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R | O | C | K | M | U | S | I | C | O | N | I | O | N | |
A | N | D | O | U | I | L | L | E | S | T | R | U | T | |
B | I | C | S | T | A | L | E | S | M | I | X | |||
A | E | O | N | T | W | A | ||||||||
P | E | P | P | E | R | C | A | Y | E | N | N | E | ||
A | T | O | P | S | E | A | L | E | D | A | L | E | ||
C | H | A | S | M | A | J | O | S | N | I | D | E | ||
T | I | C | I | S | S | U | E | S | O | V | E | N | ||
C | H | I | C | K | E | N | C | E | L | E | R | Y | ||
T | A | I | K | O | L | A | ||||||||
M | E | H | N | O | W | N | O | W | V | A | N | |||
L | U | C | A | S | W | H | I | T | E | R | I | C | E | |
S | T | O | C | K | L | I | F | E | S | A | V | E | R | |
D | E | L | A | Y | S | P | E | D | Y | A | R | D |
E | C | O | G | E | N | I | U | S | P | S | A | T | ||
E | O | N | A | L | U | M | N | I | H | A | J | I | ||
L | U | I | R | I | B | A | L | D | A | L | A | N | ||
S | P | O | O | L | C | I | L | A | N | T | R | O | ||
E | N | R | I | C | H | K | E | N | T | |||||
S | C | H | E | M | E | D | O | D | G | E | ||||
L | O | C | O | E | R | A | O | S | M | O | N | D | ||
A | A | H | A | V | O | C | A | D | O | P | A | Y | ||
C | H | E | N | E | Y | A | S | I | M | E | W | S | ||
E | U | R | O | S | T | W | I | S | T | Y | ||||
T | O | G | O | A | T | O | N | C | E | |||||
J | A | L | A | P | E | N | O | M | A | U | V | E | ||
A | B | I | T | R | E | G | I | N | A | M | I | A | ||
M | E | M | E | M | U | L | L | E | T | I | T | S | ||
S | L | E | D | S | P | E | E | D | O | N | A | Y |
I love all kinds of puzzles and clever wordplay. Catering typically combines heart-racing panic with mind-numbing monotony, like when you have to prep 300 tiny Lobster Eclairs in the next two hours. One's mind tends to wander and wonder whether words like PROFIT-EROLE could work as a clue for a Robin Hood actor who doesn't give to the poor? Or how to work PANDOWDY into a puzzle about Shabby Chic Kitchenware? It helps to get this stuff out of one's head, just as it does to clean all the ancient condiments out of the back of your fridge.
My sister Jessica in New Zealand is my primary solver — all puzzles must pass her muster (and mustard).