CRYPTO CLUES I
NY Times PUZZLEMANIA (annual special section)
December 15, 22019
Joel Fagliano

Each of these clever clues has two parts, both of which can be satisfied by the answer. For example, given the clue Secures the rest, the answer word would be TETHERS. To tether something is to secure it, and TETHERS is an anagram of "the rest."

1. Religious circle
2. Essential quality of a tea urn
3. No friends have these birthstones
4. Food storage area raider
5. Phrase a phone caller emits
6. Midwestern home of Diane

Answers and Explanations:

1. CLERIC (cleric is a religious person and anagram of circle)

2. NATURE (essential quality = nature, and nature is an anagram of tea urn)

3. OPALS (letter O stand for zero - zero pals = no friends - opals are birthstones)

4. PANTRY (pantry is a food storage area and ANT raids (splits) it - P_ _ _ RY.)

5. IT'S ME (phone caller says "It's me," and "It's me" is an anagram of EMITS)

6. EDINA (Edina is town in Minnesota - midwest - and an anagram of DIANE)

Note from JA: There is a whole genre of puzzles with clues like these - Cryptic Crosswords.