IMPORTANT NOTE: As of February 2020 MGWCC is available only to subscribers at my Patreon page. A subscription costs $3/month.
LAST WEEK’S RESULTS:
Title: “AKA”
Instructions: This week’s contest answer is a noted 20th-century American.
Answer: MLK / MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.
Number of correct entries: 406
The Week 2 curse strikes again! This one played tough for a Week 2, even (almost) tripping up our official Fiend blogger, mr. joon pahk. I don’t want to run three tough puzzles in a row this month since we’ve got some new friends here who I don’t wish to frighten off, so today’s puzzle is an easier one and then next week you’ll get a real live Week 4. I won’t always play so nice, but now’s not the time to flex.
Our four long entries were:
17-A: [Rosemary’s home] = HERB GARDEN
32-A: [Participant in a hybrid water sport] = SURF KAYAKER. I admit I have never engaged in this sport, mostly since I live 150 miles inland (and also lack physical courage).
48-A: [Contained by the eyeball, as an implant] = INTRAOCULAR
56-A: [Double, e.g.] = STIFF DRINK.
First insight: each of these phrases contains the initials of a famous person who is known by those initials:
HERB GARDEN = RBG, Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg
SURF KAYAKER = RFK, US attorney general and senator Robert Fitzgerald Kennedy
INTRAOCULAR = AOC, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
STIFF DRINK = FDR, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt
Second insight: each of these monogrammatic people can also satisfy another clue in the grid. Like so:
40-A: [Current Supreme Court justice who was born in New York City] = Elena KAGAN, but also RBG
48-D: [Noted electee to the U.S. Senate in the 1960s] = Daniel INOUYE, but also RFK
13-D: [Prominent member of New York’s congressional delegation] = Jerry NADLER, but also AOC
37-A: [President on U.S. currency] = Ulysses S. GRANT ($50 bills), but also FDR (dimes)
The first letters of those four alternate-clue answers spell KING, suggesting Martin Luther King, Jr., a.k.a. MLK. Would have been extra nice for the title if Dr. King had been part of the famous black fraternity Alpha Kappa Alpha, but seminaries don’t have fraternities (I think?) so no go. [Update, 12:25 PM: Bzzt! Wrong. Alpha Phi Alpha is the fraternity I was thinking of; Alpha Kappa Alpha is a sorority.]
puzzleg says:
Surprised you didn’t use this one last month!
Well it is Black History Month, and, as Mutman points out:
January’s third week would have been too obvious!
Jason T says:
This puzzle was clearly made with some TLC!
And finally, BarbaraK writes:
Thanks for another LOVEly puzzle this Valentine’s day.
PATREON SWITCHOVER UPDATE:
1) We’re up to 786 solvers who’ve made the switch over to Patreon! Join them at the link. Thanks to everyone who’s made the jump so far; If you have any trouble with it, please e-mail me at crosswordcontest@gmail.com or via Patreon messaging.
2) I have started sending out e-mails to solvers letting them know how much time is left on their subscriptions, but haven’t finished them yet. They will all be done by next week, though, and all necessary February refunds will be done by then as well. Progress, we’re making progress…calm blue ocean…
3) If you would like to keep solving but truly do not want to have a Patreon account, please e-mail me (crosswordcontest@gmail.com) and we can work out alternate payment. I have a list of about 25 solvers who can’t or don’t want to go the Patreon route, and I have a separate mailing list to get the puzzle to them each week. I’m trying to keep this list very small for logistical reasons, though, so please do sign up at Patreon unless you really have strong feelings against it.
That’s it for now. Hopefully everything will be 100% ironed out by the end of February and we can just focus on the puzzles! E-mail me at crosswordcontest@gmail.com or via Patreon messaging if you have any questions.
Also note that at the end of February I will begin sending out swag to those who Patreon backers at the $5/$10/$20 levels, and after I get that all out I’ll focus on the 2019 yearly prizes. One thing at a time, but it will all get done, and thanks for bearing with me.
“SWEET 16” SUITE BY PATRICK BERRY:
The great Patrick Berry has a new suite of mini-puzzles out, tied together with a meta. Highly recommended sight unseen.
He also has an amusing meta in today’s Wall Street Journal.
THIS WEEK’S INSTRUCTIONS:
This week’s contest answer is a snack you might buy from a vending machine.
Solve well, and be not led astray by words intended to deceive.