By Tom Toce
Ten across answers are too long by one letter. Either the first or the last letter must be omitted for entry into the diagram. Both the original answer and its modified version will be legitimate words. The omissions lead to different meanings, so you might find CLARK and LARK, but you won’t find LARK and LARKS. The ten omitted letters, in order, will spell out a pertinent two-word phrase.
There will be five proper nouns entered into the grid. One other answer will be a proper noun, but after the deletion, the grid entry will be a common noun. There is one foreign word. Everything else is playable in Scrabble. Ignore punctuation, which is intended to confuse. Thanks to Bob Fink, Eric Klis, and Jerry Miccolis for test-solving and editorial suggestions.
Across
1. Blamed for accident second-hand
5. Struggles with accents
9. Squeamish apparatchik, full of bad luck
10. Witch hazel’s integrants decomposed
11. Throw rug behind where the fringe turns up
12. Harry barged in upset
13. Some cats covering rare Van Halen and Hendrix
16. Rouse bum in Italy’s capital
18. Manifest evidence, evidently
21. Pence admitting hint of favoritism
26. Resoundingly deliver a big gun
27. Abatements caused by substitute assignments?
28. Hater wielding pungent vegetable for Italian film director
29. Softer pitching from Woods
30. Possibly Rick’s set for decals
31. Sol, like most slackers, is lacking liquidity
Down
1. Maisel’s reckless and unpredictable
2. Boiled rice has one seeking consideration
3. Stuck with rising debts while getting degree
4. Have the right to desecrate preserve on the outskirts
5. Hector’s uneasy with Kindles
6. Upwardly mobile clip joint with new-born acclaim
7. Big shot sporting suspenders
8. Nannies rest, it’s recreation
14. Laugh I experienced in the ancient Greek
15. M*A*S*H is droll, I’ve heard it said
17. Mythical monster or Caligula’s head?
18. Spirited winemaker assumes support may end prematurely
19. Like coastal waters with citrine eddies
20. Exaggerate Eastern patience over Chinese dynasty
21. Sneaks porter, upsetting witnesses
22. Attractive pies with no crust and brownies
23. Fluster badly in Pacific
24. One nerd worked with a color from Benjamin Moore (4,3)
25. Starts to employ a secret execution so Brigham Young just wins (5,2)
Two-word phrase:
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
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.
Solutions may be emailed to him at Thomas.Toce@ey.com. In order to make the solver list, your solutions must be received by May 31, 2020.
Previous Issue’s Puzzle—OK Boomers
Top row
BANJOIST—BAN (“bar”) + JOIST (“stud”)
Bottom row
CONVERSE—Triple definition
KR
BINDER—Double definition
REPO—Anagram of “Rope”
OYSTERS—Anagram of “destroys” without the D
SPAT—Reversal of TAPS (“last call”)
TUNIC—Homophone of “to Nick”
KKt
AXED—Alternative pronunciation of ASKED (“requested”)
DAIS—Anagram of “said”
SILO—Anagram of “oils”
OVER—(L)OVER (“After its premiere, Don Juan”)
REPS—Double definition
SALE—Homophone of SAIL (“cruise”)
EMIR—Anagram of “I’m—er”
RIME—Homophone of RHYME (“poems often do this”)
ENDS—Anagram of “Send”
SKAS—Hidden in “Brisk ascent”
SUMO—SUM (“Descartes’ conclusion”) + O (“love”)
OMEN—Anagram of “Nemo”
NERO—First letters of “not everyone raved over”
KB
NURSE—Reversal of RUN (“Runaround”) + S(U)E (“Sue does not need university”)
LEE—Reversal of EEL (“slippery one”)
LAIR—Right side of BEL AIR (“fancy LA community”)
REACH—Anagram of “Rachel” without the L (“after Louise’s van left”)
HER—Right side of “rather”
Q
OUD—Reversal of DUO (“Couple”)
DOE—Double definition
ERRANDS—Anagram of “Darners”
SOL—Double definition, from SOL (“The fifth” note) and an abbreviation for SOLUTION (“QED”)
LED—Double definition
DOC—Anagram of “OCD”
CITE—Homophone of SIGHT (“one sense”)
ELSE—Outside “elbow grease”
QB
INK—INKLING (“an impression”)—“Ling”
KING—KIN (“family”) + G (“grates, at first”)
GOT—GO (“a game of strategy”) + T (“tournament’s opening”)
TEAR—Double definition
ROI—Anagram of “or I”
IRON—Reversal of NORI (“seaweed”)
QKt
NOB—Outside “snow job”
BONO—Inside “Gabon once”
OARS—Homophone of ORS (“Alternatives”)
SANE—Homophone of SEINE (“it ends at the English Channel”)
ERAT—Inside “deliberations”
TAME—Anagram of “meat”
EMIT—Reversal of “time”
TSAR—Anagram of “arts”
RAGE—Anagram of “anger” without the N (“with no name”) & literally
EARN—Homophone of URN (“pot”)
NETI—Anagram of “in E.T.”
IDLE—Double definition
ELKS—Last letters of “the bell clerk brings”
QR
TAKER—TAR (“One who sails”) outside KE (“around Kenya”)
RATS—Reversal of STAR (“a leading role”)
STAG—STAG(E) from “phase ends early”
GRAD—Double definition
DEES—Reversal of SEED (“Sperm”)
SNEEZE—SN (“tin”) + first letters of “ear: every zither enchants”
Famous chess players
JUDIT POLGAR and GARRY KASPAROV
Solvers
Team AALO (Kristen Bischoff, Danny Clark, Kristen Detwiler, Alec Pirritano), Steve Alpert, Anthony Amodeo, Dean Apps, Bob Campbell, Lois Cappellano, Laura Cremerius, Todd Dashoff, Mick Diede, Bob Fink, Mendy Friedman, Bruce Fuller (with Eric Smith and David Wirtner), Phil Gollance, Catharine Hornby, Ruth Johnson, Eric Klis, Paul Kolell, Mike Kosciuk, Ken Kudrak, Ben Lynch, Dave McGarry, Jerry Miccolis, Jim Muza, David and Corinne Promislow, Jay Ripps, Bill Scott, Andrew Shewan, Zig Swistunowicz, T. O. C. E. (Josh DenHartog and Sean Donohoe), Betsy and James Uzzell, Nathan Worrell
