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ACROSS
3. LOT not pot. A pot needs more explanation since the content of the pot that the “pals” are playing for might be insignificant. A LOT is a better answer. 5. SEEM not seek. To play “games” is to seek happiness through a form of entertainment, making seek superfluous. SEEM is apt. 6. WILL not bill. To reach “a settlement in a dispute” fits well with a WILL and the legal wrangling that often goes on when a WILL’s wording is disputed. A bill might be so small as to make any “dispute” a waste of time. 7. EVEN not ever. EVEN is best. To be grammatically correct, never should be used rather than “didn’t” ever. 8. HATE not have. He may HATE “to study.” However, having “to study” might be dependent on the content of the course and the individual’s natural ability to learn it, which, for some, can be automatic. 9. STAR not stir. STAR matches up well with the reference to “the entertainment business.” Causing a stir, being a typically aggressive tactic, is common in many forms of “business,” not just “entertainment.” 12. BOATS not boots. The clue fits BOATS best. Many pairs of “durable” boots are discarded before they are worn out, often because the consumer has decided to purchase newer, trendier ones. 15. RIVERS not divers. The clue is better phrased for RIVERS. The reference to depth is superfluous where divers “are concerned.” 17. WARMLY not warily. WARMLY is apt. It is questionable that a reaction that is “very” wary could rightfully be considered “a greeting.”
DOWN
1. RECENT not decent. It is RECENT “work” that would get the “public’s interest.” Since the “artist” is “well-known,” in all likelihood her “work” would be acknowledged as decent, so there’s no need for decent in the clue. 2. NIGHT not fight. NIGHT makes a straightforward answer. “A tiring effect” is an understatement for fight. 4. THEMES not theses. It would be the THEMES or topics that would be the basis of the listeners’ argument. Every thesis has a THEME, making THEME an all-inclusive answer. 10. RIDE not rise. “In a” “gondola,” you don’t actually rise “to great heights,” since the rising is not of one’s own accord. It’s the “gondola” you’re RIDING in that takes you to those “heights.” 11. ACTS not aces. It would be the ACTS of the aces, rather than the aces themselves, that the “boy” would attempt “to copy.” 13. TRAWLER not trailer. A boat such as a TRAWLER is “used” “primarily” for fishing, but “could” be “used for transportation” if necessary; however, a trailer is definitely “used for transportation.” 14. TIRED not fired. “It’s typical to feel low when you’re” TIRED, but a person’s first reaction to being fired is often anger or astonishment rather than depression, which often occurs after the reality of the situation sets in. 16. RIFT not riot. The clue words “occasionally,” “without warning” imply that on other occasions there are “warning” signs. This is truer of a RIFT than a riot, since the “key” individuals plotting the riot are often careful to ensure their plan is kept secret.