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: “Coast to Coast”
Instructions: What Harrison Ford movie would complete this puzzle’s theme?
Answer: PATRIOT GAMES
Tough one to end the year, with just double-digit correct answers and even many outstanding solvers stumped for a long while.
First insight, which was tricky, was to notice that each of the twelve entries around the edge of the grid can be anagrammed into a city. The title might’ve nudged you there, thinking both geography and the edges (“coasts”) of the grid, or the seemingly random ragged fill in the lower-left corner of the grid might’ve prompted you to poke around there. However you got there, the cities are, clockwise from upper-left:
AVENGE = Geneva
ONLY = Lyon
LASER = Arles
ROAN = Oran
UNITS = Tunis
PANELS = Naples
SAUNAS = Nassau
MOLE = Lome
ALGOS = Lagos
HODA = Doha
BAIDU = Dubai
AMAMAN = Manama
Second insight: each of the three members on the puzzle’s four edges lie on the same body of water:
Geneva, Lyon, and Arles are on the Rhone River
Oran, Tunis, and Naples are on the Mediterranean Sea
Nassau, Lome, and Lagos are on the Atlantic Ocean
Doha, Dubai, and Manama are on the Persian Gulf
Third and final insight: the initials of three of these bodies of water are shared by the three starred theme entries: R.R. is both the Rhone River and ROB REINER, M.S. is both the Mediterranean Sea and a MAGIC SQUARE, and A.O. is both the Atlantic Ocean and AGENT ORANGE. So we need a Harrison Ford movie with the initials P.G. to match the Persian Gulf, and that would be the excellent 1992 thriller PATRIOT GAMES, found by 93 solvers.
Peter Gordon says:
It would have been bad for someone with my initials to miss this one.
Golem writes:
Ahh, the old “the theme answers were actually the LEAST constrained thing in this puzzle” head-fake.
And Docison says:
Thanks for a terrific year of metas, Matt!
And thanks to all of you for a terrific year of solving them. That’s 10.5 years down, 8.5 years to go!
This week’s winner, whose name was chosen at random from the 93 correct entries received, is Darren Garnier of Melrose, Mass.. In addition to a MGWCC pen, pencil, and notepad set, Darren will also receive a signed copy of my book Fast & Fun Mini Crosswords.
DECEMBER WINNERS:
Congratulations to the following ten MGWCC winners for December, whose names were chosen at random from among the 77 people who sent in the correct contest answer to each of last month’s four puzzles (IMAN/LORDE, DUTCH, THAT IS, PATRIOT GAMES). Each will receive a MGWCC pen, pencil, and notepad set:
Eric Conrad — Peaks Island, Me.
Adam Doctoroff — Brookline, Mass.
Jon Forsythe — Chicago, Ill.
Toby Golick — New York City, N.Y.
Jeffrey Harris — Nashville, Tenn.
Grayson Holmes — Shoreline, Wash.
Bill Katz — San Rafael, Calif.
Craig Mazin — La Canada, Calif.
Maggie Wittlin — Lincoln, Nebr.
Doug Zongker — Mountain View, Calif.
Congratulations again to our ten winners, and to everyone who went 4-for-4 in December.
2018 YEARLY PRIZES:
I’ll be announcing the winners of the 2018 yearly prizes next week, as well as some new rules in place for prizes starting in 2019.
THIS WEEK’S INSTRUCTIONS:
This week’s contest answer is a common household product.
Solve well, and be not led astray by words intended to deceive.