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Puzzled? No more cross words! Read Kosman and Picciotto on “Solving The Nation’s Cryptic Puzzles.” Or watch this video.
ACROSS
1 Chinese food (mostly chicken) hardens political philosopher (9,6)
9 Janelle Monáe eating fruit (5)
10 Display web location with article and essay (9)
11 Hints from one in US confused about goal (10)
12 Foreign aid to secure eastern border of El Salvador (4)
14 Look at Obama’s pet in a summerhouse (6)
15 Hunter’s companion mixed dough with Don (5,3)
18 Small commotion breaks up man and beast (8)
19 Iran once remodeled a spire (6)
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22 Enter back of stage box in a theater (4)
24 Like a gentleman or lady, with our blended Scotch outside (10)
26 Ancestor to sing about publication? No (3-6)
27 Biden, say, returns with empty grievance (5)
28 You and I controlling creeps with endless alarm (and large firearm) (10,5)
DOWN
1 Hearty affair gets around international boundaries (7)
2 Protects $1 million bond with almost complete enthusiasm (9)
3 This could keep you in one place: study part of speech (in reverse as well) (6,4)
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4 Claim pedestrians conceal block (6)
5 Protestant university in massive denial (8)
6 Bread, either way (4)
7 Congress doesn’t begin to back art surplus (5)
8 Designing a home for pigs and fish (7)
13 Scramble line and report unwelcome guest (10)
16 Deal with enemies’ missions and recognize escalation (7,2)
17 Actor is much obliged to retain meditative sound (3,5)
18 Host infected by species that hurts farm animal (4,3)
20 Legendary German doctor loses head before favoring strict simplicity (7)
21 Street of a performance locale (6)
23 Mature Republican, wearing dress… (5)
25 …is in possession of hot dope (4)
SOLUTION TO PUZZLE NO. 3511
ACROSS 8 U(MAR)OL (rev.) 9 O + RIG + IN 10 LEE + C 11 THE + I + STIC[k] 12 2 defs. 14 anag. 16 “pray” 17 E + YELID (anag.) 18 anag. 21 L + U 23 [r]EGRET 24 hidden 25 anag. 27 anag. 29 anag. 30 theme revealer
DOWN 1 [t]-ULL-T + I’M 2 2 defs. 3 ORES + T + FIR 4 EAT + [a]UR[a] 5 2 defs. 6 anag. 7 2 defs. 13 “LMN” + TAR + Y 15 pun 19 anag. 20 REEB + I (rev.) 22 LOON + I.E. 26 O(X)EN (one anag.) 28 hidden
Joshua Kosman and Henri PicciottoJoshua Kosman and Henri Picciotto are The Nation’s puzzlers. To read more about Kosman, click here. To read more about Picciotto, click here. Kosman and Picciotto explain what they’re up to in “Solving The Nation’s Cryptic Crosswords” (also available as a PDF). Check out The Nation’s Current Issue page each week for the latest puzzle.