Word Puzzle 169

Word Puzzle 169 – Solution with Explanation 

Theme: None 

Clues:  

1. Convention used by an expert before a call say (8) 

Protocol, convention (def), pro (expert), to (before), say (homophone of) call. 

2. Origins of the ad hoc cultural norms are somewhat mysterious (6) 

Occult, somewhat (hidden), mysterious (def), rest is fodder. 

3. Anxiety? No, I partied crazily in style (11) 

Trepidation, anxiety (def), crazily (anagram of) “I partied”, in (insertion), ton (style) 

4. Getting around very quietly while washing (8) 

Rippling, riling (getting), around (container), PP (very quietly), washing (def) 

5. Florida subsidy pronounced (8) 

Flagrant, Fla (Florida), grant (subsidy), pronounced (def) 

6. How to un-brand from a detrimental business strategy that focuses on short-term customer 

    acquisition, perhaps before IPO or fund raising (5,3,4) 

Churn and burn, how to (meta), un-brand (target), rest is def, one way to get the target is via 

  anagram (churn) of “and burn” 

7. Remarkable batting (8) 

Striking, DD. 

8. Supremacy is like a plum soaked in a mixture of honey (8) 

Hegemony, supremacy (def), gem (plum), soaked in (insertion), mixture of (anagram of) 

Honey. 

9. Report from Fire dept. says “to be prepared in case of fire put extinguishers in handy 

    Locations” (6) 

Repute, report (def), from (hidden), rest is fodder. 

10. Oddly arrive during rank famine (10) 

   Starvation, oddly (odd letters in) arrive, during (insertion), station (rank), famine (def) 

11. Support pot? (8) 

   Backstop, implicit meta, support (def), pot (target), one way to get the target is via, 

   reversal (backs) of “top” 

12. Bargain league (7) 

   Concert, DD. 

13. Play ball with eccentric Barnett Hodge (4,8) 

   Band together, play ball (def), eccentric (anagram of) “Barnett Hodge” 

14. Memorize lore by heart (10) 

   Conscience, con (memorize), science (lore), heart (def) 

15. Bit of an issue surrounding a small fly? (8) 

     Smidgeon, bit (def), son (issue), surrounding (container), midge (a small fly). 

16. Lack of any prior art, compelled John to build rough template for the prototype (7) 

     Drought, lack (def), of (hidden), rest is fodder. 

17. Chicken little (7) 

     Trivial, DD. 

18. Al Welsh from the Richard Gere movie (5,2,5) 

     Shall we dance, meta of the form x from y, Al Welsh (target), Richard Gere movie (def), 

     one way to get the target is via, shall we anagram (dance) 

19. Eccentric Gold coaster found in suspended animation (4,7) 

     Cold storage, eccentric (anagram of) gold coaster, suspended animation (def) 

20. Patients are suffering while a dentist looks to upgrade his tools that are somewhat old (6) 

     Leaden, somewhat (hidden), rest is fodder. 

21. Seductive A.N.T. farm actress losing heart while dieting (11) 

     Fascinating, seductive (def), China (A.N.T farm actress), losing (deletion of) h (heart), 

     while (insertion), fasting (dieting)