Theme: "Not!" (No-T). T is removed from the end of each common phrase.
22. Animated image of Santa repeatedly going down the chimney?: CHRISTMAS GIF. Christmas gift.
41. Fruity neckwear?: BANANA BOA. Banana boat.
43. Votes at a beer convention?: BREWER'S YEAS. Brewer's yeast.
67. First catch the fly, then eat the fly?: SPIDER PLAN. Spider plant.
71. Indication of growing impatience?: SECOND SIGH. Second sight.
96. Social newcomer who won't go away?: LONG-TERM DEB. Long-term debt.
99. Basic banking rule?: DON'T FORGE. Don't forget.
118. Subjecting to a basic haunting strategy?: GIVING THE BOO. Giving the boot.
It would be super tight if there were no other straying T's in the theme entries, but sometimes it's impossible.
David Alfred Bywaters specializes in letter addition/removal themes. I'm often in awe of the reveals in his Friday LAT. He's an incredible wordsmith.
Across:
1. Writers: PENS. Write-rs.
5. Bearlike marsupial: KOALA.
10. Super-impressed: AWED.
14. Numerical suffix for "about": ISH.
17. Fast Northeast train: ACELA. Wiki says "the branding team based the name "Acela" on the ideas of acceleration and excellence.".
19. Severe distress: SORROW. And 67D. Weep: SOB.
20. Greater: MORE.
21. Usually well-compensated leader: CEO. CFO too.
24. Adorn: ORNAMENT.
26. Owie spot, maybe: TOOTSIE.
27. Burdens: ONUSES.
29. Windshield sticker: DECAL.
30. Cashew family shrubs: SUMACS. Never saw sumac shrubs in person. Dried sumac is used in some Middle East spice mix.
33. Garage service: LUBE.
34. Extract with a solvent: ELUTE. Not a word I use.
35. Crew member: TAR.
38. Robert who sang the role of Figaro 46 times at the Met: MERRILL. Stranger to me.
45. Smaller: LESS.
46. Socially challenged one, often: NERD.
47. Rural skyline standouts: SILOS.
48. Hereditary: INNATE.
50. Japanese pond fish: KOI.
52. Beach volleyball team: PAIR.
53. Woman's name that means "pleasure" in Hebrew: EDNA. Did not know this.
55. Country sound: TWANG.
58. Sam or Wiggily: UNCLE. I googled and learned that Uncle Wiggily is a rabbit.
62. Cruller coating: GLAZE. These are Chinese crullers that Jayce likes.
64. Words before a view: AS I SEE IT. Nice fill.
66. Muffin grain: OAT.
73. Valentine card hugs: OOO.
74. Popular school cafeteria item: TATER TOT. Boomer loves Tater Tots.
76. Immerse (in), as maple syrup: DROWN.
77. Togo neighbor: BENIN.
79. Sharpening tool: STROP.
80. Fare-well link: THEE.
82. Maker of Aspire laptops: ACER. It bought Gateway in 2007.
85. "Sorry, lad": NAE.
87. How Sitka, Alaska, ranks as the largest U.S. city: IN AREA.
89. Wedding party: BRIDE.
90. Trojan War god: ARES.
93. Small-time British crook: SPIV. Never heard of it. Looks like a knife.
101. Plague: SCOURGE.
102. USCG officer: ENS.
103. Courage: VALOR.
104. __ even footing: ON AN.
106. __ network: NEURAL.
