THEME: ways to lose at tic tac toe found in phrases
GOOD ONES: Three-letter combinations {& theme} TIC TAC TOE LOSERS
Rusty, the Iron Man? SUPER HERO OXYMORON
Us opponents THEM [I first read it U.S.]
Crest letters ADA [dentist's union on toothpaste tube]
Skilled pitchers AD MEN [advertising pros]
Nasty race tactic SMEAR [I thought athletics]
BTW: Civil War nickname ABE [yes, but it was pre-war so the clue is misleading --- and if that's the point, it isn't terribly clever]
Tokugawa shogunate seat of power EDO [so glad the shogunate was delineated or I would've been stumped
]
Old-fashioned show of affection: Abbr. LTR [perhaps the worst clue in history on two levels: love letters are not old-fashioned, and a letter can be on any topic in the universe]
"All ___": 1984 film OF ME [never heard of the movie, but it is the name of a great old standard pop song]
London forecasts FOGS [Really, when would a forecaster use
fog in the plural? But steam FOGS a mirror --- more than I can say for …]
RATING:
Three grins = Loved it; Two grins = Enjoyed it; One grin = A bit bland for my taste; One teardrop = Not much fun
