Theme: "At Any Rate" - The last words of the theme entries form a logical movement sequence.
23. *Old-fashioned establishment?: COCKTAIL LOUNGE. Resting rate.
37. *Measurement unit on some graph-ruled paper: SQUARE INCH.
46. *Commodity sold in board-feet: ROUGH LUMBER.
52. *Charge up?: PRICE HIKE.
66. *Annual upriver migration: SALMON RUN.
82. *Group nearly eradicated in "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy": HUMAN RACE.
90. *What may hang by a thread?: HEXAGON BOLT.
98. *Invasive species that may be spotted in the garden?: LANTERN FLY.
Reveal:
112. Loop in, and a hint to the progression found at the ends of the answers to the starred clues: BRING UP TO SPEED.
Steady progression, from stillness to fly. Just like the reveal explains, the constructors are bringing things up to speed.
Across:
5. Salsa partner on a dip platter, casually: GUAC. Tasty on the Seeduction bread.
9. Pasta __ Norma: ALLA.
13. The Beyhive, e.g.: FANDOM. Beyoncé's fan base.
19. Spark: IDEA.
20. Fully aware of: ONTO.
21. Tusked hog: BOAR.
22. Like Chamonix: ALPINE.
26. Features of New York's Guggenheim museum: CURVES.
27. Roller coaster material: STEEL.
28. Behind schedule: LATE.
29. [Cough cough]: AHEM.
31. Self or sheep suffix: ISH.
32. Smoked beef cuts: BRISKETS.
35. Writers with star power?: CRITICS. Because they rate in stars. Great clue.
40. Water cooler sound: GLUG.
41. "You rock!," facetiously: NOICE. OK, it's exaggerated Nice, not NO ICE. Thanks, Anonymous!)
44. Rush: HURRY.
45. D.C. pro: NAT.
48. Memoji platform: IOS.
49. __-12: athletic org.: PAC.
50. "__ Maria": AVE.
51. Staunton of "The Crown": IMELDA. She played Queen Elizabeth.
56. Blueprint: DESIGN.
59. Dates: SEES.
60. Travel plaza fuel supplier: SUNOCO.
61. Villain's hideout: LAIR.
63. Japanese camera brand: NIKON.
65. Org.-wide message: MEMO.
69. Kitten cries: MEWS.
72. Small sound: INLET.
74. "American Fiction" actress Rae: ISSA. Super talented.
75. "Sure, that totally sounds credible": YEAH OK.
77. "Shoot to Thrill" band: AC/DC.
80. Polar dome: ICECAP. Hence NOICE rather than NO ICE earlier. Patti normally doesn't allow this type of dupe.
85. Carving tool: CHISEL.
87. "Last Week Tonight" network: HBO.
88. Articulate: SAY.
89. Solder element: TIN.
93. Prevail: WIN.
94. Like slow lorises and snow leopards: ASIAN. Look at his eyes. Some live in China's Yunnan province.
96. Knicks legend Patrick: EWING.
97. Like some wine: OAKY.
100. Crux: ESSENCE.
102. Plovdiv's country: BULGARIA. Plovdiv is the second-largest city in Bulgaria, 93 miles southeast of Sofia, a la Wikipedia.
103. Buffalo Bills gp.: AFC.
105. Out of control: AMOK.
106. "You" actor Badgley: PENN. Also in "Gossip Girl".
107. Email option: REPLY.
110. Muss: TOUSLE.
117. Single word on its own line, in typesetting: ORPHAN. Learning moment for me. The orphan and the last widow look the same to me.
118. "If it __ broke ... ": AIN'T.
119. Subscription level: TIER.
120. At any point: EVER.
121. "Kinda weird ... ": IT'S ODD.
122. "Sky Landing" artist Ono: YOKO.
123. Salty septet: SEAS.
124. Ceremony: RITE.
Down:
2. Big bothers: ADOS.
3. Religious subgroup: SECT.
4. Place to sample Dassai: SAKE BAR. Dassai is a premium sake brand. It means "otter festival".
Their website said there used to be many otters frolicking in the nearby rivers where the brewery is based.
5. Net asset?: GOALIE. Hockey net.
6. College, abroad: UNI.
7. Falcons city, briefly: ATL.
8. Gather: COLLECT.
9. Borders: ABUTS.
10. Unaccompanied: LONE.
11. Twitch streamer's headache: LAG.
12. Throw on the floor: AREA RUG. Noun "throw".
13. Jewel side: FACET.
14. Lightweight metal: ALUMINUM.
15. "Code Switch" network: NPR.
16. Capable of an even split: DIVISIBLE.
17. Vending machine bills: ONES.
18. Mosquito net fabric: MESH.
24. "Fresh Air" host Gross: TERRY. Used to listen to her often.
25. Pledge: OATH.
30. Lofty: HIGH.
33. Egyptian peninsula: SINAI.
34. Natural talent: KNACK.
35. Puzzle hints: CLUES.
36. Approaches: COMES NEAR.
37. Impossibly bottled objects: SHIPS.
38. Minimum needed for action: QUORUM.
39. Bearlike: URSINE.
40. Serves the people: GOVERNS.
42. Formally yield: CEDE.
43. Notable periods: ERAS.
46. Ad with a jingle, maybe: RADIO SPOT.
47. Connection: LINK.
49. Vietnamese beef noodle soup: PHO.
53. Creative type?: COMIC SANS. Because the font has a creative vibe?
54. B-school course: ECON.
55. Tail end?: ELL.Just the final letter Tail.
57. Shiba __: INU.
58. Martini ingredient: GIN.
62. Not unkindly: AMIABLY.
64. Portent: OMEN.
66. Length of 24 film frames, briefly: SEC. 24 frames per second is the standard frame rate for movies.
67. Gobbled up: ATE.
68. Repeated syllable in Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance": RAH.
70. "Let's say ... ": WHAT IF.
71. Gregarious: SOCIAL.
73. Stitch's friend: LILO.
75. "Woot woot!": YAY.
76. "Footloose" singer Loggins: KENNY.
77. Yearning: ACHE.
78. Think (on): CHEW.
79. Lemonade stand stackers: DIXIE CUPS.
81. Blow it under pressure: CHOKE.
83. Implementing: USING.
84. Big-brained ray: MANTA.
86. Deli sandwich filling: EGG SALAD.
91. Wearing white to a wedding, e.g.: NO NO.
92. Ritzy Boston neighborhood: BACK BAY. Tom Brady lived in this area for many years.
93. Carrot cake additions: WALNUTS.
94. Latin for "ram": ARIES.
95. Fish often served whole: SNAPPER.
98. Organ in the chest cavity: LUNG.
99. Blunders and bobbles: ERRORS.
101. Fix, as syntax: EMEND.
102. Lunch box with compartments: BENTO. Bento is derived from Chinese Biandang, literally "convenient".
103. Yours, in French: A TOI.
104. Cozy blanket structure: FORT.
106. "__ Pony Club": Chappell Roan hit: PINK.
108. 22nd U.S. vice president Morton: LEVI. Didn't know him. Under Benjamin Harrison.
109. Throw, slangily: YEET.
111. "Fellow Travelers" airer, for short: SHO.
113. Carnival city: RIO.
114. Dessert with a crust: PIE.
115. Rooibos, for one: TEA.
116. Hip-hop pioneer Dr. __: DRE.
C.C.
