Twisting Route
a cryptic puzzle by Emily Cox and Henry Rathvon
When all clue answers have been entered in this diagram, solvers will be able to trace the wandering journey of some familiar characters. The journey begins in a square in an appropriate word, and then twists through the diagram moving from one square to another, up, down, left, or right (but never diagonally), spelling out the characters' names. The journey ends in another appropriate word, for which no clue is given. Answers to clues include five proper nouns; 7 Down is a common phrase not found in dictionaries.
Across
-
1.
Fund is poorer, left with $100 in it (6)
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5.
Be thrilled lady's kept in touch (6)
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10.
Peg is born back in Santa Fe, e.g. (8)
-
11.
John Wayne at first rejected material (4)
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12.
Hector and Sally formally returned last of gifts (6)
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13.
Radio antenna is lower—bravo (6)
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15.
Miscue confused member of an elementary group (6)
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16.
Fuel covering a street by the shore (7)
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17.
Name of football player returning to his city? (5)
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19.
Musical piece in uproar, ending at the beginning (4)
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22.
Lamp from end of Iron Age (4)
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23.
Fat entirely absorbed by fiber (6)
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25.
Note child holding right answer (6)
-
27.
Name for French swirl (6)
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28.
A mass meeting engulfs university, in a sense (7)
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31.
Disbeliever near the scene of a crime? (7)
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32.
Engineer stocked case records (7)
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33.
Greasy behind front of door mat (5)
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34.
Describing Nepal's capital, make a speech flowery (6)
Down
-
1.
England's earliest and mostly stupid set of values (5)
-
2.
Nice try at distorting truth (9)
-
3.
One offensive formation conceals source of sneak attack (5)
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4.
Complain about jerk's carousal (7)
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5.
Club covering—it flipped neatly (6)
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6.
Bone site in Asia Minor (5)
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7.
Enjoyable book: Fear of Baby Talk? (two words) (8)
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8.
Lounge lizard's first love left twice (4)
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9.
The Cuban agent made wrong choice (7)
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14.
Bringer of misery to guys dwelling in hills (9)
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18.
Noble drolly frolics (6)
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19.
Big blow disrupted a coiffure (7)
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20.
Woman I rather fancy (7)
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21.
Half of cows run free before a bullfight (7)
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23.
Booze king supported by a Midwestern town (6)
-
24.
No place in church turned up concealing a gun (6)
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26.
Like failing a test (5)
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29.
One wearing the Parisian necklaces (4)
-
30.
Cheers up, say, about leader of youth (4)