By Tom Toce
Twelve of the across answers in this puzzle are one letter too long, so leave them out. You’ll still have valid entries after the omissions; that’s the way I roll. The twelve omitted letters in clue order will yield a seasonal message.
Because of the deletions, as well as the existence of some double definition clues, where one definition is a proper noun but the other isn’t, it’s difficult to give a proper noun count that doesn’t create more confusion than it clears up. So let’s just say that there are a handful of proper nouns, both in the grid entries and in the words before entry. 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 Clues
| 1 | Worse off, but lucky to experience average loss |
| 4 | Let unsaid designs be protected |
| 10 | Misappropriation of funds when leaders of restructuring corporate entities go between LA and New York |
| 11 | Treats monopolies with no left-leaning old liberal dismissals (two words) |
| 12 | Rats! Misfortune follows inadequate application of SPF |
| 13 | Imprisoned one party, right, Grant? |
| 15 | No vote over any feature with steep sides |
| 16 | Clever English dogs, Nick |
| 17 | Virgil led him over dangerous route! |
| 19 | Horrible tales of very little importance |
| 21 | Surrounded by pyramids near the Eastern border |
| 22 | Heroes married? Guess what are the odds? |
| 25 | Annie’s big song? It certainly isn’t “Yesterday” |
| 17 | Amasses tips |
| 30 | Rocky and Holly in Palestine (two words) |
| 31 | Crushing in gradient maneuvers |
| 32 | Hit it, Candide—as promised |
| 33 | Some evidence of quiet communists |
Down Clues
| 1 | He shrugged, “What lasagna?” contentedly |
| 2 | Diptych by Warhol decorated in mylar |
| 3 | Arranging the debut of demonstrably poor singers |
| 5 | None dominated on the frontier chosen for the general |
| 6 | Eden is out, unfortunately, and starts to pontificate idiotically on The Scarlet Letter |
| 7 | California’s coming after a number of people from a Manhattan neighborhood |
| 8 | Escritoire hidden in Lorde’s kitchen |
| 9 | NYC’s renovated square |
| 14 | Outside of legal troubles, lucky breaks for actors? |
| 15 | Mobile is close, it sounds like |
| 16 | Disk with the first six episodes of Bridgerton for William |
| 18 | Better bless Ian and many members of the LGBTQ+ community |
| 20 | Ruined after taking power and then again ruined |
| 23 | Real trouble: engine turns over unconvincingly at first |
| 24 | Pattern of tiles representing Miriam’s brother |
| 26 | Including width, excluding depth |
| 28 | Hearing functions as foreshadowing |
| 29 | Head of the committee ends early to have some tea |
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 February 1, 2023.
Solution to Previous Issue’s Puzzle—Declassification
Across Clues
| 1 | POLKA—POLK (“former president”) + A (“leader of Antifa”) |
| 4 | MAIM—Homophone of MAME (“a musical”) |
| 8 | RICH—Double definition |
| 11 | SPEC—Homophone of SPECK (“a little bit”) |
| 13 | RECALL—REL (“a little cousin”) around CAL (“California”) |
| 14 | SODA—Reverse ADS around O (“orange”) |
| 15 | OIL—O (“Leonardo’s last”) + I (“one”) + L (“learns at the outset”) |
| 16 | MILKY WAY/MY WAY/ILK—MILKY (“Cloudy”) WAY (“to a great degree”) and “where we live”/MY WAY (“the alternative to the highway”) |
| 18 | BORDERLAND/BLAND/ORDER—Anagram of “bladder, Ron” and “an uncertain condition”/BLAND (“of no interest to anyone”) |
| 19 | WED—Double definition |
| 21 | COMPLETELY—Anagram of “empty cello” |
| 24 | PROPAGANDA—PROP (“A gun, maybe”) + AG (“silver”) + AND + A |
| 28 | FAB—First letters in “four amazing Beatles” |
| 19 | AVATAR—A + VA + TAR (“cadet, sometimes”) |
| 30 | SPREAD—Anagram of “parsed” |
| 33 | KID—Double definition |
| 34 | HATRACKS/HAS/TRACK—Anagram of “art hacks’” and “wall installations”/HAS (“Acquires”) |
| 37 | DISMALLY/DALLY/ISM—SMALL inside DIY (“home-repair practices“) and “in the worst way”/DALLY (“Waste time”) |
| 38 | ELLE—Double definition |
| 39 | TOYS—T(O)NYS |
| 40 | EYES—Homophone of AYES (“certainly again and again”) |
| 41 | DANCE—D (“down”) + A + N (“new”) + CE (“Common Era”) |
Down Clues
| 1 | PURE—PURÉ(E) |
| 2 | LACERATED/LACED/RATE—“Aggrieved” and anagram of “Al reacted”/LACED (“Fortified with liquor”) |
| 3 | ALLOWS—Anagram of “slow LA” |
| 5 | ASS—Punning double definition (“When this is backwards, things are screwed up”) |
| 6 | IPOD—DO (“Determine”) + PI (“3.1415 . . . “) reversed |
| 7 | MED—M (“Married”) + ED (“actor burns”) |
| 9 | ISOLATES—Anagram of “’Lassie’ to” |
| 10 | HOLIDAYS—Double definition |
| 12 | CASSETTE/CASTE/SET—Hidden in “Maracas set tempo” and “tape”/CASTE (“class”) |
| 16 | MET – ***Hooked up with Casey Stengel, once*** Double definition and possibly my favorite clue of all time |
| 17 | YEOMAN—Anagram of “one may” |
| 20 | SPADES—Anagram of “Passed” |
| 22 | UPMARKET—MARK inside UPET |
| 23 | COWARDLY—CO (“company”) + WARD (“division”) + ONLY – ON |
| 25 | APACHE—Anagram of “A cheap” |
| 26 | SAD—Double definition and literally, with reference to Seasonal Affective Disorder |
| 27 | TRISECTED/TRIED/SECT—“made a couple of cuts” and anagram of “ET credits”/TRIED (“Held a hearing”) |
| 28 | FALLEN—ALL inside FEN (“swamp”) |
| 31 | FRANKLY/FLY/RANK—Punning double definition (“like Sinatra” and “with no nonsense”)/FLY (“Career”) |
| 32 | TYPE—Hidden in “university pedant” |
| 35 | ALE—(S)ALE |
| 36 | SEE—Homophone of SEA (“ocean”) |
Solvers
Steve Alpert, Dean Apps, Bob Campbell, Lois Cappellano, Todd Dashoff, Mick Diede, Bob Fink, Pete Hepokoski, Max Jackson, Ruth Johnson, Eric Klis, Paul Kolell, Mike Kosciuk , Ken Kudrak, Ben Lynch, Mathew Marchione and Marika Brown, Dave McGarry, Mike McLaughlin, Jerry Miccolis, Jon Michelson, Jim Muza, David and Corinne Promislow, Jay Ripps, Bill Scott, Zig Swistunowicz, T. O. C. E. (Josh DenHartog and Sean Donohoe), Betsy and James Uzzell
