By Tom Toce
This puzzle offers two grids and two sets of clues. The solver, of course, must determine which clue pertains to which grid. Some of the entries require special orientation. There are three proper nouns, one hyphenated word, and one foreign word. Everything else is playable in Scrabble. Ignore punctuation, which is intended to deceive.
Thanks to Bob Fink, Eric Klis, and Jerry Miccolis for test-solving and editorial suggestions.
Across
1. Dig around Dostoevsky’s gutters and get slaphappy
Storage box found outside of Chickamauga’s forest
4. Withdraw poet’s second attempt?
Made a decision about overtime and got ready to serve again
8. Tampa tern has flown coop
Chokes after wrestling Don Curtis
9. Propaganda surrounding general
Sick of me being expected to
10. First tenor eager, ready, and tonally equipped at each premiere to give an encore
After Swanee starts, I have fifty-second pirouettes
11. Usher’s no longer taking heroin with junkies
Shea’s in ruins, nothing but dust
12. Pretty mediocre machine
Cuban dance putting hum into rhythmic bar
14. Kind of Bible found in the brewery
Screw turner realizing gain
18. Venomous snake offers some benefits
Leaders of state agencies yield somewhat on authority
20. Plexiglass is a Yelp relic, for the most part
Relatives gathering at a community in Barcelona
22. Cooler advocate
Losing a little off the top of head voice
23. Biking again, hoping to reduce greenhouse gas?
Goober’s coming back over Thursday in an effort to fix the computer
24. Deigned to look askance, after a bit
My Latin certainly shows cadence
25. Wearied and bothered by the limitations
Best modeling after 500 claims
Down
1. Typical feature of clashing music
Building up and boisterously tearing down
2. Grace, Harry, Eve, et al.
Unhinged and you said hung over?
3. In Italy, all express contempt it turns out
Gross, an eavesdropping plant
4. Testify in Speedo while swimming
Mount modern dances
5. A titter nervously to test content
Securer exercises for someone down under
6. Announcer at very old diamond
Train to cheat outrageously
7. Guidelines surrounding Moscow’s capital
Look, by the sound of things, it may help make a good case
13. Pretty good woodsman, according to internet source
Improve with ad purge movement
15. Remain at LA bordello for a while with harp
Having shadowy figures finance English class
16. By the fireplace, stacks more LPs?
Fear of invaders of Rome spoken of one century
17. Drive a different hybrid
Feral cat I’ve turned on
18. Fascination with March winds
Jack’s up and Eliot follows an accounting method that has no zero
19. Blurry umbra seen in Myanmar
Unreliable but took first place in the Derby?
21. Kept track after a bit and sped
Most of Boston upset by shoplifting activity
TOM TOCE is an FCAS and once again 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 December 1, 2021.
TOM TOCE is an FCAS and once again 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 December 1, 2021.
Previous Issue’s Puzzle—May Yours Be True
| No. | ANSWER | TYPE | LOGIC |
| 1A | LESSON | Homonym | “lessen” homonym |
| 4A | STEALING | Anagram | (tan leg is) anagram |
| 10A | MOURNER | Anagram / Insertion | MO (URN) ER (more) anagram |
| 11A | RECRUIT | Construction | RE + C + R + U + IT |
| 12A | RODS | Hidden | novgoROD-Severski (hidden) |
| 13A | ASKED AFTER | Anagram | (deaf skater) anagram |
| 15A | COUGHS | Hidden Initially | C + O + U + G + H + S |
| 16A | PLUMBED | Anagram | (ump bled) anagram |
| 20A | CHAMBER | Construction / Deletion | C + HAM + BE[e]R (e from ry[e]) deleted |
| 21A | ENIGMA | Anagram / Deletion | (imagine – I) anagram (I) deleted |
| 24A | TIME LIMITS | Construction / Reversal | TIM (ELI) MIT + S (tim) reversal |
| 26A | UNDO | Construction | UND + O |
| 28A | ENTERED | Anagram | (ten deer) anagram |
| 29A | NEWSMAN | Construction | NEW + S + M + AN |
| 30A | STINGRAY | Insertion / Hidden | ST (dINGo) RAY |
| 31A | PLACID | Hidden | PLACe madrID (hidden) |
| 1D | LIMERICK | Construction / Reversal | LIME + RICK (emil) reversal |
| 2D | SOURDOUGH | Insertion | S (OUR DOUG) andwicH |
| 3D | OWNS | Hidden | unknOWN Soldier (hidden) |
| 5D | TAR HEELS |
Construction / Reversal / Homonym | TAR + HEELS (rat) reversal & “heals” homonym |
| 6D | ACCLAIMING | Construction | ACC + L + AIM + IN + G |
| 7D | INUIT | Deletion | IN[t]UIT (t) deletion |
| 8D | GATORS | Construction | GAT + ORS |
| 9D | AROSE | Hidden | figAROS Era (hidden) |
| 14D | THIMBLERIG | Anagram | (glib hermit) anagram |
| 17D | ERGONOMIC | Substitution | E (c –> RG) ONOMIC |
| 18D | NEW MEDIA | Construction / Anagram | NE + W + M + EDIA (idea) anagram |
| 19D | MAROONED | Insertion | M (AR) OONED |
| 22D | UTTERS | Homonym | “udders” homonym |
| 23D | STAND | Double Definition | Double Definition |
| 25D | MITZI | Construction / Deletion | MIT + Z[w]I[eback] (we back) deletion |
| 27D | AWOL | Construction | A + W + O + L |
Solvers
Steve Alpert, Anthony Amodeo, Dean Apps, Damian Birnstihl, Jack Brauner, Jan Brown, Bob Campbell, Lois Cappellano, Laura Cremerius, Jared Dashoff, Todd Dashoff, Mick Diede, Michael Dolan, Deb Edwards, Mike Giampa, Phil Gollance, Jason Helbraun, Pete Hepokoski, Catharine Hornby and Bruce Harvey, Paul Ivanovskis, Max Jackson, Ruth Johnson, Eric Klis, Paul Kolell, Michael Kosciuk, Ken Kudrak, Steve LaPlant, Ben Lynch, Michael Manos, David McGarry, Jon Michelson, Jim Muza, Joshua Parker, David and Corinne Promislow, Daniel Rhodes, Jay Ripps, Dan Schwallie, Bill Scott, Andrew Shewan, Karen Skoglund, Sally Smith, Zig Swistunowicz, T. O. C. E. (Josh DenHartog and Sean Donohoe), and Betsy and James Uzzell.
