19 D. “Group Game?” He is an excellent leader for a team. It will also provide a good clue for the word “occupation” at the end of the week.
50 D. This “pet problem”? It’s not fleas or dandruff, it’s just PEEVE. Please spay or neuter your pet.
Notes about the creator
This puzzle took some time to finalize. The editorial team regretted the August 2021 submission of the LEAD BALLOON with the revision of the circular PB as it was similar to a LEADBELLY puzzle run several years earlier. This mystery has found a loving home on Matthew Stock’s blog.
For some reason I couldn’t let go of the idea, which over time turned into a chemical reagent. The exact process eluded me until Adrian Johnson’s excellent “Eyes on the Prize” appeared on AVCX, and from then on the puzzle fell into place very quickly; The replicated rebus squares were the icing on the cake.
Some of my favorite clues that didn’t work were probably omitted to simplify topic input in a difficult puzzle – 18A “Spot with an upscale cocktail menu?”; 50A “Bust Sculptor?” 32D “Spin your wheels?”
This puzzle was taken just over a year ago and I’m excited to share it with you all today, not least because it gave me a great idea for the next round of music leagues I’m participating in online.
I hope you are enjoying and everyone is celebrating a Happy Hanukkah tonight!
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