Joshua Kosman and Henri Picciotto

The Nation Puzzlers

Joshua 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.

Puzzle No. 3370

Puzzle No. 3370 Puzzle No. 3370

Click HERE to download a printable PDF of this puzzle. ACROSS  1 Prepare cured eel’s head to lose weight (6)  4 Give a hearing to a scrappy Native American (6) 10 Doc [that’s what…

Jul 30, 2015 / Joshua Kosman and Henri Picciotto

Puzzle No. 3369

Puzzle No. 3369 Puzzle No. 3369

Click HERE to download a printable PDF of this puzzle. ACROSS  1 Burn coats off back in worker’s platform (8)  5 Pertaining to an ancient system of enmity? (6) 10 Sign and leave af…

Jul 16, 2015 / Joshua Kosman and Henri Picciotto

Puzzle No. 3368

Puzzle No. 3368 Puzzle No. 3368

Click HERE to download a printable PDF of this puzzle. ACROSS  1 Masseuse to avoid a bath toy (6,4)  6 Prepare soup for work (4) 10 Philosopher retreats in total panic (5) 11 and 1…

Jul 2, 2015 / Joshua Kosman and Henri Picciotto

Puzzle No. 3367

Puzzle No. 3367 Puzzle No. 3367

Click HERE to download a printable PDF of this puzzle. ACROSS  1 Around back of kitchen, attack a pancake (6)  4 Portal opened wide, nearly revolving with effort (8)  9 Money spent…

Jun 18, 2015 / Joshua Kosman and Henri Picciotto

Puzzle No. 3366 Puzzle No. 3366

Click HERE to download a printable PDF of this puzzle. ACROSS  1 Famous artwork has legs on top (4,6)  6 “Bound to go downhill!” (pessimist’s starting point) (4)  9 Legally protect Gothic novel involving endless material for funeral (9) 10 Expels American in overtime, at completion of pass (5) 11 Require improved ax, etc. (5) 12 A government agent ferociously hits Emma Goldman, perhaps (9) 13 Charles returns with amazing deals from neighborhood clearance (4,4) 15 Beginning to load Borders’ shelves (6) 17 Tipsy cheapskate has a soul (6) 18 Federal bureau to launch prison section (5,3) 21 Organized labor splits fruit with victim of global warming (5,4) 22 Heavy metal piece (vinyl, originally): “Inside a Zero” (5) 24 Leftover fried rice contains a bit of lemon (5) 25 Raise initial grade of review in maths, for example (9) 26 Stalk nine from Queens in retreat (4) 27 Adult male’s preceding adolescent, grabbing game and tropical fruit (10) DOWN  1 Church leaders are implicated in suspicious sexual activity (7)  2 Old photograph found within Milanese piano (5)  3 10 down, drunk and extremely high (13)  4 Twisted plaits framing Pippi Longstocking, ultimately! (8)  5 Catch parent in a mix-up (6)  7 Surprisingly, Nobel Peace Prize winner is more prone to smooching? (9)  8 Typeset Asimov excerpt for money, once (7) 10 3 scattered locations for music (9,4) 14 Incorrectly label your color (5,4) 16 Providing more weapons to back Chinese dynasty (8) 17 Scroll to see father cooking syrup (7) 19 Former mobile device’s image on traffic sign? (7) 20 Rabies outbreak in the country (6) 23 501 ad, say (5) SOLUTION TO PUZZLE NO. 3365   ACROSS 1 AD + VAN + CEMENT 9 ACTIN (anag.) + GOUT 10 T +  ROLL 11 anag. 12 C(H)AT 13 RU(SKI)N 14 FEE + BLEST 18 LI(GAME)NT 20 O(NED)GE (rev.) 23 anag. 24 CH(RON)ICLE + D 26 TU + TEE 27 RES[t] + PONDER 28 anag. DOWN 1 AN + TAR(E)S (star anag., &lit.) 2 VA + N(DALI’S)M 3 NEO (anag.) + CON 4 EN(TITI)ES (seen anag.) 5 [h]EATS 6 anag. 7 PAST + ORAL 8 S(L)IT 15 anag. 16 THE(ODOR)E 17 INCH + [l]ARGE 19 GENE + TIC 21 pun 22 CO(US)IN 23 init. letters 25 [h]SELF (rev.)

