Grid: 40 minutes; Meta: two days 

Alex Eaton-Salner’s Fireball contest, “Split Ends” — Conrad’s writeup

This month, we’re requested, What six-letter phrase is hinted at by this puzzle? There had been 5 starred theme entries:

FB Contest – 09.14.2022

• 15A [*Entry-level worker, perhaps]: (RE)CENTGR(AD)
• 19A [*Dive into a pail, say?]: (EA)TLUN(CH)
• 35A [*Collection of cells producing the electrical signal that causes the heart to beat]: (SI)NUSNO(DE)
• 55A [*Marty McFly’s time-traveling pal in “Back to the Future”]: (DO)CBRO(WN)
• 60A [*Certain creamy soup]: (CL)AMBISQ(UE)

It took me a very long time to finish the grid, however Fireball crosswords are famously… “hard. How hard? If you have to ask, too hard for you.” I lastly managed to complete the grid, and spun my wheels for a very long time. Not positive why on reflection, this was an easy meta. I lastly “split” the themers and regarded on the first and final two letters of every, which fashioned the phrase READ EACH SIDE DOWN CLUE.

The facet down clues had been:

• 1d: (It)ems shot by Hiawat(ha)
• 11d: (Sa)ilor symbols tattooed on Pope(ye)
• 38d: (Ll)yod with an eponymous TV sh(ow)
• 49d: (Pe)ninsular pair straddling the thirty eighth parall(el)

The first and final two letters of every facet down clue spell “It has a yellow peel,” resulting in BANANA, our contest resolution.