The Puzzler

WASTE RECYCLING

Every clue answer discards one letter before entry into the diagram. These 34 thrown-away letters are not wasted, however. Taken in order, with Acrosses preceding Downs, they combine to spell out a complete cryptic clue for the (otherwise unclued) word in the center of the diagram. Answers include three proper nouns; 2 Down and 7 Down are less-thancommon words.

The answers to last month's Puzzler appear on page 108.

ACROSS

1. Plan to recycle liqueur (10)

10. Sprang for a wine (5)

11. Choose one flower that’s ideal (7)

— 12. Outside Italian river, farm products decay (8)

13. Indian returned one’s cases (5)

14. Slug, grabbing bottle nearest here (10)

16. Acid rock has its origin among top British (5)

17. Southern field worker is less active (7)

— 21. Dessert draws reverent comments (7)

23. Father keeps piano in part of church (5)

26. Backward poet experiments with soap, cologne, etc. (10)

28. Girl’s name: Dotty Ainge (3)

29. Beasts of burden eating most of Art’s candies (8)

31. Harrs’ has large and small herbs (7)

32. Confine one macho guy (5) (hyphenated)

33. Overworking, Hollywood’s Dracula gets dull (10)

DOWN

1. Mountain pass has tarn inside (6)

&emdash; 2. Shy taxi passenger withholds word of pain (8)

3. Closer to red, red dogwood (6)

4. Regular at sides and back (4)

5. Vital statistic: work number (6)

6. A box with bland sweetener (9)

7. Penny I pinched, and gold coin (7)

8. Left-leaning short newsmagazine issues (5)

9. Looked for Queen playing etudes (7)

—_15. Conclude floor material is not productive (9)

18. Lion (Elsa) mauled journalist (8) (two words)

19. Order it acted out (7)

20. Writer makes pen tilt (7)

22. Spy group covers baddie with bug (6)

24. Fish caught by each kitchen utensil (6)

25. Moderating each session of vocal music (6)

27. Private meal excluding chief (5)

30. Reversing direction, crow makes appearance (4)

NOTE: The instructions above are for this month’s puzzle only. It is assumed that you know how to decipher clues. Fora complete introduction to clue-solving, send an addressed, stamped envelope to The Atlantic Puzzler, 745 Boylston Street, Boston, Mass. 02116.

Answers to the September Puzzles

JIGSAW

Across. 1. SPAS (anag.) 5. SH(AMP)OO ll.ROT-ATE 12. HE(N)S 13. M(ORATOR)IA (aim rev.) 14. METRI-C (anag. + C) 15. SO-USA 16. A(MP)LE 17. SANER (anag.) 20. YAW-N (way rev.) 21. C(A)L-M 26. HANK’S 28. NO-YES (pun) 29. ULTRA (hidden) 31. N(O)UGAT (anag. + O) 32.C(LIEN) TELE (elect anag.) 33. BOER (homoph.) 34. SW-ERVE (veer anag.) 35. YA(SH-MA)K 36. EDDY (double def.) Down. l. SUMMARY (homoph.) 2. PRO(E)MS 3. S(TAR)LING 4.SA-TIE 6. HERD (homoph.) 7. A-MISS 8. PE(TUN)AS (I + nut rev.) 9. ON-USES 10. OS(CAR)S 1 8. TlWENTlIES 19. AC(COUT)RE 22. M(ASTER)Y 23.C-HUBBY 24. B(ALB)OA 25. HE(A-L)ED 27. SALE-M 28. NO-NET 30. V(IS)A