Click HERE to download a printable PDF of this puzzle.
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ACROSS
1 Bishop likely is married in sacred ritual (7)
5 Psychologist gives name to crappy performing ensemble (3,4)
9 Thrust bar after losing ring (5)
10 Skip wildly to entertain a sun-baked, independent South Asian (9)
11 Solo (sole) source for transfer (4,4)
12 In Dubuque, Lydia discussed mathematician (6)
14 Removing the tip of a feather—that’s a desirable job (4)
15 Extremely high-velocity way to travel around some water! (10)
18 Manic Opus 1, perhaps! (5,5)
19 Lavish interior for major renter (4)
22 Public display of affection—behold, it goes to the heart (4-2)
24 Misshapen crone conceals a way to inherit military equipment (8)
26 Once again, drafting leaderless gang to circle round that thing (9)
27 Turned onion au gratin ingredients into fertilizer (5)
28 Forbes magazine’s start-up: all-male holding company (7)
29 Pacino in a stage setting? That’s irregular (7)
DOWN
1 Hotel worker’s infernal dance, according to Spooner (7)
2 Author viciously slain outside university’s piece of land (9)
3 Federal agency to fight beer-storage option (6)
4 Players and ump mixed up breakfast condiment (5,5)
5 Potassium in coffee makes you gag (4)
6 Where to fill up Georgia’s shoes (3,5)
7 Under any circumstances, a high (2,3)
8 Led astray about current decrease (7)
13 Spoiled brat, receiving tip from investor on fads, buys and sells immediately (10)
16 Spot vehicle time after time in the inside track (9)
17 Government figure’s complicated topic: oil (8)
18 Medicine mostly covers mirthless wayfarer (7)
20 The first thing to do: overturn empty rule in some residences (4,3)
21 Something puzzlers work on: cheating in game (6)
23 For example, a promise on a train (5)
25 Steadfast enterprise (4)
The editor offers his profuse apologies for the erroneous enumeration of 28 in the print edition and as previously posted here. The downloadable PDF has been corrected.
SOLUTION TO PUZZLE NO. 3454
ACROSS 1 [CAR]ROLL 5 [CAR]TONS 9 R(O + O + S[even])T 10 [CAR]NATION 11 OF FENDERS 12 “teas” 13 [CAR]ROT 14 MET A D.A. + TA 18 anag. 20 [CAR]PET 23 S(L)ASH 25 A LONG SIDE 26 APPLE[CAR]T 27 2 defs. 29 hidden 29 puzzle theme
DOWN 1 [CAR]TOUCHE 2 “route 4” 3 OUTAND (anag.) + OUT 4 “liken” 5 [CAR]ESSES 6 alternate letters 7 O + KIN + AW + A 8 S + INGE 15 A(NALGE)SIA (angel anag.) 16 AU + THEN + TIC 17 [CAR]APACE 19 EXAM + PLE[a] 21 P + AID + OFF 22 POS (rev.) + TIT 23 SH + AFT 24 final letters
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.