Fireball Crossword

February 8, 2024

Howard Neuthaler

ROCKY RACCOON

 

The answers to the first four clues below do not make any sense until the fifth clue explains it all. Can you figure out what's going on?

 

1. Deliver word for word - APPRECIATE

2. Customs/Standards - PANORAMAS

3. Ordeal, as in to go through  -  WRAPPING PAPER

4. Unit that contains the fundamental molecules of life - A CAPPELLA

5. Raccoon, in slang

Answer to Clue 5:

From a likening of the black patches around its eyes to similar markings on a panda, and a reference to its tendency to forage for garbage in urban environments, the raccoon is known as a TRASH PANDA. 

Answers to Clues 1-4:

Parsing PANDA as P AND A, if you remove (trash) the P's and A's in the given clue answers, the letters remaining spell words give sensible answers to the clues:

1. Deliver word for word - RECITE

2. Customs/Standards - NORMS

3. Ordeal, as in to go through - WRINGER

4. Unit that contains the fundamental molecules of life - CELL