Jun 2, 2015 / Joshua Kosman and Henri Picciotto

Puzzle No. 3365 Puzzle No. 3365

Click HERE to download a printable PDF of this puzzle. ACROSS  1 Right and left (found in office tent) are scrambled, having given it some thought (5,10)  9 Lustrous blaze I give off (9) 10 Tooth 1A in 29 would be good (5) 11 Officer 1A in 29 would be a forensic professional (7) 12 What God supposedly did 1A in 29 would be like an athlete’s shoe (7) 13 Dances 1A in 29 would be lascivious glances (5) 15 Almost overdue, by way of a European country (6) 19 Pole, for instance, spun around that thing’s innards (6) 20 Baseball requirement 1A in 29 would be wood (5) 23 Backward movement 1A in 29 would be missing limbs (7) 25 Legal proceedings 1A in 29 would be shows (7) 27 Expression of displeasure 1A in 29 would be sent by air (5) 28 “Typify zip!” I emote foolishly (9) 29 Thankless gigolo shattered Carroll’s mirror (3,7,5) DOWN  1 Tuna and cobra stewed in beer (8)  2 Plowman catching home run? That’s exciting (8)  3 Authority’s downfall is pronounced (5)  4 Meaningless repetition confused Alice when adopting Spanish greeting (9)  5 In Honolulu, dickering is playful (5)  6 On the way to accommodate favorite in contention (9)  7 Listen: Enlist silent tinsel to provide four ways to supply what you need to make bays (6)  8 Maneuver under a Nobel-winning poet (6) 14 Easily enter cunning racket (also on the phone) (5,4) 16 Satan: “I’m an eccentric, like many devils” (9) 17 Somalian touched up a painting (4,4) 18 Bits of ears, some used more than once? Think again (8) 21 Gain is anti-inappropriate? (6) 22 Pay no attention to contents of sign or evidence (6) 24 Move mountains bottom to the top, say (5) 26 Carry trail mix up, taking north fork (5) SOLUTION TO PUZZLE NO. 3364   ACROSS 1 ARCH(R)IVAL 6 hidden 9 letter bank 10 DOCK + ET 11 anag. 12 SEED + O + UBLE (anag.) 14 BEN + D 16 init. letters 18 AUSTER + [p]ITY 21 MISS + POKE 22 NUN C.I.O. 25 AT THE LAST + MINUTE 26 HI + RED 27 DAM + A SCENE DOWN 1 A(WAR)D 2 CUTI(CL)E 3 anag. 4 anag. 5 anag. 6 LE(ANT)O 7 GR(IMAC)E 8 CANA(DAD)RY 12 S(TEAM + BAT)H 13 B(LACK + H)AND 15 BE(AU + TI)ES 16 VI + SITOR (rev.) 19 “ink, lewd” 20 S + P + READ 23 phonetic hidden 24 A + TOM

May 27, 2015 / Joshua Kosman and Henri Picciotto

Puzzle No. 3364 Puzzle No. 3364

Click HERE to download a printable PDF of this puzzle. ACROSS  1 Right and left (found in office tent) are scrambled, having given it some thought (5,10)  9 Lustrous blaze I give off (9) 10 Tooth 1A in 29 would be good (5) 11 Officer 1A in 29 would be a forensic professional (7) 12 What God supposedly did 1A in 29 would be like an athlete’s shoe (7) 13 Dances 1A in 29 would be lascivious glances (5) 15 Almost overdue, by way of a European country (6) 19 Pole, for instance, spun around that thing’s innards (6) 20 Baseball requirement 1A in 29 would be wood (5) 23 Backward movement 1A in 29 would be missing limbs (7) 25 Legal proceedings 1A in 29 would be shows (7) 27 Expression of displeasure 1A in 29 would be sent by air (5) 28 “Typify zip!” I emote foolishly (9) 29 Thankless gigolo shattered Carroll’s mirror (3,7,5) DOWN  1 Tuna and cobra stewed in beer (8)  2 Plowman catching home run? That’s exciting (8)  3 Authority’s downfall is pronounced (5)  4 Meaningless repetition confused Alice when adopting Spanish greeting (9)  5 In Honolulu, dickering is playful (5)  6 On the way to accommodate favorite in contention (9)  7 Listen: Enlist silent tinsel to provide four ways to supply what you need to make bays (6)  8 Maneuver under a Nobel-winning poet (6) 14 Easily enter cunning racket (also on the phone) (5,4) 16 Satan: “I’m an eccentric, like many devils” (9) 17 Somalian touched up a painting (4,4) 18 Bits of ears, some used more than once? Think again (8) 21 Gain is anti-inappropriate? (6) 22 Pay no attention to contents of sign or evidence (6) 24 Move mountains bottom to the top, say (5) 26 Carry trail mix up, taking north fork (5) SOLUTION TO PUZZLE NO. 3363   ACROSS 1 ARCH(R)IVAL 6 hidden 9 letter bank 10 DOCK + ET 11 anag. 12 SEED + O + UBLE (anag.) 14 BEN + D 16 init. letters 18 AUSTER + [p]ITY 21 MISS + POKE 22 NUN C.I.O. 25 AT THE LAST + MINUTE 26 HI + RED 27 DAM + A SCENE DOWN 1 A(WAR)D 2 CUTI(CL)E 3 anag. 4 anag. 5 anag. 6 LE(ANT)O 7 GR(IMAC)E 8 CANA(DAD)RY 12 S(TEAM + BAT)H 13 B(LACK + H)AND 15 BE(AU + TI)ES 16 VI + SITOR (rev.) 19 “ink, lewd” 20 S + P + READ 23 phonetic hidden 24 A + TOM

