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Puzzle #43– December 2004   " Alphabet Soup "

Instructions: Guess the words defined by the cryptic clues (words vary in length from four to nine letters and include five proper names and one two-word phrase), then enter them in the grid one after another in the same order as their clues, starting in the upper left corner. Across words that don't end at the right margin continue on the next line below; down words that don't end at the bottom margin continue in the next column to the right. Thirteen across words and thirteen down words won't fit in the grid unless one of their letters is removed. Those twenty-six letters are, guess what, the letters of the alphabet in jumbled order. As ever, I am indebted to Kevin Wald for help with the clues. (If you are having trouble printing these puzzles, you can download an Adobe Acrobat version of the puzzle and grid). [Want to see some hints?]

Across

  1. Records roguish composer
  2. Trainer has more sound with new diamond head
  3. Time left before city's last two decades
  4. Mom initiated meeting with Malaysian milk producer
  5. Gravel deposit reeks foully
  6. Pop art?
  7. Fallen socket covering part of eye
  8. Indian in stamp image
  9. Don't start associating and getting excited
  10. Cat turning back to the French company
  11. Read in French about ocean and river
  12. Discard tarnished Jeter icon
  13. Forbid working for ex-president
  14. Talks fondly about husband getting excellent pick
  15. Point of circus parade
  16. Dry twig and rod
  17. Change of place is uncommon
  18. Building expert holds large crustacean
  19. A second way out of the country
  20. Group of four involved in date trading
  21. Decide to eat around start of exam period
  22. Flimsy, small, and sluggish about starting early

Down

  1. Base of a Latin goddess
  2. Burst from opening of pierced vein
  3. Apropos sacking Virginia, be a little gentler
  4. Boss keeps rod, barrel, and lever
  5. Growing plant without sulfur takes a little money
  6. Allow entrance to a day school
  7. Address spelling error by English child
  8. Indigen put it back in the middle of church
  9. Finish craft except for top of spar
  10. Talk about excellent swindle
  11. Goose caught in seine net
  12. Travel time in broad open land
  13. Start to climb and relax at the top
  14. Or it's a change in relative values
  15. Loud dipteran consumes remains
  16. To remove parasites, get wet holding head and tail of eel
  17. Ambled off in utter confusion
  18. Solitary plant absorbs nitrogen
  19. That French-Italian composer provides a musical flourish
  20. Painter represented by Dan with six here at the Louvre
  21. Where to find an oyster containing a pearl, perhaps
  22. Mélange incorporating art nouveau in context
  23. Mineral volume and impedance

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