palindrome puzzle

As well as writing about language, I create word puzzles. Every week, I plan on featuring a puzzle quiz and I reveal the answers at the end of the subsequent week. This inaugural puzzle is called Palindrome in a Palindrome.

Readers are asked to uncover the following palindromes with the aid of the clues provided. Remember that in palindromes the placement of a letter usually tells one where other letters are placed. So for the second clue that means that the fourth letter from the end will also be an “r.” Also if the clue features a plural, there’s a good chance that an “s” will appear at the then of at least one word. When this first puzzle is completed, the third letters of the phrases will spell out a question that George W. Bush may have asked himself while attending Yale.

1)Support a taxi  _ _ _ k        _ _ _
2-Laconic snares  _ _ _ r _ _            _ _ _ _ _
3)Former Cambodian leader  _ _ _            _ _ _
4)Keen operatic star   _ _ _ d             _ _ _ _
5)Break bridges    s _ _ _        _ _ _ _ _ _
6)Free Indian guitar  s _ _ _ _            _ _ _ _ _ _
7)Bare-headed  _ _ _   a     _ _ t       _ _
8)Less than 2000 lbs . _ _ _    _      _ _ n
9)Simple French mineral water   _ _ _ v _      _ _ _ _ _
10)Bamboo eater slept     _ _ _ d _     _ _ _     _ _ _
11)Harshly enclose pets    s _ _ _     _ _       a_ _ _ _ _ _
12))Holy Grail of Pro Hockey    _ u _ _          _ _ _