Kevin's Puzzles at Home Season 2, Episode 3: Perplexing Pairs

PREVIOUS ENTRIES
Introduction (what these puzzles are and why they're called "Kevin's Puzzles at Home Season 2"): click here
Episode 1 (Photographic Mammal-ry)puzzle PDFhint PDF (new!) 
* 18 people solved this within the first week for 50 points apiece; 1 person solved it later for 25 points.
Episode 2 (Spot the Difference)puzzle PDFhint PDF (new!)
* 18 people solved this within the first week for 50 points apiece.

The total number of points scored is 1825. Thus, the current money pool for the Food Bank for Larimer County is $18.25. Three anonymous benefactors have agreed to match this donation, meaning that the Food Bank for Larimer County will actually receive $73.00. If you haven't already, you may solve the above puzzles for 25 points, possibly with the aid of the hints.

KEVIN’S PUZZLES AT HOME
SEASON 2, EPISODE 3:
PERPLEXING PAIRS
Can you help Kevin puzzle out these partnerships?
Lure in a customer with a cheap item in order to offer an expensive item
Offering at a combination bakery/dairy?
Forcefully trespassing 
System where multiple branches of government all have some control over each other
The Mikado creators
Children’s game of stealth
Music genre derived from jazz

___ ___ ___ [__] & ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ [__]
___ ___ [__] ___ ___ ___ & ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ [__] ___
___ ___ [__] ___ ___ ___ ___ & ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ [__] ___ ___
___ ___ ___ [__] & [__] ___ ___ ___
___ ___ ___ [__] ___ ___ ___ ___ & ___ [__] ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
___ ___ ___ ___ [__] & ___ ___ [__] ___ ___ ___
___ [__] ___ ___ ___ ___ & ___ ___ ___ [__] ___

A A A A A A  B B B B B B B  C C C C  D D  E E E E E E E E E E E E  G G G  H H H H H
I I I I I I I  K K K  L L L L L  M  N N N N N  R R R R R R  S S S S S S  T T T T T T T  U U U  V  W  Y

Final answer: ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

(This illustration by Tintinabar is not part of the puzzle.)

Submit your answer to glmathgrant[at]gmail[dot]com for 50 points, and stay tuned next week for Part 3's hint and Part 4's puzzle. Good luck!

Wordy Wednesday 496: Section Six 49

WORDY WEDNESDAY #493
HEX PATHFINDER 30 (answer)
Here is the answer to this puzzle. If you still wish to solve it yourself, please go here for the normal version of the puzzle, or here for the easier version of the puzzle. Here's a list of people who solved it:
Bonnie Veenschoten **
Cathy Bowen **
Cindy Heisler **
James Haddad **
Joe Bernard **
Karen Spencer **
M. Sean Molley **
Michael Lebowitz **
Stephen Potter **
Tyler Hinman **
Ezra Brauner **
Kevin Orfield **
Mary Maynard **
Ryan Faley **
Sam Levitin **

WORDY WEDNESDAY #494
FRAMELINKS 15 (answer)
Here is the answer to this puzzle. If you still wish to solve it yourself, please go here for the normal version of the puzzle, or here for the easier version of the puzzle. Here's a list of people who solved it:
Bonnie Veenschoten **
Cathy Bowen **
Cindy Heisler **
Cole Kendall **
James Haddad **
Karen Spencer **
Michael Lebowitz **
Tyler Hinman **
Ezra Brauner **
Kevin Orfield **
Ryan Faley **
Sam Levitin **

WORDY WEDNESDAY #495
PENT WORDS 99 (hint)
As of this writing, 11 people have solved this puzzle. Haven't solved it yet? Here's an easier version. Send your answers to glmathgrant[at]gmail[dot]com within the next week to appear on the solvers list and be recognized for your puzzle prowess. Good luck, solvers!

WORDY WEDNESDAY #496
SECTION SIX 49
(click here for a PDF version)
This puzzle’s grid has six rings and six sections. Each ring contains a series of words placed end to end, reading either clockwise or counterclockwise; all the words in a given ring will read in the same direction. Ring 1 (the outer ring) contains six answers that read clockwise; the starting spaces are numbered in the grid. Clues for the answers in the remaining rings are given in order, but their starting points and direction are for you to determine. The sections (separated by the heavy lines radiating from the center) will help you place the inner rings: in a given section, each ring segment contains all but one of the letters in the next segment outward. In other words, a section’s outermost segment contains six letters; the next segment inward contains five of those six letters in some order; and so on, until only one of the original six letters remains.

Arrange the letters in the six starred spaces to form the final answer, a 6-letter word.
Ring 1
1 It may be granulated
2 The ____ and One Dalmatians (Dodie Smith novel)
3 Bank statement datum
4 Steven of martial arts films
5 One who has served in the armed forces
6 Time long past

Ring 2
* Experience
* Remain
* Kingly
* Simplicity
* Lumiere of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast is one

Ring 3
* “Better safe than ____”
* Based on cursory examination: 3 wds.
* Alan of M*A*S*H
* Put up with

Ring 4
* They hold up stockings
* Like a zombie
* Venetian waterway

Ring 5
* Sweater or overcoat whose sleeves extend to the neckline
* Allergen that a dog owner might have to deal with

Ring 6
* ____ 49 (2004 drama film about firefighters)

COMING NEXT WEEK. . .
* What's a 23-letter, 4-word answer for "1986 hit for the band Wang Chung"?

Submit your answers to glmathgrant[at]gmail[dot]com. Until next time, happy solving!

