P RIZEW EEK PUZZLE

ACROSS

5. ARMS not aims. If he has a profusion of ARMS, “neighboring countries” will have good reason to worry. Aims needs to be better qualified, especially if the aim hasn’t come to fruition and is simply the dictator’s whim at the moment.

6. LEES not lies. Lies need to be better explained since white lies, or ones told in jest, aren’t usually serious enough to be offensive. But the sediment from wine (e.g., LEES) “certainly” can be.

7. AGE not axe. It’s actually the person wielding the axe who has “felled” the “tree”. AGE is a better answer.

8. CASH not case. CASH is a good match. Grammatically speaking, it would be the details of the case that the “official” would need, “to make a good impression.”

11. HAND not wand. One way of lending a HAND would be to lend a “prop,” such as a wand, making HAND all-inclusive.

13. DRAFT not craft. Since the clue word “embarkation” (i.e., beginning a journey on a ship) is superfluous with craft, DRAFT makes a better choice.

16. RESIGN not design. Since typically a politician’s term of “office” is only a few years, the turnover of elected officials and their offices is frequent. Therefore, as a matter of course, an already existing room would be redesigned, rather than designing a brand new one. RESIGN is a stronger answer.

18. FALL not fail. The word “badly” favors FALL. The clue is too vague regarding the severity of the daughter’s failure. If, for instance, it’s a minor test or two that she’s failed, it probably won’t jeopardize “her career.”

19. SHARES not spares. A person would normally purchase one spare “tire” for his car. The clue has more relevance with respect to investing in SHARES. DOWN

1. DANCES not dancer. It’s the DANCE performances that make a “ballet company” successful, with talented dancers being an integral part of the shows.

2. BLUBBERING not blabbering. BLUBBERING, especially if done by a distraught child, might be something that a youngster finds “uncontrollable.” But generally, anyone talking foolishly (i.e., blabbering) can stop at will.

3. HEAR not heat. It’s “vital” that students be able to HEAR well in “school rooms.” However, there are many parts of the world where cold air, rather than heat, is important to the well-being of the pupils.

4. STEED not speed. The weight of a knight’s “armor” made it very difficult for the “knight” to move at any reasonable speed. It was his STEED that was responsible for the speed.

9. STOP not step. Through carelessness, a person can miss a STOP. It’s usually due to misjudgment that a person misses a step.

12. NOTION not nation. NOTION is apt. It’s not the entire nation, but rather the governing policies of that nation, that might not “fit” the daughter’s “way of thinking.”

14. TITTER not totter. TITTER is the clue’s reference to unsteadiness.

15. PEDAL not petal. Since there are two PEDALS on a bike, “one” can be compared “to the other.” A flower, on the other hand, has many petals, and you usually compare one with another.