Wall Street Journal hints: June 14, 2014

Hex have done a great job with this month’s variety cryptic for the Wall Street Journal, which is called “Flower Cuttings.”  They’re making their WSJ puzzles a little more challenging than they had been earlier, which I guess opens up a few more opportunities.

This puzzle’s challenge is twofold.  First, some of the answers have to have a letter removed before they go in the grid (the results will not necessarily be valid words).  Second, clues are given in pairs: one clockwise and one counterclockwise, and it is left for the solver to figure out where to put them.

One additional thing to note: instead of pairing the clues at the very outermost letter (which would mean each of the answers in the pair would start with the same letter), Hex numbered the spaces between those letters.  But you still can use the first letter of an answer you have to get one of the neighboring answers, even if you don’t know which way they go in the grid.  So if (hypothetically), the first letter of a #1 answer is X, then one of the #2 or #18 answers must begin with X.

So start there, and if you still need help, look below the fold for hints.

When you’re through, join us for Sunday brunch, with more cryptics by Hex, Richard Maltby, and other fine constructors.  Or take the challenge of a The Nation puzzle from 40 years ago this week!

Hints for Wall Street Journal puzzle 6/14/14: Flower Cuttings

Click and drag to see the hidden text.

Clue pair	First answer			Second answer
	Direction	Length		Direction	Length
1	Counterclockwise	6		Clockwise	6
2	Clockwise	6		Counterclockwise	7
3	Counterclockwise	6		Clockwise	7
4	Counterclockwise	6		Clockwise	6
5	Clockwise	6		Counterclockwise	7
6	Counterclockwise	6		Clockwise	6
7	Counterclockwise	7		Clockwise	6
8	Clockwise	6		Counterclockwise	6
9	Clockwise	6		Counterclockwise	7
10	Counterclockwise	6		Clockwise	6
11	Clockwise	7		Counterclockwise	6
12	Clockwise	6		Counterclockwise	6
13	Counterclockwise	6		Clockwise	7
14	Counterclockwise	6		Clockwise	6
15	Clockwise	6		Counterclockwise	7
16	Counterclockwise	6		Clockwise	7
17	Counterclockwise	6		Clockwise	6
18	Clockwise	7		Counterclockwise	6