Puzzling # 132 NOUGHTS AND CROSSES

So what if they are square noughts! It’s the only way things would fit together to make the pretty mosaic you see below. The proper word to describe what goes on in May is interdigita-tion. Since this is the month for the holding of hands, I’ve devised a puzzle that works like interlacing fingers.

Instructions:

Each eight-letter answer-word is made from two interdigitated four-letter words. For instance, R-UN and E-N-O-S interweave to produce REUNIONS.

The four-letter words which appear in the noughts are defined separately from those four-letter words that show up in the crosses. The eight-letter answer-words, created by alternating letters from a nought-word and a cross-word, are to be entered in the order given. The sets of definitions are each arranged so the defined words are in alphabetical order; so there is not necessarily any connection between nought-word i, cross-word i, and answer-word I, though they could turn out to be related.

Each clue indicates the answer in more than one way. In addition to straightforward definitions, clues may also contain puns, plays on words, anagrams (“The ability to lead people in confusion is a charm” – CHARISMA), or embedded spellings (“How it zeroes in distinguishes a cannon’). Another common type of clue is word construction, where the answer is built of component parts. Example: “American leader requires identification in gift” (PRESIDENT = I.D. inside PRESENT). All abbreviations are acceptable as long as they are in current usage (e.g., TV, p.d.q., etc.). Isolated letters may be indicated in a variety of ways – as compass points, Roman numerals, grades or scores (A, F, “zero” = 0, “love” as in tennis = O), musical notations (P, F for soft or loud respectively). Parts of words may be used (IVE or just V might be indicated by “MidwIVEs”).

The one paramount rule is that the clue sentence, with a little repunctuation, will tell exactly how to get the answer.

Hint: Three well-known foreign words are among those defined.



Send the completed puzzle (or reasonable facsimile) to Puzzling, D Magazine, 2902 Carlisle, Dallas 75204. All correct solutions will be held for one week following receipt of the first entry, at which time a drawing will take place to determine the winners. First winner will receive a $25 cash prize. Runner-up will receive a free one-year subscription to D. Winners and completed puzzle will appear in the June issue.