The Atlantic Puzzler

By Emily Cox and Henry Rathvon

COUNTERPARTS

Twenty answers will not fit into the grid; the solver must figure out why. Answers include four proper nouns and two somewhat uncommon words at 5D and 6D, one of them a suffix. Numbers in parentheses indicate lengths of lights (i.e., entries in the diagram), not necessarily lengths of clue answers. Punctuation in clues may be used deceptively.

ACROSS

1.Caretaker is easily impressed (4) 5. Unfortunate Negro’s dead ducks (4)

8. Ump in haywire fracas (3)

11. Make less dark in his scuttles (8)

12. High dudgeon that is about right (3)

13. Get fixed up with a new mate? (3)

14. Bounce check inside; that’s fruity! (8)

16. Long for it before church (4)

17. Impressive arrangement of organdies (5)

18. Headless nail, as a rule (3)

21. Belt, coats, tie (5)

22. Stick around at home with man’s best friend (3)

24. Speak of flimsy artifice (3)

25. Forbear’s burden (7)

28. Glider slanted on front and back (4)

29. Edit ten plays in a small eating place (7)

31.Penalized some mischief in Eden (3)

32.Honk buzzer quietly (4)

34. Urchin bearing cripple (3)

36. Orally vex a Frenchman (4)

38. I’ll be seen in “Winding Ways”—how corny! (5)

39. Inhalations from drug—hats off (4)

40. Ivor lit out with acid (4)

41. Squirrel, koala bears, wapiti (3)

42. Gardener’s tools: rake, hose (4)

43. Tricks with checks (6)

DOWN

1. They cling, chop, slit, rend (6)

2. Worms, e.g., for food (4)

3. Grasp cream; be sly (3)

4. King’s rocking chair in road (7)

5. Grind out, gnash with jaws (5)

6. Freud at heart: penetrating, ironic, with a new Interpretation of Dreams (5)

7. Volcanic ash sat in mountain (6)

8. Some letters spell “frost”; do re mi? (4)

9. Love’s withered rose (4)

10.Female in fine dances with me (5)

15.Opening cross-up (4)

19. Real log-rolling is lively (7)

20. Smash hit wedge with added pounds (4)

22. In “Z,” cite alien; but I’m no alien (7)

23. Mantis eats a bug (3)

26. One iron-clad interjection (3)

27. Skew, torn meshes? (6)

28. Peered at squid in tangled net? Just the opposite (4)

29. Dig into roundel verses (5)

30. Not good to be capsized (4)

32. Smack—a fishing boat (4)

33. Loyalist and Irishman brawl (4)

35. Mountain-top let drifts thaw (4)

37. Like an old woman with a crooked line (3)

Note: The instructions above are the special instructions for this month’s puzzle. It is

assumed that you know how to decipher clues. For a complete introduction to clue-solving, write to The

Atlantic Reprint Department, enclosing a self-addressed, stamped envelope.

The solution to last month ‘s Puzzler appears on page 93.

Answers to the January Puzzler, “TRANSMUTATION”

Across lights are anagrams of Across clues.

Across. 1. GREAT DANE (anag.) 10. BRUSH (double def.) 11. M(ONSTE)R (anag. in Mr.) 13. SAGE (double def.) 15. DU(k)ES 16. NEED (homophone) 17. RUTS (hidden rev.) 18. RE(LATE)D 19. RO(o)STERS 21. MARS (pun) 23. S-IDLE 25. MAR-IN-A 27. V-O-TES (set rev.) 28. CORONAS (double def.) 30. DIAPER-S (rev. of repaid) 31. STALE (hidden) 34. PA(R)SEC (anag. +r) 38. J-AUNT 39. IDOL (homophone) 40. GREENS (double def.) 41. LIES (double def.) 42. SITE (homophone) 43. (c)ODES 44. S(TEAL)ING Down. 1. TSAR (anag.) 2. ARES (rev. of sera) 3. GUST-0 4. ABS-URDER (anag. + abs) 5. DEER (rev.) 6. ENDEMIC (anag.) 7. GODDAM (rev. of mad dog) 8. BREL (hidden) 9. ESNES (rev. of sense) 11. MUTT-ER 12. TEAR (double def.) 14. GUES(T)S 19. ROSA (hidden) 20. SLOPPILY (anag.) 22. MAN-ATE-ES 24. I-VIED 26. ROTUNDA (anag.) 29. AD-AGE 32. EN(R)OL (lone rev.) 33. LASS-0 34. COIF (homophone) 35. ALSO (hidden) 36. RATE (anag.) 37. SPIN (rev. of nips) 38. JEST (anag.)