NO WINNER THIS WEEK!!
ACROSS
1. GOLD not good. Good is somewhat pointless since it is reasonable to assume that the “wealthy” patron’s “watch” would be a good one. GOLD makes a better answer.
5. WATTAGE not wastage. WATTAGE makes a straightforward answer. The “electricity” used by a lightbulb can’t truly be considered wastage if it’s the exact amount needed by the bulb to function.
6. CARS not card. “The Christmas” holiday is, traditionally, a time for visitors, so CARS are a common sight parked outside. People usually receive multiple cards, whether by post or email, at “Christmas,” not just one.
7. DREAD not dream. Grammatically speaking, “an unfortunate” dream would be referred to as a nightmare. DREAD fits the clue best.
11. GONE not done. GONE is apt. Usually, a renowned “artist” will try to sell or exhibit a painting when it is done, rather than try “not to think about it.”
12. SWIM not slim. To SWIM a long distance would be “considered an achievement by many.” But one person’s interpretation of slimming “down” could be very different from another’s, and the clue doesn’t give enough information regarding the “husband’s” weight loss goal.
16. SEW not see. SEW is apt. It’s not just people “doing handicrafts” who “sometimes” can’t see a “TV” screen “well”; this is a common problem for many ordinary people due to technical problems or simply because someone or something is blocking the screen.
17.PINCHED not punched. The sudden visible “pain” when PINCHED “in a harsh way” makes a clear-cut answer. But the “person” could be a trained boxer, for example, who’s conditioned to endure punches with little obvious signs of “pain.”
19. ONCERTO not concerts. The clue doesn’t tell us how long it is “before” the concerts that the musicians’ nervousness takes hold. “Before” the concerts could refer to the days or the week preceding them, when there is no immediate cause for nerves. “Before” a CONCERTO is apt.
DOWN
1. GLASS not grass. He might well have “found” fingerprints on GLASS, such as a tumbler or a table top. Footprints would be in the grass, not “on” it.
2. LATER not water. LATER is best. The “tide” itself is not “low” water; rather, it’s the ebb and flow of water as determined by its cyclic rise and fall.
3. FAN not man. There’s nothing in the clue to indicate that the “rich” man is interested in the event at “the stadium.” But a FAN clearly would be.
4. WEEDS not weeks. It’s the WEEDS that can do the harm; whereas, weeks are merely the passage of time.
8. GONG not song. GONG makes a straightforward answer. It would be the “first” notes of the song that would startle the “sister,” “after an extended silence.”
9. WIVES not lives. Individuals such as WIVES can be “full of hope.” But lives aren’t individuals, so lives does not apply in the clue.
10. CARE not dare. “There aren’t” many “who’d” CARE “to be involved in a nasty dispute with each other while in public,” but judging from the high divorce rate, many have dared to make their marital disputes “public” by going to court.
13. CASH not rash. Although the “purchase” might have appeared to be a rash one to the “salesclerk,” it could have been an intentional “purchase” by the customer, since the clue gives no indication of the mindset of the buyer. A CASH “purchase” makes a better fit.