IMPORTANT NOTE: As of January 2015 MGWCC is a subscribers-only crossword. The cost is $26 per year, and you can subscribe (or get a free trial month first) here:
LAST WEEK’S RESULTS:
What do a SPANISH GALLEON, the NORTH STAR, a PELICAN, an OAK TREE, an ASTRONAUT, and a CONESTOGA WAGON have in common?
They’re all featured on U.S. state quarters. Specifically the quarters of Florida, Alaska, Louisiana, Connecticut, Ohio, and Nebraska, the first letters of which spell FALCON.
Intriguing! And which state’s quarter features a falcon? That of contest answer IDAHO, whose poorly designed quarter lessens the intensity of the peregrine falcon’s presence by pointlessly including the outline of the state. The northern panhandle looks like it’s tickling the bird’s chin. “Who’s a good little falcon? You are!”
They shoulda had the falcon facing right at you like it’s about to attack, and then nothing else but IDAHO, the years, and E PLURIBUS UNUM. That would’ve been sweet! Don’t mess with Idaho.
Brian Kell noticed something:
You gave it away with your John Muir joke last week!
Oops! Completely unintentional. Had state quarters on the brain.
Amanda Hugginkiss is 1-for-1:
My first week!
And CanNibble demands:
Stop falcon around, and give us a real final week challenge. Just kidding, last week was hard enough for the month.
This week’s winner, whose name was chosen randomly from the 219 correct entries received, is N.F. In addition to a MGWCC pen, pencil and notepad set, N.F. will also receive a 1-year subscription to Matt Gaffney’s Daily Crossword (MGDX).
MONTHLY PRIZES:
The following 10 winners were chosen randomly from among the 106 solvers who sent in the correct contest answer to each of May’s four puzzles (SHAMPOO, SIERRA, ISRAEL, IDAHO).
Peter Gordon — Great Neck, N.Y.
Regina Cassidy — Staten Island, N.Y.
Jeffrey Harris — Nashville, Tenn.
Tim Harrod — Brookline, Mass.
B.K.
Andy Keller — Apple Valley, Minn.
Andy Kravis — Brooklyn, N.Y.
Kyle Osborne — Hamilton, O.
Jim Sempsrott — Raleigh, N.C.
Bea Snidow — Richmond, Va.
Congratulations to our 10 winners, and to everyone who went 4-for-4 in May.
GUEST CONSTRUCTOR MONTH, WEEK 1:
Who’s ready for Guest Constructor Month? We start with a name found on many all-star constructor lists, Byron Walden. He’s been writing beautiful puzzles for the New York Times for 15 years (like this one, which won my Crossword of the Month award for last year.) He’s also one of the regular writers at the AVCX.
Originally from Kentucky, Byron is now a Northern Californian, specifically a mathematics professor at Santa Clara University. He’s also married with a young son, who I assume will begin publishing crosswords around 2025. Keep an eye out.
So here we go — GCM 2016 starts now. Good luck!
THIS WEEK’S INSTRUCTIONS:
This week’s contest answer is a midwestern U.S. city.
Solve well, and be not led astray by words intended to deceive.