LAST WEEK’S RESULTS:

Easy but not obvious Week 1 meta, in a 17×17 package: solvers were asked to find a Dr. Seuss book that would have made an excellent theme entry in this puzzle. Sounds like we’d better look at those theme entries:

19-a [Entree on the kids’ menu] = MAC AND CHEESE
26-a [Went without clothing] = RAN AROUND NAKED
36-a [“And there’s more…”] = NOT ONLY THAT
58-a [Became distracted from one’s task] = GOT OFF TRACK
65-a [Talked things over] = HAD A DISCUSSION
77-a [Monocausally] = FOR ONE REASON

So let’s see: a bunch of three-word phrases, and the first word of each is three letters long…aha! There it is: the first word in each phrase also serves as the initials of the phrase itself. So MAC is the first word of 17-across, and also the initials of MAC AND CHEESE. The other five work the same way, as does the puzzle’s title.

What Dr. Seuss book follows this pattern? HOP ON POP, which 393 solvers found as last week’s contest answer.

Paul Coulter writes:

How Outrageously Witty!

Similarly, Don Lloyd is exultant:

Got One Today!

And rmac says:

Yep, easy puzzle.

While Jonesy goes one letter further:

That had a trick!

This week’s winner, whose name was chosen at random from the 393 correct entries received, is Paul Smirnoff of Hastings-on-Hudson, N.Y. In addition to a MGWCC pen, pencil and notepad set, Paul will also receive a signed copy of my new book Mental Floss Crosswords.

MONTHLY PRIZES:

35 solvers submitted the correct contest answer to all four of September’s challenges (THRIFTY, SAN DIEGO CHARGERS, CHINESE YUAN, B-POSITIVE). The following twelve lucky and skillful winners, chosen randomly (for the first time by Dave Sullivan‘s new random solver-selecting prog!) from that group, will receive a MGWCC pen, pencil and notepad set:

Abby Braunsdorf — Lafayette, Ind.

Steve Williams — Holbrook, Mass.

Congratulations to our 12 winners, and to everyone who went 4-for-4 in September.

AGARD META: “THE WAR ON WHISTLEBLOWERS”

Week 1 difficulty level. Puzzle and meta combined took me 8:19; beat that!

THIS WEEK’S INSTRUCTIONS:

Election season, so this week’s contest answer is a U.S. president. Submit your answer in the form on the left sidebar by Tuesday at noon ET. Note: the submissions form disappears from the site promptly at noon on Tuesday.

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 (1,873 members now!) here.

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