Theme: "Share and Share Alike" - I'm afraid I'm missing the extra layer in this theme. The paired answers share the same clue numbers & starting letters, but the shared letters PTFFHBDM does not anagram anything.
1A/1D. Like many a postcard scene : PICTURE PERFECT
8A/8D. Imminently dangerous situation : TICKING/TIME BOMB
15A/15D. Achilles' heel : FATAL FLAW
54A/54D. "Need assistance?" : HOW CAN I/ HELP YOU
58A/58D. One of dozens, for millions : FACEBOOK FRIEND. What a great clue.
95A/95D. Poppycock, with "a" : BUNCH OF/ BALONEY. We have more: 83. Poppycock : ROT. Also 124. Poppycock : PAP
101A/101D. Bad person to share appetizers with? : DOUBLE DIPPER
121A/121D. Mr. Spock forte : MIND MELD
If you solve via Across Lite, then all your Down theme entries have the same clue: [ - ]. They're supposed to be blank, but Across Lite software can't handle blank clues, hence the dashes.
There has to be an extra layer of unifier to tie the gimmick today. It feels a bit loose to me, as the theme entry choices are not very limited, as shown by this NYT grid.
Construction-wise, this 140-word grid is lovely, as all Bruce's grids. Big chunks of white spaces, which are very hard to fill cleanly. Bruce is grid wizard. One of those few constructors who keep pushing the envelope.
Across:
20. "The NFL Today" analyst : ESIASON. Boomer.
21. Transfers, as a T-shirt design : IRONS ON
22. Girl in Byron's "Don Juan" : LEILA. Wiki says she's a Muslim girl. Leila means "night" in Arabic/Hebrew.
23. Get back (to) : RESPOND
24. Company that merged with Konica : MINOLTA
25. Jason's shipbuilder : ARGUS. The 100-eyed monster. We also have 43. Biform beast : CENTAUR. Horse/man.
26. Big party : FETE. Not FEST or GALA or even BASH.
27. Gross fraction : DOZEN. Got via crosses.
29. Brews for socials : TEAS
30. Hook wigglers : WORMS. Quite a few people were fishing along the bank of Mississippi River when Boomer and I took our walk last week. Obviously Boomer likes Rickie Fowler. I was stunned that he found those orange socks.
31. Artist's talent : EYE. EAR too.
32. Caribbean islander : ARUBAN
34. Not just any old : THE. I don't get this clue.
36. Trig ratio : SINE
37. Hollowed out : CORED
40. Mayo is in it : ANO. Mayo the month.
41. Behold, to Brutus : ECCE
44. Knowledge of spiritual matters : GNOSIS. New word to me.
46. North Pole feature : TUNDRA
48. [Yawn] : I'M BORED. Time to take a walk. Summer in MN is gorgeous.
50. Come together : GEL
51. City on Lake Michigan : GARY. I only know Gary in Indiana & our buddy Gary in Nebraska.
53. Casually arrive, in slang : BOP IN. Not a phrase I use.
62. Classic VW : BEETLE
64. Had the nerve : DARED
65. Tiny messenger : RNA
66. Wise ones : SAGES. Asked my sages Argyle and D-Otto, neither saw extra theme layer.
68. Way to hit? : TRAIL. Oh the real "way".
69. Timed perfectly : ON CUE
70. Lightning particles : IONS
72. Japanese noodle dish : RAMEN. This word is borrowed from Chinese La Mian, literally "hand-pulled noodles".
74. Water collectors : SUMPS
76. 1986 #1 hit for Starship : SARA. Unfamiliar with the song.
77. Gush on stage : EMOTE
79. Saw : MAXIM
81. Spanish royalty : REYES. Kings in Spanish. Or this guy.
84. West Coast NFLer : NINER
85. Musical Keys : ALICIA
87. Stock maker's flavor enhancer : SOUP BONE. Typical Cantonese soup consists of pork bones, dried dates, goji berries, watercress and a few traditional Chinese healing herbs, slow-cooked for at least 3 hours. They have a bowl of soup every day and they have a soup for every season. Do you have soup at home often, Jayce?
