Efficiency

M Puzzle: Efficiency

by Francis Heaney and Lance Nathan

This puzzle is about efficiency: getting one letter to do the work of many. The two sets of clues can be matched so that a string of two or more letters in the answer from the left can be replaced by a single letter in the answer on the right. (As a guide, the twenty-five letters are all different.) The clues, correctly matched with their answers and ordered by the right column, are:

Left clue Right clue Left ans. Right ans. String Ltr

Alaskan Eskimo Stop INuit quit IN Q
Ashore, like a whale Vandyke, e.g. beaCHEd beard CHE R
Sleeveless women's garment Persuade caMISole cajole MIS J
Food storage area Spasm panTRY pang TRY G
Michigan city Superfluous (2 wds.) detroIT de trop IT P
Worked in marble Offspring chiSELEd child SELE L
Change chemically (as with yeast) E.B. White character ferMENT fern MENT N
Large wine bottle Certain gift bearers magNUM magi NUM I
Maturation period Crevice filler puBERty putty BER T
Dog A dessert caNINe cake NIN K
Earth goddess Hesitation demETEr demur ETE U
Show passion or fervor Join ENTHuse fuse ENTH F
Forefather Fix ancESTor anchor EST H
Hero worshipper? A machine leANDer lever AND V
Doric or Ionic Legislature diALECt diet ALEC E
Beast Fold creaTURe crease TUR S
Snake Aroma sERPent scent ERP C
Exterior Laughing gas is one oUTSide oxide UTS X
Hold together Arrive coHERe come HER M
Scope Shower alternative bREADth bath READ A
Move around, as at a party Chocolate sauce mINGle mole ING O
Lemur, for instance Value priMATe prize MAT Z
Barren Fashion stERIle style ERI Y
Reclusive author Someone at a wife-swapping party sALinger swinger AL W
Big name in trains Possible Hearst crime? liONel libel ON B

Left clue	Right clue	Left ans.	Right ans.	String	Ltr
Alaskan Eskimo	Stop	INuit	quit	IN	Q
Ashore, like a whale	Vandyke, e.g.	beaCHEd	beard	CHE	R
Sleeveless women's garment	Persuade	caMISole	cajole	MIS	J
Food storage area	Spasm	panTRY	pang	TRY	G
Michigan city	Superfluous (2 wds.)	detroIT	de trop	IT	P
Worked in marble	Offspring	chiSELEd	child	SELE	L
Change chemically (as with yeast)	E.B. White character	ferMENT	fern	MENT	N
Large wine bottle	Certain gift bearers	magNUM	magi	NUM	I
Maturation period	Crevice filler	puBERty	putty	BER	T
Dog	A dessert	caNINe	cake	NIN	K
Earth goddess	Hesitation	demETEr	demur	ETE	U
Show passion or fervor	Join	ENTHuse	fuse	ENTH	F
Forefather	Fix	ancESTor	anchor	EST	H
Hero worshipper?	A machine	leANDer	lever	AND	V
Doric or Ionic	Legislature	diALECt	diet	ALEC	E
Beast	Fold	creaTURe	crease	TUR	S
Snake	Aroma	sERPent	scent	ERP	C
Exterior	Laughing gas is one	oUTSide	oxide	UTS	X
Hold together	Arrive	coHERe	come	HER	M
Scope	Shower alternative	bREADth	bath	READ	A
Move around, as at a party	Chocolate sauce	mINGle	mole	ING	O
Lemur, for instance	Value	priMATe	prize	MAT	Z
Barren	Fashion	stERIle	style	ERI	Y
Reclusive author	Someone at a wife-swapping party	sALinger	swinger	AL	W
Big name in trains	Possible Hearst crime?	liONel	libel	ON	B

The replaced strings spell out "In chemistry, it's element number nineteen / The stand a lecturer puts her reading material on". These are clues for another pair of words where a letter can replace a string, "potassium" and "podium". This gives the unused letter (d) and the answer, which is TASS.