May 19, 2015 / Joshua Kosman and Henri Picciotto

Puzzle No. 3363 Puzzle No. 3363

Click HERE to download a printable PDF of this puzzle. ACROSS  1 Chief competitor for the files storing letter of resignation (9)  6 Blog icon features circuits (5)  9 One opposed to some Christian doctrine takes train components and recycles them (4-11) 10 Cut alien’s caseload (6) 11 Russell’s ill-mannered brat and nerd (8) 12 Have difficulty perceiving plant, with orange and blue mixed up (3,6) 14 Persuade Franklin Delano early on (4) 16 Leaders of England’s nasty, violent youth commit a sin (4) 18 Novelist Paul to feel compassion, after losing power in economic squeeze (9) 21 Just before a jab, young woman said the wrong thing (8) 22 He represents the pope with sisters’ union? (6) 25 In the nick of time, two things a small shoemaker might be? (2,3,4,6) 26 Hello! Ruby’s offered a job (5) 27 Syrian obstruction leads to a show of pique (9) DOWN  1 Bill lies about fight with Oscar, perhaps (5)  2 Good looker holding two of clubs with part of finger (7)  3 Betrayed and Sabotaged (not rated) (6,2)  4 Ivan the Terrible is worthless (4)  5 Laggards might be sterile or disorganized (9)  6 Soldier appears in sign for shelter (4-2)  7 Test involving Apple computer yields expression of disgust (7)  8 Brand of soda pop swallowed by bird (6,3) 12 Penguins, for instance, stick in quiet sauna (5,4) 13 Criminal society or gang concealing shortage with heroin (5,4) 15 Gatherings to make quilts containing gold and titanium—they’re lovely (8) 17 Six flatbreads flipped for guest (7) 19 Embrace colored liquid and obscene sounds (7) 20 Book is covered with salt, pepper, and butter, for example (6) 23 Daisy is heard running through Bangkok, sighing (5) 24 Cat chasing a speck (4) SOLUTION TO PUZZLE NO. 3362   ACROSS 1 ME + TERM + AID 6 JA(CO)B 9 alternate letters 10 TA(RANTIN’)O 11 RE-ACHING 12 A THEN S 14 “leak” 15 2 defs. 18 BACK + ETC. + ASE (anag.) 19 HUG + E 22 ARM A D.A. 24 A + COUST(I)C (stucco anag.) 26 [w]REC[k] + TANGLE 27 [r]ENTER 28 NO NET 29 DI’S SON + ANT DOWN 1 anag. 2 anag. 3 RH + YTHM (anag.) 4 AT + TEN + DANCE 5 anag. 6 J + UNCTION 7 CR(I’M)E[w] 8 B(ROWS)E + R 13 E(YES + OCKE)TS (Coke anag.) 16 anag. 17 2 defs. 18 hidden 20 EX + CERPT (anag.) 21 TU(XED)O (out rev.) 23 MA + CON 25 Dega[s] rev.

