Written by Eric Albert
Answers must be altered before being entered into the grid according to the rule that a given letter is only entered the first time it appears. For example, the answer to 30 Across is "arrested"; the second R and the second E are omitted, and the word is entered as ARESTD. (This rule is hinted at by the opening words of the introduction, "First you see him, then you don't.")
The answers to the clues are as follows:
ACROSS
1. Pisces
6. oatmeal
12. weak force
20. on tour
21. two-time
22. unselfish
23. [unclued]
25. simpatico
26. reel
27. Pope
28. bad off
29. how
30. arrested
32. moonbeam
37. diddle
39. street
40. evacuated
41. yet again
44. [unclued]
48. Ursa
49. unsheathe
52. dreamer
53. starry
54. sayonara
55. book
58. ark
59. Doors
60. Ararat
61. coalpit
64. mannequin
67. item
69. [unclued]
73. cups
74. Roman arch
76. in reply
78. Lou
79. Orion
80. civic
83. Doom
84. business
86. suffix
88. Bonnie
90. rocky road
91. emblem
92. [unclued]
96. Larry Bird
98. el cheapo
99. Eric
103. in line
104. bat boys
105. radish
107. ash
109. Ill Met... (by Moonlight)
112. huff
113. cha-cha-cha
114. Pecos Bill
116. [unclued]
122. true-false
123. tolerate
124. rip apart
125. Hindustan
126. Brer Fox
127. stare
DOWN
1. pot roast
2. inherent
3. Stoller
4. cur
5. erupt
6. O'Toole
7. "away!"
8. toe-to-toe
9. mix
10. emcee
11. Len
12. WUSA
13. Enid
14. Asmodeus
15. keep fit
16. Fla.
17. [unclued]
18. RICO
19. chow chow
24. "good God!"
28. badger
31. set shot
32. MVI
33. oaf
34. NCR
35. Bund
36. et cetera
38. Lautrec
40. EDT
41. yam
42. Isr.
43. nanny
45. hence
46. ear of corn
47. Oak
49. USAir
50. narrator
51. [unclued]
53. soon
55. blab
56. opt
57. kiwi
59. day labor
62. Allah
63. Tritt
64. Mop
65. "... upon a ..."
66. issued
68. Marilyn
70. ended
71. Croc
72. gem
75. nix
77. yucca
80. cocoon
81. in debt
82. viola
85. skyed
86. Seles
87. Uma
88. bid
89. effect
90. REO
92. kielbasa
93. shoo
94. Layla
95. VPs
97. blissful
100. rice paper
101. Ishtar
102. chaste
105. ruff
106. affairs
107. a path
108. series
110. Milt
111. Elsa
112. hoax
115. OED
116. at bat
117. nor
118. glee
119. referee
120. Mr. Mom
121. lilt
The resulting grid is:
pisce oatmel weakforc ontur twoime unselfih thoruglyexcn simpatco rel poe badof how arestd monbea dile stre evacutd yetagin thedifrncgoau ursa unsheat dream stary sayonr bok ark dors art coalpit manequi item flatwrecgoy cups romanch inreply lou orin civ dom busine sufix bonie rockyad embl kindofslveray larybid elchapo eric inle batoys radish ash ilmet huf cha pecosbil angrmofilets truefals tolera ripat hindusta brefox stare
Each of the seven unclued entries in the grid is the result of applying the same reduction rule to a clue for this puzzle's solution word, as follows:
23 Across: THORUGLYEXCN
<- Thoroughly excellent
44 Across: THEDIFRNCGOAU <- The Difference Engine coauthor
69 Across: FLATWRECGOY <- Flatware category
92 Across: KINDOFSLVERAY <- Kind of silver alloy
116 Across: ANGRMOFILETS <- Anagram of "ringlets"
17 Down: OFTHEGRASQULIY <- Of the greatest quality
51 Down: SYTEMOFBRIHCUN <- System of British currency
The solution, then, is STERLING.