Word Puzzle 71

Word Puzzle 71 – Solution with Explanation

Theme: The thematic clues contain reference to Greek Gods/Goddesses

1. Generosity, Eros (God), engaged in (insertion), ingenuity (invention) that is neither (deletion of) in (fashionable) and U (superior), philanthropy (def)

2. Candor, dazzle (def), can do (type of confidently optimistic attitude), R (Romeo)

3. Clearheaded, balanced (def), c (conservative), lead (chief), ED (journalist), transfixed by (container), Rhea (Goddess)

4. Mental retardation, how to get (meta), traitor dean (target), intellectual disability (def), one way to get the target is anagram (mental) of, “retardation”

5. Echelon, status (def), in (hidden), rest is fodder

6. Shades, spots (def), S (God’s), Hades (God)

7. Slapdash, all over the place (anagram of) splash + a + d (bit of drink), random (def)

8. Therapeutic, cure (def), criminal (anagram of) CT (court) + tie + up, accepting (container) Hera (supreme being)

9. Meander, me (I am), and (with), ER (cockney girl), cruise (def)

10. Caressing, loving (def), C (college), sing (chant), about (container), Ares (God)

11. Billet-doux, mistaken (anagram of) tuxedo + bill (invoice), open letter (def)

12. Perishable, nonhardy (def), Eris (Goddess), held in (insertion), PH (local), able (can)

13. Fastidious, demanding (def), fast (quick), ID (papers), IOUs (credit notes)

14. Flippant, wise (def), Pan (God), wearing (insertion), flip (reverse), T (cross)

15. Mix business with pleasure, play golf with clients for example (def), to (implicit meta), abuse Luis Spenser (target), one way to get the target is anagram (mix) of, business + (with) pleasure

16. Mastermind, engineer (def), Artemis (Goddess), alternately (choose alternate letters in) MiNeD, plastic (anagram)

17. Peremptory, compulsory (def), PE (gym), re (concerning), MP (the politician), tory (conservative)

18. Attraction, draw (def), Aion (God), fencing (container), t (the), tract (field)

19. Disheveled, somewhat (hidden), messy (def), rest is fodder

20. Level, level (set), back (reversal of) level (set), reversal of level = level, ergo, set = setback

21. Hit the books, How to develop (meta), best hook (target), intense study (def), one way to get the target is anagram (hit) of “the books”