on - testing, testing - i mean off

I woke earlier than usual, wide awake and ready to answer a knock on my front door.
This is the day for me to win five thousand dollars a week, for life!
That's right, boys and girls, ladies and gentlemen...
Publishers Clearing House should be at my door any minute!
I've had coffee and breakfast and am all out of paczki since yesterday...
so, maybe a dark chocolate will soon cross my palate.
Maybe.
In the meantime, I've been entertaining myself with the crossword puzzle.
I do so enjoy a good one, and that's what Enrique Henestroza Anguiano has provided!
Moreover, he began and ended it quite cleverly, with the first DOWN and final DOWN both having three letters and beginning with "f-l".
Those would be "F-l-o" and "f-l-y", respectively.
Such a nice bit of symmetry!
Mama always appreciated symmetry.
(smile)
So, back to the crossword puzzle and its clever clues!
I don't know that I've ever seen such as those before.
Five times the clues gave two hints, one for a maxim featuring the word "on", then a second for that apothegm obtained by substituting the word "off".
The first of his mind-teasers was this one for 17-ACROSS.
"All things considered -
testing, testing -
never mind, try this clue:
Unstable".
Well, that had me stumped, but I persevered.
The second time occurred for 26-ACROSS.
"Assume responsibility for -
testing, testing -
forget it, try this clue:
Become very popular".
Interesting, but I didn't have enough other clues worked out just yet to get it.
The third from him, at 39-ACROSS, was for a grid-wide response.
"SWAT team command -
testing, testing -
aargh, try this clue:
Begin successfully".
I think that may be the clue that kicked things off for me -
or should I have said, kicked things on?
It was the "testing, testing" that did it for me.
Hey, is this thing on???
Hahahaha hahaha!
So, 17-ACROSS worked out to be "off balance", rather than "on balance", 26-ACROSS brought me to "take off" instead of "take on", and 39-ACROSS's long answer was "get off the ground", not "get on the ground".
Pretty cool switcheroos, aren't they?
(Get my little joke, there? Switcheroo? LOL!)
So, as curiosity killed the cat and I don't want that responsibility, here are the last two.
For 48-ACROSS, "Readily available - testing, testing - rats, try this clue: Casual, as a remark" led quite naturally to "offhand" rather than "on hand".
Then, "Challenge accepted - testing, testing - gah, try this clue: Carry out a plan", at 60-ACROSS, caused me to "bring it off", not "bring it on".
What fun for a Friday!
Now, it's time for me to get on the ball and get off my bottom!
(smile!)