Frequently Asked Questions

How often are new contest puzzles posted?

Every Friday afternoon.

What’s the deadline for me to enter the contest each week?

Entries must be submitted by noon Eastern time on the Tuesday following a puzzle’s posting.

How do I enter the contest?

Each week’s crossword comes with instructions telling you what you’re looking for as that week’s contest answer. It could be just about anything — a famous actress, a world capital, a 10-letter word starting with J, etc.
Once you’ve found it, make up a clever username for yourself (Luvs2Solve, Xwords4ever, etc.) and enter on the left sidebar under “Submit an Answer” here at xwordcontest.com. Deadline is Tuesdays at noon ET.

What is the difference between a “solo solve” and a “group solve”?

Solo solve on a puzzle means that you got ZERO help from other humans. No nudges, no winks, no hints, not one little letter. You can, however, Google anything you like.  If you work with someone else on the puzzle, or get a nudge from someone who’s already solved it, you cannot count your solve as “solo.”

I’ve never solved a metapuzzle before. How do they work?

Read a brief intro to contest crosswords here (under “About WSJ Puzzles” click “Guide to the WSJ Crossword Contest”).
You can also read the Muggles Forum, which is dedicated to discussing contest crosswords and full of fun and friendly people.

How many entries may I submit per week?

Each solver is allowed just one entry per week.

How do I subscribe?

To subscribe to MGWCC, join my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/mgwcc.  Puzzles will be sent to patrons every Friday via e-mail.

What prizes can I win?

Yearly prizes are give out based on how many correct entries a solver submits during the calendar year. Usually you must submit at least 49 correct entries in a year to win a prize.

How difficult are these puzzles?

MGWCC puzzles get more difficult as the month progresses. The first puzzle in a calendar month will be about the level of a Monday New York Times crossword, while the last puzzle in the month is at the level of a Saturday Times (or harder).

Where and when are a puzzle’s answers posted?

Answers and a full writeup of each puzzle are posted the following Friday here on the blog. But you don’t have to wait until Friday — each Tuesday at 12 noon ET, just as the contest deadline passes, Joon Pahk writes an entertaining and informative summary of the previous Friday’s MGWCC at crosswordfiend.com.

I have a question that’s not answered here. How can I contact you?

E-mail me at crosswordcontest@gmail.com.