Cloverleaf

This puzzle's grid represents a highway cloverleaf, with word traffic following the familiar pattern along the shaded roadway. An uninterrupted stream of entries proceeds north, east, south, and west on the roadway, moving clockwise around each loop; these Cloverleaf entries are clued in random order. The interior of each loop is filled by seven entries, also clued in random order, which supply crossing letters for the Cloverleaf words. When all clue answers are in place, an appropriate entry may be found circling the central black square in clockwise order. Eleven answers are capitalized.

Click here for last month's Puzzler solution.

---

---

a. Miss start of cloverleaf in curve, and float (5,3)

b. Large vehicle traffic's outside aluminum railings (11)

c. Catapult around raised railway with traffic in one direction (7)

d. Very hot, circling off westbound construction for repair work (11)

e. Vessel taking in five carp (6)

f. Taxi turning the wrong way and such disturbed patron of revels (7)

g. One getting into cross-dressing also greeting former prime minister (6,6)

h. VW Beetle skirting river town (4)

i. End traffic with interchanges for one seeking answers (4,6)

---

---

a. Finland, to a native riding back in limousine

b. High time for Olympian

c. Republican American embraced by stylish European leader

d. Vietnamese place an operator in Hawaii

e. Small garden implement—pump, perhaps

f. The woman's hugged by young, innocent child

g. Steer back inside Chatham harbor

---

---

a. Excessively long drive

b. Place to bathe unruly tot in busy airport (two words)

c. Name a head of Islamic sheikhdom

d. Jazz saxophonist becomes audible

e. South Boston airport's motto

f. Cooked one old piece of pasta

g. Last character at the end of party drifted off

---

---

a. Oddly easy stop for petrol provider

b. Haul the thing explicitly (two words)

c. Try catching a young pig

d. Card game very loud at a distance (hyphenated)

e. Godlike, rolling dice about uncertainty

f. Instructor informally favoring failing grade

g. Picked Korea, for a time

---

---

a. Wager about race in dark

b. Born and died in poverty

c. Scattered treat for fish

d. Attractive exposition

e. Breaking rule if angry

f. Vogue and Time split

g. Ego involved in seven awful sins, somehow

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, click here.