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LAST WEEK’S RESULTS:

Title: “More to Read”
Prompt: The solution to this puzzle is a famous work of fiction.
Answer: UTOPIA by Sir Thomas More
Correct entries: 692 overall, of which 672 were solo

Outstanding Week 1 from the great Patrick Berry last week, with six theme entries elegantly accommodated into the grid:

18-A: [Change the hue of, as clothing fibres] = DISCOLOUR
20-A: [Their instruments are sometimes called “liquorice sticks”] = CLARINETTISTS
34-A: [Connexion between the throat and stomach] = OESOPHAGUS
42-A: [Religious sceptic’s opposite] = WORSHIPPER
51-A: [Wrap that prevents mould from forming] = ALUMINIUM FOIL
58-A: [Like pre-Renaissance civilisation] = MEDIAEVEL

Each of those six answers uses the British spelling, as tipped off by a British spelling in the clues (italicized above for clarity, which they weren’t in the puzzle). Those six theme entries each add a letter to move across the Pond, and those added letters spell Thomas More’s 1516 novel UTOPIA, which was written in Latin, although its title is a Greek word meaning “nowhere” (although More in fact coined the word from Greek roots). So while UTOPIA does mean “nowhere,” I’m glad most of you weren’t stuck getting “nowhere” on the meta!

Jason T suggests:

You could have said: “This week’s contest answer is what a Patrick Berry puzzle always feels like.”

Rand picked up one of Patrick’s extremely highly-regarded puzzle suites:

Just bought and printed out my copy of Containment Policy! 🙂

japaget says about UTOPIA:

Not seen in crosswords as often as its cousin EDEN.

Qmark writes:

As a Canadian, I knew something was up when I saw “color” with a U in the grid!

Pamster noticed a subtlety in the title:

I like that each theme answer has one “more” letter than it needs.

Magoo writes from the UK:

I wonder if this was a fraction More difficult for me – as the six spellings all seemed perfectly normal (well, apart from MEDIAEVAL which would be quite antiquated even here in the UK). Still not hard to spot as I am now used to expecting US spellings in US puzzles.

Evan says:

Nice of Patrick to follow the PERFECTA puzzle with a puzzle about a perfect place.

And finally, MaineMarge writes:

Always glad to see your byline, Patrick. I’m a longtime fan.

As am I. Thanks for starting June off so nicely!

PETER’S PETITE PANGRAM PUZZLES:

Just two days left on the great Peter Gordon‘s “A-to-Z Crosswords 2021” Kickstarter. He’s a few hundred bucks from being fully funded, so if you’re on the fence, go for it.

These are 9×11 mini-puzzles that contain all 26 letters of the alphabet and they’re quite addictive. I went for the $50 version, where you get to choose an entry that Peter has to work into one of the grids. I’m thinking of challenging him with BZZZZZZT! or something obnoxious like that. Or maybe just ADA.

THIS WEEK’S INSTRUCTIONS:

This week’s contest answer, which is six letters long, is where you’ll find this puzzle’s missing clues.

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