The Puzzler
TRAFFIC JAM
The rows and columns of the diagram represent city streets, with arrows regulating traffic (one-way or two-way). Answers to clues a through gg, entered in the diagram sequentially, trace a tour through the city, starting in the upper lefthand corner and ending in the square just below it. Except for the last one, each answer ends at a Stoplight (in a numbered square), and the next answer begins in the same square. As a guide to constructing the tour, each Stoplight has its letter provided by one of the clues A through E. (These 32 Stoplight squares are numbered left to right and top to bottom for convenience only, and do not indicate the tour’s progression.)
Words never run through Stoplights, they only stop and start on them, and each Stoplight is encountered only once in the tour. Unnumbered squares are crossed either once or twice, but never more. A word may take any number of right-angle turns, but traffic signs (arrows) must of course be obeyed. Answers include three proper nouns.
The answers to last month’s Puzzler appear on page 105.
STOPLIGHTS_
A. Stops taking devious side streets (7) (15,27.4,7,32,23,16)
B. Made a signal in the middle of traffic, and went slowly (7) (14.11,6.28,29,22,5)
C. Forcibly grabbed top of wheel, and came to a stop (7) (30,21,10,3,19,1.12)
D. Break down, overturning STP in chambers (6) (17,9,26,2,25,20)
E. Drove around front of pump, out of gas (5) (24,15,8,18.31)
THE TOUR
a. Stream of abusive language from one jammed in traffic (6)
b. Snail’s pace ultimately got cars in a snarl (8)
c. Motoring aimlessly east, try figuring course (12)
d. Veering from path, turned into Gulf (6)
e. Smart guy makes error in using convertible (6)
f. Cleaning terminal outside of an Interstate (10)
g. Headwear for “patching out” (8)
h. Clear pot off part of the trunk (8)
1. Long green light in a Southern cits (5)
j. Heading off car, one has spun around in a lot of sand (6)
Sized up spot containing two reversed curves (8)
l. Auto’s operator circles to keep with the flow (9)
m. Backing up, leave goo covering rented jalopy (10)
n. Talk on and on about flat’s initial puncture (9)
o. Replace the second of old Ford’s supports (6)
p. Bit of smoky exhaust engulfs one in laughable spectacle (6)
q. English Avenue’s projections (5)
r. Cut off stern and front of Dodge (7)
s. Buggy rider carries $100 to traffic cop, perhaps (8)
t. One down behind truck refusing to budge (5)
u. Tow with hook, holding on to beasts (7)
v. Broken-down “Cat”—it’s not going anywhere (6)
w. Console one caught in taxi mesh (7)
x. hastening gas-filled can to end of string (9)
y. Sprite drove past terminal building (5)
z. Stands in front of traffic, then bolts (7)
aa. Burn small Triumph at 550 Central Boulevard (7)
bb. Careening below sharp turn (5)
cc. Conflict turned sore with paying passenger(7)
dd. Rambler ran through houses off the main course (6)
ee. Charge in endlessly swirling traffic (6)
ff. Sportscar makes a fire spread around railroad (7)
gg. In a foul temper, I speed (5)
Note: The instructions above arc 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 Mav Puzzles
“WINDOW BOXES”
NH. 1. DARWIN (hidden) 2. A(C)ID-IC 3. ATONER 4. HER-ESY (yes anag.) 5. PANC(A-K)E (pecan anag.) 6.OR-BITER 7. W(ID)OWED 8. PI(L-IN)G’S 9. N(ICE-T) NE. l.(r)OUTING 2.CLERIC (anag.) 3.COL-ON 4. IN-DIG-O 5.NIECES (anag.) 6.CI(N)DER 7. p(U)CCINI (anag. + u) 8.YIELDE-D (anag. + d) 9.GIN-GERY (grey anag.) SW. 1. POTASH (anag.) 2.L-A-RR-UP 3.IN CAS-E 4. D-OVER 5.O-BOES (homoph) 6. ARRIVE (rr for / in alive 7.PAND(OR)A 8.TRAV(O)IS 9, A-S-PER-SE SE. 1. DRACH-M (anag. + m) 2. I-SSUES (rev.) 3. POT-AT-O 4. DR-ESSES 5. DIS-PORT (Sid rev.) 6. I(R)KSOME (anag. + r) 7.SA(L)UTES 8. C-LEA(N)SE 9. HUSTLER (anag. minus s)
AGROSTIG NO. 34
“For a while 1 wanted to be an opera singer... to stand up there in front of everyone and shriek as loud as you could, about hatred and love and rage and despair, scream at the top of your lungs and have it come out music. That would be something.”
— Margaret Atwood, Lady Oracle