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Puzzle #91 December 2008  "What You Will"

Instructions: Guess the words defined by the cryptic clues (answers vary in length from four to ten letters; six of them are capitalized, and one is a 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 continue on the next row, and down words that don't end at the bottom continue in the next column. Six across words and six down words won't fit in the grid unless one of their letters is removed. Those twelve letters, spell a two-word phrase related to the mystery entry. Thanks to Kevin Wald for test-solving and editing this puzzle. (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. Nothing swings into your ears or ribs
  2. Ernest and Emily keep one behind the other
  3. Steal English dress
  4. The French number "X" is meager
  5. Swore wildly and more terribly
  6. Canine polo–diversion of an emperor
  7. Wife abandons one who advocates for bed
  8. Despot is punished and put on display
  9. Holland embraces pot
  10. Standing verb and article getting mixed up
  11. Mystery entry
  12. Run out of tonic on trolley
  13. Couple rush to get fire started, for heat primarily
  14. Crushed stone with mallet that has rubber head
  15. Fodder from Arapei
  16. Introduction of clip about official
  17. Ruler of Florence returned
  18. One who cures her drinking brew
  19. Greedily eats grass
  20. A nibble of mushroom with sulfur in it
  21. The first man in a bar?
  22. Child eats rotten pea in container
    23.

Down

  1. Trash or ridicule can get ugly
  2. Sponsor has run out of incense before long
  3. Some go south to support selves
  4. Musician's horse raced with energy
  5. Bill wrongly claiming error in character assassination
  6. Marilyn gets money back
  7. Head of cowbird, corvid, or chicken
  8. Pacino fan is finished
  9. Hold off starting dinner before Eli comes up
  10. Gracie and Nella turned up
  11. Get rid of less radical facility
  12. Inquire about four in secret
  13. Citizen's open about . . . about author's return
  14. Works with a rope that's tangled up
  15. Fiery painting covers hole
  16. Florist captures a lemur
  17. Import centrally produced oil
  18. Slowly develop good assets
  19. Trust implement to maintain parity
  20. Mark got beheaded in a foreign city
  21. Quiet lion heard to cry for a chemical signal
  22. Mismatch of supporting structure covering torn wreckage

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