LAST SUNDAY’S ANSWERS
ACROSS
4. SLIDING not gliding. “Clouds” in the air are, for all intents and purposes, gliding. But they may “seem to be” SLIDING on some invisible surface, on “the lake.”
5. MOST not lost. If the opportunity is lost, it’s impossible to repeat it, making “can’t be repeated” superfluous. MOST is a better choice.
6. SEEKS not seems. Trying to find ways (i.e., SEEKING) “to avoid” commitments might well indicate that she lacks “confidence” in her “relationships.” But if she only seems “to avoid commitment,” there is not enough evidence in the clue to legitimately say she lacks it.
7. TEE not tie. TEE is best because you wear a tie as opposed to using it.
10. BUSES not fuses. BUSES is best. Blown fuses can often be easily fixed simply by readjusting the switch on the fuse box.
13. LAY not lag. Often, “endurance” racers appear to be stretched out (i.e., LAY) on their bikes to “conserve energy” when they’re going downhill. However, whether the “course” is flat or “mountainous,” racers will sometimes lag behind other competitors to “conserve” the amount of “energy” required to pedal.
15. RAIN not raid. Logically, it would be a series of raids, not just a single one, that would cause the “devastation of” a “wide swath of the country.” RAIN makes a better answer.
16. RUST not rest. RUST, which often builds up on metals that are unused or unprotected against the elements, fits the clue well. Rest is a “state” of inactivity, not just “closely associated with” it.
17. SOWS not cows. SOWS are usually penned in and need to be fed “daily.” The “farmer” wouldn’t necessarily be “feeding” cows each day because there might be periods where they’re grazing in the fields.
DOWN
1. CLAY not play. CLAY is a straightforward answer. A play is, in itself, “an artistic piece.”
2. INVENTS not invests. “Someone who” INVENTS “a lot” likely has an “active mind” that questions and formulates plans. “Someone who” invests “a lot” might simply hire a broker to formulate investment plans.
3. HOSTESS not hostels. Strictly speaking, it’s the management of the hostel who would appreciate the “rooms” being kept “clean.” HOSTESS is a better choice.
6. SKIPS not slips. Anyone could unintentionally slip on the “edge” of some place, due to a slippery or uneven surface or a sudden distraction, but it would be a “reckless person who” would SKIP on it.
8. GROWL not prowl. GROWL is apt. The clue phrase “while circling the grounds of the estate” is superfluous with prowl.
11. SHAFTS not shifts. Extra SHAFTS might well increase the mine’s “output”; in fact, without them, there would likely be little need for “additional” shifts.
12. CRAFT not graft. The “criminal” might “smuggle” the “cargo out of the country” in some form of CRAFT. However, it would likely be before the “cargo” was being smuggled that the bribery (e.g., graft) would have occurred.
14. ARIA not area. A “first-time” visitor might feel “lost,” trying to follow the intricacies of an ARIA. But he would indeed, be “lost,” not simply “feel” that way, while trying to navigate through the rooms and hallways of the “opera house.”