LAST SUNDAY’S ANSWERS

ACROSS

5. WIDER not wiser. He might “have” a WIDER “perspective” “on social issues among youth” because he’s been exposed to a “university” environment and “young” people’s “social” concerns. But whether or not his “perspective” is a wise one depends a lot on his knowledge base and what he’s been studying, which aren’t mentioned in the clue.

6. INLETS not islets. INLETS is best. All islets, by definition, are “small,” making the reference to “small” unnecessary.

9. WHAT not that. WHAT “she’s heard” links up well with a “prolonged call,” implying there are many details involved. Simply that “she’s heard from an ex-boyfriend” doesn’t necessarily mean the “call” was a “prolonged” one.

12. DRAW not drag. DRAWING a person “away from” something they’re intent on doing usually entails some positive form of appealing distraction that might involve inventiveness. But dragging someone “away” implies a negative action, such as warnings or agitation, which doesn’t involve inventiveness at all.

16. FILM not firm. “The name of a” firm might or might not play a part in the company’s “success.” “The name of a” FILM can certainly “affect its success,” especially if it’s a sequel to a hit movie.

20. WRING not bring. The fact that she’s “suddenly stopped by” the “instructor” indicates something could be wrong, since “reciting” a “monologue” is usually an experience where the actor is fully immersed in the words. But the “student” might be overplaying the scene by WRINGING “out” the emotions rather than subtly bringing them “out.”

DOWN

1. SICKLE not pickle. In order to know whether the pickle has a “sharp” taste, the “customer” would have “to take” and eat part of it, but the clue states that he “refuses” it. However, simply touching a SICKLE could possibly be enough to determine that “it’s not sharp enough” without taking it.

2. LEAPS not leans. The clue phrase “grabs a child” “in his arms” links up well with the “cowboy” LEAPING “down” to do so. If he leaned “down from” the “horse,” he would probably only use one arm to grab the “child.”

3. DID not bid. The clue’s reference to “exactly” fits best with DID, since at most auctions, how the bidding transpires is unpredictable.

4. YEAR not pear. The clue word “devastating” links up best with “yet another bad” YEAR, since it’s not clear how many “bad” pears she’s picked, which could be from only one tree and, therefore, not entirely “devastating” if her “orchard” has many healthy trees.

7. STORE not score. Acquiring “a big” STORE would certainly be worth “celebrating,” but score has to be better qualified, since there are some sports, like golf, where “a big” score would be considered a failure.

8. LATE not lame. LATE is apt. A lame “horse” is “unlucky” wherever it might be.

10. CAR not bar. To a “designer,” “the seats” are “a prime consideration” in a CAR. Some bar “seats,” however, are just temporary perches, such as stools, which are designed to occupy a minimum amount of space.

11. LIFE not wife. LIFE is all-encompassing because a “dull” wife would be part of his LIFE.

14. LOVING not living. Living “a lonely life” could be observed, rather than understood; the state of loneliness and the mental processes of “a recluse” who chooses to LOVE such a “life” need an element of understanding, as suggested in the clue.

17. MARE not mane. A MARE in a “horse show” would get “special treatment” to help ensure a win. Its mane is likely to receive some “treatment,” but it might not necessarily be a “special treatment.”

18. SPOT not spit. The clue words “narrow” and “land” are superfluous with spit. SPOT is apt.