Style Invitational Week 1157: Clue us in — a backward crossword


We give you the solution, you write the clues. Plus the winners of
our paired-abbrevs. contest.



Give us up to 25 creative clues for the words in this grid by The Post’s
new Sunday crossword guy. (GRID BY EVAN BIRNHOLZ AT DEVILCROSS.COM )
By Pat Myers January 7



(Click here to skip down <#report> to the winners of Week 1153, to
compare pairs of things that have the same 3-letter abbreviation)

*BAR: Meeting hall for rabbis, priests and imams
ESSEX: He won’t accept that Esther’s no longer into him*

**Once again, it’s our backward-crossword challenge. But for the first
time, we’re using a filled-in grid by Evan Birnholz
,
the brand-new constructor of The Post’s Sunday crossword
,
replacing the late Merl Reagle
.
This one, though, is from Evan’s own website, Devil Cross,
on which there are dozens of free puzzles he
created. *This week: Supply clever, funny clues to up to 25 of the words
and multi-word terms in Evan’s grid,* as in the examples above. Yes, the
grid has no numbers — we don’t need them; just list each word along with
your clue (if it’s a multi-word or hyphenated term, please list it as
one word anyway, so the Empress can search for all the entries with,
say, SOISEE). The clues should be brief, but they need not be as short
as for a real crossword. (Note: This is an American-style crossword, not
the British type in which the clue contains an anagram of the desired
word.) Of course, Evan’s own clues are often clever as well; for FARMS
he has “Places where there is real growth potential.” See
devilcross.com/2014/03 for the real clues.

This week’s second prize: If you’re not assigned a yes-man at work, this
nodding, fanning solar Buddha is your perfect desk accessory. (Brady Holt)

Winner gets the Inkin’ Memorial
,
the Lincoln statue bobblehead that is the official Style Invitational
trophy. Second place receives a fabulous piece in our series of
Solar-Powered Kitsch: It’s a Buddha
—
brought back from Spain by Losers Roy and Inge Ashley — who nods and
fans himself vigorously under the slightest sunshine or fluorescent light.

*Other runners-up* win their choice of a yearned-for Loser Mug,
the older-model
“This Is Your Brain on Mugs” mug

or the ardently desired “Whole Fools” Grossery Bag.
Honorable
mentions get one of our brand-new Loser magnets, “Magnet Dum Laude”

or “Falling Jest Short.”

First Offenders receive a smelly tree-shaped air “freshener” (FirStink

for their first ink). Email entries to /losers@washpost.com
/. Deadline is Monday night, Jan. 18;
results published Feb. 7 (online Feb. 4). You may submit up to 25
entries per contest. Include “Week 1157” in your email subject line or
it might be ignored as spam. Include your real name, postal address and
phone number with your entry. See contest rules and guidelines at
wapo.st/InvRules . The headline for this week’s
results is by Kevin Dopart; the honorable-mentions subhead is by
Danielle Nowlin. Join the lively Style Invitational Devotees group on
Facebook at /on.fb.me/invdev ./ “Like” the Style
Invitational Ink of the Day on Facebook at /bit.ly/inkofday; / follow
@StyleInvite on Twitter.

*The Style Conversational: * The Empress’s weekly online column
discusses each new contest and set of results. Especially if you plan to
enter, check it out at wapo.st/styleconv
.

And the results of the Style Invitational contest that was posted four
weeks ago . . .

No JOK, no INK: Report from Week 1153:
Week 1153 was the third installment in our recurring contest in which we
asked you to find two or more entities that have the same three-letter
abbreviation — this time it had to be between IAA and LZZ — and compare
or otherwise link them. The linking part proved a daunting challenge;
even some of today’s inking entries tread that fine line between
Ingeniously Clever and Ridiculously Tortured.

4th place:

*LBO:* If you Google “bowling pin” you could expect a link to the
*Ladies Bowling Organization,* but you might not expect a link to *large
bowel obstruction.* (Jeff Shirley, Richmond, Va.)