89. Short-lived Mormon state : DESERET. Learned from doing crosswords.
91. Chihuahua neighbor : TEXAS
93. Manual reader : USER
94. Deli delicacy : LOX
97. Make busts, say : SCULPT
104. Copied : APED
105. Taoist force : YIN. So in Cantonese cuisine, green mung beans are YIN and you eat the soup/porridge in summer. Red beans are Yang, popular winter food.
107. Unsettling look : STARE
108. "Bus Stop" playwright : INGE
109. Berkeley school, familiarly : CAL
111. Sickly-looking : SALLOW
114. Rouge ou blanc : VIN. Or COULEUR.
115. Rings : PEALS
117. Like 45 records : MONO
120. Kate of "Th1rteen R3asons Why" : WALSH
122. Bridges, in Venice : PONTI. OK, plural of Ponte, as in Ponte Vecchio.
123. Up against it : IN A SPOT
125. __ cheese sandwich, popular Augusta National menu item sold for $1.50 : PIMENTO. Our Big Easy saw this menu in person. Ticket price for Masters Sunday is probably 1,000 times of the sandwich.
127. Wrapped up : ENDED
128. Product of ocean evaporation : SEA SALT
129. Pisa party? : ITALIAN
130. English novelist Charles : READE. Never read any of his books.
131. Nerve junction : SYNAPSE
132. Ones handing out cigars, stereotypically : NEW DADS. Tiny dupe with 45. Changing of the locks : NEW DO
Down:
2. Poker phrase : I SEE YOU
3. Rain storage tank : CISTERN. Another new word for me. Carolyn at our flea market used to sell big rain barrels.
4. Record, in a way : TAPE
5. GI morale booster : USO
6. Mixed martial artist Rousey : RONDA. Once unbeatable.
7. "Bewitched" character : ENDORA
9. One of Chekhov's "Three Sisters" : IRINA. Or MASHA.
10. Fleece : CON
11. Shoestring hassle : KNOT
12. "Land ho!" prompter : ISLE
13. Wrote, as music : NOTATED
14. Grind : GNASH
16. Spray sources : AEROSOL CANS. Great fill.
17. Fertile Crescent waterway : TIGRIS
18. Grads : ALUMNI
19. Misses : LASSES
28. Pueblo people : ZUNI
33. Virtual human companion : NEOPET. Do any of you own these pets?
35. Name that might pop up during a breakfast conversation : EGGO. Cute clue.
38. Just beat : EDGE
39. Idiomatic bits : DRABS. Oh, as in dribs and drabs.
42. Old yellers : CRIERS
47. Cheering deafeningly : AROAR
49. Move up and down : BOB
52. Surface for stretching : YOGA MAT
55. Five-time Kentucky Derby winning jockey : ARCARO (Eddie). Wiki says he "has the most wins in the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes with six".
56. Impulse-conducting cell : NEURON
57. Brainstorm : IDEATE. Not a word I use.
59. Breakdown of social norms : ANOMIE
60. Fundamental rules : CANONS
61. First Turkish president __ Atatürk : KEMAL. Learning moment for me.
63. Twists in a bar : LIMES
67. Add pizazz to an ad, say : SEX IT UP. Another great fill.
71. Kind of radial tire : STEEL-BELTED. Got via crosses.
73. Christianity's __ Creed : NICENE
75. Grinch creator : SEUSS
78. "The Fog of War" director Morris : ERROL. Not many ways to clue ERROL, so you better remember this guy.
80. Personalized music media : MIX CDS
82. Contractor's details : SPECS
86. Something to say to a dentist : AAH. Our Bruce is an eye doctor.
88. Champagne choice : BRUT
90. Suit : EXEC
92. Trendy coffee order : SOY LATTE. Soy is spurned by so many. Now the latest research showed coconut oil is bad too. It's the key cooking oil of our foodie Steve.
96. Leave no room in : FILL
98. Wife of Aeneas : LAVINIA. Stumper for me.
99. Spot in a newspaper : PRINT AD
100. Muscle-to-bone connectors : TENDONS. Tiny bone dupe with the SOUP BONE.
102. Common soccer score : ONE ONE
103. Kampala is its capital : UGANDA. Their official language is English.
106. Unbiased : NO SPIN
110. Out of whack : AMISS
112. Base runners? : AWOLs. Gimme for regulars.
113. Snow __ : WHITE
116. Fries, usually : SIDE
118. Tandoori bread : NAAN. Want some naan pizza?
119. Peak in Thessaly : OSSA
126. Big mouth : MAW
1A/1D. Like many a postcard scene : PICTURE PERFECT
8A/8D. Imminently dangerous situation : TICKING/TIME BOMB
15A/15D. Achilles' heel : FATAL FLAW
54A/54D. "Need assistance?" : HOW CAN I/ HELP YOU
58A/58D. One of dozens, for millions : FACEBOOK FRIEND. What a great clue.
