LAST WEEK’S RESULTS:
“Make It an Even Dozen” read last week’s title, and 379 solvers did just that. They noticed that the five two-word theme entries concealed sequential calendar abbreviations for the first ten months:
17-a [How Priam’s soldiers avoided drowning?] = TROJAN LIFEBOATS.
23-a [Bar that serves It’s Your Special Day Lager and Words Can’t Say How Much I Love You Stout?] = HALLMARK TAPROOM.
36-a [Shrimper OK with a lousy haul?] = UNDISMAYED CAJUN.
45-a [Putting a little extra bourbon in your drink at a Kentucky Derby party?] = JULEP AUGMENTING.
57-a [Specialist in healing rowdy kids’ injuries?] = HORSEPLAY DOCTOR.
How to finish the set off? Instructions asked for a 15-letter answer to the clue [Musical genre developed at a Big East school?], which would be VILLANOVA ZYDECO, a genre you won’t find on iTunes or Spotify. Nine solvers submitted VILLANOVA DECIMA, which I also counted as correct.
Dan Katz sent in VILLANOVA ZYDECO, adding:
That is the best potential name for a sports team I’ve ever heard.
Speaking of which, Jared Dashoff writes:
Very good timing. Cluing might not work next week.
Because Villanova (and several other schools) have announced that they’re leaving the Big East, though according to this article that won’t happen until 2015.
This week’s winner, whose name was chosen at random from the 379 correct answers received, is Jeff Hyson of Paoli, Penna. In addition to a MGWCC pen, pencil and notepad set, Jeff will also receive a copy of Patrick Blindauer‘s Las Vegas-themed Holiday Puzzlefest AND a 1-year subscription to editor Ben Tausig‘s new American Values Crossword, which rose like a Phoenix from the ashes of the old Onion puzzle.
MONTHLY WINNERS:
At long last: 44 solvers submitted the correct contest answer to all five of November’s challenges (THE GOLDEN GIRLS, GANDHI, WARREN BUFFETT, BRAHMS, PIERRE CURIE). The following dozen lucky and skillful winners, chosen randomly by computer from that group, will receive a MGWCC pen, pencil and notepad set:
Howard Barkin — Hillsborough, N.J.
Joel Berghoff — San Rafael, Calif.
Joseph DeVincentis — Salem, Mass.
Rich Dobkin — Chatsworth, Calif.
Gene Faba — New York City, N.Y.
Dan Felsenheld — Arlington, Va.
Neville Fogarty — Lexington, Ky.
Robert Hutchinson — Valdosta, Ga.
Jeff Louie — Cambridge, Mass.
David Plotkin — Mississippi State, Miss.
Pete Rimkus — Ashford, Conn.
Scott Weiss — Walkersville, Md.
Congratulations to our 12 winners, and to everyone who went 5-for-5 in November.
RIES’S PIECES:
Andrew Ries‘s 12-part meta suite, “Print Media Is Not Dead,” is now available for pre-order. The puzzles drop on January 13th and the contest deadline is March 3rd. I’ll be mentioning this contest again in the new year, but there’s a discount if you order by Sunday.
SPECIAL PRIZES THIS WEEK AND NEXT:
In addition to a MGWCC pen, pencil and notepad set, the next two weekly winners will receive a 1-year subscription (or extension) to editor Peter Gordon‘s Fireball Crosswords. Peter has revolutionized the job of crossword editor over the past 10 years and the level these Fireball puzzles reach is extraordinary. If you’re not a subscriber, strongly consider becoming one at the link above.
THIS WEEK’S INSTRUCTIONS:
This week’s contest answer is a Jack Nicholson role. Submit your answer in the form on the left sidebar by WEDNESDAY (note the extra day) at noon ET. 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 (1,927 members now!) here.
Solve well, and be not led astray by words intended to deceive.