23. Feeling caused by reading too many self-referential articles?: META FATIGUE. Metal fatigue.
25. Where movie actors rehearse Southern accents?: DRAWL LOTS. Draw lots.
50. Overhead support for a small army?: ANT AIRCRAFT. Antiaircraft.
54. Urban pedestrian's maneuver?: TAXI DODGE. Tax dodge.
88. Insult humor in a cornfield?: CROW ROAST. Crown roast.
91. Trust that a supervised job will lead to full-time work?: INTERN FAITH. Interfaith.
118. Legume farmer's concern?: PEA DEMAND. Peak demand.
121. Sailing one small ship after another?: BARK HOPPING. Bar hopping.
The title captures the missing links part nicely, but in the second halves, those are "found".
Quite a bit of restriction on David's grid despite the light themeage (80 squares). They have to follow a strict L/I/N/K order and the two pairs are placed in the same row.
Across:
1. Worrier's agenda: CARES.
6. Audibly amazed: AGASP. And 11. "Zounds!": EGAD.
15. Ingredient in some pancakes: SPUD. Potato pancakes.
19. Musical genre that means "work" in Italian: OPERA.
20. Wrist bones: CARPI.
21. Nautilus captain: NEMO.
22. "A-Hunting We Will Go" songwriter: ARNE (Thomas). We often get the "Rule, Britannia" reference.
27. Left: EXITED.
28. Often-improvised light source: TORCH.
30. Soybean paste: MISO. This brand is very good.
31. Factor of DX: CII.
32. Spray: AEROSOL.
34. Walk proudly: STRUT.
36. Lobster __: NEWBURG. Never had this.
38. When doubled, a dangerous fly: TSE.
39. "Yo ho ho" beverage: RUM.
41. "Poison" shrub: SUMAC.
43. Get top billing for: STAR IN.
44. Prodigy: PHENOM.
47. Unrestrained episode: SPREE.
49. Goddess of peace: IRENE.
56. Noise: SOUND.
57. Narrow victory margin: HAIR.
58. Infielders: BASEMEN.
59. Performer with a record 21 Oscar nominations: STREEP. Do you like "The Bridges of Madison County"?
61. They hang around: LOITERERS.
63. Try: STAB.
67. Rite lead-in?: AMI. Amirite?
68. Fútbol cheer: OLE.
70. Chicago's __ Center: AON.
71. Shamus: TEC. Detective.
73. Ostrichlike bird: EMU.
74. Edit __: MENU.
76. Seamy component, as of politics: UNDERSIDE.
81. Digits in a clumsiness metaphor: THUMBS. All thumbs.
83. Big league members: NATIONS. This refers to the League of Nations, right?
85. R-rating reason: GORE.
87. Savory jelly: ASPIC.
93. Transplant, in a way: RE-POT. The gardening centers here are open now.
94. Demeter's Roman counterpart: CERES.
96. Cat pickup spot: SCRUFF.
97. Very: EVER SO.
99. 1972 missile pact: SALT I.
101. Pig thief of rhyme: TOM. Oh, hi, "Pig thief"!
102. Estonia, once: Abbr.: SSR.
105. Winner's flag: PENNANT.
107. Fallback strategy: PLAN B.
109. Perfectly detailed model: REPLICA.
112. Gnome cousin: ELF.
113. Floral neckwear: LEIS. My fresh lei from JimmyB.
115. Follow: ENSUE.
117. Cheer for: ROOT ON.
123. Violin music word: ARCO.
124. Hudson-to-Niagara River canal: ERIE.
125. Not yet realized: UNMET.
126. Shilling's five: PENCE.
127. Fraction of a min.: NSEC. Nanosecond.
128. Stare blankly: GAPE.
129. Shows the way: LEADS.
130. Biblical mounts: ASSES.
Down:
1. Act aggressively toward: COME AT.
2. Very tops: APEXES. Heard a lot of "apex" from Governor Cuomo the past few weeks.
3. Hang it up, so to speak: RETIRE.
4. Muse with a lyre: ERATO.
5. Hotel amenities: SAFES.
6. Do something: ACT.
7. Pace of walking: GAIT.
8. Rival of Sparta: ARGOS. That's Gerard Butler.
9. Dramatic growth periods: SPURTS.
10. Bakery shell: PIE CRUST.
11. Finish: END.
12. Microbe: GERM.
13. With full force: AMAIN.
14. Searches for a well, say: DOWSES.
15. Actor Mineo: SAL.
16. Obtained with effort: PROCURED. I just don't understand this "reagents" shortage. Why can't we make more?
17. Indefatigable: UNTIRING.
18. Appointed one: DESIGNEE.
24. Worshipper: ADORER.
26. Best time for beachcombing: LOW TIDE.
29. Camel's fat-storage site: HUMP.
33. Afternoon date, maybe: LUNCH.
35. Seafood sauce: TARTAR. Boomer likes it with fried fish.
37. Industry bigwigs: BARONS.
40. Aesopian conclusion: MORAL.
42. Stop: CEASE.
44. Glass unit: PANE.
45. Pitcher Nomo with two no-nos: HIDEO. Literally "hero". In this baseball card, the last two characters are Hideo. Their surname comes before the given name also.
46. Spring month in Porto: MAIO. May.
48. Bring to bear: EXERT.
50. Indian tea region: ASSAM.
51. "Ask somebody else": NOT ME.
52. Italian city known for a shroud: TURIN.
53. Providence athletes: FRIARS. The Providence Friars.
55. "No more for me": I'M SET.
58. Well-meaning: BENIGN.
60. Dwarf planet since 2006: PLUTO.
62. How-__: manuals: TOS.
64. Adagio and presto: TEMPI.
65. Gamut: AMBIT.
66. Kyle or Kurt of NASCAR: BUSCH.
69. Early computer: ENIAC.
72. Badinage: CHAFF. I did not know the meaning of "badinage".
75. Still eligible for a full refund, as clothing: UNWORN.
77. Pill bottle info: DOSES.
78. Catch in a sting: ENTRAP.
79. Pair in jigs?: DOTS. The dots above letter j & i.
80. Put up: ERECT.
82. Mil. flying branch: USAF.
84. Gallery event: ART SALE.
86. Miscalculation, say: ERROR.
88. Galette cooker: CREPE PAN. Steve probably has one at home.
89. Merrymakers: REVELERS.
90. Feature of a gravy-covered sandwich: OPEN FACE.
91. Port straddling the Bosporus: ISTANBUL. Googles results show that Bosporus comes from a Thracian word meaning "passage of the cow."
92. Uno, por ejemplo: NUMERO.
95. Magazine with a pronoun title: ELLE.
98. Large size of the '80s that now sounds tiny: ONE MEG.
100. Half-baked: INSANE.
102. Sedate protests: SIT-INS. So stunned by some of the protestor signs. Tim Walz is our governor who's just a quiet doer. Guess what this guys says?
103. Wall fixture: SCONCE.
104. Roams freely: RANGES.
106. Sparkly headgear: TIARA.
108. Myanmar, once: BURMA.
110. Family nickname: POPPA.
111. Bounding gaits: LOPES.
114. Cut off: SNIP.
116. __ out a living: EKED.
119. Holliday nickname: DOC.
120. Snider of Twisted Sister: DEE.
122. Elevs.: HTS.
C.C.