108. Meaningless: INANE.
109. BP, pulse, etc.: VITALS. When I visited my dentist last month, they used a wrist blood pressure machine like this.
112. Causes of traffic jams ... or ways to avoid them: DETOURS.
116. The "there" in "Don't go there": SORE SPOT. Another great fill.
121. Heart test letters: EKG.
122. Hunger remedy wrongly attributed to Marie Antoinette: CAKE. Oh I thought she did say "Let them eat cake".
123. Means: AVENUE.
124. Hard work: SWEAT.
125. Poor grade: DEE.
126. Is indebted to: OWES.
127. Principle: TENET.
128. Goes off: ERRS.
Down:
1. Treaty: PACT.
2. Repetitive sound: ECHO.
3. Emperor adopted by Claudius: NERO. Claudius was his great-uncle.
4. Buttonholes, e.g.: SLITS.
5. Ukulele wood: KOA. I forgot. We had this clue before. Here's a felled koa tree.
6. MD workplaces: ORS.
7. Ship protected by Hera: ARGO.
8. Cut of meat: LOIN.
9. Really bad: AWFUL.
10. Tiny shape-shifters: AMOEBAE.
11. Goes downhill: WORSENS.
12. North end?: ERN. Northern.
13. Numb: DEADEN.
14. Rock at the bar?: ICE CUBE.
15. Cato the Elder or Cato the Younger: SENATOR.
16. Cop's case-breaking tip, perhaps: HOT LEAD. Did any of you follow this Minneapolis case?
18. Supposes: ASSUMES.
19. Campaign nastiness: SMEARS.
23. Kitchen convenience: TIMER.
25. Skin pigment: MELANIN.
28. Renter's rental: SUBLEASE.
31. 1993 Aerosmith hit that begins "There was a time / When I was so broken-hearted": CRYIN'.
32. Tuscany city: SIENA.
35. Recipe meas.: TBSP. Any of you tried X.O. sauce? Umami-rich. It has dried shrimp, dried scallop, hot chili peppers, etc.
36. Tenor's moment: ARIA.
37. Faith: RELIGION.
39. PC-to-PC system: LAN.
40. Future attys.' exams: LSATS.
42. Set as a price: ASK. Guess how much Beckett charges for authenticating a Mickey Mantle autographed photo? $100. Crazy.
44. __ Cup: WORLD.
49. Unexpected story ending: TWIST.
51. Improve upon: OUTDO.
53. __-Nehemiah: Hebrew Bible book: EZRA.
54. Coll. units: DEPTS.
56. Japanese tech company: NEC.
57. Sparkling rock: GEODE. And 75. Iridescent gems: OPALS.
59. Happen at the same time: COINCIDE.
Seollal (Korean New Year), Tet and Chinese Spring Festival are all
celebrated in the same day. Here are a few Korean kids kneeling down to
pay respect to their elders.
60. Fall behind: LAG.
61. Addis Ababa's land: Abbr.: ETH.
63. Company named for a volcano: AETNA.
64. Playwright Chekhov: ANTON.
65. About, on memos: IN RE.
68. "The Purloined Letter" writer: POE.
69. Allow: LET.
70. Reach: ARRIVE AT.
72. Bee team: SWARM.
78. How some things are set: IN STONE.
80. Mortise joiner: TENON.
81. Dutch city, with "The": HAGUE.
83. Eve's first home: EDEN.
84. Civil War fighters: REBS.
86. Paul Anka's "__ Beso": ESO.
88. Mythical elephant carrier: ROC. Also a popular skincare brand.
89. Inspiring acts?: BREATHS. Nice clue.
90. Counseled: ADVISED.
91. Lost Colony's island: ROANOKE. See here for more information.
92. Blow up: ENLARGE.
94. Incite: PROVOKE.
95. Sets a match to: IGNITES.
97. Plod: TRUDGE.
98. White-plumed wader: EGRET.
100. Painting on wet plaster: FRESCO.
105. Annoy constantly: NAG AT.
107. "Almost Like Being in Love" composer Frederick: LOEWE. "My Fair Lady" too.
110. Happening right now: LIVE.
111. Pet reindeer in "Frozen": SVEN.
113. Lyft competitor: UBER.
114. Lion's warning: ROAR.
115. They're often smashed: SOTS. Drunk.
117. Friendly dog's offering: PAW.
119. Like Bach's French Suite No. 6: IN E.
120. Superfan: NUT.
C.C.
