The Four Seasons

a cryptic puzzle by Emily Cox and Henry Rathvon

Puzzle grid
Answers to this puzzle's clues are to be treated according to season before being entered in the diagram. Those of Spring, a time for new beginnings, have a different first letter in the diagram. Those of Summer, a time for growth, gain an extra letter somewhere. Those of Autumn, a time for dropping, lose one letter. And those of Winter, a dormant time, undergo no change. All changes result in new words in the diagram. Nine answers are associated with each season. Answers include two proper nouns.

Across

  • 1.
    Begins with first of seasons, entering first sign of spring?
  • 5.
    Photograph defeat inside unfinished sports facility
  • 9.
    Speech specialist comes in for a tortilla
  • 10.
    Old man shot from a gun
  • 12.
    Ceremony African country held in '40
  • 15.
    School of trout swimming
  • 16.
    Shaking rein. Mr. Ed gives cue
  • 17.
    Judge mongrel impure
  • 19.
    Answer for practice again?
  • 20.
    Spot double agent
  • 22.
    Tossing die in commercial helped
  • 24.
    Amulet is poor copy
  • 26.
    30-year mortgage offers protection
  • 29.
    Evil of the first woman embracing villain's snaky forms (two words)
  • 30.
    Stoic philosopher with sort of Buddhist ring
  • 31.
    Bigots' street numbers recalled
  • 32.
    Most well-to-do fail at exam
  • 33.
    Candy assortments split by all of us

Down

  • 1.
    Autograph source material for Italian gentleman
  • 2.
    Group of chicks plotted out loud
  • 3.
    Dam catches black snake
  • 4.
    Grass consequently died
  • 5.
    A bit of rum in drinks results in amused expressions
  • 6.
    Dance and dance, eating butter crackers
  • 7.
    Pals of Ted turned play down (hyphenated)
  • 8.
    Archaic, like a nobleman?
  • 11.
    Cooked one old bean
  • 13.
    Running through one time, about 1,000 albinos?
  • 14.
    A group of taxers travels places to see planes
  • 18.
    No more lousy President
  • 20.
    First and last, hurry up with Italian food
  • 21.
    Bird allowed outside motel
  • 23.
    Stops altering SDS ties
  • 25.
    Think about love for shy person
  • 27.
    Clear mesh
  • 28.
    Savage when in risk