LAST WEEK’S RESULTS:

“From A to Z,” the saying goes — but last week it was turned on its head. 1- and 69-across revealed the trick: FROM / Z TO A they read, and indeed the four theme entries started with Z and ended with A:

18-a [“Avatar” actress] = ZOE SALDANA

23-a [European capital since 1992] = ZAGREB, CROATIA

51-a [Rage Against the Machine’s lead singer] = ZACK DE LA ROCHA

59-a [Holy book for Zoroastrians] = ZEND-AVESTA

Instructions asked for a four-legged animal who would feel at home in this grid. Had to be the ZEBRA, of course, submitted by 619 entrants. Especially apt that a black-and-white creature would be the answer to our black-and-white pastime, but there were a few other answers, too: eight wags sent in ZORILLA, another black-and-white animal, while one submitted ZAMBIAN HYENA (hardly legit, but he was being funny so we’ll let it slide — “it chased the zebra away,” this solver speculated) and one sent in the lovely wolf-dog called the ZAPADNO-SIBIRSKA LAIKA, which translates to “West Siberian hound.” All of the above alt-answers were counted as correct.

Dave C asks:

would you accept the wonderfully scrabbly zyzzyva too?

No one submitted it, but I would’ve had to say no. They look six-legged on a Google Image Search.

While eieiowen wonders:

Zebra – on Super Bowl weekend. Coincidence or not?

Mean Old Lady declares:

Must be hard on you to come up with something so easy that even I can get it!

Anne E mentions:

Started typing zebu by mistake… having ACPT puzzle 5 nightmares!

Tamz29 notes that:

ZagrEB cRoAtia houses the word Zebra!

And finally, MsAtoZ says:

Maybe for this week I should change my name to Ztiwonsey Adnama. And walk on my hands of course.

This week’s winner, whose name was chosen at random from the (new record!) 629 correct entries received, is V.M. In addition to a MGWCC pen, pencil and notepad set, V.M. will also receive a copy of Trip Payne’s Second Annual Puzzle Extravaganza, which drops this summer. Next week’s winner will receive the same.

THIS WEEK’S INSTRUCTIONS:

This week’s contest answer is the two grid entries which, when combined, would make an excellent fifth theme entry. 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 (1,975 members now!) here.

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