previous Issue’s puzzle—
widdershins
About half of the respondents put BRIDE
instead of FRODO for 12A. A bride isn’t
really a ring bearer, in my opinion. If I
encountered “Ring bearer” by itself as
a crossword clue for BRIDE, I would
think it was a pretty weak clue. But I accepted BRIDE, because a bride does bear
a ring, in a way, and because “back” = B
and “ride” apparently is a slang term for
party. I don’t know how many of you got
the cryptic logic to 14D. I made the clue
a gimmee with “skimpy underwear,” because I didn’t really think many people
would get “what one things” = “thong,”
as in “thing a thong of thixpenth.”
10
EL
N
I
O
4
C
A
R
F
A
R
E
SUR
Y
15
CE
26
C
20
D
H
21
I
C
E
B
29
O
X
E
V
H
7
U
N
I
T
E
S
I
S
C
Across Clues
8. BANANA—BAN (“Prohibit”) + AN
(“one”) + A (“acre”)
9. REELS IN—REEL (homophone
of REAL = “true-sounding”) + SIN
(“immoral act”)
10. ELFIN—EL (“the Spanish”) + FIN
(“end in French or Spanish”)
11. SYCOPHANTIC—Anagram of
“phony cat [sic]”
12. FRODO—FRO (“back”) + DO
(“shindig”)
13. STATELESS—Pun on STATE LESS
(“Say comparatively little”)
15. CESURA—Anagram of “saucer”
16. NOR—Reversal of “Ron”
17. WASABI—Pun on WAS A BI (“Used
to go both ways”)
20. DISCHARGE—Anagram of “cigar
shed”
23. EDEMA—Hidden in “anticipated
emancipation”
26. CHEESEHEAD—Anagram of “See,
she ached”
28. MANOR—Homophone of MANNER
(“fashion”)
29. OVULATE—O (“love”) + V (“five”) +
U (“up”) + LATE (“not first thing in
the morning”)
30. CORPSE—Beginning letters of
“cool off rapidly, particularly some
extremities”
A
L
23
E
24
D
E
28
M
E
R
I
T
E
A
P
Solvers
Michael Accardo, Mark Ackerman, Dean
Apps, Karl Baker, Mike Blakeney, John
Boorack, Jack Brauner, Andrew Buckley,
Lois Cappellano, Chris Carlson, Todd
Dashoff, Mick Diede, Michael Dolan, Greg
Dreher, Deb edwards, Bob Fink, Joan
and Gil Fitzhugh, Paul Haley, Walter
Haner, Jason Head, Jason Helbraun, Pete
Hepokoski, John Herder, ruth Howald,
ruth Johnson, Brian Klimek, eric Klis, Paul
Kolell, Ken Kudrak, Louis Lana, Charlie
Linn, Denis Loring, Dan Lowen, Bob
Maguire, Dave McGarry, Jon Michelson,
Lee Michelson, Becky Moody, Jim
Muza, John Palmer, David and Corinne
Promislow, Francis de regnaucourt, Craig
Schmid, Bill Scott, Martin Simons, ethan
Stroh, Doug Szper, Jon Turnes, Betsy and
Jim Uzzell, Josh Wallace, Dave Wallman,
Jim Wickwire, Frank Zaret
E
27
A
T
E
I
N
Down Clues
1. YEARNED—Anagram of “yearend”
2. TORIC—TOR (“Rocky Mountain”) +
IC (“insurance company”)
3. INSTALL—INS (“current leaders”)
+ TALL (“high”)
4. CARFARES—CARES (“Worries”)
around FAR (“remote”)
5. PARSE—Anagram of any of “spear
pares spare pears”
6. RESPITE - Anagram of “pestier”
7. UNITES—Anagram of “unties”
14. THONG—SONG with a lisp (“What
one thing’s”)
18. ADMONISH—Anagram of “Simon
had”
19. JARHEAD—HEAD (“foam”) after
JAR (“vessel”)
21. ICEBOX—ICE (“to settle”) + BOX
(“strike”)
22. COSTUME—COME around STU
24. DEMERIT - Anagram of “retimed”
25. PSYCHE—Hidden in “Topsy
character”
27. ATE IN—Every other letter in
“Parthenians”
TOM TOCE is a senior manager for
actuarial services with ernst & Young
in new York and is a member of the
Jeopardy Hall of Fame.
