By Tom Toce
I’m a casualty actuary; I love triangles. The diagram has 49 small triangles. The clues lead to nine-letter answers, which (scrambled) will fit into the larger 1-3-5 triangles with apexes 1 through 15. Several of the small triangles will be used in multiple answers, some will be used in just two answers, and six will be used just once. The letters in these six small triangles, read from top to bottom, left to right, will spell out a pertinent characteristic. (The six letters are really three pairs and each pair can go two ways, but of the eight possibilities, only one spells a real word.)
As a solving aid, and a means to ensure that the grid can be filled in only one way, I have provided these starting letters: PLUG SOS.
All the entries are playable in Scrabble. Clue six involves an alternate spelling. Ignore punctuation, which is intended to deceive.
Thanks to Bob Fink and Jerry Miccolis for test-solving and editorial suggestions. And a final thank you to Eric Klis, who provided valuable advice for many years.
- Novice ruthlessly outplans to a T
- Turncoat’s at the center of crapola situations
- Metals provide all that’s needed for an impasse
- Indiscriminately faithless and most vulgar
- Foolhardy attempt taken by Eilish after I left show
- The first person to be pleasant in Paris turned dry in French milieus
- Total disasters at fulsome preparations
- Someone who can open doors may come as a terrible shock, Milt
- Hydrophobia draws an injection by a marvelous doctor in some nursery rhymes
- Single examples of nonagon bisectors and congruence are covered by Euclid or Pythagoras
- Uneasy as some Anabaptists follow grotesque faction
- Despicable as hate looms all over
- Whatchamacallit tuxedo accessory receives an expression of amazement
- Boy, Drake’s otherworldly on piano and synthesizers
- Releases captivating work unit for Bears
TOM TOCE is an FCAS and a senior manager at EY. He is a member of the Jeopardy Hall of Fame. Solutions may be emailed to ttoce@nyc.rr.com. In order to make the solver list, you should send him your solutions by April 1, 2024.
Solution to Previous Issue’s Puzzle—Longer Lines at the Movies
Across
11. WOLF—FLOW reversal
15. INSPIRATION—Double definition
16. MOVER—M + OVER
17. MAESTRO—“some art” anagram
18. IMPULSE—IMP + UL + SitE
23. LOTUSES—LOT + USES
26. ALLEGRO—“Al Gore” + L anagram
29. DRIVE-THRU D + RIVET + HR + U
34. DIVAN—Audi vans
35. BARROW—BAR+ROW
37. LURIDNESS—“runs deli’s” anagram
39. LANCER—Catalan ceramic
43. ARMED—“Dream” anagram
49. TERMINATE—TERM + INNATE – N
51. CRYSTAL—CRYing veSTAL
52. AQUATIC—A + QUA + TIC
58. SHIPPED—SHI(PP)ED
61. EGGHEAD—EG + G + HE + AD
63. RUMBA—Rhythm Upset My Balancing Act initial letters
64. GALLIVANTED—G + AL + LIV + ANTED
65. SERF—SURF homophone
Down
1. INITIALLY—IN IT + I + ALLY
2. AESOP—AES + OP
3. TRIFLES—TRI(P—>F)LES
4. ORATE—O + RATE
5. EVIL—LIVE reversal
6. LANDS—AL reversal + NDS
7. NYMPH—NY + MPH
8. REVISIONS—REV + IS + IONS
9. NOR—RON reversal
10. ELM—Velma
12. OUTRE—“route” anagram
13. FRONTRUNNER—FoRlOrN sTaRtUp NoN-mEtRo
14. SEINFELD—“ends life” anagram
20. END—“needed” reverse letter bank
21. VOIGHT—V (E—>O)IGHT
22. MAGNOLIA—“Main goal” anagram
24. TAU—T + A + U
25. SALE—SAIL homophone
27. LATER—Gore talked reversal
28. GRANDDADDY—GRAND + ADD + Y
30. HAVOC—geisha vocation
32. HMO—Satchmo
33. UNSEEMLY—UN + SEE + M + LiffeY
35. BEASTLINESS—BE(A)STLINE(S)S
36. RUMOR—ROOMER homophone
38. EXACT—EX + ACT
40. ALA—Double definition
41. IGUANA—Innocent Geckos Until Alligators Nestle Alongside initial letters
42. MYNA—MINOR in dialect
44. DRIVELED—DR(IVEL)ED “Levi” reversal
46. EXCLAIMED—“a mild exec” anagram
47. BAT—Double definition
48. DECIDEDLY—DEC + IDED + LilY
50. ELK—ELKe
53. UNITARD—UNIT + tARDy
55. LAGER—REGAL reversal
56. KNAVE—NAVE homophone
57. NIGHT—NIGH + T
58. STILL—Double definition
59. PETAL—PET + AL
60. CLUE—Double definition/pun
62. DUO—arduous
63. RAH—RA + H
Solvers
Steve Alpert, Katie Anderson, Dean Apps, Jack Brauner , Bob Campbell, Lois Cappellano, Laura Cremerius, Jared Dashoff, Todd Dashoff, Christopher Dickens, Mick Diede, Dave Dougherty, Deb Edwards, Jess Feinman, Phil Gollance, Jason Helbraun, Pete Hepokoski, Catharine Hornby and Bruce Harvey, Max Jackson, Ruth Johnson, Mike Kosciuk, Ken Kudrak, Ben Lynch, Mathew Marchione and Marika Brown, Dave McGarry, Jon Michelson, Jim Muza, David and Corinne Promislow, Ram Raman, Jay Ripps, John Salciccioli, Giacomo Santangelo, Dan Schwallie, Bill Scott, Zig Swistunowicz, T. O. C. E. (Josh DenHartog and Sean Donohoe), Betsy and James Uzzell, Bonnie Veenschoten
