PRIZE WEEK PUZZLE

ACROSS

4. LAMB not lamp. Many people who don’t happen to be “farmers” have occasionally “been forced to carry a” lamp. LAMB is a better fit.

6. HAT not hut. “Spotting” suggests something not readily apparent. A hut could be easy to see; whereas, a HAT “in a field” might not.

8. NAB not nag. “No more than he deserves” suggests some sort of penalty favoring NAB, which is defined as to catch someone doing something wrong. A perfectly innocent person might well be nagged.

17. MEALS not means. Being “wealthy,” the neighbor’s financial resources (i.e., means) would be “more than adequate,” as opposed to “probably” being so. But since he is “new” to the neighborhood, the “couple” would likely be guessing the MEALS’ contents, when stating they “are probably more than adequate.”

18. TEST not jest. TEST is apt. The phrase “even though its intention was not serious” is superfluous for jest.

19. DEVISE not revise. If it’s a new “zoning plan,” it can’t be revised. DEVISE is best.

20. FISH not dish. Dish is too vague since there could be multiple courses, including appetizers, desserts and entrees, in which a featured dish could be selected from “the menu.” Of the various “expensive” dishes from the main course, she might well “choose the” FISH. DOWN

1. PLACES not planes. PLACES “for special reconnaissance” would be “carefully” selected. Planes “for reconnaissance” would likely be designed, rather than selected.

2. CHEST not chess. CHEST is best. Avid chess players might well argue that every move in a game is an “important” one, leading up to what hopefully is a final win.

3.FACT not face. Information about a face would qualify as one of the FACTS in the “trial,” making FACT a comprehensive answer.

5. MEND not mind. To be careful (i.e., mind) the “hinge” wouldn’t necessarily stop the occurrence of an “accident,” such as the “door” falling off. But MENDING the “broken hinge” would solve the problem.

7. TWIN not thin. There’s nothing in the clue to explain just how thin the boy is in order to justify the teasing. Being a TWIN is unusual enough that it’s possible “people” would joke about it.

11. ODD not old. Whether it’s old or new, the fact that it’s not an original button from her garment makes it an ODD one.

12. CASE not cash. By taking the CASE, the “lawyer” is agreeing to being paid (i.e., taking the cash) of the “criminal.” Therefore, cash is unnecessary in the clue.

13. LOCKERS not lockets. LOCKERS that are filled to capacity, for instance, “may need to be closed carefully.” However, due to their delicate workmanship, most lockets definitely “need to be closed carefully.”

14. ROSTERS not posters. The clue is more apt of ROSTERS in regard to “always finding” the “lettering difficult to read.” Posters may only contain illustrations with a single title or caption.

15. DEFEAT not defect. With the passing of time, a DEFEAT may appear much less upsetting. A defect, however, might be eliminated or fixed immediately.