Waste Recycling
a cryptic puzzle by Emily Cox and Henry Rathvon
Every clue answer discards one letter before entry into the diagram. These 34 thrown-away letters are not wasted, however. Taken in order, with Acrosses preceding Downs, they combine to spell out a complete cryptic clue for the (otherwise unclued) word in the center of the diagram. Answers include three proper nouns; 2 Down and 7 Down are less-than-common words.
Across
-
1.
Plan to recycle liqueur (CHARTREUSE)
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10.
Sprang for a wine (AROSE)
-
11.
Choose one flower that's ideal (OPTIMUM)
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12.
Outside Italian river, farm products decay (SPOILAGE)
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13.
Indian returned one's cases (ETUIS)
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14.
Slug, grabbing bottle nearest here (HITHERMOST)
-
16.
Acid rock has its origin among top British (ACERB)
-
17.
Southern field worker is less active (STILLER)
-
21.
Dessert draws reverent comments (PIETIES)
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23.
Father keeps piano in part of church (SPIRE)
-
26.
Backward poet experiments with soap, cologne, etc. (TOILETRIES)
-
28.
Girl's name: Dotty Ainge (ANGIE)
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29.
Beasts of burden eating most of Art's candies (CARAMELS)
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31.
Harry has large and small herbs (TEASELS)
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32.
Confine one macho guy (hyphenated) (HEMAN)
-
33.
Overworking, Hollywood's Dracula gets dull (BELABORING)
Down
-
1.
Mountain pass has tarn inside (SHASTA)
-
2.
Shy taxi passenger withholds word of pain (FAROUCHE)
-
3.
Closer to red, red dogwood (ROSIER)
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4.
Regular at sides and back (REAR)
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5.
Vital statistic: work number (WEIGHT)
-
6.
A box with bland sweetener (ASPARTAME)
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7.
Penny I pinched, and gold coin (PISTOLE)
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8.
Left-leaning short newsmagazine issues (EMITS)
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9.
Looked for Queen playing etudes (QUESTED)
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15.
Conclude floor material is not productive (INFERTILE)
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18.
Lion (Elsa) mauled journalist (two words) (LOISLANE)
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19.
Order it acted out (DICTATE)
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20.
Writer makes pen tilt (STYLIST)
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22.
Spy group covers baddie with bug (CICADA)
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24.
Fish caught by each kitchen utensil (PEELER)
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25.
Moderating each session of vocal music (EASING)
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27.
Private meal excluding chief (INNER)
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30.
Reversing direction, crow makes appearance (GARB)