Solution to Good Times in the Casino

by Seth Kleinerman

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This is a standard cryptic crossword, with the twist that the first halves of all the clues have been shuffled randomly. Once the first halves have been returned to their numbered order, the first letters of the restored clues spell out WINNING SLOTS COMBINATION FIRST CHERRIES THEN BARS:

Half 1 (sorted list)Half 1 (as written)Half 2Solution

1 Walk-ons"Saturday Night Live" creator'sart/sex mash-upEXTRAS (ART/SEX anag.) (6)

4Imaginary counterpartTakes backfree mail alternativesREAL (fReEmAiL) (4)

6No end to committee; heads of arts and sciences like soRiddle epiphany: short stretches of time constitutea period lasting 54 million yearsJURASSIC (JUR(Y) + A + S + SIC) (8)

13Nailed enormous bird, leftCongolese language ispoliteCORDIAL (LAID ROC rev.) (7)

14IllnessLazulite-huedwaters filling cubeDISEASE (DI(SEAS)E) (7)

15Name novel "The FirstOne way to extend a liston purposeMEANT (NAME anag. + T) (5)

16"Getting It," an articleImpressionist drawing in gallery's top ten percentTITHE (T(IT)HE) (5)

17"Saturday Night Live" creator's"Stomach bug,"he claims, peculiarlyMICHAELS (HE CLAIMS anag.) (8)

20Lazulite-huedFringe elements of seminar expelled, returningin a low grade; I go tooINDIGO (in + D + I go) (6)

22Out-of-control Greek women Walk-onsaudition for average commercialsMAENADS ("mean ads" hom.) (7)

25Takes backStation that knows: drama iscrapSTOOL (LOOTS rev.) (5)

26SelectingNot for the first time,photograph family: middle agePICKING (PIC + KIN + G) (7)

27Clamping tool coming after head of HanRearportHARBOR (H + ARBOR) (6)

28Of the EastBarrow dweller'spoor relationORIENTAL (RELATION anag.) (8)

29"Missing for College,"Noisily rootfor determined resistance effortSTAND (STANFORD - FOR) (5)

32Barrow dweller'sReach further by conservingpower, first turning upside down WIGHT ([M to W]IGHT) (5)

33Important,Nailed enormous bird, leftresult without reservations?NOTABLE (no table) (7)

36Not do well, back in 1996: musicalHad a child, possiblydependentRELIANT (RE(AIL rev.)NT) (7)

38Asparagus: maybeOut-of-control Greek womenqueue left and right before Helen's launchSIDEDISH (palindrome SIDEDIS + H) (4, 4)

39Tea-Party-supporting billionaire brother heardAsparagus: maybean illegal substance, informallyCOKE ("Koch" hom.) (4)

40Impressionist drawing in gallery's topSelectingattractive objectMAGNET (MA(G)NET) (6)

1One way to extend a listError--- use acid on a metal? Hydrogen escapesETC (ETCH - H) (3)

2Noisily rootIllnesscards, that have prognostic valueTAROT ("taro" hom.) (5)

3Fringe elements of seminar expelled, returningNo end to committee; heads of arts and sciences like somany low-budget entertainmentsANIME (sEMINAr rev.) (5)

4In road rage; terminallyHaving flip-flopped, authoritarian lost Massachusetts in exchange for Madoff's final cry of pain:"Communist"RED (R(E)D) (3)

5RearElement 13.1(a), two hairpins linked together twiceASS (A + SS) (3)

7Sure shotName novel "The FirstJunkie"USER (SURE anag.) (4)

8Tide levels may be predicted by this"Getting It," an articleessential to calm an actor ALMANAC (cALM AN ACtor) (7)

9Congolese language isNot do well, back in 1996: musicalsoundtrack was a hit; I lost inventory initiallySWAHILI (inits.) (7)

10Having flip-flopped, authoritarian lost Massachusetts in exchange for Madoff's final cry of pain:"Missing for College,"a movie about Rio slumsCITYOFGOD (DOGMATIC - MA + F OY rev.) (4, 2, 3)

11Error---Imaginary counterpartin terrible mishapBLEMISH (terriBLE MISHap) (7)

12Run into major difficulties withOf the EastL.A. turf leader, following very loudly with everyoneFALLFLAT (F(ALL)F + LA + T)(4, 4)

16Riddle epiphany: short stretches of time constituteBeheading lacksaxesTOMAHAWKS (TOM + AHA + WKS) (9)

18In the opera, he sings a female partTossed grenadeat parting Socialist dictatorCASTRATO (CASTR(AT)O) (8)

19Element 13.1Clamping tool coming after head of HanSoloALONE (Al + ONE) (5)

21"Stomach bug,"Important,holy Rip TornHPYLORI (HOLY RIP anag.) (1, 6)

23Tossed grenadeIn road rage; terminallyangryENRAGED (GRENADE anag.) (7)

24Had a child, possiblyTea-Party-supporting billionaire brother heardodd, odd tapeADOPTED (ODD TAPE anag.) (7)

29Entertaining dipIn the opera, he sings a female partin rehearsal, salaciouslySALSA (rehearSAL SAlaciously)(5)

30Not for the first time,Entertaining dippartway up NiagaraAGAIN (NIAGAra rev.)(5)

31Beheading lacksRun into major difficulties withpicnic invadersANTS (wANTS) (4)

34A yell that frightens,Sure shotcutting a bear in halfBOO (half of BOO-BOO)(3)

35Reach further by conservingA yell that frightens,a noisy cry of fear EKE (EEK hom.) (3)

37Station that knows: drama isTide levels may be predicted by thisone, missing from washTNT (TiNT)(3)

This suggests interpreting the completed grid as a slot machine, which is divided in thirds. In each third of the grid, there is an across answer that goes with the word "cherry" (cherry CORDIAL, cherry COKE, cherry PICKING) and one that goes with the word "bar" (bar HARBOR, bar STOOL, bar MAGNET). Spinning the three "reels" so that first the cherries are in the center, then the bars are in the center, the message TAN BOOK HALF AND HALF IS IN appears across the row immediately above the center row.

The Amy Tan book with a chapter called "Half and Half," thematic to this puzzle, is THE JOY LUCK CLUB, which is the answer.