By Tom Toce
Entries start at square one and proceed to one hundred. If a word ends at the bottom of a ladder, the next word begins at the top of that ladder. If a word ends at the top of a chute, the next word starts at the bottom of that chute. Otherwise, answers are entered sequentially.
Clues are presented in the order that will take the solver from the first square to the last square.
There are three proper nouns and one word that is a contraction and requires an apostrophe. All the other entries are playable in Scrabble. The longest entry is nine letters. Eighty-one squares are used twice, nineteen are used only once, so the total length of all the clues combined equals 181. Ignore punctuation, which is intended to deceive.
All the chutes and ladders get used, which will help the solver determine likely word lengths (and the correct path around the grid). In the hints, I have indicated whether an entry ends at the bottom of a ladder or the top of a chute. The next entry will begin where the ladder or chute ends. A clue with no designation means that its entry does not end at the bottom of a ladder or the top of a chute, and the entry that follows will start at the next numbered square.
Thanks to Bob Fink and Jerry Miccolis for test-solving and editorial suggestions.
Clues
a. Prepare for a big fight with Amtrak
b. Entrails blew so freely
c. An element that easily turns negative can be found when Lady Bird keeps a diary
d. To Chris: Daffy is a big bird
e. Sea eagle last seen in refuge near Eastern Maine
f. Squeaky subway entrance, Grace
g. Journalist Cooper is covering Andrew’s person
h. No term unresolved by instructor
i. Oppressive one and terribly sour
j. Take what I say with good humor
k. So reset distorted sound systems
l. Famed swimmer in learned circles 🙂
m. Mineral ice used in liniment, holistically
n. More cloying and somewhat eccentric herself
o. Sent off to make a new home
p. Starts to get every nucleotide of my quirky chromosomes
q. Cyclone from Norway the Sunday after the first full moon of spring
r. Withdrawn or on drugs, but appealing
s. Aw, Robin ordered some trout
t. In or surrounded by alternative Shakespeare setting
u. To read or reread as a Hemingway hero
v. A quick stop to mess up recombinant DNA
w. Good, push and push back to get proper usage
x. Fan roared inappropriately
y. Margo reflected after initially hearing of Lourdes’s 3D image
z. Mobilize at swamp near Alabama
aa. Soprano, tenor, and that’s all, folks, for Rose’s piece
bb. Swirling sand causing additional problems\
TOM TOCE is an FCAS and a seasonal director at KMPG and 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 Feb. 1, 2025.
Solution to Previous Issue’s Puzzle—Child’s Play
Across
 1—STREA[M]ING—R inside STEAMING
 5—ANG[U]ISHED—(l)ANGUISHED [L(ent) del. ]
10—VOCAL—V + (l)OCAL [L del.]
11—E[S]CAPE—E + S + CAPE
13—DÉCOR—Wide corridor…
14—CONC[I]SE—CON + CIS + E
15—ANTE—”Etna” rev.
16—[C]EDAR—Fenced arboretum…
19—[A]FTER—(d) A (f) F (y) T (h) E (o) R (y)
21—PURP[L]E—…purest people…
22—BRA[C]E—B + RACE
25—[H]ONED—HONE(y) + D
26—REEL—”leer” rev.
27—C[A]ROUSE—CA + ROUSE
31—MEALY—MEA + LY
32—[I]NMATE—IN(N–>M)ATE
33—URBAN—U + R + BAN
34—ENT[R]ANCES—Double Definition
35—DE[S]ERTION—DES(s)ERT + ION [delete S(chool)]
Down
1—INVEST—Double Definition/Pun
2—GECKO—G(g)E + C + KO [ “E(g)G” rev. ]
3—ALLOCATE—”Eat local” anag.
4—ESPY—Double Definition
6—ELECTORS—E + LECTORS
7—DUDS—DUD(e)S [E(dward) del.]
8—NUCLEAR—”unclear” anag.
9—STRODE—”stor(m)ed” anag. [M del.]
12—A CAPPELLA—”Place” letter bank
17—SUPERMAN—SUP + ERMA + N(otice)
18—ABSOLUTE—”beau lost” anag.
20—REDRAWN—RED + (p)RAWN
23—ANEMIC—”cinema” anag.
24—PENNED—”pend” hom.
28—ROBOT—ROB + OT
29—BYTE—”bite” hom.
30—STAR—Double Definition/Pun
Hints
A (19)—FRET—F (a )R (l) E (f) T
B (32)—MEANT—MEAN + T(roth)
C (22)—BARE—”bear” hom.
D (5)—HEADINGS—HEAD + (lodg)INGS
E (35)—ORIENTED—ORIENT + ED
F (27)—SOURCE—SOUR + C + E
F (27)—COURSE—”coarse” hom.
G (1)—INGRATES—GRATE inside INS
H (34)—CANTEENS—CAN + TEENS
I (21)—UPPER—(s)UPPER
J (11)—PEACE—”piece” hom.
K (16)—READ—A inside RED
L (25)—NODE—(a)NODE
M (14)—SCONCE—C(innamon) inside SCONE
Name of the Game
MUSICAL CHAIRS
Solvers
Steve Alpert, Jack Brauner, Bob Campbell, Jared Dashoff, Christopher Dickens, Mick Diede, David Dougherty, Eric Harding, Pete Hepokoski, Catharine Hornby & Bruce Harvey, Max Jackson, Ruth Johnson, Paul Kolell, Ken Kudrak, Ben Lynch, Matthew Marchione & Marika Brown, David McGarry, Jon Michelson, Jim Muza, Ram Raman, Bob & Shannon Schriver, Sally Smith, Zig Swistunowicz, T.O.C.E (Josh DenHartog & Sam Donohoe), Betsy Uzzell, Bonnie Veenschoten