Give and Take by Lionheart

Puzzle explanation

The letters “received” from the normal clues spelt out “apply clue twenty to grid”, referring to 20ac, which said “Prepare for posting by way of ‘twist’ of scene in The Gift of the Magi”. In O Henry’s short story, a husband Jim sells his watch to buy his wife Della a comb for her hair, while she sells her hair to buy him a chain for his watch. To reflect that ironic outcome, the choices in the grid’s two-letter cells were changed, replacing WATCH with CHAIN and HAIR with COMB.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Letter given [from] → (to) Answer Explanation
Across
1 go(A)t ← DEWCLAW W in DEC + LAW
le[A]d ARCHERS CHASER * around R(udolph)
5 s(P)un ← SLOANE (SEASONAL − AS) *
[P]inch SEAHOG GOES < around (A + H)
6 S[P]ook SMILEY 2 meanings; ref. Le Carré character, George Smiley
→ s(P)ot STALIN STAIN around L
7 pa[L]m SOCIALS (IS around (p)AL(m)) after COS <
→ coup(L)e EMBRACE EM + BRACE
9 hone[Y] FÖHNS (SN + OF) < around H(oney)
→ earl(Y) OMIT O + MIT(e)
11 (C)leaves ← CHEOPS CHOPS around E
[C]overage AGEING (cover)AGE IN G(azelle)
13 smugg[L]ing LISBON LION around SB
→ (L)ad CARBOY CAR + BOY
15 mis(U)sed ← AT HOME (HE + ATOM) *
curio[u]s SNEERS R in SENSE *
17 On[E] ORFE OR + FE
→ rang(E) AGRA AGA around R
18 S(T)age ← IMAGOS IAGO’S around M
mas[T]er AMNION (ONION with M for first letter) after A
19 [W]ants I SAY ISLAY − L
→ Flo(W) AVAL LAVA <
20   FRANKINCENSE FRANK + IN + SCENE *
Down
1 h(E)ad ← DSOS D(rop) + SOS
th[E]y ASHE AS + (t)HE(y)
2 so(N) ← WATCHES WATCHET with S for final T
can[N]ed HAIRIER (AIR + IE) in HR
3 Nu[T]s REECH CHEER *
→ flee(T) AGILE A + GILE(t)
4 salt[Y] SOY S(t)O(r)Y
→ Victor(Y) WON (Meldre)W (t)O (brighte)N
8 (T)race ← SIGN G in SIN
quar[T]er EASY QUEASY − QU
9 unf(O)unded ← FALSTAFF FALS(e) + TAFF
ab[O]ut OCCASION CO < + (A SONIC) *
10 son(G) ← SIBERIAN IBSEN * around AIR <
[G]rand TOBOGGAN TO + BOGAN around G
12 count[R]y NORFOLK FOLK after NOR
→ ba(R)king POMROYS (S(urely) Y(ear’s) O(ddest) + PROM) *
14 ho(I)sted ← ATOMIC A + MOT < + I’ + C
sta[I]ning INGMAR (stain)ING MAR(vel)
16 (D)ate ← SEND SEN + D
[D]inner EAST FEAST − F
Back to 2025 menu