THEME:   /A/ sound substituted for a normal vowel sound in a phrase   
GOOD ONES:     title: 
BRINGING YOUR "A" GAME   Go flat?   LIE [as in recline]   
It may be gray   AREA   
Maniacal leader?   EGO-   [not Putin]
Bangkok bread   BAHT [what they spend, not eat]   
Quakers in the forest?   ASPENS [the trees quake, I guess]   
Darling girl   WENDY [from 
Peter Pan whose last name was Darling, and she was]   
Beach shade   TAN [not the shade from an umbrella]   
It means nothing at all   NIL [not the illicit affair]   
Turns up at home?   AT BATS [the jargon is "turns at the plate"]   
Older partner, hopefully   WISER [as in the sadly eschewed concept of "older and wiser"]   
Hot rod   SPIT [at times]   
Persian plaint   MEW [the cat not the cat (man or dudeā¦)]      
BTW:   Aversion therapy  
 HATE DETECTOR [I don't believe there is a "height" detector]      
"The View" alum Joy   BEHAR [I do believe she has returned]      
Emulate the Piper   
DERAT [I don't believe this is a word]      
Breed of dog?   SLY [as in "sly dog," but he isn't bred and doesn't "breed true" as does my standard poodle, who would be stumped by the breeding process I am sure]      
SEIS and DONDE are Spanish only.         
RATING:    
 
  
 
Three grins = Loved it; Two grins = Enjoyed it; One grin = A bit bland for my taste; One teardrop = Not much fun