Letter Bank

by Andrew Thomas and Seth Kleinerman

This puzzle combines two chestnuts involving the value of words: The idiom "Don't use a ten-dollar word when a nickel word will do", and the problem of finding words equal to a dollar, where A=$0.01, B=$0.02, etc.

So, in the across clues, there is an "expensive" synonym for the word provided which uses all of the letters of the "cheap" clue word, plus additional letters costing the dollar amount.
For example, HOT + $1.67 = PULCHRITUDINOUS.
Down clues involve a slight twist: as suggested by "keep the change", the "expensive" synonym uses all but one of the letters of the clue word.
For example, FIRE + $1.02 = CONFLAGRATION + E

Fill in the answers into the criss-cross grid, and then read the extra letters from the down clues in left-to-right order to spell PHONE US TO EXCHANGE WORDS. Upon calling us, solvers receive a message that our answer is worth $0.74, so they should call us back with their best word worth $0.74 to trade for it. When they do so, they receive the answer UPKEEP.

The clue answers are:

Across		Down
APT + $0.98 = APPROPRIATE AVER + $0.69 = ASSEVERATE BAD + $1.03 = UNDESIRABLE BIG + $0.99 = BROBDINGNAGIAN CANT + $1.91 = SANCTIMONIOUSNESS CRUEL + $0.63 = UNMERCIFUL CUT + $0.93 = DISCONTINUED DRY + $0.78 = ANHYDROUS ELITE + $1.05 = INTELLIGENTSIA END + $0.93 = DENOUEMENT FEAR + $1.38 = FAINTHEARTEDNESS HOT + $1.67 = PULCHRITUDINOUS LIT + $0.79 = ILLUMINATED MEANNESS + $1.40 = INCOMPASSIONATENESS MUTE + $1.24 = UNCOMMUNICATIVE NONSENSE + $1.19 = INCOMPREHENSIBLENESS RAIN + $1.13 = PRECIPITATION RARE + $1.3 = EXTRAORDINARY RED + $0.65 = INCARNADINE REST + $1.02 = INTERMISSION RUIN + $0.86 = DESTRUCTION SAD + $0.34 = DISMAL SAD + $0.57 = DESOLATE SIN + $1.36 = TRANSGRESSION TOP + $0.68 = PARAMOUNT TOP + $0.96 = OUTPERFORM TRIP + $0.8 = PHANTASMAGORIA TRIP + $0.84 = PERAMBULATION TRIP + $0.88 = PEREGRINATION		ANGER + $0.65 = INFURIATE + G CLEAN + $0.77 = IMMACULATE + N CON + $1.14 = HORNSWOGGLE + C DECIDE + $0.53 = ADJUDICATE + E EXTRA + $1.41 = SUPPLEMENTARY + X FIRE + $1.02 = CONFLAGRATION + E IDLE + $0.61 = LACKADAISICAL + E OIL + $0.7 = LUBRICATE + O OLD + $1.16 = ANTEDILUVIAN + O PALE + $0.73 = ETIOLATED + P POOR + $0.94 = IMPOVERISHED + O PREDICT + $0.91 = PROGNOSTICATE + D PURE + $0.92 = IRREPROACHABLE + U RACILY + $0.87 = SALACIOUSLY + R RESTORER + $1.92 = COUNTERREVOLUTIONARY + S SHARP + $1 = PERSPICACIOUS + H SHINE + $0.54 = LUMINESCE + H SPARE + $1.15 = SUPERFLUOUS + A SPLIT + $1.34 = COMPARTMENTALIZE + S TOP + $0.18 = APOGEE + T TURN + $1.03 = CIRCUMVOLUTE + N WAN + $1.54 = EXSANGUINOUS + W

The filled grid is below:

C

A N H Y D R O U S O

D U

C J E I N C O M P R E H E N S I B L E N E S S

I O U X M T

M M D S P E

M P I C P A R A M O U N T R

E A A C I N V R

T C R A H R G E E

I U T P H A N T A S M A G O R I A C L U R V

O L M E R U A I I B R O B D I N G N A G I A N

L A E N D E N O U E M E N T C N S L

A P P R O P R I A T E S A N C T I M O N I O U S N E S S V K O H U

T E E T W O A U E F A I N T H E A R T E D N E S S

E R A I L L U M I N A T E D O L D S D I

P U L C H R I T U D I N O U S L U G L U A O U T P E R F O R M

P E R E G R I N A T I O N I B G U D E S T R U C T I O N R N

I R Z R L M E S O A

C U N D E S I R A B L E I U N M E R C I F U L I G R

A E C N C N Y

C A I N C O M P A S S I O N A T E N E S S E X T R A O R D I N A R Y S O

T R A N S G R E S S I O N O R T S N L A S

O T N O E C F L T

U E F A E U N C O M M U N I C A T I V E

S D I S M A L C S R C C

I A H S U I I A

L G A U P A D I S C O N T I N U E D

U P E R A M B U L A T I O N P D E S O L A T E U E

V A L P R E C I P I T A T I O N R E S

I T E L F L

I N C A R N A D I N E A S S E V E R A T E L Y

N O P M U

I N T E R M I S S I O N E O

G N U

E I N T E L L I G E N T S I A

E A

R

Y