THF Weekly Haiku Puzzler #1

This week’s clue:

Type the solution into the box and press “submit.” We will print the names of those who come up with the correct answer next week.

Last week we offered the Haiku Crypto-Quiz as part of The Haiku Foundation’s fundraising drive. Here are your answers (with a bit of explanation for those of you who are new to cryptic crosswords):

1. Sounds as if you should take a walk followed by a turnaround. (5) haiku
     (Sounds like a walk [hike] followed by a turnaround [u-turn] = haiku)
2. The man throws a party and none come. (5) Basho
     (The man throws a party [bash] and none come [o] = Matsuo Basho)
3. He’s in front; he’s in a lair; then in a miserable hut (sort of). (3-3-6) van den Heuvel
     (He’s in front [van]; he’s in a lair [den]; then in a miserable hut (sort of) [hovel] =  Cor Van den Heuvel)
4. Everyone’s high on her. (8) Mountain
     (Everyone’s high on her = Marlene Mountain)
5. We hear that Gunsmoke’s marshal didn’t pay his debts. (5-5) Dylan Welch
     (We hear that Gunsmokes’s marshal [Dillon] didn’t pay his debts [welch] = Michael Dylan Welch)
6. “Decompose, Fitzgerald!” she jazzes. (7) Rotella
     (“Decompose [rot] Fitzgerald!” she jazzes [Ella] = Alexis Rotella)
7. These compilations get cooked on the cooker. (5) renga
     (These compilations get cooked [that is, the letter order is altered; hence, an anagram] on the cooker [range] = renga [anagram of range])
8. The female chicken, the male German, and the male issue. (9) Henderson
     (The female chicken [hen], the male German [article der], and the male issue [son] = Harold G. Henderson)
9. She is adding to a tasty arrowroot. (6) Yarrow
     (She is adding to a tastY ARROWroot (embedded word) = Ruth Yarrow)
10. I would owe the Aeneid to him, if I had a “u.” (9) Virgilio	
     (I would owe [iou] the Aeneid to him [Virgil] if I had a “u”. Lose the “u” from “iou” and add the “io” to Virgil = Nick Virgilio)
11. She wants to get rid of a skin growth with Preparation H. (8) Banwarth
     (She wants to get rid of [ban] a skin growth [wart] with Preparation H = Francine Banwarth)
12. A turnip from northern Europe? (5) Swede
     (A turnip from northern Europe = Swede (a term used in Britain for a rutabaga))
13. The Red Viking turns around and is cutting. (4) kire
     (The Red Viking [Erik] turns around and is cutting = kire (reverse Erik to get the cutting word used in haiku))
14. We hear the woman is central to get him. (5) Shiki
     We hear [suggesting a homonym] the woman [she] is central [key] to get him = Masaoka Shiki)
15. After he is given a flower, it sounds as if he executes a ballet move. (8) Roseliep
     (After he is given a flower [rose], it sounds as if he executes a ballet move [leap] = Raymond Roseliep)
16. One day she is going to lie down with a lion. (4) Lamb
     (One day she is going to lie down with a lion [playing off a well-known adage] = Elizabeth Searle Lamb)
17. He makes a delicious salad. (4) Cobb
     (He makes a delicious salad = David Cobb)
18. The stag hesitates and becomes a woman! (6) Harter
     (The stag [hart] hesitates [er] = Penny Harter)
19. Sounds as if he’s really happy. (5) Blyth
     (Sounds as if [homonym] he’s really happy = R. H. Blyth)
20. The war machine is followed by an indefinite article. (5) tanka
     (The war machine [tank] is followed by an indefinite article [a] = tanka)

No contestant achieved 100% on the quiz. Our prize-winner is Shrikaanth Krishnamurthy, who got 19 out of 20 correct (he missed #7, which stymied everyone). Congratulations to him, and he wins a copy of Raymond Roseliep: Man of Art who Loved the Rose, Donna Bauerly’s masterful new biography of the pioneering haiku poet. You can get a copy for yourself in the THF Gift Shop for a $50 donation to the Foundation.

Two other entrants got 18 out of 20 correct — Sandra Simpson and Roberta Beary. We’re giving second place to Sandra for her “extra credit” answer to #19, which she suggested could also be answered with “tripi,” which made us laugh. Nice work to all!

 

Anita Krumins, former Assistant Editor of Frogpond, hosts the weekly cryptic haiku puzzler every Tuesday on Troutswirl, The Haiku Foundation blog.