Sunday Morning Puzzle # 16

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

The New Macrohard Crossword 2001 software promises to make a puzzle constructor’s life a lot easier. The idea behind the software is simple. You (the constructor) type in a word or phrase and the computer supplies a fresh definition. Any puzzle constructor who needs several definitions can theoretically save a lot of time and effort. Unfortunately, as I discovered this week, the software has a bug. For some reason it misreads one letter of every answer, and then gives a definition for the misread word or phrase instead.

So, if the constructor enters “CARE”, he/she might get a definition for “DARE”, “FARE”, “CURE”, “CAKE”, “CARD”, or several other possibilities.

This week I typed in a group of 13 related answers, and out popped the misread definitions below. Can you determine the original list of entries? Numbers in parentheses indicate the length of the answer.

  1. Clutch (4)
  2. Regarding Bosc or Comice (7, two words)
  3. Age (6)
  4. Bug, Boat, bites, or birds (4)
  5. To set in a flat surface (5)
  6. Leftovers (7, two words)
  7. Sandwich spread (4)
  8. Grit (4)
  9. A whole bunch (4)
  10. Funny and hip (5)
  11. Out in the rain (3)
  12. Off the leash (5)
  13. Television or subway (4)
2

Hey Bio - it looks like all the other puzzlers took the day off to celebrate your theme. I have all but two of the answers, but I won’t supply any unless challenged, in case there are others who still want to take a crack at it. I will say, I did half expect a definition for “pucker.”

How about a few hinties for #s 1 and 11?

3

Sure, aseymayo. Let me run those two through the software again. Won’t take but a moment…

Buzz…bing…wahoooza…squeak…boing…clinka-clinka…

  1. A type of snake found in the Southern U.S. (4)

  2. Game with Bull, Barley, Bear, and Bell (3)
    That should help.

4

Groan, groan - okay, got 'em. Apparently, I did have the answer to the second one - I just didn’t have the #11 to see it!