. Plus-size supermodel : EMME
36. Suffix meaning "living substance" : PLASM. Good to know.
45. "Speed-the-Plow" playwright : MAMET (David). He also wrote the script for "The Untouchables".
46. Many millennia : EONS
47. Kind of bran : OAT
48. Port of Yemen : ADEN
49. "__ Wiedersehen" : AUF
50. Personnel list : ROTA
53. Whomp relative : THUD
55. To-do list item : ERRAND
62. Vents frustration toward : RANTS AT
63. Offscreen friend in "Ernest" films : VERN
64. Professor 'iggins : 'ENRY
65. On the safer side : ALEE
66. Former Indy champ Bobby : RAHAL. 1986 Indy 500 champ. He looks cool, EddyB. Can you hear me?
68. Kid's comeback : CAN SO
70. Jefferson Davis's sch. : USMA
74. Brief court plea : NOLO
75. Actor whose voice is emulated by Snagglepuss the Lion : LAHR (Bert). Very helpful "Lion" in the clue.
77. Put to shame : ABASHED
83. "Reservoir Dogs" actor : KEITEL (Harvey)
85. Polar sheet : FLOE
86. Radio host John : TESH
87. Ironically, he composed the "Microsoft sound" on a Mac : ENO (Brian)
88. Drying oven : OAST
89. Actor Daniel __ Kim : DAE. He was born in Korea. Dae = Big. Daewoo = Big Universe. Korean "Dae" is the same as Chinese "Da".
90. Utterly : OH SO
93. Washing station : BASIN
101. Sipped uncertainly : TRIED. I bet our Foodie Steve has tried Jicama before. How about you, Bill G? I tasted a few raw strips yesterday.
102. Contrary current : EDDY
103. __ cava : VENA
104. Gone by : AGO
106. Ripped off : STOLEN
109. City near Anaheim : BREA. Tar city.
111. Daughter of Darth : LEIA
115. What opinions often do : DIFFER
121. Proofer's finds : ERRATA
122. Sing unlike Bing : BELT OUT
123. Golf shoe brand : ETONIC. I'm having difficulty picturing Dennis plays golf. Just weird. He said he's straight in the driving ranges. No matter. I'm certain he is not the kind that slows down the play by looking for the damned ball.
124. Shifty sort : SLY DOG
125. Blows up : SEES RED
126. Hinge (on) : DEPEND
Down:
1. Iranian currency : RIAL
2. "Dancing Queen" band : ABBA
3. Respectful address : MA'AM
4. Not as slow as adagio : ANDANTE
5. Lawn beads : DEW
6. Hank who voices some "Simpsons" characters : AZARIA. He was married to Helen Hunt for a short period.
7. Chance-of-rain nos. : PCTs
8. Optimistic reply : I HOPE SO
9. Small, aptly? : LIL. "Apt" indeed.
10. Leggy runner : EMU. "Leggy" always makes me smile and think of Splynter. Here's an image for him, leggy & from Australia.
11. John who loved Colorado : DENVER. Boomer likes him.
12. Ocean predator : ORCA
13. Offhand turndowns : NAHs
14. To a large degree : BY HALF
15. Actress Linney et al. : LAURAs
16. Online exchanges, briefly : IMs
17. Memorable Eastwood line : MAKE MY DAY. "Go ahead. Make my day".
18. "Close call!" : PHEW
19. "Marat/__": 1963 play : SADE. Learned this from constructing crosswords.
24. Tale : YARN
29. Tie concern : SPOT
32. Team moving to the American League in 2013 : ASTROs. So now every division has 5 teams now. Inter-league everyday.
34. McKinley, e.g.: Abbr. : MTN
35. Learn all aspects of : MASTER
37. Packer with a strong arm : STARR (Bart). Great clue.
38. Relating to regional animal life : FAUNAL
39. "Don't worry about me" : I'M FINE
40. Unheeding : DEAF
41. Performing trip : TOUR
42. Get down? : SADDEN
43. Seinfeld's Uncle Leo portrayer __ Lesser : LEN. "Hello, Uncle Leo!"
44. Cut off : END
45. Tierney of "NewsRadio" : MAURA. I watched a few episodes.
51. Winning like crazy : ON A ROLL
52. Smashes beyond repair : TOTALS
54. Top dog : HONCHO
55. Dresses : ENROBES
56. Sign of hope : RAY
58. Riesling giant Chateau __ Michelle : STE
59. FDR project : TVA (Tennessee Valley Authority). Since 1933.
60. "__, we won't go!": '60s antiwar chant : HELL NO. China also had a "Vietnam War", which happened in 1979. The border skirmishes continued until 1989.
61. Like some nuts : INSANE
67. To what length : HOW FAR
69. Woofer's sound : ARF
70. Work the aisles, in slang : USH. You can comment with the next answer.
71. "Oh, come on!" : SHEESH
72. Avoid waffling : MEAN IT
73. Accompaniment : ADD ON
74. Marlins' div. : NL E (NL East)
76. Ancient : AGE OLD
78. Cinder receptacle : ASH BIN
79. Issues requiring attention : FISH TO FRY
80. Absolute : UTTER
81. Quebec's __'Orléans : ILE D'
82. Chiwere speaker : OTOE
83. "Rock and Roll, Hoochie __": 1974 hit : KOO
84. Clean off plates? : EAT. As Jayce mentioned before, the most common greeting phrase in China is "Have you eaten yet?" Makes sense if you know that food scarcity was a serious problem in the old days. I did not need to worry about my next meal until 1981.
89. Dimwit : DODO. I miss our witty Dodo.
91. Kept under wraps : HID
92. Color in large Crayola packs : SKY BLUE
94. Running swiftly : AGALLOP. This is a word? OK, then!
96. Equal, as expectations : RISE TO
97. Cleaning basic : WET RAG
98. Declining in later years : SENILE. This should cover men only, since there's an ANILE.
99. Chevy subcompact : AVEO
100. Tilted : LEANED
104. Food truck drinks : ADES
105. Lass : GIRL
107. Report generators : LABS
108. Foil relative : EPEE
110. Pensioned: Abbr. : RET'D. Poor Petraeus, he should have stayed with the military.
112. Berlin article : EINE
113. Participation declaration : I'M IN
114. Preschool song opener : ABCD
116. Short-lived diet, perhaps : FAD
118. Sm. change : CTS
119. Land div. by the 38th parallel : KOR. Did you watch the "60 Minutes" interview about that North Korean prisoner?
120. Absorbed, as a cost : ATE
C.C.
