The Mostly Easy, Semi-Cryptic Spring Cryptic
-a new Hill Woman Cryptic Puzzle for People
with spare time and no sense. Number 3
in
the series.

This is a cryptic style crossword, where the clues
are are strange little puzzles. Almost always the
answer is given twice, or printed inside a
sentence, or right there for the taking --if you can
see it. Also used are  homonyms, bizarre plays on
words, regrettable puns, and other such sick wordplay.
The numbers after the clues tell how many letters are 
on the word or words; (3, 6) would indicate an answer
such as fat chance.  The only prize for solving it is
the warm knowledge that your mind went the same
places the Troll's did. 
Leave a trail of bread crumbs to find your way back!
Have fun!
  -The Troll.

Across

Bests dirt, outdoes oils (8)
Could be heavy duty, could be heart of a rash decision. (2)
What you might find in a shovelful of dirt, a crawler's head or tail (1, 4, 3)
11 California valley lawn, short sleep by way of a three foot measure (4,4)
12 This may be the beginning of agriculture, or a short bit of Latin silver. (2)
13 Seven faced oriental character or dyslexic's favorite online haunt. (3)
14 Babe turned into one after drinking beer coming out of spigot. (3)
16 Exists, initially in situ. (2)
17 Allows to borrow garden tool, permit use of footwear. (5, 3) or (4, 4)
20 Insect mistake inside a Martian terrorist. (3, 5)
21 Former, as in spouse, extra boost on terminate when bugs plague. (2)
22 Sample well-known brand of beer, define the flavor with this sensory apparatus. (8)

Down

Move from one bed to another, plants rant wildly--or they may settle in nicely. (10)
Hold up Microsoft's Bill for one. Increases or grows. (10)
Aunt Tillie might say this, even though it sounds like part of a chant and an ocular organ. (2, 2)
Perfect Bush? Confused, Rush bailed. (5, 5)
Comes to the marriage with turf? Crazy dodos rewed. (3, 7)
Take back part of your aw shucks, take part of new attitude in Washington. (2)
Goes out a scrap of fabric, comes back a kind of fish. (3)
10 Nora's eye poked out by part of tin rake. (3)
15 Elementary particle. A hole in the Post Office abbreviation for Indiana. (3)
16 Short part of the Holy Land seen by a mixed up Sir. (3)
18 Following, or the first parts of new excise tax. (4)
19 Famous buckshot size found in books. (2)

Hints: Crazy, drunken, or mixed-up can mean an anagram. Short, truncated, or cut-off
can mean a contraction. Inside may mean that the answer is hidden inside the word or
words to follow.

Need extra hints? Click here for bonus clues.

Anybody actually doing these dad-gummed things? 
Send curses or kudos to the troll@hillwoman.com


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