COMMON BONDS
Greg Pliska
This is a relatively straightforward cryptic crossword:
P O S E H O L L Y O S H A
U N O D O R E D R O T O R
S O L I T A I R E F R E D
S Y N C B L A S G D A R E
Y A N T R A S T R E P U N
T H E M O S T R E C E N T
A O E A W H E A T A L K L
D O M I N O T I F F A N Y
P S K E R R S N U D N I K
O M A R I E A R L A N T I
L O P E C H R I S T M A S
E M O T E B A R K E E P S
S A K E H O N E Y R A C Y
Ten entries are clued only by wordplay, and appear symmetrically in the grid.
Eight of these entries are the first (or only) names of leading female characters in James Bond films:
HOLLY Goodhead (Moonraker)
SOLITAIRE (Live and Let Die)
DOMINO Derval (Thunderball)
TIFFANY Case (Diamonds Are Forever)
CHRISTMAS Jones (The World is Not Enough)
HONEY Ryder (Dr. No)
PUSSY Galore (Goldfinger)
KISSY Suzuki (You Only Live Twice)
Two other entries spell the phrase THE MOST RECENT. Jinx Johnson is the leading female character
in the most recent Bond film, "Die Another Day" (played by Halle Berry).
JINX is the correct answer to the puzzle.