CHRISTIE WILCOX, VENOMOUS — Snakes have fangs. Lionfish have spines. Jellyfish have stinging cells. Male platypuses have spurs. ... Platypuses are really awfully, terribly venomous. ... I've heard, being stung by a platypus is a life-changing experience... .
Snakes have fangs. Lionfish have spines. Jellyfish have stinging cells. Male platypuses have spurs.
Platypuses are really, awfully, terribly venomous. From what I've heard, being stung by a platypus is a life-changing epxerience, as any deeply traumatic event shapes who you are.
| A. | Sour fruit (2 wds.) | CRABAPPLE |
| B. | Giver of the St. Crispin's Day speech (2 wds.) | HENRYV |
| C. | "Tear down this wall!" urger | REAGAN |
| D. | Before you can say Jack Robinson (3 wds.) | INAJIFFY |
| E. | Lazy, indolent, unmotivated | SHIFTLESS |
| F. | Touches base before moving on (2 wds.) | TAGSUP |
| G. | Not much given to self-control | IMPULSIVE |
| H. | Roundish but not spherical (hyph.) | EGGSHAPED |
| I. | In a haphazard, hit-or-miss way (hyph.) | WILLYNILLY |
| J. | Devoid of competence | INCAPABLE |
| K. | What a card goes for | LAUGHS |
| L. | Capital of the Equality State | CHEYENNE |
| M. | Sedimentary rock that's a source of fuel (2 wds.) | OILSHALE |
| N. | Ill-tempered wife of Socrates | XANTHIPPE |
| O. | Feudal tenants | VASSALS |
| P. | So simple a child can do it (hyph.) | EASYPEASY |
| Q. | Unreal, as an imagined land (hyph.) | NEVERNEVER |
| R. | Disgusting; major military action | OFFENSIVE |
| S. | "Spoon River Anthology" poet | MASTERS |
| T. | Eruption; tantrum | OUTBURST |
| U. | Facing long odds | UNLIKELY |
| V. | Reacting less quickly than usual | SLUGGISH |