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:
Title: “Why Don’t You Go First?”
Instructions: This week’s contest answer is a country musician.
Answer: GARTH BROOKS
Fun, large, and tougher-than-predicted Week 2 puzzle from Jeremy Horwitz. The key insight, for which most solvers needed a nudge from the Goog, was that none of these famous people goes by their real first name.
Their real names are:
(Thomas) SEAN CONNERY
(Ralph) DALE EARNHARDT
(Oliver) BURGESS MEREDITH
(Yoshihiro) FRANCIS FUKUYAMA
(Allen) KELSEY GRAMMER
(Lila) DIANE SAWYER
Those first letters spell out TROYAL, which, if you Google it, reveals that the country music star’s full name is Troyal Garth Brooks.
Neville writes:
Hank Williams Jr. (whose first name is really Randall) has a hunting place in Troy, AL.
pgw writes:
Glad I won’t have to be worrying about this meta while I watch STEPHEN CURRY tonight; hope he gets the W.
(That W stands for Wardell, by the way, not win!)
Small Wave Dave says:
Party on, Troyal!
aoboboa dug it:
First rate for a second week!
Deepak B asks:
I wonder if Chris Gaines has a made-up “real” first name.
And finally, Jason Shapiro says:
thanks, jeremy… if that’s even your real name!
Thanks from me as well! A fine musical start to GCM from our two San Franciscans. We’ll move out of California for Week 3, though!
This week’s winner, whose name was chosen at random from the 264 correct entries receives, is S.T. In addition to a MGWCC pen, pencil, and notepad set, S.T. will also receive a 1-year subscription to Matt Gaffney’s Daily Crossword.
GUEST CONSTRUCTOR MONTH 2018, PUZZLE #3:
Our Week 3 guest constructor is Anna-Marie Ruoff, who graduated from veterinary school in May and now practices in Scottsdale, Arizona. She lives there with her partner and four lizards (Slinky, Kirk, Pancake, and Pascal), and also enjoys tea, crosswords, puzzles, video games, and hiking. She says that she’s lucky to have her partner, friends, and family who also love crosswords, and would like to thank them for their support, test-solves, and advice — and also that she hopes you enjoy her puzzle today!
Probably the coolest pic in Guest Constructor Month history, right? Now, let’s see what Dr. Ruoff has in store for Week 3…
THIS WEEK’S INSTRUCTIONS:
This week’s contest answer is a five-letter word that describes the theme entries.
Solve well, and be not led astray by words intended to deceive.