Cryptic Puzzle tom toce
Party time
There are several proper nouns, all
fairly common, except 18D, which is
somewhat obscure. All other words are
playable in Scrabble. However, two of
these words are unusual (17A and 35A),
and one is archaic (32A).
The clues are cryptic clues. This
means that one end is a fairly straight-
forward definition of the answer, while
the other is an alternative, often me-
chanical, way of getting to the same
word. In this puzzle, the mechanical
means I use may include puns, homo-
phones, anagrams, constructions, and
double definitions. (For a further ex-
planation of cryptic clues, e-mail me at
Thomas. Toce@ey.com.) Ignore punctua-
tion, which is intended to mislead.
Thanks to Eric Klis for test-solving
and editorial suggestions.
mOST ACTuARIES ARE SERIOuS PARTY AnImALS, so I’ve
devoted this puzzle to parties. no tricks, no hidden messages: Just fill
out the diagram in a straightforward way. And bring the parties to life!
across Clues
3. Secret ID unscrambled one element
at a time
8. Depose stranger in a bathing suit
10. It’s a gas—characteristic of absurd
one-act
11. Fricassée? No, a purée for Angela
Merkel or Gordon Brown
12. Devilry lacking malice is wearisome
14. Flappable Lapp left out of legend
17. Sonically, Seal put something
1
2
3
4
5
6
over our heads
19. Permit cooties no satisfactory
entrance
20. The sound machine began here,
with alto interrupting Mimi
21. Not one sound, sister
22. Party of bishops do New York
Saturday, from the East Side to the
West Side
24. Hello, a falsehood, they say: the
fastest sport in the world
25. Gets hold of police officers
27. Mockery made of face-saving run
30. Born with knee cap falling off
32. Frequently emit soft plastic
35. Wrongdoing one found in Ukrainian
peninsula
37. Popular here to be present at birth
38. Carries out former spouses
embracing—cute
down Clues
1. Renewing Pa’s health club
2. Number one retired for Duke
3. Homeric expression uttered by
female animal
4. Conflict in street? Very common
5. Around alehouse: something that
survives one major party
6. Ate nuts at a party with a lot of nuts
7. Sot taking uplifting drug left party
8. If pot’s turned up—arrest
9. Repairs after morning is over
13. Enemy is tortured by some Middle
Easterners
15. Goal is return of soldier who may
have been captured
16. Warped comedic art appealing to
the masses
17. Prisoner and little woman at home
become one
18. Third party in 1948 (of 509, that is)
with heads of Cuba, Russia, and
Tunisia
