The Four Seasons

a cryptic puzzle by Emily Cox and Henry Rathvon

Solution
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