3rd place:

*JLO: Joint logistics operations *and *Jennifer Lopez: *They both know
how to move their assets around impressively. (Jeff Contompasis,
Ashburn, Va.)

2nd place and the LP record of Spiro Agnew’s speeches:

*Indoor residual spraying *has to do with bloodsucking insects . . .
Oops, I can’t think of any connection with any other*IRS.* (Jon
Gearhart, Des Moines)

And the winner of the Inkin’ Memorial:

*JAH:* Article in the *Journal of Aboriginal Health: *“Throwing
Boomerangs in the Outback.”
Article in the *Journal of Aging and Health: *“Boomer Angst: Throwing
Your Back Out.” (Chris Doyle, Ponder, Tex.)

Triply im-paired: honorable mentions

If you engage in an *initial public offering* you may end up selling a
share, but if you engage in *impersonating a police officer* you may end
up sharing a cell. (Jeff Contompasis)

*International Cheer Union* or *Intensive Care Unit:* If you’re a
curmudgeon like me, it’s a hard call which would be worse to visit.
(Warren Tanabe, Annapolis, Md.)

If the *Israel Airports Authority *and*Internet Alcoholics Anonymous
*joined forces, they could call themselves El Al-Anon. (Chris Doyle)

*International Association of Ministries *and *interest at maturity: *
Both promise a big payout when the end comes. (George-Ann Rosenberg,
Washington)

*The Iowa Caucus Process* x this year’s candidates = *Insane Clown
Posse* (Jon Gearhart; Kevin Dopart, Washington)

** *The International Police Association*, the*International
Psychoanalytical Association* and the*International Phonetic Alphabet*
all have their ways of getting you to talk. (As might*India Pale Ale.*)
(Kristen Rahman, Silver Spring, Md.)

The*least significant digit *adds nothing truly perceptible, whereas
*lysergic acid diethylamide *makes everything truly perceptible. Truly,
truly perceptible. (Jeff Contompasis)

*Indoor air quality* and *infrequently asked questions:* “Do you mind if
I fart?” (Mark Raffman, Reston, Va.)

The aim of the*Inflatable Boat Association* is to keep people out of the
drink. Unlike the *International Bartenders Association.* (George-Ann
Rosenberg)

**If those in the *International Cablemakers Federation* don’t do their
job well, the *International Cremation Federation *will help pick up the
pieces. (Rob Huffman, Fredericksburg, Va.)

Curiously, it hasn’t occurred to either the*Journal of Applied Physics*
and the *Journal of Applied Physiology* to seek advertising from Prada
or Louis Vuitton. (Mark Raffman)

The *Journal for the Study of Religion *and the *Journal of Sex
Research:* People who say “Oh God!” figure prominently in both. (Mark
Raffman)

The president whom *John Wilkes Booth *removed was succeeded by A.
Johnson, while the wife of *John Wayne Bobbitt* succeeded in removing a
johnson. (Jesse Frankovich, Lansing, Mich.)

The*International Criminal Court *deals with a wide range of crimes,
while Maryland’s *Intercounty Connector* limits itself to highway
robbery. (Jeff Contompasis)

*LON:* *Longitude* and *Launch on Need:* Two things promised by ED
drugs. (Frank Osen, Pasadena, Calif.)

*Letter of recommendation* and *letter of reprimand:* “Certainly,
Smathers, I’ll be delighted to write you a heartfelt LOR.” (Frank Osen)

*Labor and delivery rooms* and *long-distance relationships:* Stick with
the latter to avoid the former. (Duncan Stevens, Vienna, Va.; Roy
Ashley, Washington)

The *International Academy of Architecture* and the *International
Advertising Association:* Both depend on well-built models. (Lawrence
McGuire, Waldorf, Md.)

The *Kentucky Psychological Association* used to give discounts to the
*Kinship Parents Association* but was overwhelmed by the number of
requests. (Barbara Turner, Takoma Park, Md.)

*Still running — deadline Monday night, Jan. 11: our obit poem contest
to commemorate people who died in 2015. See bit.ly/invite1156
. *