LAST WEEK’S RESULTS:

646 solvers found the PIG for last week’s meta, a new record. And nobody missed it!

The last word of each theme entry suggests that delicious creature in some way:

17-a [Beyond thrilled] = TICKLED PINK

26-a [Utterly confusing] = CLEAR AS MUD

39-a [The true author of Shakespeare’s plays, some claim] = SIR FRANCIS BACON

50-d [Modern store checkout tool] = DIGITAL PEN

63-a [Signature tune for Sonny & Cher] = I GOT YOU, BABE

What farm animal do PINK, MUD, BACON, PEN and BABE suggest? Oink! It’s a PIG.

danchall writes:

Very easy but never a boar.

ERRATUM:

Many solvers (Joshua Kosman was first) pointed out that at 61-a, Mad Magazine’s mascot is Alfred E. Neuman, not Alfred T. Neuman.

What, me worry?

This week’s winner, whose name was chosen at random from the 646 correct entries received, is Christian Griset of Bala Cynwyd, Penna. In addition to a MGWCC pen, pencil and notepad set, Christian will also receive a copy of…

SPECIAL PRIZE THIS WEEK AND NEXT:

Neville Fogarty, who posts clever puzzles here every Friday, has a new puzzle suite coming out called “The Games People Play.” MGWCC winners this week and next will receive a copy of it; here’s the KS page (already fully funded and then some — way to go, Neville!).

IN THE NEWS:

The Staunton News-Leader ran a little article about me this week.

THIS WEEK’S INSTRUCTIONS:

This week’s contest answer is a word beginning with P. Submit your answer in the form on the left sidebar by WEDNESDAY at noon ET. Note the extra day given because the ACPT is this weekend, and good luck to those of you competing! Note: the submissions form disappears from the site promptly at noon on WEDNESDAY.

To print the puzzle out, click on the image below and hit “print” on your browser. To solve using Across Lite either solve on the applet below or download the free software here, then join the Google Group (1,995 members now!) here.

Solve well, and be not led astray by words intended to deceive.