Theme feedback...

[spotcatbug]

My first (well, second) puzzle had theme problems, so I thought for my third (yeah, noob,) before I went to all the trouble of laying-out and filling, I would cut right to the chase to ask if my theme works. All feedback is welcome! You can’t hurt my feelings. Well, don’t attack me, attack my theme idea.

Title: “Indecision” or “Can’t Decide” or something like that. Feedback, please.

I started the grid and I’ve whittled my themer possibilities down to these:

FRIENDANDFOE: When a sentry can’t decide?
TRICKANDTREAT: When a candy giver can’t decide?
HEADSANDTAILS: When a flipper can’t decide?
TRUEANDFALSE: When a philosopher can’t decide?

I’m especially interested in clue ideas. Ha, ha, the hard part! I especially don’t like my TRICKORTREAT clue because a candy giver would have already decided on treat, but I’m having a hard time. I don’t want to use the word “Halloween” because that seems too easy.

Also, I’m not at all married to the “can’t decide” idea. It would be cool to come up with literal clues. Like, for TRUEANDFALSE: “Logical impossibility.” HEADSANDTAILS: “Impossible toss.” But then I can’t figure out good clues for the other two.

Thanks!

[mmcbs]

Cute. I'd consider trying to clue them all differently. "Halloween no-no"; "Impossible flip"; "Identity crisis at a sentry station"; "Philosophical conundrum". If you're set on using a title, you're in luck because most of the outlets who use titles (e.g. Puzzle Society, Newsday) will accept theme queries, so you don't have to finish the entire puzzle to find out if they're interested.

[cranberry44]

I agree with mmcbs. I don't think the word "When" in the clue really corresponds to the answer.

A few suggestions for the ones you're stuck on:

TRICKANDTREAT Clue: What a philandering husband might do (or, if you want to get "trickier," What a rake might do)

FRIENDANDFOE  Clue: Man's own self, per Bhagavad Gita (The exact quote, I believe, is "A man's own self is his friend. A man's own self
is his foe." (Doublecheck me, though, to see if this is the exact quote.)

Hope this helps.

[spotcatbug]

I'd consider trying to clue them all differently.

Yeah, great idea! They just don’t all fit into the same cluing style. Also, I love your clues.

If you're set on using a title

I guess I prefer titles. I just don’t think a puzzle is complete without one. I know not everybody feels that way, of course. Probably also just what I’m used to from my solving.

[spotcatbug]

A few suggestions for the ones you're stuck on:

TRICKANDTREAT Clue: What a philandering husband might do (or, if you want to get "trickier," What a rake might do)

Whoosh!! Right over my head. Especially the “rake” angle. There must be some meaning of “rake” that I’m not aware of - super-likely!

FRIENDANDFOE  Clue: Man's own self, per Bhagavad Gita (The exact quote, I believe, is "A man's own self is his friend. A man's own self
is his foe." (Doublecheck me, though, to see if this is the exact quote.)

Again. Whoosh! Is that a well-known quote? I don’t want my puzzle to require Google. I’m trying to make a puzzle at a difficulty level that at least I can solve.

Hope this helps.

I love all the feedback I can get. Thank you!

[cranberry44]

TRICKANDTREAT:  Perhaps better clue: How a philandering husband may act toward his wife

or Clue: Philandering husband's motto?

(He tricks her by philandering and then treats her to make up.) Rake is a rogue, a womanizer.
On second thought, "rake" is probably too far out there.

Bhagavad Gita is a famous person, so there's no need to explain any further. Nobody has to look
up anything; you use your common sense to guess what he said. I do think, though, you
need to mention his name since the phrase "man's own self" and the answer is specific to him.

This kind of thing is done all the time in crosswords.