Puzzle

For more years than I choose to remember, the Daily Crossword has been my lunchtime diversion.

Lately, however, I have observed a marked deterioration in the quality of the puzzle. Most clues are fatuous or inane and many are so abstruse as to verge on the unfair.

In short, the Daily Crossword has become (four letters: having lost an edge) and (six letters: using an awl).

As a consequence of this decline, I tend to consume a larger lunch than usual. A post-prandial nap then becomes a virtual necessity, with the resultant loss of productivity.

If this unhappy situation is permitted to continue, I shall have little choice but to see you in (five letters: where Laver reigned).

GEOFFREY KNIGHTON

Carlsbad