Puzzle Answers - 2 for Two- June 13-14, 2015 - The Wall Street Journal - (SPOILER ALERT!)

Puzzle Answers - 2 for Two- June 13-14, 2015 - The Wall Street Journal - (SPOILER ALERT!)

Skunk Party.

2 for Two | a cryptic puzzle by Emily Cox & Henry Rathvon 

Across 

1. For a pointer, don’t start a litter of pigs = ARROW

litter of pigs = f[ARROW]

4. Sign on a score for scales transposed between two keys (2 wds.) = BASS CLEF

9.  Count hard to believe? You betcha (2 wds.) = TALLY UP

hard to believe = [TALL] + you betcha = [YUP]

10.  A river, isn’t that right?! = ARNO

[A] + [R]iver + isn’t that right = [NO]

11.  Dorothy’s aunt, the one reported to work with studs = EMBOSS

Dorothy’s aunt = [EM] + the one reported [BOSS]

12.  Harsh season’s ending for a wading bird = BITTERN

harsh = [BITTER] + seaso[N]

13.  Vessel’s amount of gas: about empty = GALLEON

amount of gas = GALLON + [E]mpty

• 
  

14. Native American playwright born in France = SHAWNEE

playwright = [SHAW] + born in France = [NEE]

16. Spread fertilizer around bit of myrtle = HUMMUS

fertilizer = [HUMUS] = [M]yrtle

17. See instructions = TOOOOOOT [T222T]

“Solvers who complete this puzzle may want to blow their own party horns.”

20. Market is quite peculiar, by the sound of it =  BAZAAR

quite peculiar = bizarre {Homophone}

21. Convertible sleepers that can’t be matched = PEERLESS

SLEEPERS {Anagram}

22. A large wager—around half of it, though = ALBEIT

[A] + [L]arge + wager = [BET] + [I]t

25. Fan taking in live pop (2 wds.)  = ROOT BEER

fan = [ROOTER] + live = [BE]

26. With fancy touches, young horse captures first in race = FRILLY

young horse = [FILLY] + [R]ace

27. Medicinal plant a couple of Henry VIII’s wives brought back = SENNA

a couple of Henry VIII’s wives = [ANNES] {Reverse}

28. A McAn shoe width that’s comfortable (2 wds.) = AT HOME

29. Family of singers wanders off = ANDREWS

[WANDERS] {Anagram}

30. When speaking, must have bumped in a way = KNEED

 must have = [NEED] {Homophone}

Down 

1. Chilling a needle (2 wds.) = AT EASE

[A] + needle = [TEASE]

2. Where to see shoppers returning a source of wool = LLAMA

where to see shoppers = [A MALL] {Reverse}

3. Odd outfield achievement: bee-catching = OFF BEAT

4. Pirate stated aloud price for corn on the cob? = BUCCANEER

price for corn on the cob = [BUCK AN EAR] {Homophone}

5. Center of vertebral canal giving the spine a chill = EERIE

vert[E]bral + canal = [ERIE]

6. Challenge American League amid bash (2 wds.) = CALL OUT

[A]merican + [L]eague + bash = [CLOUT]

7. One true stranger along the way (2 wds.) = EN ROUTE

[ONE TRUE] {Anagram}

8. Sources of footnotes, oddly = FONTS

foot = [FO] + notes = [NTS]

12. Accountant’s pager bearing 0-0-1000-1000 = BOOKKEEPER 

pager = [BEEPER] + 0 = [O] + 0 = [O] + 1000 = [K] + 1000 = [K]

15. Grouse, attesting disbelief about piece of hearsay (2 wds.) = HEATH HEN

16. These fill new requirements for some wearers of shoes (2 wds.) = HEEL LIFTS

[THESE FILL] {Anagram}

17. Labor to reset a row of buttons on your computer screen = TOOLBAR

[LABOR TO] {Anagram}

18. A pound—one appearing in old England = ALBION

19. Marshaled a police action using a loudspeaker? = ARRAYED

20. Massage back second, with a cushion for the shoulder, maybe = BURSA

massage = [RUB] {Reverse} + [S]econd + [A]

23. Utter disapproval for the hard stuff = BOOZE

disapproval = boos  {Homophone}

24. Announced “low, low” dress in an island style = MUUMUU 

low = moo {Homophone}