Interesting theme this Sunday.   This is an unusual theme in that most people (including me) will need to solve most of the clues that cross the long answers before getting the long answers.   Note first that the long acrosses (plus the combo of 122-Across and 124-Across) are all connected to each other.   Pay particular attention to the question mark at the end of 148-Across.   That cues you into the fact that there’s some word play in the answer.   Connection and direction are the common elements.   The fact that all the long answers are across answers isn’t irrelevant.

10 Specific hints (all down since theme answers are all across)

1.  3-Down: Hedgehop, e.g.   Think crop duster.

2.  9-Down: Tulip festival city:  pssst:  Holland ain’t the only place that has tulips

3.  21-Down:  Intentionally disregarding:  Or just having turned one’s hearing aid off

4.  38-Down:  In stitches:  Think literally

5.  39-Down:  Caesar and others:  Neither the emperor nor the salad.  There’s another Caesar?  There was.

6.  67-Down:  “So-so”:  The quotes around the question tells you that the answer is likely a sound rather than a real word.

7.  74-Down:  1980’s – 90’s German leader Helmut:  Who later launched a chain of big box stores?

8.  90-Down:  Stun with a gun:  The answer is a noun, not a verb

9.  107-Down: London greeting:  Think My Fair Lady

10.  133-Down: Frosty’s eyes:  Was he on his way to Newcastle?

 

Enjoyed the hints?  Check out my Reflections.