Puzzle Answers - Ambiguities - Harper's Magazine January 2014 (SPOILER ALERT!)
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| "The Best Little Texas in Whorehouse" |
ACROSS
1. See instructions (13) = PALINDROMANIA
11. Mad money assuming company has thrifty management (7) = ECONOMY
(MONEY) + (CO)mpany [ANAGRAM]
12. Female writer’s name, in the long run? (4) = JONG [Erica]
long run = (JOG) + (N)ame
13. Bishop washed out a significant continental address (5) = BWANA
15. Being close for a woman about to acquire a cape (12) = TOGETHERNESS
(TO) + acquire = (GET) + woman['s] = (HER)
18. (See instructions) (17, four words) = OH CAMERAS ARE MACHO
20. Heartless oil company (English portion) getting cleared (11) = EXONERATION
(EXXON) – [Minus middle letter (X)] + (E)nglish + portion = (RATION)
23. What the Selective Service does for those making plans = DRAFTSMEN
DRAFTS MEN
28. (See instructions) (18, five words) = DEB SAT IN ANITAS BED
31. By necessity, in musical by Loesser, his leading character enters just before the end (10) = INEVITABLY
IN + musical by Loesser = (EVITA)
33. Exported Dutch tire announced = BOER
tire BORE [HOMONYM}
34. Initiating it: a license to produce biased writing? (6) = ITALIC
(IT) + (A) + (LIC)ense
37. (See instructions) (17, six words) = BUT ANITA SAT IN A TUB
38. Trailer played back is about me (4) = SEMI
(IS) + (ME) [REVERSED]
39. Sounds like a breakfast show on TV (6) = SERIAL
breakfast = CEREAL [HOMONYM]
40. Registered trademark with earliest organized shopkeepers (9) = RETAILERS
EARLIEST [ANAGRAM]
41. Fantasy creature is described by Herb Klein initially (8) = BASILISK
herb = (BASIL) + (IS) + (K)lein
DOWN
1. Pacific telephone system follows quietly, each incorporating extra energy = PEACEABLE
quietly = ( P ) + each = (EA) + telephone system = (CABLE) + energy = (E)
2. Looks over little woman; rich and earthy (5) = LOAMY
(LO)oks + little woman (AMY)
3. Mutinous antielitist, taking the head off royalty, is found in space! (12) = INTERSTITIAL
(ANTIELITIST + ( R )oyalty) [ANAGRAM]
4. No room in hospital for a Jordanian queen (4) = NOOR
(NO) + hospital = (OR)
5. Some spirits turn out to be right, of course (4) = RYES
( R )ight + of course = (YES)
6. Number of a station represented in Act One (6) = OCTANE
ACT ONE [ANAGRAM]
7. Name in engineering circles who’s famous for month, hour! (4) = MOHR [Christian Otto]
(MO)nth + hour = (HR)
8. Not quite ordinary opera (6) = NORMA
ordinary = NORMA(l)
9. Natural order, in nine (6) = INNATE
IN EIGHT [HOMONYM]
10. ID info or a range perhaps (3) = AGE
13. Adventurous sounds played in an alley (4) = BOLD
played in an alley = BOWLED [HOMONYM]
14. Sporting place whose hero shamelessly takes in university (10) = WHOREHOUSE
(WHOSE) + (HERO) + (U)niversity
16. Gross hovel, fulsome, made with quantities of dirt (10) = SHOVELFULS
gros(S HOVEL, FULS)ome,
17. Air for heir—on guard (4) = SONG
heir = (SON) + (G)uard
19. Boxer cries, can’t start, throws up (4) = ARFS
b(ARFS)
20. State you’re seeking meatier parts (7) = EMIRATE
MEATIER [ANAGRAM]
21. Civilized nations supported by southern seed-sowers! (8) = ONANISTS
(NATIONS + (S)outhern) [ANAGRAM]
22. Sanctions causing relocation of fair site (8) = RATIFIES
FAIR SITE [ANAGRAM]
24. Island tribe’s leader going for new ingredient in hummus (6) = TAHINI
island = TAHI(t)I – (T)ribe + (N)ew
25. In mines, you need five round axes (6) = PIVOTS
mines = (PITS) + five = (V) + round = (O)
26. Grow dark and dominant, almost (5) = LATEN
dominant = LATEN(t)
27. A little shot, rising to superior positions (5) = ABBET
28. One calling it a knight? Masseur, if his head is down! (6) = DUBBER
masseur = r(UBBER) + (D)own
29. Who is named by the leaders of Denmark, Yugoslavia, Bangladesh, Brazil, and Britain? Not a living soul! (6) = DYBBUK
(D)enmark + (Y)ugoslavia + (B)angladesh + (B)razil + Britain = (UK)
30. Play doctor with a lot of doctors (5) = DRAMA
doctor = (DR) + lot of doctors = (AMA)
32. Make use of a Dell, as the saying goes (5) = AVAIL
35. Animal shelter transported by rail (4) = LAIR
RAIL [ANAGRAM]
36. Something to be avoided in losing or taking on its element (4) = CARB
BLUE SQUARES (Creator)
JON AGEEs
