The Puzzler

By Emily Cox and Henry Rathvon

THE FOUR SEASONS

Answers to this puzzle’s clues are to be treated according to season before being entered in the diagram. Those of Spring, a time for new beginnings, have a different first letter in the diagram. Those of Summer, a time for growth, gain an extra letter somewhere. Those of Autumn, a time for dropping, lose one letter. And those of Winter, a dormant time, undergo no change. All changes result in new words in the diagram. Nine answers are associated with each season. Answers include two proper nouns.

The answers to last month’s Puzzler appear on page 94.

ACROSS

1.Begins with first of seasons, entering first sign of spring?

5. Photograph defeat inside unfinished sports facility

9.Speech specialist comes in for a tortilla

10.Old man shot from a gun

12.Ceremony African country held in ‘40

15. School of trout swimming

16. Shaking rein, Mr. Ed gives cue

17. Judge mongrel impure

19. Answer for practice again?

20. Spot double agent

22. Tossing die in commercial helped

24. Amulet is poor copy

26.30-year mortgage offers protection

29. Evil of the first woman embracing villain‘s snaky forms (two words)

30. Stoic philosopher with sort of Buddhist ring

31. Bigots’street numbers recalled

32. Most well-to-do fail at exam

33. Candy assortments split by all of us

DOWN

1. Autograph source material for Italian gentleman

2. Group of chicks plotted out loud

3. Dam catches black snake

4. Grass consequently died

5. A bit of rum in drinks results in amused expressions

6. Dance and dance, eating butter crackers

7. Pals of Ted turned play down (hyphenated)

8. Archaic, like a nobleman?

11.Cooked one old bean

13. Running through one time, about 1,000 albinos?

14. A group of taxers travels places to see planes

18.No more lousy President

20. First and last, hurry up with Italian food

21. Bird allowed outside motel

23. Stops altering SDS ties

25. Think about love for shy person

27. Clear mesh

28. Savage when in risk

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 due-solving, send an addressed, stamped envelope to The Atlantic Puzzler, 8 Arlington Street. Boston, Mass. 02116.

ACROSTIC NO. 40

“I don’t know about bores. Maybe you shouldn’t feel too sorry if you see some swell girl getting married to them. They don‘t hurt anybody, most of them, and maybe they’re secretly all terrific whistlers or something. Who the hell knows? Not me

—(J. D) Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye