Wordy Wednesday 174: Hex Pathfinder 10

WORDY WEDNESDAY #172

CRYPTICROSTIC 3 (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:
Anthony Bailey **
Edderiofer He **
Giovanni Pagano **
Jack Bross **
John Reid **
Bryce Herdt **
Deusovi **
Lewis Chen **
Ryan Faley **
Sam Levitin *

WORDY WEDNESDAY #173

WORDS WITHOUT FRIENDS 4 (hint)

As of this writing, 7 people have solved this puzzle. Haven't solved it yet? Here's an easier version. I also have two entries for the contest version. All entries with a score of 750 or more have a chance to win a prize, but entries above the median score have a greater chance, so regardless of your skill level, I hope you will enter! 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 #174

HEX PATHFINDER 10

(click here for a PDF version)

This puzzle contains a word suggested by patron Jack Bross. Support me on Patreon at the $5 per month level and solve the monthly Patron Puzzle for a chance to suggest a seed word for a future puzzle, or at the $20 per month level to suggest one seed word every month!
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 The author’s were checked twice daily while he was in a mental hospital (10, 2 wds.)
2NW Repeat performance (6)
3NW Black and white African mammal (5)
4W Clank’s partner (7)
5NE Mar (7)
6W Figure skater’s move (4)
6SE One in a U.S. government trio (17, 2 wds.)
7NW Dr. Dre’s forte (7)
8W Easily broken (5)
9NE Engagement or wedding item (4)
9SE Horned mammal, for short (5)
10W Annoying (5)
10W Round pizza toppings (10)
11W Lower part of the leg (4)
12E Borden mascot (5)
13W Makes safe (7)
14NW Popular brand of peanuts (8)
14NW Ouija prop (10)
15E Shakespearean king (4)
16E Put out of one’s memory (7)
17NW Code namesake (5)
17SW Dragon in a Disney movie (5)
18NW Flop (4)
19NE The Shining director (14, 2 wds.)
20W Sentence uttered by the Borg (18, 3 wds.)
21SW Underdog’s victory (5)
22W Tracks worn by going over the same place over and over (4)
23SW Most frigid (6)
24E Reeled (4)
25SW Completely destroyed, in Internet lingo (4)
25SW “The Biggest Little City in the World” (4)
26SE Under (5)
27NW Happen as a result (5)
28NW Bristly organ (4)
29E Observe (4)

COMING NEXT WEEK. . .

* What's a 5-letter word for "Peasant's ____ (homestarrunner.com adventure game)"?
* Patron Puzzle #17, which will be delivered exclusively to Patreon supporters ($5 or more per month), is titled "Anagramming and Adding 2 More".

Submit your answers to glmathgrant[at]gmail[dot]com. Until next time, keep on living, and yappy solving!

Contest: Words Without Friends 4: Game Version

Click here for the PDF version.

This game of word solitaire is inspired by Solicross.

You have 15 turns to score as many points as possible by building words on the grid. Start by taking the first 7 letters from the LETTER LIST (which is taken from Wordy Wednesday 173). Form an English word using two or more letters, and place it reading across (from left to right) or down (from top to bottom) in the grid, either starting in or ending in the outlined cell. On each successive turn, cross out the letters you used and replace them with the next letters from the LETTER LIST, and then play a new word using some or all of those letters. As in Scrabble, you can play at right angles to a previous word (either incorporating a letter from it or expanding it) or parallel to a previous word, but must adjoin some previous word; adjoining letters must always form words in crossword fashion, and all letters used in a single turn must be part of a single word.

Every turn, you score for the words you made on that turn. The score for a word is the sum of all the numbers it covers (whether those letters were played on that turn or not); multiple words formed in a single turn are added up together (with shared letters counting twice). If you use all 60 letters within 15 turns, give yourself 50 extra points. If you use all 21 of the shaded cells, give yourself 500 extra points! (These are the cells I didn’t use in Wordy Wednesday 173.)

All words will be checked against http://www.m-w.com/scrabble for validity.

All solvers who score at least 750 points will be entered to win their choice of a signed copy of the May 2017 issue of Games World of Puzzles, whose cover features my original puzzle type Pent Words, or a signed copy of Logic Puzzles 101, a book of 101 of my logic puzzles of easy to medium difficulty. All solvers who score at least the median number of points will be entered into a prize drawing to win both prizes! Send your finished game (with a score of at least 750 points; a picture of the finished grid and a list of words formed each turn should suffice) to glmathgrant[at]gmail[dot]com by 12:59 PM on August 2, 2017. You may submit multiple times during the next two weeks; only your highest score will be counted. Have fun!

Wordy Wednesday 173: Words Without Friends 4

WORDY WEDNESDAY #171

ANACROSSWORD 12 (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:
Anthony Bailey **
Giovanni Pagano **
Jack Bross **
James Sinnett **
John Reid **
Bryce Herdt **
Lewis Chen *
Ryan Faley **
Sam Levitin *

WORDY WEDNESDAY #172

CRYPTICROSTIC 3 (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 #173

WORDS WITHOUT FRIENDS 4

(click here for a PDF version)

You have 15 turns to build words on the grid. Start by taking the first seven letters in the DRAW COLUMN. Form an English word using six of those letters, and place it reading from top to bottom in the cells marked 1. On each successive turn, cross out the letters you used and transfer the unused letters (if any) to the next line in the DRAW COLUMN, and then play a new word using some of those letters, placing them in the next successively numbered spaces. Adjoining letters must always form words in crossword fashion, and all the letters will be used.

All words in my solution are valid according to http://scrabble.merriam.com. However, aside from some 2-letter words, all of them should be very familiar.

Arrange the letters in the shaded cells to form the final answer, a 7-letter word.

COMING NEXT WEEK. . .

* What's a 10-letter word for "Ouija prop"?

Submit your answers to glmathgrant[at]gmail[dot]com. Until next time, keep on living, and yappy solving!

Wordy Wednesday 172: Crypticrostic 3

WORDY WEDNESDAY #169

ANAWORDSEARCH (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:
Anthony Bailey **
Giovanni Pagano **
Jack Bross **
James Sinnett **
John Reid **
Bryce Herdt **
Deusovi **
Lewis Chen **
Ryan Faley **
Sam Levitin **
yyw **

WORDY WEDNESDAY #170

PENT WORDS 34 (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:
Anthony Bailey **
Giovanni Pagano **
Jack Bross **
James Sinnett **
John Reid **
Bryce Herdt **
Lewis Chen **
Ryan Faley **
Sam Levitin **
yyw **

WORDY WEDNESDAY #171

ANACROSSWORD 12 (hint)

As of this writing, 7 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 #172

CRYPTICROSTIC 3

(click here for a PDF version)

The answer is two words of length (6 7).
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
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 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49

Beginning to seize graffiti artist with inebriated gait __ __ __ __ __ __ __
                                                        33 28 18 26 08 47 03
Bicycle with some kickstand embellishment __ __ __ __ __ __
                                          14 04 43 49 13 30
Like some flying objects brought   __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
     together around one concavity 39 07 46 35 22 32 05 24 44 34 29 37
Peter’s heart with just a slight hint of a heartbeat __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
                                                     09 23 06 25 41 19 31 48 12
Saunters with man who freed slaves, eating first bit of yogurt __ __ __ __ __ __
                                                               17 10 15 42 02 21
String instrument storyteller heard __ __ __ __
                                    20 11 38 36
Tossed rings producing smiles __ __ __ __ __
                              01 45 27 40 16 

COMING NEXT WEEK. . .

* A sequel that nobody asked for!

Submit your answers to glmathgrant[at]gmail[dot]com. Until next time, keep on living, and yappy solving!

Wordy Wednesday 171: Anacrossword 12

WORDY WEDNESDAY #167

TOUCHWORD 3 (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:
Anthony Bailey **
Giovanni Pagano **
Jack Bross **
James Sinnett **
John Reid **
Bryce Herdt **
Chris Hendricks **
Deusovi **
Lewis Chen **
Ryan Faley **
Sam Levitin **
yyw **

WORDY WEDNESDAY #168

TOUCHWORD 4 (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:
Anthony Bailey **
Giovanni Pagano **
Jack Bross **
James Sinnett **
John Reid **
Bryce Herdt **
Lewis Chen **
Ryan Faley **
Sam Levitin **
yyw **

WORDY WEDNESDAY #169

ANAWORDSEARCH 2 (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 #170

PENT WORDS 34 (hint)

As of this writing, 10 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!

OUTSIDE THE BOX PUZZLES!

A puzzler named Joon Pahk runs a puzzle subscription service where he posts 75 puzzles a year, 50 Rows Garden puzzles and 25 variety puzzles. Soon after opening the latter up to outside submissions, Joon received a Touchword from me, and this past Monday, said Touchword was sent out to his subscribers via e-mail! If you're already a subscriber, I hope you enjoy(ed) it. If not, you can become one for $15 and gain access to this Touchword plus all previous variety puzzles posted this year, plus any future ones. :)

WORDY WEDNESDAY #171

ANACROSSWORD 12

(click here for a PDF version)

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ 
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 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97
Withstand
Make butter
Guys and ____
Wagon without sides
____ the Spy (1996 movie based on a 1964 children’s novel)
“____ your horses!”
Emulate an owl
Floozy
Pass away (hopefully after having done all the things on one’s list): 3 wds.
Most licentious
Eli or Peyton of football
Marionette manipulator
T. ____ Price
Stolen stuff
Was very deeply affected by, as criticism or advice: 3 wds.
Keyboard user
Hymn author Isaac
Anyplace
It can precede “number” or “cloth”
Like used clothing

COMING NEXT WEEK. . .

* A Crypticrostic!

Submit your answers to glmathgrant[at]gmail[dot]com. Until next time, keep on living, and yappy solving!

Wordy Wednesday 169: Anawordsearch 2 & Wordy Wednesday 170: Pent Words 34

WORDY WEDNESDAY #165

PENT WORDS 33 (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:
Anthony Bailey **
Giovanni Pagano **
Jack Bross **
James Sinnett **
John Reid **
M. Sean Molley **
Pavel Curtis **
Bryce Herdt **
Lewis Chen **
Rained Mirror **
Ryan Faley **
Sam Levitin **
yyw **

WORDY WEDNESDAY #166

SECTION SIX 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:
Anthony Bailey **
Giovanni Pagano **
Jack Bross **
James Sinnett **
John Reid **
M. Sean Molley **
Bryce Herdt **
Lewis Chen **
Ryan Faley **
Sam Levitin **
yyw **

WORDY WEDNESDAY #167

TOUCHWORD 3 (hint)

As of this writing, a number of 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 #168

TOUCHWORD 4 (hint)

As of this writing, a number of 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!

GUEST PUZZLE ON RYAN FALEY'S BLOG!

This week's puzzle on Redhead64's Obscure Puzzle Blog! is a guest puzzle by me. Enjoy!

DOUBLE WORDY WEDNESDAYS ALL MONTH!

WORDY WEDNESDAY #169

ANAWORDSEARCH 2

(click here for a PDF version)

This puzzle contains a word suggested by patron Jack Bross. Support me on Patreon at the $5 per month level and solve the monthly Patron Puzzle for a chance to suggest a seed word for a future puzzle, or at the $20 per month level to suggest one seed word every month!

(A sequel to WW67.)

Personal journal __ __ __ __ __
                 H1 F2 A6 G4 B2
Small rowboat __ __ __ __ __ __
              H3 F5 D5 G8 D1 D6
Demystify __ __ __ __ __ __ __
          A2 G2 E4 E3 D4 A5 D8
____ Rapids, MI (RAPIDS and 11 other words of 4+ letters that  __ __ __ __ __
   can follow this answer are hidden in the word search above) E1 H2 B4 H4 G6
Wallflower __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
           E6 C5 H6 H8 A8 B5 C8 A1 C1
Wild canine of Asia and Africa __ __ __ __ __ __
                               E2 D3 A3 C7 G1 B3
Sweat __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
      A4 B1 C2 F3 G5 E8 D7 F4
Umpire’s shout __ __ __ __
               E5 C4 F7 G7
Dog breed whose name comes from the German word for “pointed” __ __ __ __ __
                                                              B7 B8 G3 F6 C6
Like a 9-0 Supreme Court ruling __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
                                D2 F8 H5 A7 B6 C3 E7 F1 H7

WORDY WEDNESDAY #170

PENT WORDS 34

(click here for a PDF version)

This puzzle contains a word suggested by patron M. Sean Molley. Support me on Patreon at the $5 per month level and solve the monthly Patron Puzzle for a chance to suggest a seed word for a future puzzle, or at the $20 per month level to suggest one seed word every month!

