Games World of Puzzles September 2021

Welcome to the September issue of GAMES WORLD OF PUZZLES! This month is traditionally marked by students’ return to school. And while the pandemic has caused the last year and a half to be anything but traditional, as of press time, many schools were preparing for the return of in-person instruction. This is an important step in a positive direction as we move toward “the new normal.” Even if your own school days are far behind you, it’s never too late to learn something new—like how to solve cryptic crosswords. Although cryptics may seem mysterious at first glance, Andrew Parr’s new column, “Cryptic Classroom,” will show you how to break down the clues and help you understand the various techniques that constructors use. In the first installment (page 33), Parr focuses…

Each answer word in this crossword variation has two clues leading to it, using different meanings of the word. The clues are separated into Across and Down, but are otherwise ordered randomly. When you find two Across or two DOwn clues that seem to have the same answer, add up their clue numbers to determine the place in the grid at which the answer should be entered. For example, if the clue for 1-Across were “Metallic element” and the clue for 17-Across read “Starring role,” the answer would be “lead,” which would go in 18-Across (1 + 17). Note: Tags such as “Hyph.” and “2 wds.” have been omitted. ACROSS 1 Cheat on, as a mate 2 One under a monarch’s rule 3 Minor league classification 4 Wolf down 5 Illusionist who walked through the Great Wall…

There is one place for each letter of the alphabet in the 26 empty squares of each blank column in the diagram below. Fill in each letter so that a word of at least five letters is formed reading across only. Not all of the letters to the left and right of the empty box are used; it’s up to you to determine which ones are needed to complete familiar words. Some letters may fit in more than one of the empty squares to complete words, but we only came up with one arrangement that would complete a word in each row. Maybe you’ll find a better solution. Proper names are not allowed. ANSWERS 52-SKIDDOO…

In each of the three puzzles below, place the answer to clue 1 in its place in the diagram, one letter per square. The answer to clue 2 contains the rearranged letters of the first answer except one. Insert the dropped letter into the space at the left of box 1 in the diagram. The answer to clue 3 contains the rearranged letters of the second answer except one. Place that dropped letter into the space at the right. Solve each row in this manner. When the grid is complete, the letters in the left and right columns, reading top to bottom, will spell out either a message or some related words. 1 Origin 2 Heals 3 Neutral color 4 Sulked 5 Bus station 6 Fuss over 7 Chagall, e.g. 8 Indian lute 9 Recipe verb 10 Look (for) 11 Burns 12…

Here’s a quiz for the season! Each of the clues below can be answered by a word, phrase, title, or name containing the word FALL. For example, the clue “Nickname for MLB’s World Series” leads to the answer FALL CLASSIC, while “Influential novel by Chinua Achebe” would be THINGS FALL APART. How many can you guess? If things aren’t falling into place for you, check out the answers on page 71. 1. Animated series featuring Mabel and Dipper Pines 2. Chicken Little’s alarmist cry 3. Band that had a hit with “Thnks fr th Mmrs” 4. Not work out, as plans 5. Fail to be heard, as a plea 6. Daylight Saving Time mnemonic 7. James Bond film released in 2012 8. “You Are the Woman” band 9. 1980s action TV series starring Lee Majors 10. Popular tourist destination in…

ACROSS 1 Soothing ointment 5 Future attorney’s exam: Abbr. 9 One of four to visit 41-Across 14 Conception 15 Currency unit introduced in 2002 16 Bridal path? 17 Utterer of “God bless us, every one!” in 65-Across: 3 wds. 20 Lay to rest 21 Grant or Laurie 22 Fruity drink 23 Indian princess 25 Future flower 27 Perform on the stage 30 Pleasant 32 Nighttime visions 36 “___ the Knife” (Bobby Darin hit) 38 Scrabble piece 40 Dazzling display 41 Reformed miser of 65-Across: 2 wds. 44 Bundled hay 45 Van Halen’s David Lee ___ 46 All roads lead here 47 Claim 49 Shouts of approval 51 A ways away 52 Bone-dry 54 Kelly of Live with Kelly and Ryan 56 Cul-de-___ 59 Skid row figure 61 Cosmic cloud 65 Classic yuletide tale: 3 wds. 68 “Guilty” and “Not guilty” 69 Sitar music 70 Is unable to 71 Burst of voltage 72 Sufficient, poetically 73 Hip bones DOWN 1 Mouthful 2 Tennis score after deuce: 2 wds. 3 40-day fasting season 4…