Rooster raised for eating / SAT 9-17-22 / Org. running global championships since 1930 / Mascot whose head is a baseball / In which Nunavut means our land / Role in 2020's Trial of the Chicago 7 / Performs repetitive tasks to gain experience points in gaming slang

• • •

You gotta look out for those "THE"s today, because they really come at ya. I was not terribly bothered by having THE RAM appear just two rows above THE SANDS OF TIME (the elegant marquee answer where the definite article feels most APT). But I lost patience a little with the third "THE" down below, at THE TANGO. It takes two to tango, not "two to do THE TANGO." Somehow if it's a modern party dance, like THE TWIST or THE WATUSI, I think the THE is great, but THE TANGO feels about as forced as THE WALTZ or THE MINUET. It's not wrong, it's just ... Definite Article Overload, man. I was also not a fan of MISS A CUE, today's entry in the "EAT A SANDWICH" sweepstakes. MISS A BEAT, that's a phrase. MISS A CUE ... sigh, squint, ok, I guess, but not really. My disposition toward this one was not warmed by the fact that the clue was difficult—I actually considered MISSLEEP at one point (?!) (6D: Go out too late). But as far as grid flaws go, THE TANGO and MISSACUE were about all that stood out. This one is very, very clean and virtually bump-free. It has that Flow that I love in a themeless. I wouldn't say I exactly "whooshed" around the grid, but I low-key whooshed. Slow-whooshed. It had a good beat and I could dance to it. But not THE TANGO. Some other dance.

There were cluing problems, however. A couple of big ones, involving marquee answers. The more minor problem involved the clue on AUDIO-VISUAL AID (47A: Slide behind a speaker, maybe). Since AUDIO is not strongly associated with a slide, I dunno... I wrote in AUDIO because it seemed like it had to be right, but then had some trouble filling in that little SW section at the end and so actually started doubting AUDIO. I guess AUDIO-VISUAL AID is a broad category that includes "slides," so it's not wrong, but I would've liked something more audio-y there, for clarity's sake. The much more major cluing problem came at 12A: Question ... oh, crud ... I just realized, just now, that I misread the clue! (12A: Question in a lot of cars?). Well, that is, I didn't notice its trick / punny meaning. Gah! I thought the clue was telling me that "WHERE DID I PARK?" was a question one hears in a lot of (i.e. a great many) cars, and I was like "but ... but ... but ... if you're already in your car ... doesn't that mean ... how ... why are you asking this!?!?" But of course "lot" here means a car lot or parking lot, so you hear the question in the lot, probably walking around, clicking your little chirpy key-ring mechanism, and yes, that tracks. I hereby retract the objection that I was going to make. Or, rather, I ... don't make it. I make it not. No objection! Aborted objection overruled!

Some notes:

• 19A: Like certain corrections (PENAL)— pfffff OK, technically, yes, I guess, but since you wouldn't say "PENAL corrections" (would you?) this one feels weird. It was very hard for me, and came right in the middle of the whole MISSACUE fiasco. 
• 4D: Possible source of monthly income (RENTER) — I had RENTAL. This also happened near MISSACUE junction.
• 32A: Emmy winner Patricia of "Thirtysomething" (WETTIG) — remembered her, but not her vowels, my god. WITTIG, WITTEG, WETTEG, WETEGG, WETLEG, who knows!? Patricia WETTIG is married to Ken OLIN of crossword fame (also of "Thirtysomething" fame). I just realized I confuse Ken OLIN and Bob Saget. But only visually, not in crosswords.

• 25D: Relationship strains? (DUETS) — there were entirely too many "?" clues for my taste today, but this was a good one (with "strains" meaning "tunes").
• 7A: Performs repetitive tasks to gain experience points, in gaming slang (FARMS) — "in gaming slang" is a strong indicator that I won't have any idea what the hell is going on. Here, I was really, really glad I knew FIFA, because otherwise, hello Natick! I hope you at least knew FIFA! Game crossing game! Not sure how this cross is going to play for some of you...
• 19D: Hideout for Blackbeard (PIRATE COVE) — Had the "PIR-" and so got this one easily *except* for that "O," which I left blank at first because I thought a PIRATE CAVE might be a thing (pretty sure it is a thing). 
• 43D: Role in 2020's "The Trial of the Chicago 7" (SEALE) —That's Bobby SEALE, co-founder (with Huey Newton) of the Black Panther party.
• 29D: Motivated, with "under" (LIT A FIRE) — this clue is so interestingly odd that I almost completely forgot that LITA FIRE is basically MISS ACUE's slightly but only slightly better-looking cousin. EAT A SANDWICH, LITA FIRE!

Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld

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