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 "Code Monkey" singer Jonathan / It may come in cubes
2 Item on an abacus / "When The Roll Is Called Up ____" (Christian hymn)
3 Opah's organ / Undoes a mistake, perhaps
4 Scissors sound / Cease and ____
5 Finished / Insect which the Pokémon Scyther resembles
6 Pupa protector / Item at a funeral
7 Title cat of a 2016 comedy (side note: when I used this clue in a GAMES World of Puzzles submission, they replaced it with a boring one about Reeves from The Matrix) / They're followed by the finals
8 Hitch / Sudden, sharp pain
9 First name of the singer of "All I Want For Christmas Is You" / Formation on a healed wound
10 Nolo contendere, for one / Resentful
PENTOMINOES:
* HALF OF THE FINAL ANSWER
* THE OTHER HALF OF THE FINAL ANSWER
* Tree whose leaf is on the Canadian flag
* The Little Engine That ____
* Type of elephant with smaller ears than the African one
* Tine
* "____ Front Property" (George Strait song)
* DVD player button
* Provide food for an event
* Evil spirit
* Yields
* Music staff symbols indicating silence
* With The, site that sells "I Enjoy Branded Merchandise" coffee mugs
* Commence
* Clothing items in a Dr. Seuss title
* Stingy person
* Item for a nun
* Partners of ventricles
* 1990-1997 sitcom set in Nantucket
* Harrison's successor

COMING NEXT WEEK. . .

* What word can precede “number” or “cloth”?
* Patron Puzzle #26, which will be delivered exclusively to Patreon supporters ($5 or more per month), is a giant Anacrossword with 206 letters!

Submit your answers to glmathgrant[at]gmail[dot]com. Until next time, keep on living, and yappy solving!

Patron Puzzles for Philanthropy Update: The Signed Magazine Four-Pack!

Did you know that I've been published in print magazines a few times? It's true!

While supplies last, for a charitable donation of US$30 or more, you can buy yourself SIGNED COPIES of the Winter 2015 and Spring 2015 issues of Will Shortz's Wordplay (to which I contributed two Pathfinder puzzles) and the May 2017 and August 2017 issues of Games World of Puzzles (to which I contributed a Pent Words and a Hex Pathfinder, respectively). That's a bunch of word puzzles and logic puzzles, not to mention four signatures from everyone's favorite furry puzzlesmith!

If you live outside of the USA, please also make a US$20 payment to my PayPal at glmathgrant[at]gmail[dot]com to cover shipping; I will refund any money in excess of the actual shipping costs.

As a reminder, 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 magazines. I am currently soliciting donations to these three charities:

• Child's Play Charity, which outfits children's hospitals and shelters with toys and games, making coping with the circumstances which put them there just a little bit easier.
• Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders, which provides emergency medical aid around the world.
• American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, which aims to prevent suicide. As a suicidal depression sufferer and near victim myself, it seems like a worthy cause.

I'm also still offering the original Patron Puzzles for Philanthropy pack (24 previously Patreon-exclusive word puzzles for US$11.10) and the LiveJournal Logic Pack (300 logic puzzles for US$3).

I currently make US$104 a month on Patreon. If, from now until July 31, 2017, I raise at least US$104 with my Patron Puzzles for Philanthropy Initiative, I will construct a giant Anacrossword (around 200 letters) for a Wordy Wednesday puzzle! To get a feel for how a giant Anacrossword solves, check out Wordy Wednesday 100. Please spread the word about Patron Puzzles for Philanthropy amongst all of your puzzle-loving friends to make this happen!

Until next time, keep on living, and yappy solving!

Wordy Wednesday 167: Touchword 3 & Wordy Wednesday 168: Touchword 4

WORDY WEDNESDAY #163

PATHFINDER 4 (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:
Anthony Bailey **
Giovanni Pagano **
Jack Bross **
Bryce Herdt **
Jason Boomer **
John Reid **
Lewis Chen **
Ryan Faley **
Sam Levitin **
yyw **

WORDY WEDNESDAY #164

HEX PATHFINDER 9 (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:
Anthony Bailey **
Giovanni Pagano **
Jack Bross **
Bryce Herdt **
Jason Boomer **
John Reid **
Lewis Chen **
Ryan Faley **
Sam Levitin **
yyw **

WORDY WEDNESDAY #165

PENT WORDS 33 (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 #166

SECTION SIX 16 (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!

DOUBLE WORDY WEDNESDAYS ALL MONTH!

WORDY WEDNESDAY #167

TOUCHWORD 3

(click here for a PDF version)

In a crossword, words cross each other; in this puzzle, they merely touch. More specifically, 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. (You can think of it as a diagramless, cylindrical Share-A-Letter puzzle.)

