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:
“A Nation Divided” was our title, and we were looking for an eight-letter proper noun. Eight theme entries were starred:
21-A [Opening act*] = CURTAIN RAISER
39-A [Be smart with your energy*] = PACE ONESELF
55-A [Hong Cha and the like*] = BLACK TEAS
67-A [Chipotle option*] = SOFT TACOS
84-A [She was stripped of her three gold medals from the Sydney Olympics*] = MARION JONES
103-A [Red wine battlers*] = STAIN REMOVERS
14-D [Transforming piece*] = SLEEPER SOFA
54-D [“My Big Fat Greek Wedding” star/writer*] = NIA VARDALOS
First key insight is that each phrase contains a word that anagrams into half of two-word country:
RAISER = SIERRA Leone
PACE = CAPE Verde
TEAS = EAST Timor
TACOS = COSTA Rica
MARION = San MARINO
STAIN = SAINT Lucia
SOFA = Burkina FASO
VARDALOS = El SALVADOR
Second insight is that there’s a grid entry one letter off from each unused country half:
Sierra LEONE = LEONA
Cape VERDE = VELDE
East TIMOR = TIMON
Costa RICA = RIAA
SAN Marino = KAN
Saint LUCIA = LURIA
BURKINA Faso = BURKINI
EL Salvador = ES (so there’s the reason for the two-letter grid entry)
Those changed letters are ALNAKRIS, which anagram to our contest answer, the only two-word country of eight letters: SRI LANKA.
Small Wave Dave says:
My Burkini Sofa is the most versatile piece of clothing/furniture I own!
Matthew G. writes:
And now they’re united states!
And Abide says that this puzzle was:
Smooth Ceylon
This week’s winner, whose name was chosen at random from among the 134 correct entries, is Swatch. In addition to a MGWCC pen, pencil, and notepad set, Swatch will also receive a 1-year subscription to Joon Pahk’s Outside the Box Puzzles. Rows Gardens, Marching Bands, other variety puzzles; highly recommended.
THIS WEEK’S INSTRUCTIONS:
This week’s contest answer is a six-letter word (or a seven-letter word, for some).
Solve well, and be not led astray by words intended to deceive.