95A/95D. Poppycock, with "a" : BUNCH OF/ BALONEY. We have more: 83. Poppycock : ROT. Also 124. Poppycock : PAP
101A/101D. Bad person to share appetizers with? : DOUBLE DIPPER
121A/121D. Mr. Spock forte : MIND MELD
If you solve via Across Lite, then all your Down theme entries have the same clue: [ - ]. They're supposed to be blank, but Across Lite software can't handle blank clues, hence the dashes.
There has to be an extra layer of unifier to tie the gimmick today. It feels a bit loose to me, as the theme entry choices are not very limited, as shown by this NYT grid.
Construction-wise, this 140-word grid is lovely, as all Bruce's grids. Big chunks of white spaces, which are very hard to fill cleanly. Bruce is grid wizard. One of those few constructors who keep pushing the envelope.
Across:
20. "The NFL Today" analyst : ESIASON. Boomer.
21. Transfers, as a T-shirt design : IRONS ON
22. Girl in Byron's "Don Juan" : LEILA. Wiki says she's a Muslim girl. Leila means "night" in Arabic/Hebrew.
23. Get back (to) : RESPOND
24. Company that merged with Konica : MINOLTA
25. Jason's shipbuilder : ARGUS. The 100-eyed monster. We also have 43. Biform beast : CENTAUR. Horse/man.
26. Big party : FETE. Not FEST or GALA or even BASH.
27. Gross fraction : DOZEN. Got via crosses.
29. Brews for socials : TEAS
30. Hook wigglers : WORMS. Quite a few people were fishing along the bank of Mississippi River when Boomer and I took our walk last week. Obviously Boomer likes Rickie Fowler. I was stunned that he found those orange socks.
31. Artist's talent : EYE. EAR too.
32. Caribbean islander : ARUBAN
34. Not just any old : THE. I don't get this clue.
36. Trig ratio : SINE
37. Hollowed out : CORED
40. Mayo is in it : ANO. Mayo the month.
41. Behold, to Brutus : ECCE
44. Knowledge of spiritual matters : GNOSIS. New word to me.
46. North Pole feature : TUNDRA
48. [Yawn] : I'M BORED. Time to take a walk. Summer in MN is gorgeous.
50. Come together : GEL
51. City on Lake Michigan : GARY. I only know Gary in Indiana & our buddy Gary in Nebraska.
53. Casually arrive, in slang : BOP IN. Not a phrase I use.
62. Classic VW : BEETLE
64. Had the nerve : DARED
65. Tiny messenger : RNA
66. Wise ones : SAGES. Asked my sages Argyle and D-Otto, neither saw extra theme layer.
68. Way to hit? : TRAIL. Oh the real "way".
69. Timed perfectly : ON CUE
70. Lightning particles : IONS
72. Japanese noodle dish : RAMEN. This word is borrowed from Chinese La Mian, literally "hand-pulled noodles".
74. Water collectors : SUMPS
76. 1986 #1 hit for Starship : SARA. Unfamiliar with the song.
77. Gush on stage : EMOTE
79. Saw : MAXIM
81. Spanish royalty : REYES. Kings in Spanish. Or this guy.
84. West Coast NFLer : NINER
85. Musical Keys : ALICIA
87. Stock maker's flavor enhancer : SOUP BONE. Typical Cantonese soup consists of pork bones, dried dates, goji berries, watercress and a few traditional Chinese healing herbs, slow-cooked for at least 3 hours. They have a bowl of soup every day and they have a soup for every season. Do you have soup at home often, Jayce?
91. Chihuahua neighbor : TEXAS
93. Manual reader : USER
94. Deli delicacy : LOX
97. Make busts, say : SCULPT
104. Copied : APED
105. Taoist force : YIN. So in Cantonese cuisine, green mung beans are YIN and you eat the soup/porridge in summer. Red beans are Yang, popular winter food.