May 12, 2015 / Joshua Kosman and Henri Picciotto

Puzzle No. 3362 Puzzle No. 3362

Click HERE to download a printable PDF of this puzzle. ACROSS  1 She once wrote up drivers, or the author, with Word help (5,4)  6 Poke around company with twin (5)  9 Every other element in niece’s day is lacking (5) 10 Film director, ragin’, gets in the way? (9) 11 Coming to, and feeling pain again? (8) 12 In Europe, capital “A”s? (6) 14 Herb to reveal a secret on the radio (4) 15 Someone who’s probably about to retire with a firecracker? (4,6) 18 Dysfunctional person to luxuriate, and so forth, beside stormy sea (6,4) 19 Big show of affection at the end of squabble (4) 22 Give a prosecutor weapons and a bunch of ships (6) 24 A mixed stucco outside facade of Institute of Sound (8) 26 Edges away from accident and snarl in square, for instance (9) 27 Tenant arrives late with a key (5) 28 Muses, for example, defining attribute of a risky aerial act (5) 29 Prince William and offspring of a queen are not in harmony (9) DOWN  1 Rock is manlier if out of control (7)  2 Generates chaos for youths (9)  3 Crazy myth underlies factor in blood and pulse (6)  4 Head count at Hamilton cotillion (10)  5 Read translation for an alternative to truth (4)  6 Convergence of Jewish initiation and the act of anointing (8)  7 I’m involved in gang, mostly for arson or loan-sharking (5)  8 One looking through a book to live right when having spats (7) 13 Definitely, Coke is spilled in space alien’s orifices (3,7) 16 It might blow one mutant to pieces (5,4) 17 Stuck with what some did on Yom Kippur? (4,4) 18 Alibi (a frantic cover) for certain inhabitant of Nigeria (7) 20 Former spouse crept stealthily in passage (7) 21 Suit canceled in outback (6) 23 City in Georgia or Massachusetts supported by swindle (5) 25 Old painter turned up after taking Sunday off (4) SOLUTION TO PUZZLE NO. 3361   ACROSS 1 CUT + I.E. 4 anag.
9 R(ENT)ING (Net anag.) 10 V + ILL + AGE 11 AD + A.M. 12 I + N + VESTMENT 14 anag. 16 R + OMAN
19 MANE + T 20 SANCTI (anag.) + [mar]TY 22 anag. 25 [h]OBOE[s]
27 DON(JU)A + N (rev.) 28 O + T + HELLO 29 SCH[ind]LE[r] + SWIG
30 hidden DOWN 1 “chorale” 2 TAN + ZAN + IAN 3 E(P)IC (ice anag.) 4 BE(G + INN)ERS 5 MO + VIE 6 ALL +
ITERATE 7 S + TALE 8 anag. 13 2 defs. 15 anag. 17 METABOLI (anag.) + C 18 anag. 21 hidden 23 hidden
24 RENE + W 26 THE + O

May 6, 2015 / Joshua Kosman and Henri Picciotto

Puzzle No. 3361 Puzzle No. 3361

Click HERE to download a printable PDF of this puzzle. ACROSS  1 ” Barb”: that is one choice among terms of endearment (5)  4 Through crash, ban my foes (2,5,2)  9 What you might be doing in the apartment as malfunctioning Net breaks up a call (7) 10 Hamlet opposing sick era (7) 11 Did he know all about Eve in the “morning after” commercial? (4) 12 Gandhi’s last neutral robe is something drawing interest (10) 14 Strangely, the sting becomes more constrained (8) 16 Gladiator, possibly restricted near Mideastern country (5) 19 Long, thick hair finally upset the artist of Olympia (5) 20 Crazy antics preceding Marty’s last two symbols for holiness (8) 22 Appalling lack: Ben-Hur getting time off to eat (5,5) 25 Vagabonds after high school, gone with the wind (4) 27 Womanizer returns, ultimately unforgiven with a casual acknowledgment around outskirts of Juneau (3,4) 28 Person from Shakespeare, in love, facing tense greeting (7) 29 Schindler’s list of characters lost independent and Republican to drink in European region (9) 30 Prize found in Argo’s cargo, which was earned by the 5 that appears in each clue (5) DOWN  1 The sound of music from Bach’s pen (6)  2 Make leather, then do it again twice, with different covers coming out of Africa (9)  3 Titanic hit ice while maintaining power (4)  4 Recruits porters outside grand hotel (9)  5 Film’s standard procedure: covering the life of Emile Zola (5)  6 Everyone repeat and say, “Mrs. Miniver,” perhaps (10)  7 Seattle’s west side story is trite (5)  8 Disturbed, if gentle—like the best years of our lives (8) 13 Presidential residence in Casablanca? (5,5) 15 Angling so craftily for an event where ordinary people make their voices heard (4-5) 17 I’m able to misread Chicago, originally, as pertaining to a biochemical process (9) 18 Rocky, dim slope collapses (8) 21 What I might have to take when going my way amid stampede to Uruguay (6) 23 Patton in ‘thirty-five, capturing roughly 11 percent (5) 24 Extend a contract with actress Russo on the waterfront (5) 26 Man seen in The Godfather, Part II (4) SOLUTION TO PUZZLE NO. 3360   ACROSS 1 LOCO + MOTION 6 PAG-E (rev.) 10 PAR + TNER (rev.) 11 EY(ELI)DS (dyes anag.) 12 YE + ATS (anag.) 13 anag. 14 CON + TEMP + LATE 17 & 18 SUN + DRY 19 CORN + ERST + ORE 21 anag. 24 rev. 25 REDBO (anag.) + OK 26 D(ROUGH)T 27 pun 28 A NEST + HE + TIC DOWN 1 LI(PSY)NC 2 anag. 3 [v/M]-ENUS 4 “perm taper” spoonerism 5 hidden 7 ALIT + O 8 [p]EPSI + LON[g] 9 anag. 15 ES(CARGO)T 16 ARE + AC + ODES 17 S(POT)LIGHT 18 DI(AGRA)M 20 anag. 22 TO(DA)Y 23 [s]TA[r] + KEN 24 2 defs.

Apr 28, 2015 / Joshua Kosman and Henri Picciotto

x