Arrange the letters in the shaded spaces to form the final answer, an 8-letter word.

1 Capital on the River Thames / Popular gum flavor
2 Reduce the volume of, perhaps / Unwanted critter
3 Satisfied / Always
4 Deplaned / ____ the Dragon (Bruce Lee flick) / Disney character who says, “Thanks for noticin' me”
5 “Where were you on the night of the murder?” response / “If I Could Turn Back Time” singer / ____ a reasonable doubt
6 Language of the Qur’an / Parsley, for example / “Row, Row, Row Your Boat”, often
7 College student organization, briefly / Crossword writers’ favorite tennis player Arthur / Revel
8 Mister ____ (Marvel character) / Completely comfortable: 2 wds.
9 Airline with a kangaroo logo / A region in China / “Days in the ____” (Drake song)
10 Repeat someone else’s words, perhaps / 2017, for example / Long pole on a ship
11 Part of the small intestine / State for which Bernie Sanders is a Senator
12 Place from which the only way to go is back: 2 wds. / Connotation
13 Diane of Annie Hall / Recipient of a charitable gift / Kind
14 Bootlick / Second to ____ / The Prince of ____ (1998 film)
15 Dope / Henrik Ibsen play with incidental music by Edvard Grieg: 2 wds.

WORDY WEDNESDAY #168

TOUCHWORD 4

(click here for a PDF version)

This puzzle contains a word suggested by patron Anthony Bailey. Support me on Patreon at the $5 per month level and solve the monthly Patron Puzzle for a chance to suggest a seed word for a future puzzle, or at the $20 per month level to suggest one seed word every month!
In a crossword, words cross each other; in this puzzle, they merely touch. More specifically, 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. (You can think of it as a diagramless, cylindrical Share-A-Letter puzzle.)

Arrange the letters in the shaded spaces to form the final answer, an 8-letter word.

1 Six of these clues (including this one) have them / The Amazing ____ (TV series)
2 Richard Carpenter’s sister in The Carpenters / Near miss: 2 wds.
3 It became divided in 1948 / Plumbing problem / Act properly
4 ____ bear (Alaskan mammal) / Rotary kitchen utensil
5 Word after “social” or “mass” / Beer barrels / Depression created by a meteorite
6 Shea Stadium team until 2008 / Eight 0’s and/or 1’s / What some food is made from
7 The Great ____ (F. Scott Fitzgerald novel) / Musical speed / Gateway ____ (Missouri landmark)
8 Open wide, as one’s mouth / Spruce up / TV personality who received a Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2013
9 Escapade / Former Twitter CEO Williams / Cottonwood, for one
10 Brief appearance / Informal speech
11 Message upon losing your last life: 2 wds. / Power
12 Zootopia character voiced by Shakira / Fur ____ (site that probably has much fan art of the aforementioned character)
13 Witch ____ / Page / Complete
14 Unfriendly / Remove imperfections from, as a photograph
15 Sticky note trademark: hyph. / ____ apparent / Martial artist Lee

COMING NEXT WEEK. . .

* What's a 5-letter word for "Dog breed whose name comes from the German word for 'pointed'"?
* What's a 5-letter word for "With The, site that sells 'I Enjoy Branded Merchandise' coffee mugs"?

Submit your answers to glmathgrant[at]gmail[dot]com. Until next time, keep on living, and yappy solving!

Wordy Wednesday 165: Pent Words 33 & Wordy Wednesday 166: Section Six 16

WORDY WEDNESDAY #161

CRYPTICROSTIC 2 (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:
Anthony Bailey **
Edderiofer He **
Giovanni Pagano **
Jack Bross **
Adam Weaver **
Bryce Herdt **
Deusovi **
Ryan Faley **
Sam Levitin *

WORDY WEDNESDAY #162

ANACROSSWORD 11 (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:
Anthony Bailey **
Giovanni Pagano **
Jack Bross **
Adam Weaver **
Bryce Herdt **
Jason Boomer **
Ryan Faley **
Sam Levitin **
yyw **

WORDY WEDNESDAY #163

PATHFINDER 4 (hint)

As of this writing, 7 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 #164

HEX PATHFINDER 9 (hint)

As of this writing, 7 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!

DOUBLE WORDY WEDNESDAYS ALL MONTH!

WORDY WEDNESDAY #165

PENT WORDS 33

(click here for a PDF version)

This puzzle contains a word suggested by patron Pavel Curtis. Support me on Patreon at the $5 per month level and solve the monthly Patron Puzzle for a chance to suggest a seed word for a future puzzle, or at the $20 per month level to suggest one seed word every month!

