Puzzle Answers - Ambiguities - Harper's Magazine January 2014 (SPOILER ALERT!)

Puzzle Answers - Ambiguities - Harper's Magazine January 2014 (SPOILER ALERT!)

"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