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: “Chemical Change”
Instructions: This week’s contest answer is a chemical element.
Answer: COBALT
Six entries appeared to be (and were) theme last week:
17-A: [Catchphrase of Rob Schneider’s “Richmeister” character, on “Saturday Night Live”] = MAKIN’ COPIES.
21-A: [There might be a clown under it] = CIRCUS TENT
33-A: [Cleanse with unproven medical effectiveness] = COFFEE ENEMA. Well, I don’t go out of my way to put “enema” in a crossword, but there was no other way to do this theme without it. Long story short: you need a familiar two-word phrase in which the first word is a B- element, and so “barium enema” it is.
43-A: [Common exterior choice] = VINYL SIDING
55-A: [It’s usually used to write one-digit numbers] = GOLF PENCIL
63-A: [Infantry member] = FOOT SOLDIER
Successful metapuzzlers noticed that the first word in each of theme could be replaced with the name of a chemical element:
Carbon COPIES
Oxygen TENT
Barium ENEMA
Aluminum SIDING
Lead PENCIL
Tin SOLDIER
The first letters of which spell contest answer COBALT.
With 354 right answers, this was right down the middle for a Week 3/5 but too hard for a Week 2/5. The Week 2 curse returns! So this week’s is a 2/5, and next week we’ll get back on track with a 4/5 and then the dreaded 5/5 after that.
Small Wave Dave says:
And I solved it in blue ink.
LouBrew writes:
I’m a HS chemistry teacher, so I HAD to get this. I almost convinced myself it was carbon since carbon is an element in vinyl, coffee, graphite (what’s really in a “lead” pencil), but it didn’t fit with the other themes.
And Thurman8er says:
A refreshing…and surprising…chemical element puzzle without chemical symbols
This week’s winner, whose name was chosen at random from the 354 correct answers received, is Charlie Moritz of Vero Beach, Fla. In addition to a MGWCC pen, pencil, and notepad set, Charlie will also receive a signed copy of my book Pint-Size Crosswords.
THIS WEEK’S INSTRUCTIONS:
This week’s contest answer is a Best Picture-winning movie.
Solve well, and be not led astray by words intended to deceive.