Solutions  ยท  No. 3  ยท  March 2026

No. 3: By the Book โ€” Solutions

Theme: Literature
โš  Full annotations below. Only read on if you've finished the puzzle or need help.

Across

1
COSMIC Stellar comedian maintains element of surprise (6) CO{S}MIC โ€” COMIC (comedian) around S
4
DURESS Pressure wound essentially covered by bandage (6) D{U}RESS โ€” wound essentially (middle letter) covered by dress (bandage)
8
Theme POVERTY Want poetry's tense to shift while framing verse (7) (PO{V}ER[T]Y)* โ€” shift T in poetry, put it around (V)erse
9
GAMBLER Golf, walk, and run to get better (7) G + AMBLE + R โ€” (G)olf (NATO) + AMBLE (walk) + (R)un
11
REFINEMENT Elegance of ten firemen working (10) (TENFIREMEN)* โ€” anagram of 'ten firemen'
12
ROTE Communicated out loud without thinking (4) [WROTE]~[ROTE] โ€” rote is the process of learning through repetition, rather than learning
13
Theme CREDO Persuasion read, lacking leading character's boring company (5) C{RE[a]D}O โ€” READ without A inserted in CO (company)
14
SEASONAL Regulars in car show block westbound roads every summer? (8) [LANES]< -> SE{cArShOw}NAL โ€” regular letters of car show inserted in lanes (roads) reversed
16
IN A SWEAT China's weather partly windy (2,1,5) [ChINA'S WEATher] โ€” hidden in China's weather
18
SAVES Rescues from bodies of water flowing back, gaining velocity (5) [SEAS]< -> SA{V}ES โ€” seas reversing, containing (V)elocity
20
DEBT Bond perhaps returned toy bear, hugging boy's face (4) [T{B}ED]< โ€” reversal of TED (toy bear) over (b)oy
21
SHEER BLISS He's rib-less, moulded in heaven (5,5) (HESRIBLESS)* โ€” anagram of 'he's ribless'
23
ENVELOP Envy short fellow from Warsaw, maybe lying around in blanket (7) ENV[y] + [POLE]< โ€” ENVY with last letter removed, fellow from Warsaw (POLE) reversed
24
BIZARRE Business with assortment of rare rum (7) BIZ + (RARE)* โ€” BIZ (business) + anagram of RARE to give rum, British slang for 'bizarre'
25
DAY ONE Jay's having head shaved in hairstyle โ€” fresh cut's beginning (3,3) D{[j]AY}O + NE[w] โ€” 'do' over 'ay' with trimmed 'new'
26
MERELY Just making a comeback in freestyle rematch (6) [freestYLE REMatch] โ€” merely reversed hidden in freestyle rematch

Down

1
Theme CHOKE Close chapter and endorse first part of Emma (5) CH + OK + E โ€” (CH)apter + OK (endorse) + E (first part of Emma)
2
STERILE Steps to keep emergency room germ-free (7) ST{ER}ILE โ€” STILE (Steps) around ER
3
IN THE ZONE Relaxing, he's into Zen โ€” shunning society, being focused (2,3,4) (HE[s]INTOZEN)* โ€” anagram of he's into zen without (s)ociety
5
UNAPT Heard you sleep with shirt? Improper (5) YOU->U + NAP + T โ€” txtspk 'you->u' with NAP (sleep) + T (shirt)
6
EMBARGO Ban business graduate consequently has received (7) E{MBA}RGO โ€” MBA (business graduate) in ERGO (consequently)
7
SHED TEARS Demolish a hot dessert, and let it all out (4,5) (A + H + DESSERT)* โ€” anagram of a + (h)ot + dessert
10
JET-SETTER Juliett and I to welcome in alien traveller (3-6) J{ET} + SETTER โ€” (J)uliett + I (setter) around ET (alien)
13
CONDEMNED Bled after taking recalled medicine declared unsafe (9) CON{MED<}NED โ€” CONNED (bled) around reversed MED
15
ASSERTIVE Firm advertises artificial diamonds being given away (9) (A[d]VERTISES)* โ€” anagram of advertises without (d)iamonds
17
SATIETY Start to take it easy after cooking to the point of satisfaction? (7) (T[ake] IT EASY)* โ€” anagram of first letter of 'take' + 'it easy'
19
Theme VILLAGE Hamlet's complex, evil, lying about upset girl (7) (EVIL)* {+} [GAL]< -> VIL{LAG}E โ€” anagram of EVIL around reversal of GAL (girl)
21
Theme SWOON Drop show's curtains before Othello's gutted one's stomach (5) S[ho]W + O[thell]O + N โ€” outer letters of show + outer letters of Othello + center of one
22
Theme SORRY Sad beginning of Sense and Sensibility ultimately enthralling as an alternative reading? (5) S{OR + R}Y โ€” beginning of (S)ense and end of Sensibilit(y) enthralling OR (alternative) + (R)eading -> DBE (3 R's)
โ† Back to puzzle
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