107. Unsettling look : STARE
108. "Bus Stop" playwright : INGE
109. Berkeley school, familiarly : CAL
111. Sickly-looking : SALLOW
114. Rouge ou blanc : VIN. Or COULEUR.
115. Rings : PEALS
117. Like 45 records : MONO
120. Kate of "Th1rteen R3asons Why" : WALSH
122. Bridges, in Venice : PONTI. OK, plural of Ponte, as in Ponte Vecchio.
123. Up against it : IN A SPOT
125. __ cheese sandwich, popular Augusta National menu item sold for $1.50 : PIMENTO. Our Big Easy saw this menu in person. Ticket price for Masters Sunday is probably 1,000 times of the sandwich.
127. Wrapped up : ENDED
128. Product of ocean evaporation : SEA SALT
129. Pisa party? : ITALIAN
130. English novelist Charles : READE. Never read any of his books.
131. Nerve junction : SYNAPSE
132. Ones handing out cigars, stereotypically : NEW DADS. Tiny dupe with 45. Changing of the locks : NEW DO
Down:
2. Poker phrase : I SEE YOU
3. Rain storage tank : CISTERN. Another new word for me. Carolyn at our flea market used to sell big rain barrels.
4. Record, in a way : TAPE
5. GI morale booster : USO
6. Mixed martial artist Rousey : RONDA. Once unbeatable.
7. "Bewitched" character : ENDORA
9. One of Chekhov's "Three Sisters" : IRINA. Or MASHA.
10. Fleece : CON
11. Shoestring hassle : KNOT
12. "Land ho!" prompter : ISLE
13. Wrote, as music : NOTATED
14. Grind : GNASH
16. Spray sources : AEROSOL CANS. Great fill.
17. Fertile Crescent waterway : TIGRIS
18. Grads : ALUMNI
19. Misses : LASSES
28. Pueblo people : ZUNI
33. Virtual human companion : NEOPET. Do any of you own these pets?
35. Name that might pop up during a breakfast conversation : EGGO. Cute clue.
38. Just beat : EDGE
39. Idiomatic bits : DRABS. Oh, as in dribs and drabs.
42. Old yellers : CRIERS
47. Cheering deafeningly : AROAR
49. Move up and down : BOB
52. Surface for stretching : YOGA MAT
55. Five-time Kentucky Derby winning jockey : ARCARO (Eddie). Wiki says he "has the most wins in the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes with six".
56. Impulse-conducting cell : NEURON
57. Brainstorm : IDEATE. Not a word I use.
59. Breakdown of social norms : ANOMIE
60. Fundamental rules : CANONS
61. First Turkish president __ Atatürk : KEMAL. Learning moment for me.
63. Twists in a bar : LIMES
67. Add pizazz to an ad, say : SEX IT UP. Another great fill.
71. Kind of radial tire : STEEL-BELTED. Got via crosses.
73. Christianity's __ Creed : NICENE
75. Grinch creator : SEUSS
78. "The Fog of War" director Morris : ERROL. Not many ways to clue ERROL, so you better remember this guy.
80. Personalized music media : MIX CDS
82. Contractor's details : SPECS
86. Something to say to a dentist : AAH. Our Bruce is an eye doctor.
88. Champagne choice : BRUT
90. Suit : EXEC
92. Trendy coffee order : SOY LATTE. Soy is spurned by so many. Now the latest research showed coconut oil is bad too. It's the key cooking oil of our foodie Steve.
96. Leave no room in : FILL
98. Wife of Aeneas : LAVINIA. Stumper for me.
99. Spot in a newspaper : PRINT AD
100. Muscle-to-bone connectors : TENDONS. Tiny bone dupe with the SOUP BONE.
102. Common soccer score : ONE ONE
103. Kampala is its capital : UGANDA. Their official language is English.
106. Unbiased : NO SPIN
110. Out of whack : AMISS
112. Base runners? : AWOLs. Gimme for regulars.
113. Snow __ : WHITE
116. Fries, usually : SIDE
118. Tandoori bread : NAAN. Want some naan pizza?
119. Peak in Thessaly : OSSA
126. Big mouth : MAW
C.C.
