Saturday, July 10, 2010 - Supernatural

Introduction

One might say that today's puzzle by Cox and Rathvon is magical.

Solution to Today's Puzzle

Legend:	"CD" Cryptic Definition; "DD" Double Definition
	"*" anagram; "~" sounds like; "<" letters reversed
	"( )" letters inserted; "_" letters deleted

Across

1a D(ARK) ARTS - DARTS (bolts) containing (encasing) ARK (sacred chest)

5a WAN|D - WAN (looking pale) + D (departs; perhaps an abbreviation that might be seen on a train schedule)

9a H(OUD|IN)I - HI (greeting) containing (when carrying) {reversal (back) of DUO (pair) + IN}

10a C(ABBA|L)A - {ABBA (Swedish band) + L (left)} contained in (in the middle of) CA (California)

12a ROLE* - anagram (cryptic) of LORE

13a B|ROOMS|TICK - B (blue) + ROOMS (quarters) + TICK (mark)

15a BASIL(IS)K - IS contained in (between) {BASIL (herb) + K (king; chess notation)}

16a P|OTTER - P (passing) + (by) OTTER (weaselly beast)

19a _MER|LIN_ - hidden in (some) farMER LINeage

21a WERE|WOLF< - WERE (used to be) + reversal of (in retrospect) FLOW 24a W|ITCH|C|RAFT - W (woman's foremost; i.e., first letter of the word "woman") + ITCH (desire) + C (cold) + RAFT (float)

25a W(IS)E - IS contained in (in) WE (our group)

27a T(URNS) IN - URNS (funerary vessels) contained in (clad) TIN (metal)

28a {TI|TA|NI|A}< - reversal of (reversed) {A + IN (connection) + AT IT (busy)} 29a RAPT~ - sounds like (in audition) WRAPPED (covered)

30a HOG(WAR)TS* - anagram (upset) of GHOST containing (about) WAR (fight)

Down

1d DO|UGLAS* - DO (make)

2d REIN~ - sounds like (sonically) RAIN (precipitation)

3d A|PI(AR|IS)T - {AR (unopened jar; i.e., the word "jar" without its opening letter) + IS} contained in (in) { A + PIT (hole)}

4d TUCSON* - anagram (revised) of COUNTS

6d _ARA|BIST_ - hidden in (sitting in) ankARA BIStro

7d D|RANK - D (friend's final; i.e., final letter in word "friend") + RANK (status)

8d CHERUBIM* - anagram of (ordered) MUCH BRIE

11d BU(S TOKE)N - STOKE (feed) contained in (in) BUN (some bread)

14d SLEIGHTS~ - sounds like (in speech) SLIGHTS (pointedly neglects)

17d RIFLEMAN* - anagram (mobile) of FILM NEAR

18d {BEEF STEW)* - anagram (ruined) of FEW GOOD

20d {RAT|TRAP}< - reversal of (turning) {PART (leave) + TAR (sailor)}

22d ORIENTS* - anagram (bananas) of IN STORE

23d BRAND|O - BRAND (assign a label) + (to) O (old)

24d WA_TER - WAITER (server) minus I (shedding one)

26d STAR_ - STARE (rude look) without its final letter

Signing off for today - Falcon