LAST SUNDAY’S ANSWERS

ACROSS

2. SEE not sew. When first SEEING the “torn-up blouse,” the “mother” might well have been angry. But if a considerable time has passed since the mishap first occurred, the mother’s annoyance might have dissipated so that she’s not enraged when she gets around to sewing it.

5. SAIL not pail. A “deserted beach” would mean no boat moored nearby to which the SAIL might belong, making the “boys” wonder “why someone would leave it behind.” But there’s nothing to indicate that the pail has been abandoned; someone collecting shells, for example, might have just put it aside because it was already full.

6. DETAIN not detail. He might have been “angry” for being DETAINED, thereby ruining his personal plans during his free time. However, he could be detailed for a new duty during his regular working hours that didn’t interfere with his time off.

8. COAT not chat. She might need “an important” COAT for a business function, for instance, that the “manager” could have access to or could advise her on. Since a chat is an informal talk, the clue word “important” is not a good fit.

9. RULE not role. The “number of people” points to RULE since the appearance of RULES are a frequent part of our lives. But usually there aren’t a lot of “people” who need to “look at” a role in a production; generally, it’s a select few.

11. BEAT not boat. A BEAT is a “sensation” that you can hear and sometimes feel, but there are a multitude of sensations when riding or operating a boat, which need to be specified in the clue.

13. RENOUNCE not denounce. It could be argued that it takes an act of bravery to RENOUNCE “much that” one loves for the betterment of the country. To denounce what one loves might not have had a significant impact if it was a remark only heard by a few.

16. LOADS not roads. LOADS is the best choice. It’s not just “truckers” but drivers in general who would have to “try to avoid” “potentially dangerous” roads.” 17. CRIES not tries. CRIES is apt. The clue word “attempting” makes tries redundant.

DOWN

1. GATE not hate. Since hate means an intense or passionate loathing, “massive” is superfluous. But GATES come in all sorts of sizes.

2. SLACK not slick. Compensating for a SLACK co-worker’s shortcomings fits the clue’s context. If the “co-worker” was truly slick, he might be able to make it look as though he has no shortcomings; rather, it is another employee or other circumstances at fault.

3. LET not led. Whether they were led “out of the stables” or the doors were opened and the horses left on their own, ultimately, they were LET “out.”

4. VILLAGE not pillage. To pillage was often the consequence of overtaking a VILLAGE, making VILLAGE a comprehensive answer.

7. WATCH not match. He might well have found it necessary to consult a WATCH, but usually it’s a book or a box of matches that a “camper” packs, not a single match.

9. ROOF not room. If it’s a “wedding party she’s hosting,” naturally she’d need room for the function and, therefore, wouldn’t have to “specify” it. She would, however, need to “specify” a ROOF over the “terrace” since often terraces are built without one.

10. HANGS not bangs. It’s not “how” the “door” bangs that’s “annoying,” but the banging noise itself. “How it” HANGS is a straightforward answer.

12. ROYAL not loyal. The clue word ROYAL links up well with “honorable.” There’s no such connection with loyal “friends,” some of whom could have questionable backgrounds so that respectability wouldn’t play a significant role in the friendship.