Sunday, September 19, 2021 - ¡Ay, caramba!

Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword

Sometimes, what you need when solving a crossword is a FRESHSETOFEYES. Well, good news, because in today's crossword, they're already there, as in the answer to 116A, New look provider ... or a homophonic hint to this puzzle's theme. Specifically, there are multiple answers with an extra set of I's and whose removal leads to a completely different answer. For instance, 23A, Meticulous magical beings?, THOROUGHFAIRIES, with the I's excised, becomes THOROUGHFARES. Most ingenious.
In other parts of the puzzle, Jean got momentarily naticked* at the corner of 22A, To love, in Italian, AMARE (not AMORE), and 17D, Straight sides of sectors, RADII (not RODII), whereas Mike had an issue with 31D, Agitate, ROIL (not RAIL) crossing 34A, Three-time Pro Bowl wide receiver in the New York Jets Ring of Honor, ALTOON (not ALTOAN). Still, both dug in, and managed to dig their way out of this delightful puzzle, definitely a 5 squares on the JAMCR scale.
*stymied by unfamiliarity with two crossing answers

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