IMPORTANT NOTE: As of January 2015 MGWCC is a subscribers-only crossword. The cost is $26 per year, and you can subscribe (or get a free trial month first) here:
www.mgwcc.com
LAST WEEK’S RESULTS:
This was Berry, Berry clever. Solvers were told:
This puzzle has several different possible solutions. Pick the one that yields an appropriate pair of words, four and eight letters in length, for your final answer.
The four theme entries were:
17-A [Narrow-bladed cutting tool] = COMPASS SAW.
25-A [Bunch of letters delivered to parents?] = REPORT CARD.
49-A [Call-in show’s many] = PHONE LINES.
57-A [Progression with “natural”, “harmonic” and “melodic” variations] = MINOR SCALE
But…each of those four entries is one letter too long to fit in its assigned grid space. So you’ve got to put two letters in one of the squares in each theme entry, which also works on the downs. AND, and this is important: there are two neighboring squares in each theme entry where you can do this. Whoa!
For example, in COMPASS SAW, 18-D can be either PINT for [Large can’s contents, perhaps], or PAINT if you put PA in the 18 box. And right next to it at 4-D, [Big get-togethers] can be either FESTS or FEASTS, depending on whether you put an S or an AS in that box.
The others are:
[Embed] can be INSET or INSERT, and [Round opening that’s got travelers looking out?] can be either POTHOLE or PORTHOLE.
[Common female middle name] is ANN or ANNE, and [Pass away, as time] can be either LAPSE or ELAPSE.
[Breaks open] can be BUSTS or BURSTS, and [Organic sedimentary rock] is either COAL or CORAL.
So how do you extract the meta answer from this? Look at those eight squares with two letter options (see grid at right, stolen from Joon at Fiend):
PA / AS
OR / RT
NE / EL
OR / RS
Choose the PA, RT, NE, and RS options and you’ve got PARTNERS; once you choose those four, the remaining single letters in the neighboring squares spell out SOLO, making SOLO/PARTNERS the meta answer. As the kids say these days: “Wow. Just wow.”
e.a. says:
WOW
Sheep1234 says:
Jaw-dropping.
And Bob J. writes:
Just wow. What else can be said?
Agreed, I think that pretty much covers it.
This week’s winner, whose name was chosen randomly from the 208 correct entries received, is Regina D. Cassidy of Staten Island, N.Y. In addition to a MGWCC pen, pencil and notepad set, Regina will also receive a signed copy of my book Pocket Posh Easy Crosswords.
GUEST CONSTRUCTOR MONTH IS OVER:
And what a power month of metapuzzles it was! Big thanks to Peter Gordon, Brendan Quigley, Anne Erdmann, Evan Birnholz, Victor Barocas and Patrick Berry for a magnificent set of metas. We’ll do it again in 2016!
MONTHLY WINNERS:
64 solvers submitted the correct contest answer to all five of July’s challenges (SONIA SOTOMAYOR, EMMA, ELEVENTH HOUR, LOVE, SOLO/PARTNERS). The following ten skillful and lucky winners, chosen randomly from that group, will receive a MGWCC pen, pencil and notepad set:
Danny Augenbraun — Pittsburgh, Penna.
J.C.
Peter Gordon — Great Neck, N.Y.
Travis Hime — New York, N.Y.
Carl Holzman — Chicago, Ill.
Jason Juang — Mountain View, Calif.
David Stein — Silver Spring, Md.
Tom Tabanao — San Jose, Calif.
Steve Williams — Holbrook, Mass.
Maggie Wittlin — New York, N.Y.
Congratulations to our ten winners, and to everyone who went 5-for-5 in July.
THIS WEEK’S INSTRUCTIONS:
This week’s contest answer is a two-word medical procedure.
IMPORTANT NOTE: As of January 2015 MGWCC is a subscribers-only crossword. The cost is $26 per year, and you can subscribe (or get a free trial month first) here:
www.mgwcc.com
Solve well, and be not led astray by words intended to deceive.