Puzzled? No more cross words! Read Kosman and Picciotto on “Solving The Nation’s Cryptic Puzzles.”
Click HERE to download a printable PDF of this puzzle.
ACROSS
1 Penalty kick, outside, hems in shot (10)
6 Addict hosted by the administration (4)
10 Poem: “To Be the Boss Without Clothing” (5)
11 For example, kreplach with minor imperfections hiding distasteful lump (9)
12 Slough off evil creatures (6)
13 America exposed and disrupted—that’s against the law (5)
15 Cowardly yokel taken in by smallest denomination with time off (7)
17 Fat, cod, and a bit of oil mashed together?! (3,4)
19 Reverse code to read a link for six pairs of Across entries (3)
20 School’s principal cursed crawfishes—they’re dangerous when they bite (3,4)
22 Oscar winner holds on to suitable branch (7)
24 Money is power, assuming leadership in banking (5)
26 Montana city restricted dairy product (6)
29 Accepts the responsibility of, or has an obligation to, 10 without margins (9)
30 Cash found in second-rate book (5)
31 A piece of belittling slander is regressive and stupid (4)
32 Unexpectedly, hens mingle with the likes of Paul McCartney (10)
DOWN
1 Finally, top a road! (4)
2 Thrown out in onset of devastating blow from one quarter (5,4)
3 Go underground in train, protected by moxie (7)
4 When turning sorrowful, I’m a touchy guy? (5)
5 Two-thirds of musical piece can make you insensitive (4)
7 Boredom is unbidden nuisance, essentially (5)
8 Division’s chief illegally screened part of certain letters (9)
9 Draw out Yale student and most of New Haven, for example (6)
14 Going either way and ignoring the odds, hatch duck (2/2)
15 Crisp demo, with an upgrade included (9)
16 Rover’s owner goes through tuna salad (4)
18 Proceeding correctly? Be not (ahem) distressed (2,3,4)
21 A sick playwright (6)
23 Our group, after traveling about in a vehicle (7)
25 Leopold’s flower (5)
26 Herb’s release from jail involving an element of surprise (5)
27 Watched and listened to a tantrum (4)
28 Sculptor removing cap for god (4)
SOLUTION TO PUZZLE NO. 3378
ACROSS 1 pun 6 rev. hidden 9 OU(TWO)R + N 10 VI AD + UCT (anag.) 11 C(REAM + E)RY 12 S + ENDER 14 E-DEN 15 anag. 17 pun 19 rev. 21 anag. 22 anag. 24 G(L)UT + TON 25 ORD(I)NAL (Arnold anag.) 26 P(AGE)R 27 BOY + [co]LESLAW
DOWN 1 B + ROACH 2 G + [r]OTTERDAM + ME + RUNG 3 anag. 4 PAN + CREASES 5 2 defs. 6 CHAT + EAU 7 “Ford, a mention’ll” 8 SU (rev.) + TURING 13 G(HOSTS + T)ORY 16 ST + RING UP 18 TO + ASTER 19 GRANDE (anag.) + E 20 FELL + OW 23 S(N)OB
Joshua Kosman and Henri PicciottoJoshua Kosman and Henri Picciotto are The Nation’s puzzlers. To read more about Kosman, click here. To read more about Picciotto, click here. Kosman and Picciotto explain what they’re up to in “Solving The Nation’s Cryptic Crosswords” (also available as a PDF). Check out The Nation’s Current Issue page each week for the latest puzzle.