By Tom Toce
Eight of the across entries require a letter to be changed, which will create a new word before entry. These letters are all crossed, so the down entries will help you determine which letters to substitute. The exchange occurs in a particular way each time. Keep track of the letters you replace; they will spell out, in order, a hint to what’s going on.
The long entries at 1 across and 41 across are phrases related to the theme and left unclued. There are five proper nouns and one foreign word (four and a half, if you consider that one of them is part of a double definition clue, where one answer is a proper noun and one isn’t). Everything else is playable in Scrabble. Ignore punctuation, which is intended to deceive.
Thanks to Jerry Miccolis for test-solving and editorial suggestions.
Across clues
1) See instructions
10) Studied and streamed with headphones
12) What “decimal” might mean, frequently
13) Musical talent in improvisational era
14) Pronounced retreats from the majority party
15) Alternately, we may sit to the right
16) Look after two states
17) Roll with us, his degenerates
19) Describing a standard tattletale
23) Brave superstar sometime met in Hot Springs, for example, having left New Hampshire
26) Appropriate but noisy rally
28) Laugh self-consciously over what at first is one of Elon’s brood
34) Am I reckless and crazy? To be or not to be, famously
37) Anxiety inside supersafe arboretum
38) Tired of Kerouac or Ginsberg
41) A little bit of cartilage from a stingray, years ago
42) Silk-like substance is pastel for the most part
43) Nag or she goes astray
44) See instructions
Down clues
2) Western Hemisphere assembly is offering asylum
3) Overstates some admiration in a postscript
4) Noontime frolicking with no new feeling
5) One or the other is there, I suspect
6) Gives money to Joy, Desdemona, and Siobhan, primarily
7) Bracelets of copper coming up against 43% tariffs
8) Dinner’s starting a little late because of what goes on top of the sole
9) Frivolous pursuit marginally yields benefits
11) Two kinds of doctors inject
18) Hesitation in speaking to a well-known actress by her first name
20) Undertake cat adjustments
21) Gossip at an afternoon gathering
22) Punch may be served here while a tower is being erected
24) Bet on a short golf shot
25) Controversial federal agency on the rocks?
27) Cabaret lyricist at a low point
29) Want hot fritters? There’s quite an assortment
30) Forbidden at upset to express displeasure
31) Throw out easy junk at first, then finally the music equipment
32) No good, you say? Japanese bank notes the family name of many Vietnamese people?
33) Who in Paris and in Marseilles can be unassuming?
35) Crime disrupted, thanks to the gendarmes
36) Scour in the first place and in the second, polish, then scour again
39) Make a mistake or another mistake
40) The essence of genteelness to you of the old school
Letter substitution according to:
– – - - – – – –
Hint #1: The first letter of 1A is D, and the last letter is T. The first letter of 44A is B, and the last letter is Y.
Hint #2: The entries requiring modification are at 10A, 13A, 16A, 19A, 23A, 34A, 37A, and 38A.
TOM TOCE is an FCAS and a seasonal director at KPMG. He is a member of the Jeopardy Hall of Fame. Solutions may be emailed to ttoce@nyc.rr.com. In order to make the solver list, you should send him your solutions by Oct. 1, 2025.
