The Atlantic Puzzled

A certain section in the library consists of two shelves, each containing thirteen books. The librarian uses the “cryptic” cataloguing system: each book has stamped on its spine five letters that can be mixed to form a word. The words thus formed are given cryptic clues, which are filed so that their answers are in alphabetical order.

The books are arranged so that, reading left to right, the top letters (rows 1 and 6) identify each book; the bottom letters (rows 5 and 10) identify the section as a whole; and rows 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, and 9 yield various words whose clues are also on file in the card catalogue. Can you reconstruct the two bookshelves? Answers include three proper nouns.

BOOKSHELVES

The solution to last month’s Puzzler appears on page 133.

TOP SHELF

2. Books set right in shelves (7)

Rock band halfway through season (6)

3. Get away from South Carolina football player (5)

Cartoon boxer gives a terrible groan during knockout (8)

4. Make observations about wood or ocean’s edge (8)

A cent lost in play (5)

BOTTOM SHELF

7. My catching curve is sloppy (5) Broken-down princess told jokes aloud (8)

8. Grounds found in tea set, strangely (6)

Show featuring cartoons’ foremost rabbit interrupted by commercial (7)

9.Void filled by a yearbook (6)

Spray a tender back with oil, not iodine (7)

FIVE-LETTER WORDS

Nimble soldier gets into drink

Revise goal after morning

Tree in sandy place by the sound

Benjamin takes church seat

Hear gardener, at times, in wood

Hide coyote traps: hunter‘s ruse

French artist has to vent fumes?

Loud Rolling Stones music and dress

Girl Scout keeps Bob’s partner for ages

A huge, sprawling Netherlands city

Vehemently exposes macho guys Greek adventurer gets hence in January

Goes on wooden feet?

Crooked deal involving film didn’t work

Neighborhood diet

Organ contains one sound

Acts like a hot dog in part of a suit Leave a coat

Go on north with black bird

Team has left playground equipment

Pigeon fouled a bus carrying queen

Weary after last of laps, made a vow

Diplomacy keeps one silent

Linger, like a sailor?

Source of revenue is cabs

Carry male ancestral emblem

Answers to the March Puzzler, “NOAH’S ARK”

Nine answers were animals, to be replaced in the diagram by their mates (“rooster”for “hen,” “boar” for “sow,” etc.).

Across. 9. A(T WO)RK 11. SPECIE (anag.) 12. HE-N 13. PLUS-HER 14. E-ROSE 15. MAS(CO)TS 20. GANDER (anag.) 21. sow (double def.) 22. PEN (double def.) 24. A(C)ES (anag. + c) 25. YEAR (hidden) 26. CA(RE)D 27. (s)cow 28. D-RAINS 29. S(TINT)S 30. TONE (anag.) 31. DUCK (double def.) 33. HERE (hidden) 34. PESO (first letters) 35. w(h)ERE 36. SE(CUR)ED Down. 1. STAL-LION (last anag.) 2. STOR(M)Y 3. S(WOO)PED 4. MOSS HART 5. RESOLUTE (anag.) 6. SCHOOLS (odd letters) 7. DI-ESEL (eels anag.) 8. MERE (double def.) 10. K(E)ROSINE (anag. + e) 11. SLEE(t)-PiER 15. M(ADN)ESS (and anag.) 16. ARCS (anag.) 17. CORRAL (homophone) 18. T-ADS 19. S(CAT)HED 22. C(APRI)-C (pair anag.) 23. B(E)AKER 31. BUC-K (cub rev.) 32. R(A)M