The Atlantic Puzzler

By Emily Cox and Henry Rathvon

THE DJINTECS

(Acknowledgments to Vectis of The Listener)

The Djintecs are a little-known tribe of American Indians who worship cryptic puzzles. This cryptic was made by a Djintec family of mother, father, daughter, and son, each member contributing exactly one fourth (9) of the diagram entries and corresponding clues. Western civilization having come recently to the Djintecs, the daughter and son now fill in the diagram in our “orthodox” style; but the parents persist in the ritual way of writing from right to left, and from the bottom of the paper to the top. Though this backward trait may someday disappear from Djintec puzzle-making, there will never be a change in the one habit peculiar to these people: the females always write the opposite of what they mean. The father and son have each included three proper words among their answers.

There is an old Djintec saying: Punctuation may be used deceptively.

ACROSS

1. Tribe’s traditional cryptic written partially in reverse

6. There’s nothing lower than this bit of desert in the waste of Iran

11. Run around wrapped in rope at the same time

12. For example, a wind recital

13. Impractical and eccentric, Uncle Art is swallowing iodine

14. Light sack

17. In hermit’s dwelling, cunningly made pit has someone trapped

18. To prejudice an Apocryphal character

19. Military plan needs five maneuvers

21. Granite rocks around road slowing things down

25. Nick’s home is in South Ellsworth

27. One who rode for honor

30. Leaders of Afghan rebels test shooting skills

31. Edited text about Globetrotter—a show-off

32. Oration broadcast from somewhere in Canada

33. Nine snakes pursuing a woman

34. Pete dances with two ladies in ball

35. Tire ruptured in Roman road

DOWN

1. Exotic nectar from a Mediterranean island

2. Censure a rendition of Verdi as “pop”

3. In the evening Rae curls up tipsily with the fifth of Scotch

4.Moussorgsky melody’s ending with a feeling of delicacy

5. Shows distance I will travel

7. I’m a beginner—there’s nothing wrong with that

8. African feature in which there’s nothing English

9. Get ready for real bad time

10. Piano moved to S.F.

15. S.A. president intermingling with people on the street

16. Very small article written by me

20. Ruin of terminus—bad luck

22. Close Barney out

23. Writers, or workers in a corral?

24. We’re old, sad, and reduced in dignity

26. Mr. Cummings is holding back anger and exciting fear

28. Begin to jump

29. Shape of no value

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 97.

Answers to the October Puzzler, “SQUARE WHEELS”

1. QUAR(R-I)ES (anag. + r and i) 2. S0R(R)IEST (anag. + r) 3. BAR-FLIES (life’s anag.) 4. ARAB (hidden) 5. LIES (double def.) 6. TOTS (double def.) 7. CRAB (double def.) 8. PAR(AQUA)T 9. TAM-P 10. ROOT(BE[lt])ER 11. MAN-EATER (Ma + enter a anag.) 12. O-PEN 13. TEST-OSTERONE (test + anag.) 14. FLAMINGO (anag.) 15. GOLF (rev.) 16. POLO (double def.) 17. BOLT (double def.) 18. BENT (double def.) 19. TERM (double def.) 20. SUBTERRANEAN (anag.) 21. RUER (hidden) 22. PALM (anag.) 23. INSURRECTIONISTS (anag.) 24. SERF (homophone) 25. LIMA (pun) 26. BILL (double def.) 27. IL(L)USI0N (anag. + l) 28. FATIGUES (double def.) 29. TRAMP-OLINIST (is in lot anag.) 30. MAGI (homophone) 31. C(LAMB)AKE 32. SECLUSIONIST (anag.) 33. NICE (double def.) 34. R-OAN (anag. + r) 35. JAMB (anag. + j) 36. COME(dian) 37. SI-RE(d)(is rev.) 38. UNATTRACTIVENESS (anag.) 39. LAKE (double def.) 40. MOLESTATIONS (anag.) 41. N-AVE 42. SUNRISES (anag.)