Word Puzzle 143

Word Puzzle 143 – Solution with Explanation 

Theme: None 

Clues: 

1. Leaders of former USSR, kindly avoided reacting initially, but it was short-lived (9) 

     Fugacious, leaders of (1st letters in) “former USSR” i.e. FU, gracious (kindly), avoided 

     (deletion of), r (reacting initially i.e., 1st letter in reacting), short-lived (def) 

2. Unsympathetic in nature? Typical!! lousy attitude of the customer service rep is 

      unfortunately, too common these days (7) 

      Callous, unsympathetic (def), in (hidden), rest is fodder. 

 3. Rare newsletter covering neutral interpretation (9) 

       Rendition, r (rare), edition (newsletter), covering (container), n (neutral), interpretation 

       (def) 

4. Envision hiding food from me at home, there was a time when I’d eat everything in sight (6) 

     Ideate, envision (def), hiding (hidden), rest is fodder. 

5. Describing rotten fights in other words (7,5) 

      Setting forth, describing (def), in other words (anagram of) rotten fights 

6. Hosting Ph.D. with a vowel diagraphs? (8,10) 

     Improper diphthongs, implicit meta, hosting Ph.D. (target), rest is def, one way to get the 

     target is via, anagram (improper) of “diphthong” 

7. How to create a “teapot fog” from something of little value? (4,2,7) 

     Mess of pottage, how to create (meta), teapot fog (target), rest is def, one way to 

     get the target is via, anagram (mess) of “of pottage” 

8. Warm wish (6) 

  Please, DD. 

9. Crave for the latest fur fashion? (4,5) 

     Lust after, crave (def), fashion (anagram of) latest fur. 

10. Dislike for cheap candy that’s not hard (14) 

       Discountenance, dislike (def), discount (cheap), enhance (candy), that’s not (deletion of)  

       h (hard) 

11. Popularity bias (5) 

       Favor, DD 

12. Prophecy about the French disposition (12) 

     Predilection, prediction (prophecy), about (container), Le (the in French), disposition (def) 

13. Let’s have a chat re. dumping Tesla’s stock, Hope you are not taking the action in disgust (6) 

        Hatred, in (hidden), disgust (def), rest is fodder. 

14. Bone jigs (7) 

  Devices, DD 

15. How to find a brat missus with exotropia? (9, 10) 

        Divergent Strabismus, how to find (meta), brat missus (target), exotropia (def), one way 

        to get the target is via anagram (divergent) of “strabismus” 

16. Distinctive chauffeur dude missing the road (9) 

        Divergent, distinctive (def), driver (chauffeur), gent (dude), missing (deletion) r (road) 

17. Unkempt, large stove in slick cover (8) 

       Slovenly, unkempt (def), l (large), oven (stove), in ... cover (insertion), sly (slick) 

18. Dumb galoot from the east on a walk (8) 

       Taciturn, dumb (def), cat (galoot), from the east (reversal), on (juxta), i (a), turn (walk) 

19. Exactly the action word associated with an endless adventure? (8) 

      Verbatim, exactly (def), verb (action word), associated with (juxta), a (an), endless (drop 

       last letter in) time (adventure) 

20. Familiarize with current fashion (8) 

      Accustom, familiarize (def), AC (current), custom (fashion) 

21. Channel covering Ernie’s pal with a pervert (9) 

       Libertine, line (channel), covering (container), Bert (Ernie’s pal as in Muppets), with 

       (juxta), i (a), pervert (def)