 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 Machine used by Nazi Germany to encrypt messages / Companion of Crackle and Pop
2 Psychiatrist, slangily / Spengler of Ghostbusters
3 Certain sculptures / Triple ____ (orange-flavored liqueur)
4 Avis competitor / Worth
5 Mario Tennis character with an egg on his racket / Slowly wear away
6 ____ baller / Not large
7 "Baby ____ Back" (Sir Mix-A-Lot song) / French painter Marcel
8 The Jetsons' family dog / Hopping mad
9 Craziness / Clue
10 "____ the World" (Eric Clapton song) / Lascivious look

PENTOMINOES:
* HALF OF THE FINAL ANSWER
* THE OTHER HALF OF THE FINAL ANSWER
* Andean pack animal
* Preach to the ____
* Comic detective Dick
* ____-hair pasta
* Last Greek letter
* College paper
* Spanish explorer Juan ____ de León
* Pillages
* Midday meal
* Rand McNally offering
* Suppose
* "To ____ own self be true"
* Avoid
* Practitioner of the world's third-largest religion
* Comedian Cheech
* Game show host Tomarken
* Pleasant smell
* Creature in a pit, perhaps

WORDY WEDNESDAY #166

SECTION SIX 16

(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 River in the title of a Strauss waltz
2 A catapult relative, or a wild ass
3 Prefer
4 Secret code in which a message is written
5 Aptly-named Cerulean Gym leader specializing in Water-type Pokémon
6 One worshiping a false god

Ring 2
* Signature hairstyle for Bob Ross
* Plentiful
* Monarchy advocate
* Former Secretary of Labor Robert
* Turn a hypothesis into a theorem

Ring 3
* Perimeter
* Linger
* Restaurant chain renowned for flapjacks
* A Nightmare on Elm Street director Wes

Ring 4
* The blood of the Greek gods
* Big name in door-to-door cosmetics sales
* Belt that holds ammunition

Ring 5
* ____ Bunker's Place (All in the Family spin-off)
* "____ Bridge is falling down. . ."

Ring 6
* One of sixteen in the title of a 1984 romance flick

COMING NEXT WEEK. . .

* A pair of Touchwords!

Submit your answers to glmathgrant[at]gmail[dot]com. Until next time, keep on living, and yappy solving!

Wordy Wednesday 163: Pathfinder 4 & Wordy Wednesday 164: Hex Pathfinder 9

WORDY WEDNESDAY #160

PENT WORDS 32 (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:
Anthony Bailey **
Benjamin Smith **
Giovanni Pagano **
Jack Bross **
James Sinnett **
Bryce Herdt **
cohendeb **
Lewis Chen **
Ryan Faley **
Sam Levitin **
yyw **

WORDY WEDNESDAY #161

CRYPTICROSTIC 2 (hint)

As of this writing, 7 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 #162

ANACROSSWORD 11 (hint)

As of this writing, 7 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!

DOUBLE WORDY WEDNESDAYS ALL MONTH!

WORDY WEDNESDAY #163

PATHFINDER 4

(click here for a PDF version)

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 Movie where Bill Murray wakes up on February 2. . . over and over. . . (9 3)
2 Some dyed fabric (5)
3 City in northwest Mexico (7)
4 Canada’s 23rd Prime Minister (6 7)
5 Divvy out sparingly (5)
6 Establishment offering coin-operated washers and driers (10)
7 At a brisk pace, in music (7)
8 "Hey, Soul Sister" group (5)
9 Place where horses are kept (6)
10 Dog in Peter Pan (4)
11 Do a housemaid’s chore (4)
12 Like some awakenings (4)
13 Popular variety of red vegetable (well, fruit, technically) (4 6)
14 Actress Melissa Joan (4)
15 Poet Nash (5)
16 Basketball feat (4 4)
17 Favorable sign (7)
18 Cosmopolitan ingredient (6 3)
19 Care for the terminally ill (7)
20 Torpid (8)
21 Form in which some medicine is taken (7)
22 Reverberate (4)
23 The answer to this clue is a four-letter one (4)
24 Yearn (4)
25 Regulars at shindigs (5 7)
26 Musician with the album Hard II Love (5)
27 False religious teaching (6)
28 Ready to retire (6)