Solution to Previous Issue’s Puzzle-Jump for Joy
ACROSS
1 ALTER➛LATER-Hidden First Letters A + L + T + E + R
4 OPUS-Anagram “soup” anag.
7 BYPATH-Comb. Reversal/Insertion (P(iccadill)Y rev.) inside (BAT + H)
10 FILED➛FIELD-Deletion FIL(m)ED (delete M(ale))
12 MASCOT-Hidden …grandma’s cottage
13 ARTY-Deletion (p)ARTY (delete P)
15 YARD-Reversal “dray” rev.
16 ELOPE-Insertion LOP inside (t)EE(n)
17 DIARY➛DAIRY Comb. Container I(saiah’s) inside (D + (c)ARY)
19 DUO-Comb. Deletion DU(e) + O (delete (hom)E)
21 HUSTLER-Anagram “Her lust” anag.
23 OPTION➛POTION Deletion OP(era)TION (delete ERA)
27 AFRO➛FARO &LIT Construction A + F + RO(und)
28 OPTICAL-Anagram “capitol” anag.
29 ARID➛RAID Comb. Container/Deletion (monste)R inside AID(e) (delete E)
30 STREAK-Insertion R inside STEAK
31 EVICTEE-Anagram “Cite eve” anag.
33 YAM-Reversal “May” rev.
35 EDICT-Construction ED + I + C + (suppor)T
38 ANGST-Anagram “gnats” anag.
40 BLOT➛BOLT-Charade B + LOT
43 PURR-Charade UP (rev) + RR
44 CHASTE-Homonym CHASED hom.
45 SERVE-Deletion S(w)ERVE (delete W) [with out]
47 BEHELD-Comb. Deletion/Insertion (s)HEL(l) inside BED
48 ORYX-Construction OR + Y(ak) +(te)X(as)
49 ROUGE➛ROGUE-Charade ROUG(h) + E(stimate)
Across Payoff Word = L+E+A+P+F+R+O+G
DOWN
1 LOFTY-Construction L + OF(fers sereni)TY
2 TEE-Double Definition/Pun Double Definition/Pun
3 ROD-Deletion (t)ROD
5 PIANO-Charade PI + ANO
6 SCARED➛SACRED-Deletion SCAR(r)ED (delete (boxe)R)
7 BAHT➛BATH-Hidden Every Fourth Letter (rab)B(is t)A(ke s)H(ort )T(rip)
8 PLAZA-Double Definition Double Definition
9 TUTOR-Anagram “Trout” anag.
11 LODESTONE-Anagram “to don Lee’s” anag.
14 EVIL➛VEIL-Deletion (d)EVIL
18 YEN-Deletion YEN(ta) (delete TA)
20 OPAL-Homonym OPEL hom.
21 HEART-Charade HEAR + T
22 RATE-Charade RAT + E
24 TURNTABLE-Anagram “tan butler” anag.
25 OLIVE-Charade O + LIVE
26 CANE➛ACNE-Hidden American Embassy…
28 OKAY➛OAKY-Spoonerism “KO” Spoonerism
30 SEE-Deletion SEE(k) (delete K)
32 IOTA-Hidden …Patriot Act
34 MAHALO-Comb. Anagram M(aui’s) + “aloha” anag.
36 EDUCE➛DEUCE-Charade EDU + ac(CE)ss
37 CRAVE➛CARVE-Charade C(ocaine) + RAVE
39 GUSTY➛GUTSY-Container US inside (G + TY)
41 THERE-Homonym THEIR hom.
42 ICED-Reverse Letter Bank “Decided” Reverse Letter Bank
45 SIR-Comb. Deletion/Reversal RIS(e) rev.
46 RIG-Deletion RIG(id) (delete ID) [40% of RIGID]
Down Payoff Word = C+H+E+C+K+E+R+S
Bonus Payoff Word = H+O+P+S+C+O+T+C+H
Solvers: Steve Alpert, Dean Apps, Jack Brauner, Lois Cappellano, Bob Campbell, Laura Cremerius, Jared Dashoff, Todd Dashoff, Christopher Dickens, Mick Diede, Deb Edwards, David Handelman, Jason Helbraun, Pete Hepokoski, Max Jackson, Ruth Johnson, Mike Kosciuk, Ken Kudrak, Ben Lynch, Michael Manos, David McGarry, Jon Michelson, Jim Muza, David and Corinne Promislow, Ram Raman, Jay Ripps, Bob and Shannon Schriver, Andrew Shewan, Sally Smith, Zig Swistunowicz, T.O.C.E (Josh DenHartog and Sam Donohoe), and James and Betsy Uzzell