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LAST WEEK’S RESULTS:
Title: “Dude, Where’s My Car?”
Instructions: This week’s contest answer is a model of automobile.
Answer: (TOYOTA) PRIUS
The big hint in this one came in the second theme clue, [___ Abbey (where many famous people are interred — say it with a British accent for the meta)] at 25-A for WESTMINSTER. Which is pronounced R-lessly by Brits, and indeed, each of the theme entries contains a silent letter:
16-A: [Former flyer] = PTERODACTYL, P is silent
25-A: WESTMINSTER, R is silent
38-A: [Seasoned legislator] = PARLIAMENTARIAN, first I is silent
47-A: [Person who did it] = GUILTY PARTY, U is silent
59-A: [Auckland and Wellington are on it] = NORTH ISLAND, S is silent.
String those together and you’ve got the Toyota PRIUS, which is famously and fittingly silent (at low speeds).
I’ve learned (?) to steer mostly clear of pronunciation-based metas since there are so many different ways to talk and with metas you don’t want any confusion at all. I remember at an ACPT years ago having New Yorkers Peter Gordon and Rich Silvestri repeatedly pronounce “Mary Tyler Moore,” “Will you marry me,” and “Merry Christmas” — all three keywords sounded different to them but identical to my Mid-Atlantic self, and each side found the other quite entertaining.
Fun at a social gathering, but not in a meta, and I was dismayed to receive an e-mail on Friday afternoon from English solver Magoo:
I got to the answer by knowing my British accent better than you do: “How do we Brits pronounce WESTMINSTER that the Yanks don’t?” “Oh, of course, the first T is silent – maybe it isn’t for them.” “But what is a PTIUS?” “Wait, you mean he thinks we pronounce both T’s?”
Whoa — I had never considered that the first T in Westminster goes unpronounced in the U.K. Several American solvers mentioned it as well. Ack, not good, as Joon pointed out in his review at Fiend. A big blot, though hopefully more an aesthetic problem than a practical one, as I think most people backsolved the R over the T as Magoo did above. But it will be a while before I fly too close to the sun of pronunciation metas again. Note that the British pronounciation was a necessity here since there are no unpronounced R’s in American English.
This week’s winner, whose name was chosen at random from the 447 correct entries received, is Ned Robert of Los Gatos, Calif. In addition to a MGWCC pen, pencil, and notepad set, Ned will also receive a signed copy of my book Pint-Size Crosswords.
SPECIAL PRIZE THIS WEEK:
Lollapuzzoola 12 is tomorrow in the Big Apple! Highly recommended to attend if you’re in the area. In addition to a MGWCC pen, pencil, and notepad set, prizewinners this week and next will also receive a copy of the puzzles from Lollapuzzoola 12.
THIS WEEK’S INSTRUCTIONS:
This week’s contest answer is an eight-letter word.
Solve well, and be not led astray by words intended to deceive.