WORDY WEDNESDAY #164

HEX PATHFINDER 9

(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 Movie where Bill Murray wakes up on February 2. . . over and over. . . (12, 2 wds.)
1SW “I’m rubber, you’re ____. . .” (4)
2SE Attack from Chuck Norris, perhaps (14, 2 wds.)
3SE Word following “fourth” or “real” (6)
4NE Palmer’s pegs (4)
5SE It may be electric (5)
6SW Functional (6)
7SW Dragon voiced by Eddie Murphy (5)
7SW Pass ____ (measure up) (6)
8E Occurred (8)
9SE Having the power to review court decisions (9)
10SW Evil doll in Child’s Play (6)
11SE Greek goddess of victory (4)
12SE Frequently (5)
13NE Zelda game in which, as patron Daren Crevan informs me, you can photograph a fox (15, 4 wds.)
13W Annoy repeatedly (6)
14SW One group’s influence over another group (8)
15SW Man in drag, for example (12, 2 wds.)
16W U.S. President ____ Alan Arthur (7)
17W Steadily shrinks (8)
18E Like some orders (4)
19SW Close securely (4)
20SW Nonsense (10)
21NW Clunker (5)
22NW Moderated discussion between opposing parties (6)
23NW Indifference (6)
23NW Native Americans for whom a helicopter is named (7)
24NW ____ the Planet of the Apes (1970 film) (7)
25SW Escape, as a pursuer (5)
26NW Bad thing to have pulled over your eyes (4)
27NW ____ Forest (Robin Hood setting) (8)
28NE Puff ____ (5)
29E Prevented, as a crisis (7)

COMING NEXT WEEK. . .

* What's a 5-letter word for "Game show host Tomarken"?
* What'a s 6-letter word for "One of sixteen in the title of a 1984 romance flick"?

Submit your answers to glmathgrant[at]gmail[dot]com. Until next time, keep on living, and yappy solving!

Wordy Wednesday 161: Crypticrostic 2 & Wordy Wednesday 162: Anacrossword 11

WORDY WEDNESDAY #159

FOXGERYPTICS 7 (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:
Anthony Bailey **
Benjamin Smith **
Giovanni Pagano **
Jack Bross **
M. Sean Molley *
Bryce Herdt **
Chris Hendricks **
Lewis Chen **
Ryan Faley **
Sam Levitin *
Yossi Fendel **
yyw **

WORDY WEDNESDAY #160

PENT WORDS 32 (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!

FIFTH WEDNESDAY OF THE MONTH = DOUBLE WORDY WEDNESDAYS!

WORDY WEDNESDAY #161

CRYPTICROSTIC 2

(click here for a PDF version)

The answer is two words of length (6 6).
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
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 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53

Broken glass in traffic lights __ __ __ __ __ __ __
                               16 20 28 53 07 47 37
Covered in vines, I struggled __ __ __ __ __
                              04 22 52 43 29
Enthusiastic prima donna heading west __ __ __ __
                                      44 14 26 41
Japanese military leader's firearm loses temperature __ __ __ __ __ __
                                                     49 13 18 32 36 27
Lanky leader is meditating __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
                           12 42 15 21 51 01 31 06 
Resentment: the way I see it, briefly, __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
   it's bad in the slightest degree    39 02 17 08 23 50 11 46 33
Rotated to handle a weapon, reportedly __ __ __ __ __ __ __
                                       10 34 48 38 24 09 03
Surround and endlessly covet metal __ __ __ __ __ __ __
                                   05 40 25 30 45 35 19

WORDY WEDNESDAY #162

ANACROSSWORD 11

(click here for a PDF version)

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
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 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99
Horror-struck
Composer Lloyd Webber
Don’t Wake ____ (Children’s board game)
Research’s partner
Rung on the ladder of success
Prepare for slaughter, perhaps
“I once was lost, but now am ____. . .” (“Amazing Grace”)
Actress Goldie
Kuala Lumpur’s country
Stuff inside a bone
Not in favor
Children’s game with the goal of separating linked hands: 2 wds.
Payback
“Natural ____ will not remove ignorance from future generations.” (Richard Dawkins)
Bravado
Laboratory item: 2 wds.
Catcher’s name in “Who’s on First?”
Pisa is famous for a leaning one
Gossipmonger

COMING NEXT WEEK. . .

* A pair of Pathfinders!
* Patron Puzzle #25, which will be delivered exclusively to Patreon supporters ($5 or more per month), is a Framelinks!