Kevin's Puzzles at Home Season 2, Episode 2: Spot the Difference

PREVIOUS ENTRIES
Introduction (what these puzzles are and why they're called "Kevin's Puzzles at Home Season 2"): click here
Episode 1 (Photographic Mammal-ry): puzzle PDF, hint PDF (new!) 
* 18 people solved this within the first week for 50 points apiece.

The total number of points scored is 900. Thus, the current money pool for the Food Bank for Larimer County is $9.00. Three anonymous benefactors have agreed to match this donation, meaning that the Food Bank for Larimer County will actually receive $36.00. If you haven't already, you may solve the above puzzle for 25 points, possibly with the aid of the hint.

KEVIN’S PUZZLES AT HOME
SEASON 2, EPISODE 2:
SPOT THE DIFFERENCE
Using his sharp eyesight, Kevin has figured out that the pictures in the top row are not the same as the ones on the bottom row.

(This illustration by Tintinabar is not part of the puzzle.)

Submit your answer to glmathgrant[at]gmail[dot]com for 50 points, and stay tuned next week for Part 2's hint and Part 3's puzzle. Good luck!

Wordy Wednesday 495: Pent Words 99

WORDY WEDNESDAY #492
TOUCHWORD 25 (answer)
Here is the answer to this puzzle. If you still wish to solve it yourself, please go here for the normal version of the puzzle, or here for the easier version of the puzzle. Here's a list of people who solved it:
Bonnie Veenschoten **
Cathy Bowen **
Cindy Heisler **
Cole Kendall **
James Haddad **
Joe Bernard **
Karen Spencer **
Michael Lebowitz **
Stephen Potter **
Tyler Hinman **
John Bulten **
Kevin Orfield **
Patrick Jordan **
Ryan Faley **
Sam Levitin **

WORDY WEDNESDAY #493
HEX PATHFINDER 30 (hint)
As of this writing, 15 people have solved this puzzle. Haven't solved it yet? Here's an easier version. Send your answers to glmathgrant[at]gmail[dot]com within the next week to appear on the solvers list and be recognized for your puzzle prowess. Good luck, solvers!

WORDY WEDNESDAY #494
FRAMELINKS 15 (hint)
As of this writing, 12 people have solved this puzzle. Haven't solved it yet? Here's an easier version. Send your answers to glmathgrant[at]gmail[dot]com within the next week to appear on the solvers list and be recognized for your puzzle prowess. Good luck, solvers!

WORDY WEDNESDAY #495
PENT WORDS 99
(click here for a PDF version)
In this puzzle, you must divide the grid into pentominoes (regions containing five cells each), and write a letter in each cell. The rows, reading from left to right, will contain the words hinted at by the Across clues. The letters in the pentominoes, in reading order (left to right starting with the top row), will form the words hinted at by the Pentominoes clues; these clues are presented in no particular order. (In the example, the rows spell PLANT, SHARE, and BITES, and the pentominoes spell the words PLANS, TREES, and HABIT.) Use the ACROSS answers to determine where the pentominoes are.
ACROSS (two answers per row):
1 Last Week Tonight with ____ Oliver / Crown and ____ (gambling dice game)
2 Press / Certain mollusk
3 Feudal peasant / Drive-in restaurant employee
4 Stun gun brand / A shade of brown
5 In good spirits / Big name in audio equipment
6 “Out of ____, out of mind” / Become mature, as fruit
7 Gin’s partner / Unit of gold purity
8 1997-2001 Disney Channel series which takes place at Third Street School / Part of an eye
9 “The ____ of Hearts, he stole the tarts. . .” / The capital of Delaware
10 Alan of M*A*S*H / Render powerless
PENTOMINOES:
* HALF OF THE FINAL ANSWER
* THE OTHER HALF OF THE FINAL ANSWER
* Brother’s daughter
* Bird associated with babies
* Certain passenger car
* On the ____ (in a defensive position)
* United States ____ Academy (Annapolis institute)
* “The ____ of Dreams” (Billy Joel song)
* The ____ Limits
* Parenthetical remark
* Ceiling-supporting beam
* Grouchy Sesame Street resident
* Routine task
* With The, 1993-1999 sitcom starring Fran Drescher
* Stretch out your hand
* Leases, as a car
* The number 1, in piano fingering
* Certain building block
* ____ is Enough
* Transport by boat

COMING NEXT WEEK. . .
* What's a 6-letter word for "____ 49 (2004 drama film about firefighters)"?
* Patron Puzzle #100, which will be delivered on September 8, 2022, exclusively to Patreon supporters at the Super Fan level and up ($5 or more per month), is a Super Pent Words.

Submit your answers to glmathgrant[at]gmail[dot]com. Until next time, happy solving!

Kevin's Puzzles at Home Season 2, Episode 1: Photographic Mammal-ry

INTRODUCTION
This series is inspired by the website Kevin's Puzzles, on which Kevin Orfield, who is a regular reader of this blog, posts a puzzle-hunt-style puzzle every Monday. Kevin Orfield's puzzles usually lean towards the easy side of this genre in order to target a less experienced and/or younger audience. The operative word here is "usually":
Kevin's Puzzles at Home is my knock-off "we have X at home" version of Kevin's Puzzles. The puzzles in Kevin's Puzzles at Home will be easier than my Wordy Wednesday posts, and hopefully at least 80% as entertaining as the real Kevin's Puzzles. Kevin's Puzzles at Home will be presented by my "we have X at home" version of Kevin:
(This illustration by Tintinabar is not part of any puzzle. Any resemblance between this Kevin and the real Kevin, or any real Kevin, is entirely coincidental.)
Kevin Edmund Kepler, the colorful and prodigious wolf depicted above with a solved 7x7x7 Awoo-bik's Cube in his paw, hopes that you enjoy the puzzles that he will be offering you over the course of these coming months!

