The Puzzler

By Emily Cox and Henry Rathvon
Saved Stories

SPOONERISMS

In a spoonerism two consonant sounds in a word or phrase are transposed, creating new words. For instance, CLOCKWORK would be WOK CLERK, POURING RAIN would be ROARING PAIN, and SLIP OF THE TONGUE would be TIP OF THE SLUNG. Note that spelling changes appropriately in the newly formed words. In this puzzle one third of the clues (12) must have their answers spoonerized before entry in the diagram; another third of the clues are written with spoonerisms occurring in the definitions of the answers; the remaining third are normal cryptic clues. Answers to clues include seven proper nouns.

The answers to last month’s Puzzler appear on page 116.

ACROSS

1.Some nature lovers scattered rich bedstraw (4,8)

9.Low song brings spies round (4)

10.German wife’s muffling duck’s first quacks (6)

12. Follower of Donne, say, is running down in springtime (6)

13. Somewhat unsanitary handle for a dame (5)

14. Folks with bad hearts split into smithereens (6)

15. Sighter of many a wrong forest turning (6)

16. A comic learns guile of puns (7)

20. An expert in Tom’s Beer Joint (7)

21. Meal course has Dad keeping energy very high (3,4)

25. Quickly moving a left leg and right wheel (7)

26. One sets back tall beam (6)

28. Groovy mate designed a whorl (6)

29. In addition, Eliot floats on a newt (5)

30. Trouser hem having to detach (3,3)

31. We stir fluid for pens (6)

32. Why bears initially skip and jump (4)

33. Star of old comedy burlesque takes on brute (6,6)

DOWN

1. Cradle by feast with Burr (6)

2. Sun god swallowed by mean fish (8)

3. Man in court makes parts of columns (6)

4. Need for class’s negative remark to be changed to positive remark (8)

5. Florida litigant turned over snare for bugs (7)

6. Bum hunts a cover for the head (3,3)

7. Flow on the rise is correct (4)

8. Mar a blue bug (6)

11.Hot batter may set (6)

17. The Hound of Sands Place in a rest (8)

18. Specialty got Linus mad (4,4)

19. Coe was running with a swimmer (3,3)

20. List includes a pitch-in can (7)

21. Still grubby attics (6)

22. Covering it with a black hole? (3,3)

23. Name of female with dire breath (6)

24. Recalled title of enemy (6)

27.Arbitrator still retains hockey rights (4)

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 envelope to The Atlantic Puzzler, 8 Arlington Street, Boston, Mass. 02116.

Answers to the August Puzzles

DOUBLE CROSS

The order of the letters within each diagram square is arbitrary.

Across. l.BET(A) RAY; MU(STAR)D 7.P(ERIW)IG (wire rev.); SOLD(I)ER 8. CO(LOSS)AL; NE(PALES)E 9. EPSOM (anag.); C-ALMS 13. F-EAST (eats anag.); STROP (rev.) 15. RAINCOAT (anag.); AN(ACON)D-A 16. APR-I-COT; RETORTS (anag.) 17.SNE(A-K)ER; TICK(ET)S Down. l.B(ACCAR)AT; M(O-NET)ARY 2.,SELL (homophone); TOPS (rev.) 3.A-LOOF (fool rev.); TRAMS (rev.) 4. A-WED; RISE (homophone) 5. YEATS (anag.); DISCO (hidden) 6.AGLITTER; TRE(SPA)SS 10. PINES (double def.); AD-APT 11. STORK (hidden); ME(C)CA (came anag.) 12. DARN (double def.); Z(IT)-I 14. ROOK (double def.); A-NTE (net anag.)