THEME: eight times the letters B-A-L-L found across and down in four abutting answers and once vertically, in a geometric pattern!
GOOD ONES: Diamond deception {and theme} HIDDENBALLTRICK
Spotty coverage? ACNE
Giant slugger OTT [he played for the Giants and was diminutive]
BTW: This structure with its geometry would seem impossible to create, but here it is --- amazing.
ESA and
SES are not ever used in our language.
Freshly groomed CLEANCUT [well, maybe:
clean cut suggests neatly groomed and/or clean shaven, not
recently groomed; they are different notions. As I write this I am freshly groomed but not clean cut as I have a full beard, neatly trimmed and gray though it may be.]
RATING:
Three grins = Loved it; Two grins = Enjoyed it; One grin = A bit bland for my taste; One teardrop = Not much fun