Every Monday during September and October 2022, a new episode will be posted at 12:01 AM (Central); as with the real Kevin's Puzzles, the final answer will be a word or phrase. Email me (at glmathgrant[at]gmail[dot]com) the correct solution to this puzzle within the next week to score 50 points. Each puzzle will also have a hint posted for it one week later; solving the puzzle while the hint is up will be worth 25 points. Episode 9, which will be posted on October 31, is a meta puzzle which requires the answers to all of the previous puzzles in order to be solved; this puzzle will be worth double (100 points before the hint, 50 points after). The highest possible score a solver can attain will thus be 500 points, by solving each puzzle during its first week. For every point scored by my readers by 11:59 PM (Central) on July 10, I will donate 1¢ to the Food Bank for Larimer County, up to a maximum of $100. (Thus, each solver can contribute a maximum of $5 to this pool.) Not all hungry people live in Texas; this food bank is local to some very beloved relatives who live in Colorado, and I wish to support it this time around. Three anonymous benefactors have agreed to match my donation as well, making the maximum possible donation $400 (and thus the maximum contribution to this donation by a single solver $20). Get to work!

Unlike the real Kevin's Puzzles, which posts each puzzle's solution one week after its hint is posted, all puzzle solutions will be posted simultaneously on November 14, one week after the final hint is posted. This will make the meta slightly harder, since you can't just look up the solutions to the previous puzzles to start solving it, but will also permit latecomers to score more points (and thus raise more money) than otherwise possible.

Astute readers will notice that the words "Season 2" appear in the title. Links to the first set of puzzles from this past May and June, plus all of their hints, can be found here. The solutions are all here.

Have fun, and remember to check out the real Kevin's creations if these fake ones are up your alley!

KEVIN’S PUZZLES AT HOME
SEASON 2, EPISODE 1:
PHOTOGRAPHIC MAMMAL-RY
Kevin has started taking photos of all of the interesting animals that he sees.

(This illustration by Tintinabar is not part of the puzzle.)

Submit your answer to glmathgrant[at]gmail[dot]com for 50 points, and stay tuned next week for Episode 1's hint and Episode 2's puzzle. Good luck!

Wordy Wednesday 493: Hex Pathfinder 30 & Wordy Wednesday 494: Framelinks 15

WORDY WEDNESDAY #491
CRYPTICROSTIC 17 (answer)
Here is the answer to this puzzle. If you still wish to solve it yourself, please go here for the normal version of the puzzle, or here for the easier version of the puzzle. Here's a list of people who solved it:
Bonnie Veenschoten **
Cathy Bowen **
Cole Kendall **
James Haddad **
Karen Spencer **
Michael Lebowitz **
Stephen Potter **
Tyler Hinman **
Jason Boomer **
jmwddspc **
Kevin Orfield **
Ryan Faley **
Sam Levitin **

WORDY WEDNESDAY #492
TOUCHWORD 25 (hint)
As of this writing, 15 people have solved this puzzle. Haven't solved it yet? Here's an easier version. Send your answers to glmathgrant[at]gmail[dot]com within the next week to appear on the solvers list and be recognized for your puzzle prowess. Good luck, solvers!

LAST WEDNESDAY OF THE MONTH = DOUBLE WORDY WEDNESDAYS!
WORDY WEDNESDAY #493
HEX PATHFINDER 30
(click here for a PDF version)
In this puzzle, each answer starts in the correspondingly numbered hexagon and winds through the grid, starting in the indicated direction. When you have finished, every letter will be used in exactly two entries.

Rearrange the letters in the shaded spaces to get the final answer, a 7-letter word.
1E German cake (5)
2W Ideal occupation for one who wants to rock the house? (10)
3W Informal talk (4)
4SE Fantasy novel series written by George R. R. Martin (17, 6 wds.)
5W “Slow Ride” band (6)
6SE “Don’t take any wooden ____” (7)
7E Concept (4)
8E Wry (6)
9SE Fridge compartment for vegetables (13, 2 wds.)
10SW Pirate’s prosthetic (6, 2 wds.)
11E Flowers you might give when you want to be remembered (12, hyph.)
12SW American Revolutionary War encampment site (11, 2 wds.)
13SW Mercury ____ (1998 movie) (6)
14SE Shout (4)
15NE Prevent (5)
16SW Grand (8)
17NE “Bananaphone” performer (5)
18NW Page from a book (4)
19E Hiding place for a proverbial ace (6)
20W Common power strip feature (14, 2 wds.)
21W Uncommon (4)
22SW Certain primate (6)
23SW Adam Sandler’s costar in 50 First Dates (2004) (13, 2 wds.)
24NE Jockey’s need (4)
25NW American frontiersman Daniel (5)
26SE Jockey’s need (5)
27E The Importance of Being ____ (7)
28NW Makes livid (7)
29NE Role for Jaleel White (10, 2 wds.)
30E One who’s doomed (5)
31SW Former U.S. Attorney General Janet (4)
32W One of the gifts the wise men gave Jesus (5)

WORDY WEDNESDAY #494
FRAMELINKS 15
(click here for a PDF version)
Fill in the empty squares in the diagram with the given letters to form words.
Arrange the letters in the shaded squares to form the final answer, an 8-letter word.

A A A A A A A A A   B   E E E E E E E E E E   H H   I I I I I   L L   M M M M   N N N   O O   P P   R R R R R R
S S S S   T T T T T T T T T   U U   V   Y Y Y

COMING NEXT WEEK. . .
* What's a 5-letter word for "United States ____ Academy (Annapolis institute)"?

