Sunday's New York Times crossword puzzle solved: August 5, 2018

My time: 24:18.

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Alison Ohringer and Erik Agard teamed up to create this puzzle, titled "Ghosted."  Throughout the puzzle are circled letters, which spell out phantoms when the grid is filled.

69 Across notes that "this puzzle's circled letters vis-à-vis their Across answers" get LOST IN THE SHUFFLE, and I'm not sure what that's supposed to mean.

I've never heard of "certain vacuum tube" TRIODE.  It's a vacuum tube with three electrodes: a filament, a grid, and a plate.

ACER has appeared in the puzzle in the past, but today it's clued as "Taiwan-based electronics giant."

I thought Morticia Addams was Fester's *SISTER (and thus he was Uncle Fester to the kids, Pugsley and Wednesday), but she's his NIECE --- he's her uncle.

CARMEN MCRAE was a jazz singer who also played Lila in "Roots: The Next Generations."  She also played Richard Pryor's grandmother in Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling.

The oldest iron oxide mineral on earth, hematite is colored black to red and is widely mined as IRON ORE.

GRANITA is a sorbet-like dessert (but usually with a coarser texture) originating in Sicily.

Apparently, the nearest country to Cape Verde is SENEGAL.

Here's a sports term that, surprise surprise, I don't know: BOX OUT.  This means to block a player form getting close to the basket.  And remember, if you're playing a low position (closer to the basket) try to find someone near to you in the paint.  Sage advice.

I've also never heard of comedian APARNA Nancheria.  Follow her on Twitter!

"Washington team, familiarly" is CAPS, as in the Washington Capitals, of the NHL.

Yet more sports: a feat in tennis is a SERENA SLAM, in which a player is reigning champion of all the major tournaments at the same time, but not all the tournaments have occurred in the same tennis season. This is opposed to the more traditional grand slam, in which the titles have to have been won in the same year.

"Viscount's superior" is EARL.  Remember the mnemonic!

"Fermented root" dish POI has appeared a few times in the puzzle.

I don't watch a lot of "Will & Grace," but Gracer ADLER's last name appeared way back on December 14, 2017, when I claimed to vaguely remember it.

Clever clues: "Expecting help?" is LAMAZE.  "Beat generation figure?" is HEART RATE (it generates beats).  Similarly, "wrist watch?" is PULSE.  "Oral examination?" is TASTE TEST.