NO WINNER THIS WEEK!!

ACROSS

1. FRY not fly. FRY (i.e., very young fish) are “seen at a lake’s surface,” but flies can be seen in countless locations, not solely “at a lake’s surface.”

5. SLICE not slime. “A golfer” doesn’t like to SLICE a ball (i.e., inadvertently hit it so that it curves away to the right or left). It’s not just “golfers,” but most people, who have nothing “favorable to say about” slime.

6. LAW not lap. “Certain” types of criminals can claim “success” atan illicit activity by having “easily” gotten “around” a LAW. Grammatically speaking, what determines the “success” of a racer or driver is “how” quickly “they” “get around” the lap.

7. LAME not late. “She might be” LAME, depending on the extent of the “accident” and whether she suffered any leg injuries. However, it’s very likely she will be late, since there are usually legal, vehicle and possibly medical details to deal with directly after an “accident.”

9. RASH not rush. Most “business deals can be jeopardized by a” RASH “decision.” Sometimes, however, it’s necessary to make a rush “decision” in “business,” but that doesn’t mean it’s always an unwise one; in fact, there may be some good choices to be made, in spite of the short time frame.

12. JOY not boy. “Uninhibited” JOY might well abound at an “entertainment-packed” “party.” But the “party” could be a grown-up event, not a “party” with boys in attendance, since the clue gives no indication of the age of the “guests.”

13. PRISONER not poisoner. In the clue, there’s no assurance that the poisoner has been caught in order for him to “walk away a free man.” PRISONER is apt.

18. GALES not sales. “Too many” sales is too vague since there’s no indication of what’s being purchased. If, for example, grocery items or household supplies are being bought on sale, it’s unlikely to leave the consumer in a “sorry state.” But numerous GALES can certainly be devastating, to the point where some homeowners have been left destitute.

DOWN

1. FAIL not fall. FAIL is all-encompassing since to fall during the “time” trial is a type of failure.

2. PILOT not pivot. A PILOT “can” cause “a turn.” However, a pivot is the central point around which something turns.

3. TEN not men. The clue’s reference to “children” and not boys favors TEN rather than men.

4. MARCH not match. Match needs to be better qualified because if the “teen” is competing in a chess match, for example, he’d be seated, and, therefore, his injured “ankle” might not be a problem. MARCH is a better choice.

5. SHEEP not sleep. The clue word “rancher” favors SHEEP. Any “busy” person might have little “time for” sleep.

8. ALLOT not allow. “Others” might be dissatisfied if “certain workers” are ALLOTTED “a special bonus.” But, grammatically speaking, a company doesn’t allow employees a “bonus”; rather, bonuses are usually authorized as a type of reward.

11. PILLS not bills. The average person often has “some harsh things to say about” bills. PILLS, however, has a direct link with the “man” who has “chronic pain” and possibly is not getting any relief from his medication.

15. PONY not pond. PONY is best. The clue words “small and calm” are redundant with pond, which is defined as a body of standing water that’s smaller than a lake.

16. LASH not dash. LASH is a solid answer. As for dash, the clue does not contain enough information as to the whereabouts of the “argument.” For instance, where is the “bride” dashing away from?