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Puzzle #50– July 2005  "A Celebration of Sorts"

Instructions: This puzzle calls for a non-standard grid that contains 120 cells. You must determine its shape and, as usual, guess the words defined by the cryptic clues (words vary in length from four to nine letters), 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, and down words that don't end at the bottom margin continue in the next column. Six across words and five down words won't fit in the grid unless one or more of their letters is removed. Those eleven letters taken in order spell a celebratory (sort of) two-word phrase. As always, I am grateful 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?]

The grid for this puzzle is not supplied. You must come up with it on your own, but click here for a large grid that you can use as a working tool.

Across

  1. Princess wrapped in sensual cloak
  2. Conscious emotion is measureless
  3. Irreverent child has debts
  4. Flavoring agent stored in cement holes
  5. Utter medical madness
  6. Cheer a gallery with music
  7. Note metal top of android's eye membrane
  8. Line directed around California
  9. Hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and potassium combine to produce sound
  10. River turning up dead people
  11. Coin not originally included in group deposit
  12. Mom or dad adding payment
  13. Very angry about British rock
  14. Returning single chemical
  15. Drink consumes one server
  16. Tire punctured by new tooth
  17. Sea songs--they scan irregularly
  18. Sailors with a line of half a foot, maybe
  19. Like projections in plush or nylon
  20. Make a shrill sound while going around street

Down

  1. Money gets back all but head of gift animal
  2. Relax after beginning to climb peak
  3. Friend has a choir actively supported by the church
  4. I'm overdue to get commoner's heart in sacrifice
  5. Torrid letter depicts inn
  6. Perhaps maiden has run in stockings
  7. Soldier captivated by strange place in the ocean
  8. No writer is accessible to all
  9. Official fighting room
  10. Native American lodge gets help from the east
  11. Opening of manuscript
  12. Cosmopolitan nincompoop swallowing acid
  13. Carry head of martyr as emblem
  14. Loud, gross, and outspoken
  15. Relatively confused and lacking real buoyancy
  16. Song––endless as before––finally ended
  17. Telegram expresses wife's rage
  18. Cut hair of female air recruit
  19. Color of shift after removing top
  20. Quick bout of abstinence
  21. Easy simmering before starting to foam
  22. Sound of bell contains note of punitiveness
  23. Ancient Germanic migrant fish

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