Word Puzzle 176

Word Puzzle 176 – Solution with Explanation 

Theme: None 

Clues:  

1. Merchant of Venice performing around Turkey or Chicken? (8) 

    Poltroon, Polo (Merchant of Venice), on (performing), around (container), Tr (Turkey), 

    chicken (def) 

2. Pro geriatric browsing (8) 

    Foraging, for (pro), aging (geriatric), browsing (def) 

3. Principal trying to win over students by using the latest slang is somewhat pitiful (6) 

    Paltry, somewhat (hidden), pitiful (def), rest is fodder. 

4. Poor medium (8) 

    Mediocre, DD. 

5. Well-organized mirthful Noel as usual (3-2-3-4) 

    Run-of-the-mill, well-organized (anagram of) “mirthful Noel”, usual (def) 

6 How to get Ron “it” with self-realization? (12) 

   Introversion, how to get (meta), Ron it (target), one way to get the target is via, intro anagram 

   (version) 

7. Aesthetic brother perhaps entering caducity (11) 

    Sensibility, aesthetic (def), sib (brother perhaps), entering (insertion), senility (caducity) 

8. Dove into the duck soup at tea party? (8) 

    Clambake, lamb (dove), into (insertion), cake (duck soup), tea party (def) 

9. After trading money for gas, “I’m no saint” said the saint (8) 

    Innocent, swapping (after trading) m (money) for n (gas), said (homophone of) saint i.e. cent, 

    So, I’m no saint becomes, In(m)nocent(saint), saint (def) 

10. Clown in the Whitehouse rules over minions with an iron fist (6) 

      Vermin, clown (def), in (hidden), rest is fodder. 

11. Stretch pad (10) 

      Exaggerate, DD. 

12. Athlete’s pet bat from an album by wired all wrong (5,3,3,6,5) 

      Break out the battle tapes, implicit meta, Athlete’s pet bat (target), rest is def, one way to 

   get the target is via, anagram (break out) of “the battle tapes” 

13. Troop frees POW Walker (5, 4) 

       Power walk, troop (def), frees (anagram of) POW Walker 

14. Informed disciple imprisoning the Spanish saint (10) 

      Conversant, informed (def), convert (disciple), imprisoning (container), San (Spanish saint) 

15. Lodge around the sunset point in dark (9) 

      Benighted, bed (lodge), around (container), night (sunset), E (point), dark (def) 

16. Very bad (6) 

      Wicked, DD. 

17. Regular characters in my church? Let's start with Deacon St. Anthony ... (8) 

      Constant, regular (def), characters (hidden), rest is fodder. 

18. Nasty Mama’s rant at the dragoon (3-2-4) 

      Man-at-arms, nasty (anagram of) Mama’s rant, soldier (def) 

19. Chinese dish for Freddie Olson? (4, 5, 7) 

      Stir fried noodles, implicit meta of the form X for Y, Chinese dish (def), Freddie Olson 

      (target), one way to get the target is via, anagram (stir) of “fried noodles” 

20. Determine now what’s inevitable (9) 

      Ascertain, determine (def), as (now), certain (what’s inevitable) 

21. Good = total + total say? (9) 

      Wholesome, good (def), whole (total), sum (total), say (homophone) of sum is some.