Wall Street Journal Crossword

August 10, 2023

Mike Shenk

GUEST APPEARANCES

 

Below are the five theme clues of this puzzle and their answers - which make no sense unless you detect a certain pattern. Otherwise, the key to solving is in the final clue.  

1. Be conservative, perhaps - Rinse cycle

2. Memo stamp - Insurgent

3. Typographic dot - Bulletins

4. Wizard of Oz event - Twin sister

5. Source of quality time for Tabby - Pinsetter

6. Unexpected guests, and what you have to do to make sense of the answers

Answer to clue 6:

DROP INS

Answers to clues 1-5:

Each answer makes sense if you (literally) drop the letters INS from each word or phrase:

1. RECYCLE

2. URGENT

3. BULLET

4. TWISTER

5. PETTER