Submit your answers to glmathgrant[at]gmail[dot]com. Until next time, happy solving!

Wordy Wednesday 492: Touchword 25

WORDY WEDNESDAY #490
PENT WORDS 98 (answer)
Here is the answer to this puzzle. If you still wish to solve it yourself, please go here for the normal version of the puzzle, or here for the easier version of the puzzle. Here's a list of people who solved it:
Bonnie Veenschoten **
Cathy Bowen **
Cindy Heisler **
Cole Kendall **
James Haddad **
Joe Bernard **
Karen Spencer **
Michael Lebowitz **
Stephen Potter *
Tyler Hinman **
John Bulten **
Kevin Orfield **
Ryan Faley **
Sam Levitin **

WORDY WEDNESDAY #491
CRYPTICROSTIC 17 (hint)
As of this writing, 13 people have solved this puzzle. Haven't solved it yet? Here's an easier version. Send your answers to glmathgrant[at]gmail[dot]com within the next week to appear on the solvers list and be recognized for your puzzle prowess. Good luck, solvers!

WORDY WEDNESDAY #492
TOUCHWORD 25
(click here for a PDF version)
In a crossword, words cross each other; in this puzzle, they merely touch. More specifically, all answers read across, and every letter shares an edge with at least one identical letter either immediately above or immediately below. The top and bottom rows are considered adjacent.

Arrange the letters in the shaded spaces to form the final answer, an 8-letter word.
1 Dish for serving soup, perhaps / “I wasn’t born ____!”
2 Filmed audition: 2 wds. / Zeal
3 Medieval copyist / A shade of blue / Fur trader John Jacob ____
4 Garment for an Indian woman / ____ the Clock (game show) / Smash Mouth song featured in Shrek: 2 wds.
5 Oceanic / Ring-shaped coral reef / At a distance
6 Dimwit / Lightweight water vessel / Saltwater ____
7 Rabat resident / Scare stiff
8 1968 hit for Steppenwolf: 3 wds.
9 Zodiac archer / Assistant
10 Canonized person / Mathematical donuts / Functional
11 Deluges / Multiplication ____
12 Least common / Jazz trumpeter Louis
13 Smoke detector: 2 wds. / Loose Malay garment
14 Pertaining to financial matters / Scent / One attending a party alone
15 A region of Italy / A city in Italy / Item for stiffening a shirt collar

COMING NEXT WEEK. . .
* What's a 13-letter, 2-word answer for "Adam Sandler’s costar in 50 First Dates (2004)"?
* A Framelinks!

Submit your answers to glmathgrant[at]gmail[dot]com. Until next time, happy solving!

Patron Puzzles for Philanthropy update: 10x10x10 Crosswords III

This update to the Patron Puzzles for Philanthropy initiative is to announce the 10x10x10 Crosswords III pack. A sequel to 10x10x10 Crosswords and 10x10x10 Crosswords II, this contains 10 10x10 mini-crosswords for the price of US$2, comprised of 3 themed puzzles, 2 themeless puzzles, 3 vwllss puzzles (in which all vowels are removed from the answers before entering them; there are no Y's, and each puzzle comes with an easier version with full answer enumerations and a harder version without them), and 2 Something Different puzzles (in which literally any combination of words is allowed to be an entry). Each puzzle comes in PUZ form (for electronic solving) and PDF form (for printing), and solutions (including full answers to the vwllss puzzles, with vowels added back in) are all available as well.

This is a charity initiative. Please e-mail me (glmathgrantATgmailDOTcom) a copy of your charitable receipt (it must be a new donation, dated no earlier than one day before you email me) to receive this pack of puzzles. I am currently soliciting donations to these five charities:
I'm also offering Patron Puzzles for Philanthropy Pack #1 (24 previously Patreon-exclusive word puzzles for US$11.10), Patron Puzzles for Philanthropy Pack #2 (24 more previously Patreon-exclusive word puzzles for US$11.10), Patron Puzzles for Philanthropy Pack #3 (24 more previously Patreon-exclusive word puzzles for US$10), the LiveJournal Logic Pack (300 logic puzzles for US$3), the Section Six Six-Plus-Six Pack (12 Section Six puzzles for $6), the Magnum Opus Snake Crisscross (one giant puzzle with over 300 entries for US$5), 10x10x10 Crosswords (10 10x10 crosswords for US$2), 10x10x10 Crosswords II (10 more 10x10 crosswords for US$2), 11x11x11 Touchword (11 11x11 Touchword puzzles for $3), Anacrossword Twenty-Pack (20 Anacrosswords for $8), and Anacrossword Twenty-Pack Two (20 more Anacrosswords for $8). Thank you!

Wordy Wednesday 491: Crypticrostic 17

WORDY WEDNESDAY #489
FRAMELINKS 14 (answer)
Here is the answer to this puzzle. If you still wish to solve it yourself, please go here for the normal version of the puzzle, or here for the easier version of the puzzle. Here's a list of people who solved it:
Bonnie Veenschoten **
Cathy Bowen **
Cindy Heisler **
Cole Kendall **
James Haddad **
Karen Spencer **
Michael Lebowitz *
Stephen Potter **
Tyler Hinman *
Kevin Orfield **
Ryan Faley **
Sam Levitin **

WORDY WEDNESDAY #490
PENT WORDS 98 (hint)
As of this writing, 13 people have solved this puzzle. Haven't solved it yet? Here's an easier version. Send your answers to glmathgrant[at]gmail[dot]com within the next week to appear on the solvers list and be recognized for your puzzle prowess. Good luck, solvers!

