The Puzzler
Words in this puzzle’s six outer Rings are playing a cryptic form of Musical Chairs. Within each Ring, clue answers are to be entered clockwise and in order, beginning at a point to be determined. But each Ring has two or three spaces—or chairs— too few for its answers: letters losing their seats will always drop out between two numbered Sectors, and should be removed to the central ring, where they will sit at a number matching one of those two Sectors. Sector answers, which are to be entered inward from their numbers on the perimeter, will aid solvers in placing Ring answers and discovering which Ring letters must be unseated. When all 16 dropouts have been properly tit into place, you’ll see where they’re sitting. Answers to clues include eight proper nouns.
by Emily Cox and Henry Rathvon
Musical Chairs
The solution to last month’s Puzzler appears on page 128.
Rings
a. Musical Chairs, essentially (4) Official documents Pennsylvania’s recreational activities (9)
Recited flower groups (6)
Story taking place in noisy jet is extremely unoriginal (7)
b. Bunch of flowers droop in center (7) After flab reduced by half, weight is trim for a dress (7)
Fiftieth advanced, flanked by general (6)
Criticize expert with a cure for everything (7)
c. Article introduced to players before a game of cards (7)
English queen (the fourth) back in European capital (6)
One is in orchestra! (7)
A railroad senses state of indebtedness (7)
d. Guide boyfriend through audience of many hues (7)
Frank’s taking in events (6) Lupine’s off schedule (6)
Route with side track skirting gusher(7)
e. Following church, a chant (7) Comes to ask anew, putting it a different way (7)
Officer contributing to men’s ignorance (6)
Second of crates in hold to go off board (7)
f. Crushed hat, and rushed outside (7) Angela’s cooked Italian dish (7) University clones alien, clamping monster’s head (7)
Walks stiffly with braces (6)
Sectors
1. Bell sounds good with families ringing
2. Asian Communist not entirely penetrating Zen riddle
3. Try to bite end of onion in boiling pasta (two words)
4. Briefer letters from master sergeant
5. Insect’s place and time
6. Finally gets recent school schedules
7. Publisher pays attention to title’s debut
8. One neat area around Belfast
9. Ditch a climber after first of rappels
10. Hurt felt a deep desire about foremost of awards
11. Spanish lady embraced by baroness from the east
12. Animals that are commonly stuffed with blue fluff making a comeback
13. Lost grip on rodeo event
14. Brown study using nitrogen in very small quantity
15. Stop running around impersonating backward Saudi monarch
16. Androgynous name from Elle is edited
Note: The instructions above are for this month’s puzzle only. It is assumed that you know how to decipher clues. For a complete introduction to clue-solving, send an addressed, stamped long envelope to The Atlantic Puzzler, 745 Boylston Street, Boston, Mass. 02116.
ANSWERS TO THE SEPTEMBER PUZZLER
“Fortunetelling”
Across. 1. (c)ASTRO 5. HOT+ELS 9. S(KATE)ABLE 10. C+HURL 11. PA(D)RE 13. RABBI + TEARS 15. T(EAR)IER 16. AR(M)REST 18. ACRE (homophone) 22. MA + GI 23. ALMERIA (anag.) 25. P(ROTE)AN 26. STEAMINESS (hidden) 28. TAN + GO 30. (l)APSES 31. COTE + A + C + HES 32. UNTRU + E (U-turn anag.) 33. SHO(R)T Down. 1. ASH + RAM 2. S(TEAK + TAR)TARE. 3. TAP(e) 4. (s)OLDIE(r) 5. HER + R 6. THE(RAVE)N 7. E + U + NICE 8. STEALER (homophone) 10. C’EST + A 12. PER + SISTER 14. BRAINTEASER (anag.) 17. T + EASEL 19. E(GO + IS)T 20. LAS(T)S 21. BASEST (homophone) 24. MI + NOS (rev.) 25. P(LATE) + AU 27. MACE (double def.) 29. OH(i)O