BY DEFINITION II
Credit: GAMES Magazine - Aug. 2005
Stephen Sniderman

Each crossword-type definition below is missing some letters. If you fill in the blanks correctly, you'll have the letters of the word being defined. Then all you have to do is arrange them correctly to spell the answer word. (In some cases, they're already in the correct order.)

Are you up to _ HE / _ _ SIGNED / WOR_ = _ _ _ _ ?  

                      The / ASsigned / worK = TASK

1. G _ L _ _ R'S / C _ Y  = _ _ _ _
2. H_ R _ E'S / _ RE _ T  = _ _ _ _
3. _ IMB _ R / _ OU _ C _ S  = _ _ _ _ _
4. _ _ TIC _ OKE / C _ N _ ER = _ _ _ _ _
5. _ ONG / NARRATI _ _ / FICTI _ _  = _ _ _ _ _
6. S _ IN _ / _ICHOL _ _  = _ _ _ _ _
7. _ T _ TE / NEX _ / TO / M _ _ ICO  = _ _ _ _ _
8. OSC _ R / AND / K _ R _ IT'_ / _ TR _ ET  = _ _ _ _ _ _
9. R _ _ _ ED-UP / MANU _ _ _ IPT  = _ _ _ _ _ _
10. WH _ _ E / _ OU / _ UY / C _ _ ES  = _ _ _ _ _ _
11. S _ E / WOR _ /A/ _ CARLE _ / LETT _ _  = _ _ _ _ _ _
12. _ TU _ _ / _F / _ _ ET _ Y  = _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Answers:

1. FORE - golfer's cry
2. OATS - horse's treat
3. TREES - timber sources
4. HEART - artichoke center
5. NOVEL - long narrative fiction
6. SANTA - saint nicholas
7. TEXAS - state next to mexico
8. SESAME - oscar and kermit's street
9. SCROLL - rolled-up manuscript
10. BAKERY - where you buy cakes
11. HESTER - she wore a scarlet letter
12. PROSODY - study of poetry