WORDY WEDNESDAY #491
CRYPTICROSTIC 17
(click here for a PDF version)
(click here for rules)
The answer is 9 letters.
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ 
01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37

Bailed out California governor Newsom possessing ecstasy __ __ __ __    __ __
                                                         35 19 14 11    23 04
Configuration for floor covering __ __ __ __ __ __
                                 29 13 02 30 36 27
Destroys Western star Allen, reportedly __ __ __ __ __ __
                                        08 16 06 32 05 22
Labor group eliminates first sign of toe swelling __ __ __ __ __
                                                  03 26 31 28 10
Polish sacred site lacks religious leader __ __ __ __ __
                                          18 33 09 07 21
Princess of Wales and Mr. Beatty had supper __ __ __ __ __
                                            24 17 37 15 01
Sacrilegious elements cause anger __ __ __ __
                                  20 34 12 25

COMING NEXT WEEK. . .
* What's a 15-letter, 3-word answer for "1968 hit for Steppenwolf"?

Submit your answers to glmathgrant[at]gmail[dot]com. Until next time, happy solving!

Wordy Wednesday 490: Pent Words 98

WORDY WEDNESDAY #487
PATHFINDER 30 (answer)
Here is the answer to this puzzle. If you still wish to solve it yourself, please go here for the normal version of the puzzle, or here for the easier version of the puzzle. Here's a list of people who solved it:
Bonnie Veenschoten **
Cathy Bowen **
Cindy Heisler **
James Haddad **
Joe Bernard **
Karen Spencer **
M. Sean Molley **
Michael Lebowitz **
Stephen Potter **
Tyler Hinman *
Kevin Orfield **
Mary Maynard *
Patrick Jordan *
Ryan Faley **
Sam Levitin **

WORDY WEDNESDAY #488
FEED THE FOXES (answer)
Here is the answer to this puzzle. If you still wish to solve it yourself, please go here for the normal version of the puzzle, or here for a hint. Here's a list of people who solved it:
M. Sean Molley **
Michael Lebowitz *
Randy Rogers **
Stephen Potter **
Tyler Hinman *
Jason Boomer **
Kevin Orfield **
Ryan Faley **
Sam Levitin **

WORDY WEDNESDAY #489
FRAMELINKS 14 (hint)
As of this writing, 12 people have solved this puzzle. Haven't solved it yet? Here's an easier version. Send your answers to glmathgrant[at]gmail[dot]com within the next week to appear on the solvers list and be recognized for your puzzle prowess. Good luck, solvers!

WORDY WEDNESDAY #490
PENT WORDS 98
(click here for a PDF version)
In this puzzle, you must divide the grid into pentominoes (regions containing five cells each), and write a letter in each cell. The rows, reading from left to right, will contain the words hinted at by the Across clues. The letters in the pentominoes, in reading order (left to right starting with the top row), will form the words hinted at by the Pentominoes clues; these clues are presented in no particular order. (In the example, the rows spell PLANT, SHARE, and BITES, and the pentominoes spell the words PLANS, TREES, and HABIT.) Use the ACROSS answers to determine where the pentominoes are.
ACROSS (two answers per row):
1 One-armed ____ (slot machine) / “Mickey” singer Basil
2 Radiant with warmth / Jeremy of The Lion King
3 Word before “coat” or “warfare” / ____ Ant (cartoon superhero)
4 Word of agreement, perhaps / It’s between the toes and the ankle
5 Skin with a knife / Attack from low-flying aircraft
6 “Taxation is ____” / Exact genetic copy
7 Minnesota port / Church projection
8 Mental picture / Unit of radioactivity
9 “____ and Ivory” (Paul McCartney/Stevie Wonder duet) / Like the flavor of many toothpastes
10 ____ shark (shark species named after a folkloric creature) / Minor dent
PENTOMINOES:
* HALF OF THE FINAL ANSWER
* THE OTHER HALF OF THE FINAL ANSWER
* San ____, CA
* Certain bulb
* One convicted of murder, for example
* Machine for hoisting
* Spine-chilling
* Carrot relative
* A tropical fish
* The county seat of Florida’s Hillsborough County
* ____ as a bat
* “I bless the ____ down in Africa. . .” (Toto lyric)
* Word of agreement, perhaps
* Making a knot
* Anguish
* Change to a reading of zero, as an odometer
* Cowboy’s leggings
* Certain woodwind
* ____ the Yard (2007 dance drama film)
* Trite

COMING NEXT WEEK. . .
* A Crypticrostic!

Submit your answers to glmathgrant[at]gmail[dot]com. Until next time, happy solving!

Wordy Wednesday 489: Framelinks 14

WORDY WEDNESDAY #486
SECTION SIX 48 (answer)
Here is the answer to this puzzle. If you still wish to solve it yourself, please go here for the normal version of the puzzle, or here for the easier version of the puzzle. Here's a list of people who solved it:
Bonnie Veenschoten **
Cathy Bowen **
Cindy Heisler **
James Haddad **
Joe Bernard **
Karen Spencer **
Michael Lebowitz **
Stephen Potter **
Tyler Hinman *
Kevin Orfield **
Ryan Faley **
Sam Levitin **

WORDY WEDNESDAY #487
PATHFINDER 30 (hint)
As of this writing, 13 people have solved this puzzle. Haven't solved it yet? Here's an easier version. Send your answers to glmathgrant[at]gmail[dot]com within the next week to appear on the solvers list and be recognized for your puzzle prowess. Good luck, solvers!

WORDY WEDNESDAY #488
FEED THE FOXES (hint)
As of this writing, 8 people have solved this puzzle. Haven't solved it yet? Here's a hint. Send your answers to glmathgrant[at]gmail[dot]com within the next week to appear on the solvers list and be recognized for your puzzle prowess. Good luck, solvers!

