CARNIVAL SIGN

An advertisement for a traveling carnival is painted on the side of an old barn. But time and weather have worn down some of the letters, making some difficult to read. Here is one of the words that onlookers are having trouble with:

C  P  C  I  F  S  C  J  L

The word is an adjective that might describe one of the carnival acts, and can be restored by adding ten lines, straight or curved. Hint: The first letter of the restored word is G.

Answer:

G R O T E S Q U E 

Credit:

Will Shortz