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:

http://www.mgwcc.com/

LAST WEEK’S RESULTS:

We were looking for a 20th-century year last week, and there were no obvious theme entries to latch onto (nothing over eight letters, in fact).

Lots of little loose threads hanging about, like that INFINITY/TONY in the southeast corner could be INFINITI/TONI, or CODE/CUTENESS in the northwest corner could become MODE/MUTENESS.

Yank on enough of those threads and the mystery unravels: 11 symmetrically-placed squares spell CASSIUS CLAY in the grid, but could turn into MUHAMMAD ALI and still be cluable both ways, as in the twin solution grids at left/right.

That points us to contest answer 1964, the year when 22-year old Cassius Clay changed his name to Muhammad Ali.

I’m old enough to remember the D-Con ads he did in the 1970s, but here’s the Greatest’s final ad, in which he co-stars with another champ.

This week’s winner, whose name was chosen at random from among the 79 correct entries received, is PJ Ward of Birmingham, Ala. In addition to a MGWCC pen, pencil, and notepad set, PJ will also receive a 1-year subscription to Matt Gaffney’s Daily Crossword.

MARCH WINNERS:

Congratulations to the following ten March MGWCC winners, whose names were chosen at random from among the 64 people who sent in the correct contest answer to each of last month’s five puzzles (LARRY BIRD, KUDZU, COUGH, J.R. EWING, 1964). In addition to an almost imperceptible amount of prestige, each will also receive a MGWCC pen, pencil, and notepad set:

Deepak Bal — Montclair, N.J.

Bunella Zukowski — Lebanon, Penna.

Congratulations to our ten winners, and to everyone who went 5-for-5 in March (it wasn’t easy to do).

THIS WEEK’S INSTRUCTIONS:

This week’s contest answer is a famous actor.

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