WORDY WEDNESDAY #489
FRAMELINKS 14
(click here for a PDF version)
Fill in the empty squares in the diagram with the given letters to form words.
Arrange the letters in the shaded squares to form the final answer, an 8-letter word.

A A A A A A   B   C C C   E E E E E E E E E E   G   H H   I I I I I   K   L L L   M M   N N N   O O O O O O   P P
R R R R R R   S S S   T T T T T T T T T T T T   U U U   Y

COMING NEXT WEEK. . .
* What's a 5-letter word for "'I bless the ____ down in Africa. . .' (Toto lyric)"?
* Patron Puzzle #99, which will be delivered on August 8, 2022, exclusively to Patreon supporters at the Super Fan level and up ($5 or more per month), is a Meandering Word Search.

Submit your answers to glmathgrant[at]gmail[dot]com. Until next time, happy solving!

Wordy Wednesday 487: Pathfinder 30 & Wordy Wednesday 488: Feed the Foxes

WORDY WEDNESDAY #485
PENT WORDS 97 (answer)
Here is the answer to this puzzle. If you still wish to solve it yourself, please go here for the normal version of the puzzle, or here for the easier version of the puzzle. Here's a list of people who solved it:
Bonnie Veenschoten **
Cathy Bowen **
Cindy Heisler **
Cole Kendall **
James Haddad **
Joe Bernard **
Karen Spencer **
Michael Lebowitz **
Stephen Potter **
Tyler Hinman **
Kevin Orfield **
Ryan Faley **
Sam Levitin **

WORDY WEDNESDAY #486
SECTION SIX 48 (hint)
As of this writing, 11 people have solved this puzzle. Haven't solved it yet? Here's an easier version. Send your answers to glmathgrant[at]gmail[dot]com within the next week to appear on the solvers list and be recognized for your puzzle prowess. Good luck, solvers!

LAST WEDNESDAY OF THE MONTH = DOUBLE WORDY WEDNESDAYS!
WORDY WEDNESDAY #487
PATHFINDER 30
(click here for a PDF version)
This puzzle contains a word suggested by patron Cathy Bowen. Support me on Patreon at the Super Fan level ($5/month) and solve the monthly Patron Puzzle for a chance to suggest a seed word for a future puzzle, or at the Ultra Fan level ($20/month) to suggest one seed word every month!
In this puzzle, each answer starts in the correspondingly numbered square, goes in some direction, and makes one or more right-angled turns as it winds through the grid. When you have finished, every letter will be used in exactly two entries.

Rearrange the letters in the shaded spaces to get the final answer, an 8-letter word.
1 Planters (10)
2 Ones who are easily spooked (7-4)
3 Lawyer Vasquez who gained fame during the Johnny Depp-Amber Heard defamation trial (7)
4 Members of Generation Y (11)
5 Killed, as a dragon (5)
6 Dock (4)
7 Certain chess piece (4)
7 Vincent van Gogh, for one (7)
8 Arachnid that hunts its prey instead of spinning a web (4 6)
9 Borrower’s payment (8)
10 They might have driver’s licenses in them (7)
11 Waterspout (9)
12 Autoinjector trademark (6)
13 Harris who played Max Troy in the film Dragnet (1954) (5)
14 Item in a fortune-teller’s pack (5 4)
15 Kneecap (7)
16 Injury created by abrasion (6)
17 Unceasing (7)
18 Use a spittoon (11)
19 Madrid resident (8)
20 A noble gas (5)
21 Not abed (5)
22 Portions of a circle’s circumference (4)
23 Passionate (6)
24 “____ Love Out of Nothing at All” (Air Supply song) (6)
24 Pertaining to the sea (6)
25 Certain chess piece (4)

WORDY WEDNESDAY #488
FEED THE FOXES
(click here for a PDF version)
This puzzle contains a word suggested by patron M. Sean Molley. Support me on Patreon at the Super Fan level ($5/month) and solve the monthly Patron Puzzle for a chance to suggest a seed word for a future puzzle, or at the Ultra Fan level ($20/month) to suggest one seed word every month!
These foxes thought that they’d find food in this grid, but now they’re frustrated! Arrange the lettered pieces, without rotating or reflecting them, to fill the empty grid spaces, and then move each fox the number of cells indicated to help it find what it wants to eat. Foxes may only move horizontally or vertically (not diagonally), but their paths may turn. No fox will cross the path of another fox or retrace its own path. Not all cells will be visited by foxes.

COMING NEXT WEEK. . .
* A Framelinks!

Submit your answers to glmathgrant[at]gmail[dot]com. Until next time, happy solving!

Wordy Wednesday 486: Section Six 48

WORDY WEDNESDAY #484
DIVIDED INTO COLUMNS 10 (answer)
Here is the answer to this puzzle. If you still wish to solve it yourself, please go here for the normal version of the puzzle, or here for the easier version of the puzzle. Here's a list of people who solved it:
Bonnie Veenschoten **
Cathy Bowen **
Karen Spencer **
Michael Lebowitz **
Stephen Potter **
Tyler Hinman **
Kevin Orfield **
Ryan Faley **
Sam Levitin **

WORDY WEDNESDAY #485
PENT WORDS 97 (hint)
As of this writing, 13 people have solved this puzzle. Haven't solved it yet? Here's an easier version. Send your answers to glmathgrant[at]gmail[dot]com within the next week to appear on the solvers list and be recognized for your puzzle prowess. Good luck, solvers!

