The Puzzler

TALK SHOW

The unclued entries in this month’s diagram are exchanges in a venerable dialogue. It is up to solvers to determine the order in which the exchanges occur in the dialogue. Answers to clues include eight proper words.

The answers to last month’s Puzzler appear on page 95.

ACROSS

1. Recent arrival left in a state of confusion (5)

4. Central parts of street in ruins (7)

8. Number-one volume in comeback creates sensation (7)

9. Worked in a school with no principal at all (5)

11. Washed-up guy in gang, too outspoken (6)

12. Reflectively sample a site in Italy (4)

14. Boy and Bugs voiced noises (7)

15. One inexperienced league in Austrian region (5)

18.A river rodent going around a high spot (6)

21. French article stocked by high-priced merchant (6)

23. Bad RR was changing RR couplers (8)

25. Far from honorable plan (4)

26. Stick with it, showing social grace (6)

27. Drunken driver’s place—turning in (7)

28. Stray name in Vogue (5)

DOWN

1. Acoustical unit to represent length (3)

2. Manners requiring piece of meat for chieftains (5)

3. Outside of school, boor put back chewed food (5)

4. Plague makes diggers cross (6)

5. Cold-blooded killer gives an answer to fool lawyer (8)

6. After dinner’s conclusion, a Spanish gent has gas (5)

7. Keeping an eye on long GI maneuvers (6)

10. Weep about partly set puzzle (6)

11. Broadcaster covering most of a Washington city cemetery (9)

12. A slow pitch one hit up in an arc (8)

13. Ugly woman raised no spirits (6)

16. Managed to fire rifle (7)

17. City network drops debut of, but picks up finale of, Today (7) (two words)

19. Bring fresh energy to restructure the ERA (6)

20. Cape Island wine sent north of steamy locales (6)

22. Central American defiled an idol (6)

24. Around lake, search for spruce (5)

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 February Puzzles

“THE NAME OF THF GAME”

Rows. a. M(ARR)IAGE (game I anag.); M-A-GI b. OCEANS (anag.); JAR-GON(e) c. CUB-A; FLANDERS d. S(CALL)OP e. MET-HA(NO)I. f. AM(ERIC)AN g. C(AS)AN-OVA h. S(Tew)POT (wet rev.) i. MAR(ZIP)-A; LYRA (hidden) j. A-LCOVE; CLIM(b)-A-X k. NASH (homophone); APRESS-KI(t) Columns. l.(ham)MOCK: W(ATCHM)AN (match anag.) m. A(CU)MEN: CA-BAL-A (a lab rev.) n. RE-BUTTER: ARCS (homophone) o. SHERPAS (hidden) p. I-NA(CT)IVE q. G(ALL WAS)P r. CANO(ODL)E (old anag.) S. PAT(I)DENT t. A-GEE; A(CRONY)-MS u. GORGON (rev.); DVO(R)AK (anag. + r) v. IN-SOLENT; TAX-I