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LAST WEEK’S RESULTS:
Title: “Please Make a Note of It”
Instructions: This week’s contest answer is a three-word note from me to solvers.
Answer: YOU FOUND IT!
The theme-length entries last week appeared to be CITY-STATES, PETIT FOUR, WITNESS, and HIT THE ROAD — but wait, there’s more! Those were theme, but so were six shorter entries.
The key lay in the last Across clue, 71-A, which was POST-IT clued as [Common type of note]. Worth looking at, since it’s in the primo spot for a crossword revealer and both the title and prompt mention a “note.”
Whatever could it possibly mean? You know us crossword writers — taking things literally is our stock-in-trade. So look “post-it,” or after each instance of IT in the grid, and circle that letter. Those ten post-IT letters spell out YOU FOUND IT, with the ! outside the grid showing how happy I am to hear of your success. It also served a practical purpose, as the joonmonster noted at Fiend:
the exclamation point was a little goofy, i thought, but i suppose it makes sense for consistency that every instance of IT should participate in the meta extraction, including the one in the “reveal” answer POST-IT.
Gwinns says:
Much more fun with the exclamation point!
Howard Flax covers all the bases:
Not sure if the exclamation point is included, but I’m throwing it in anyway!
Mutman says:
I think the exclamation point should be required!
lisepac strategizes:
Will you accept entries that leave off the exclamation point? Just wondering (and maybe hoping to increase my chances for Henry Hook’s book)….
And finally, AK 37 asks:
Curious if you will accept answers without the ! ?
Yes(!). Begrudgingly!
This week’s winner, whose name was chosen at random from the 439 correct entries received, is S.S. In addition to a MGWCC pen, pencil, and notepad set, S.S. will also receive a copy of Henry Hook‘s Munchkin Crosswords (written under the nom de grid Pete Naish). Next week’s winner will receive the same.
THIS WEEK’S INSTRUCTIONS:
This week’s contest answer is a five-letter adjective that I hope doesn’t apply to this puzzle.
Solve well, and be not led astray by words intended to deceive.