WORDY WEDNESDAY #486
SECTION SIX 48
(click here for a PDF version)
This puzzle’s grid has six rings and six sections. Each ring contains a series of words placed end to end, reading either clockwise or counterclockwise; all the words in a given ring will read in the same direction. Ring 1 (the outer ring) contains six answers that read clockwise; the starting spaces are numbered in the grid. Clues for the answers in the remaining rings are given in order, but their starting points and direction are for you to determine. The sections (separated by the heavy lines radiating from the center) will help you place the inner rings: in a given section, each ring segment contains all but one of the letters in the next segment outward. In other words, a section’s outermost segment contains six letters; the next segment inward contains five of those six letters in some order; and so on, until only one of the original six letters remains.

Arrange the letters in the six starred spaces to form the final answer, a 6-letter word.
Ring 1
1 ____ collie
2 Letter before pi
3 Journalist Stahl
4 Grating, as a voice
5 Anklebones
6 “Heart-Shaped Box” band

Ring 2
* ____ and board
* Montalban who played Vincent Ludwig in The Naked Gun: From The Files Of Police Squad!
* Most prodigious
* Sterling silver, for one
* “I Am Woman” singer Reddy

Ring 3
* Breed of dairy cattle
* ____ Day (holiday for planting trees)
* Tall wardrobe
* “____ You (And You Alone)” (The Platters song)

Ring 4
* The largest city in Nevada’s Washoe County
* Delirious behavior
* Spanish-speaking neighborhood in the United States

Ring 5
* Off the ground
* Multitude

Ring 6
* Dan who was a regular on 48 Hours

COMING NEXT WEEK. . .
* What's a 7-letter word for "Lawyer Vasquez who gained fame during the Johnny Depp-Amber Heard defamation trial"?
* Can you feed the hungry foxes?

Submit your answers to glmathgrant[at]gmail[dot]com. Until next time, happy solving!

Wordy Wednesday 485: Pent Words 97

WORDY WEDNESDAY #482
CRYPTICROSTIC 16 (answer)
Here is the answer to this puzzle. If you still wish to solve it yourself, please go here for the normal version of the puzzle, or here for the easier version of the puzzle. Here's a list of people who solved it:
Cathy Bowen **
Cole Kendall **
Karen Spencer **
Michael Lebowitz **
Tyler Hinman **
Jason Boomer **
John Bulten **
Kevin Orfield **
Ryan Faley **

WORDY WEDNESDAY #483
FRAMELINKS 13 (answer)
Here is the answer to this puzzle. If you still wish to solve it yourself, please go here for the normal version of the puzzle, or here for the easier version of the puzzle. Here's a list of people who solved it:
Cathy Bowen **
Cindy Heisler **
Cole Kendall **
Karen Spencer **
Michael Lebowitz **
Tyler Hinman **
Kevin Orfield **
Ryan Faley **
Sam Levitin **

WORDY WEDNESDAY #484
DIVIDED INTO COLUMNS 10 (hint)
As of this writing, 9 people have solved this puzzle. Haven't solved it yet? Here's an easier version. Send your answers to glmathgrant[at]gmail[dot]com within the next week to appear on the solvers list and be recognized for your puzzle prowess. Good luck, solvers!

WORDY WEDNESDAY #485
PENT WORDS 97
(click here for a PDF version)
In this puzzle, you must divide the grid into pentominoes (regions containing five cells each), and write a letter in each cell. The rows, reading from left to right, will contain the words hinted at by the Across clues. The letters in the pentominoes, in reading order (left to right starting with the top row), will form the words hinted at by the Pentominoes clues; these clues are presented in no particular order. (In the example, the rows spell PLANT, SHARE, and BITES, and the pentominoes spell the words PLANS, TREES, and HABIT.) Use the ACROSS answers to determine where the pentominoes are.
ACROSS (two answers per row):
1 Springer ____ / Guided
2 Rib / Deplorable
3 Baltimore baseballer / “Chocolate ____” (2007 hit for Tay Zonday)
4 Absolutely dry / The allocation of treatment to hospital patients
5 Absolute ruler / Spar on a ship
6 Door joint / Verbally
7 Sea anemone, for one / Sharpened
8 Legally bar / Rabbit relatives
9 Stay the ____ (persist) / “Praise the Lord and ____ the Ammunition”
10 South American mammal related to the raccoon / θ
PENTOMINOES:
* HALF OF THE FINAL ANSWER
* THE OTHER HALF OF THE FINAL ANSWER
* Garlic-flavored mayonnaise
* Herb of the carrot family
* Barkin of The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984)
* Church offering
* ____ Puffs (General Mills cereal)
* Musical composition for developing a specific technique
* Shepherd’s ____ (annual herb)
* Horned African mammal, briefly
* Some heart chambers
* Spaghetti or ravioli, for example
* Say Yes to the ____ (TLC reality series)
* Short-tailed weasel
* Icon or symbol
* Waikiki welcome
* “Live Like You Were ____” (Tim McGraw song)
* Fall bloomer
* Devil May Cry protagonist
* Green Italian sauce

COMING NEXT WEEK. . .
* What's a 6-letter word for "Dan who was a regular on 48 Hours"?

Submit your answers to glmathgrant[at]gmail[dot]com. Until next time, happy solving!

Kevin's Puzzles at Home: FINAL RESULTS!

