Red giant in constellation Cetus / THU 11-30-17 / Pope before Leo VI / 1984 Schwarzenegger sequel / Round floor cleaner / Chrysler model discontinued in 2010

Constructor: Trenton Charlson

Relative difficulty: Easy-Medium

THEME: BATTLESHIP (60A: It's four units long in a popular board game (with the game's other pieces hinted at by the circled letters))— The theme is the game "BATTLESHIP," and themers contain different sea vessel types that are Xd out by Xs in the answers ... the Xs signifying HITs (62D: Success in the game 60-Across ... or a hint to interpreting the circled squares)

Theme answers:

• 17A: 1984 Schwarzenegger sequel (CONAN THE xx) ("Destroyer")
• 25A:  Early form of airmail? (xxxxx PIGEON) ("Carrier")
• 37A: Chrysler model discontinued in 2010 (PT xxx) ("Cruiser")
• 50A: Grinder (xxx SANDWICH) ("Sub(marine)") 

Word of the Day: JOHN X (6D: Pope before Leo VI) —

Pope John X (Latin: Ioannes X; d. 28 May 928) was Pope from March 914 to his death in 928. A candidate of the Counts of Tusculum, he attempted to unify Italy under the leadership of Berengar of Friuli, and was instrumental in the defeat of the Saracens at the Battle of Garigliano. He eventually fell out with Marozia, who had him deposed, imprisoned, and finally murdered. John’s pontificate occurred during the period known as the Saeculum obscurum. (wikipedia)

LOL at anyone knowing a. who JOHN X is, b. who Leo VI is. I Was a Twenty-Something Medievalist and I had no clue. I thought there was a major problem with the theme at first, because I assumed that the Xs in PTXXX represented a "boat." You know: PT BOAT. And so I thought "wait, why are all the other sea vessels used in non-sea vessel contexts in the theme answers *except this one*?" But it turns out that the Xs represent not BOAT but CRUISER, so ... yeah, nevermind. I obviously didn't see the actual clue. This happens (not infrequently). I guess the theme is fine, then. I didn't think much of it, as I couldn't remember the sequel to "Conan the Barbarian" and so had no idea what the Xs were doing for a very long time. The reveal was ... OK. CUL and ABO and ALBA and EEO are yuck and too much of the fill is dull, but I love "JUKEBOX HERO" and LOOSE CANNON. They are nice. I do admire that (I think) the sea vessels in question in the answer are actually as big in the game as they are in the grid, i.e. the carrier is 5 places long, the destroyer 2, etc. I am not looking this up. I am taking it on faith that the constructor got this right. If I am wrong, please just leave me to my wrongness.


More wrongness:

• 65A: Red giant in the constellation Cetus (MIRA)— I had LYRA. I believe that that is ... a constellation, at least. Oh look, it is. I find its being a constellation a consolation.
• 6D: Pope before Leo VI (JOHN X)— Yeah, no. I had all kinds of crap here at first, including a JOAN. 
• 29D: Actress Headey (LENA)— I have no idea who this is, so I naturally assumed I was just misremembering the name of actress Glenne Headly.
• 55A: Org. whose symbol is an eagle atop a key (NSA)— NRA. Then BSA. Oh well...

Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld

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