The Puzzler

By Emily Cox and Henry Rathvon

Cryptic Personals

Solvers sometimes send us solicitations of a personal nature, evidently in hopes of meeting other solvers of like disposition. We cannot run these blurbs as a regular service, but in commemoration of Valentine’s Day we have reproduced several typical samples below, to which solvers may respond amorously if they wish. These personal notices compose the 18 Across clues to this month’s puzzle, if you can believe it. The clues are strung together in random order with no superfluous words connecting them. In locating the 18 answers in the diagram, solvers may be aided by the Downs, which are normal. In all, answers include four proper nouns.

See page 13 for Puzzler contest details. The solution to last month’s Puzzler appears on page 110.

Across

English woman with children wants to have male for novel sort of get-together, with a bit of relaxation and drink

Bold engrossing and exceptional writer, sings like a rap star, likes dancing more, can love a female who inspires poetry and art

Republican entertainer seeks a Democrat having a kinky degenerate demand

Independent, penetrating silent type, black, pursuing ski bum appropriate for smooching with

Popular German hockey player, nonsmoker and non-drinker, eats bran, crazy about Italy’s capital, seeks horticulturist

Somewhat shy single man, composer,

part regressive, dislikes meat, has an unusually smart following, taste for meeting lovers secretly

A Virginia sailor, a god in human form, a playboy, into dogs and cats and birds, wanting massaging, talking

Down

1. Temporarily settle for new PC name (6)

2. Singer from top of mountainous island (5)

3. Losing heart, make a certain amount of music (7)

4. In personals, perhaps, it entrances (5)

5. Fire visible? So you say (6)

6. Something happening interrupts quiet chord (7)

7. A city district’s prizes (6)

8. What a dog might do: bay aloud (4)

9. Is sorry about beheaded birds (6)

10. A mostly boring time with grown-up (5)

11. A large room occupied by a spook (5)

12. Best street south of town in New Hampshire (7)

13. Phenomenally holds back something in a plot? (7)

14. Siberian river connected with farthest Soviet region (6)

15. Heard rattles in stages (6)

10. Fabric style underneath bed (6)

17. Nun is in back, not quite finished (6)

13. Man in tavern set up help for substance abusers (5)

19. Paying passenger about $100 for a bit of comedy (5)

20. Garland and horseshoe pul in juvenile delinquent club (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 long envelope to The Atlantic Puzzler, 745 Boylston Street, Boston, Mass. 02116.

ANNOUNCING THE NEW ANNUAL PUZZLER CONTEST

DECEMBER’S WINNERS:

PEARL NEWCOMER, AMY PEARSON, HARRIET WINGREEN

ANSWERS TO THE JANUARY PUZZLER

“Janus-Faced”

Across answers are given in the order in which their definitions appear. Across. a. TORY; DEMOCRATS; ROT; COMEDY; STAR b. ADELINE; LEDA; ADENI; NOME; DAEMON C. ELITE; SPANIARD; APSE; TILE; DRAIN d. RECLUSE; CARTER; RETRACES; ULCER e. NITRO: ORATOR; TIN; EROS; SORE; TARO f. CANISTER; PINTA; CATNIP; RETSINA g. SNOOP; STRESSED; DESSERTSPOONS h. EDIT: TOPS: TIDE; SPOTS: GNAT; TANGS Down. 1. TAW-DRY 2. ODOR (hidden) 3. R(EL)ATIONS 4, DI(O)N 5. ENLAC-E (anag. + e) 6. o DDS 7. C(A-ME)UP 8. RENT (double def.) 9. TOLLED (homophone) 10. SNEER (hidden) 11. LA-I(RD)S 12. EXPE(C)TANT (anag. + c) 13. DICTATION (anag.) 14. LETS GO (double def.) 15. B(RIB)ED 16. KNAVES (homophone) 17. ERNEST (anag.) 18. FORES-T 19. EP(O)DE (anag. + o) 20. T(oil)E-ST (rev.) 21. CARP (double def.) 22. I-MP’S 23. ETN-A (anag. + a)