FINAL SCORES
Here is a table of all of the participants and their scores (click to enlarge):
Participants are sorted by score (high to low), and then alphabetically.
* Bo & Becky Green got to see some puzzles early, since y’all aren't competing against each other, but against my wallet, and therefore I’m actually only hurting myself. However, I have put this asterisk here in case y’all care about comparing yourselves to each other. Also, now that I have three anonymous benefactors matching my donation, and y’all are competing against four wallets instead of one, maybe I should refrain from this practice if there’s ever a “Season 2” of Kevin’s Puzzles at Home. . .
The total number of points scored was 7675. Thus, the final money pool for the Food Bank of West Central Texas was $76.75. Three anonymous readers are offering to match this donation, meaning that the Food Bank of West Central Texas will actually receive $307.00. Thanks in advance to all of you for your generosity!

Head below the break for the actual solutions!

Wordy Wednesday 484: Divided Into Columns 10

WORDY WEDNESDAY #481
DIAGRAMLESS CROSSWORD 8 (answer)
Here is the answer to this puzzle. If you still wish to solve it yourself, please go here for the normal version of the puzzle, or here for the easier version of the puzzle. Here's a list of people who solved it:
Bonnie Veenschoten **
Cathy Bowen **
James Haddad **
Joe Bernard **
Michael Lebowitz **
Tyler Hinman **
Kevin Orfield **
Ryan Faley **
Sam Levitin **

WORDY WEDNESDAY #482
CRYPTICROSTIC 16 (hint)
As of this writing, 8 people have solved this puzzle. Haven't solved it yet? Here's an easier version. Send your answers to glmathgrant[at]gmail[dot]com within the next week to appear on the solvers list and be recognized for your puzzle prowess. Good luck, solvers!

WORDY WEDNESDAY #483
FRAMELINKS 13 (hint)
As of this writing, 8 people have solved this puzzle. Haven't solved it yet? Here's an easier version. Send your answers to glmathgrant[at]gmail[dot]com within the next week to appear on the solvers list and be recognized for your puzzle prowess. Good luck, solvers!

WORDY WEDNESDAY #484
DIVIDED INTO COLUMNS 10
(click here for a PDF version)
(click here for rules)
Plant used in skin care products __ __ __ __
                                 67 43 51 08
Community star who played   __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
   Pierce Hawthorne: 2 wds. 24 50 40 70 17 01 76 53 89 60
Pick and ____ __ __ __ __ __ __
              86 28 16 07 22 25
NBC series hosted by Joe Rogan with a brief  __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
   revival on MTV hosted by Ludacris: 2 wds. 46 81 72 52 20 91 05 26 39 56
Place to buy secondhand items: 2 wds. __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
                                      41 77 73 18 14 27 65 09 37 04
1995 Al Pacino/Robert De Niro film __ __ __ __
                                   38 31 90 69
Many a secular thinker __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
                       61 35 95 66 83 54 30 11
Like a desperate final effort: hyph. __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
                                     87 23 68 34 57 82 33 36 94
Soccer star born in Selma, Alabama: 2 wds. __ __ __ __ __ __ __
                                           15 74 49 06 12 88 58
Hangman’s knot __ __ __ __ __
               85 62 03 59 19
Breakfast item that’s an ingredient in some cookies __ __ __ __ __ __ __
                                                    42 63 48 55 93 84 21
Landmark in Wiltshire, England __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
                               96 79 29 64 02 92 13 10 32 45
Daihatsu’s parent company __ __ __ __ __ __
                          44 47 71 78 75 80

COMING NEXT WEEK. . .
* What's a 5-letter word for "Barkin of The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984)"?
* Patron Puzzle #98, which will be delivered on July 8, 2022, exclusively to Patreon supporters at the Super Fan level and up ($5 or more per month), is a Vocabulary Fun Pack.

Submit your answers to glmathgrant[at]gmail[dot]com. Until next time, happy solving!

Kevin's Puzzles at Home: Final hint and final week!

PREVIOUS ENTRIES
Introduction (what these puzzles are and why they're called "Kevin's Puzzles at Home"): click here
Part 1 (See Monsters)puzzle PDFhint PDF
* 17 people solved this within the first week for 50 points apiece; 6 people solved it later for 25 points.
Part 2 (The Joy of Paintings)puzzle PDFhint PDF
* 17 people solved this within the first week for 50 points apiece; 1 person solved it later for 25 points.
Part 3 (Side Effects May Include Disney-ness)puzzle PDFhint PDF
* 16 people solved this within the first week for 50 points apiece; 2 people solved it later for 25 points.
Part 4 (Overbooked)puzzle PDFhint PDF
* 14 people solved this within the first week for 50 points apiece; 2 people solved it later for 25 points.
Part 5 (Air Letters)puzzle PDFhint PDF
* 14 people solved this within the first week for 50 points apiece; 3 people solved it later for 25 points.
Part 6 (Words on Rye)puzzle PDFhint PDF
* 14 people solved this within the first week for 50 points apiece; 3 people solved it later for 25 points.
Part 7 (What's the Deal?)puzzle PDFhint PDF
* 15 people solved this within the first week for 50 points apiece; 1 person solved it later for 25 points.
Part 8 (Breakfast Scramble)puzzle PDFhint PDF
* 15 people solved this within the first week for 50 points apiece; 1 person solved it later for 25 points.
Part 9 (Meta) ("Ate" Queens Problem)puzzle PDFhint PDF (new!)
* 8 people solved this within the first week for 100 points apiece.

The total number of points scored is 7375. Thus, the current money pool for the Food Bank of West Central Texas is $73.75. Three anonymous readers are offering to match this donation, meaning that the Food Bank of West Central Texas will actually receive $295.00. Thanks in advance to all of you for your generosity! If you haven't already, you may solve the above puzzles for 25 points each, or the meta for 50 points, possibly with the aid of the hints. This week is your final chance to score points and earn money for the food bank!

Stay tuned next week for all of the solutions and the final results. Good luck!

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