Until next time, keep on living, and yappy solving!

Patron Puzzles for Philanthropy update: The LiveJournal Logic Pack!

Before I started "A Cleverly-Titled Logic Puzzle Blog" (remember the days when I posted logic puzzles on this blog? The foxy badger in my new banner by PunkJax doesn't!), I had a LiveJornal blog called "*Insert Clever Title Here*". My, how my titling skills have improved since then. After posting 99 puzzles publicly, I decided as an experiment to offer my future puzzles on a password-protected page and sell access to it. I got up to puzzle 300 before I decided that I craved the attention that a public blog would get me and started the blog you're reading right now; without it, I doubt I would have attracted the attention of World Puzzle Championship veteran Thomas Snyder and become one of the most prolific contributors to Grandmaster Puzzles. A ZIP file of all 300 logic puzzles can be yours for the low price of US$3.00. A handful of these puzzles have appeared on this blog before (mostly when debuting new puzzle types), but most are unavailable elsewhere (including the original 99 puzzles, ever since the image hosting service they were on went down or removed the images).

As a reminder, 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 300 logic puzzles of varying difficulties. (Solutions are, sadly, not included.) I am currently soliciting donations to these three charities:

• Child's Play Charity, which outfits children's hospitals and shelters with toys and games, making coping with the circumstances which put them there just a little bit easier.
• Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders, which provides emergency medical aid around the world.
• New to this update: American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, which aims to prevent suicide. As a suicidal depression sufferer and near victim myself, it seems like a worthy cause. (I'll accept donations to any reputable mental health or suicide-prevention charity, but this particular one seems relatively broad in its scope.)

Please spread the word about Patron Puzzles for Philanthropy amongst all of your puzzle-loving friends. I want to do as much good as I possibly can. So far, I've raised a total of US$135 for these three charities, which is surprising given how little clout I possess in the puzzle community. Every dollar raised through this initiative will hopefully make the world a better place. It would be lovely to host such charity initiatives on a website at some point, but websites are way above my pay grade, so for now, I'll just accept forwarded receipts from charitable donations.

Until next time, keep on living, and yappy solving!

Puzzle 619: Fencing Match 53

I turn 30 tomorrow, so have this pair of 30th birthday cakes. This puzzle was originally posted over 11 years ago on my LiveJournal, where it was written for the 30th birthday of fellow puzzle writer (and my greatest inspiration at the time) Adam "Zotmeister" Wood, meaning I was almost 19 when I wrote it, yet upon re-solving it it feels like the kind of puzzle I'd write today, so I thought I'd remake it in my newer image style and share it here. Special thanks to patron Edderiofer He for asking me for images of the old LiveJournal puzzles (the images are no longer available on the LiveJournal itself) and finding this in the ZIP archive.

Rules of Fencing Match

On the lack of recent Wordy Wednesday posts.

You may have noticed that Wordy Wednesday puzzles have not gone up last Wednesday nor this Wednesday. That's because I was not at my computer to make said posts. I was undergoing inpatient therapy at Oceans Behavioral Hospital for suicidal depression which I have battled for over 9 years. This happened too suddenly for me to give anyone any kind of warning. The first two days were absolute living hell, and my first roommate having memory problems and driving me crazy by appropriating my belongings thinking they were his drive me so crazy that I wanted to injure myself and go to a regular hospital so I wouldn't have a roommate to worry about; however, the staff made it very clear that if I did so, I'd just end up back at the behavioral hospital afterwards. I had to play along if I wanted to get out, whether to kill myself and make sure I never go back or to go out and enjoy life. A combination of coping skills and medicine has me back in the mood to live, at least long enough to celebrate my 30th birthday.

Living with autism is the worst. You can feel very irrational things and have a rational side of your brain which recognizes those things as such, yet feel trapped in feeling them. Past few months, I've been feeling like I need to kill myself over every single tiny foul-up I commit. The latest one? Getting banned from a Twitch stream I hadn't followed in a while for saying I'd watch for old times sake while waiting for another streamer to return from lunch. If you don't have autism, believe me, you don't want it. I'd give up all my puzzle-writing talents to be a normal person, without this irrational suicidal depression stuff. But since I'm stuck with it, I'll work on overcoming my issues and providing you with puzzle-related entertainment.

To give me time to recuperate and readjust to the real world, I will resume the Wordy Wednesday series next week. To compensate for the missing weeks, every week in June will be a double puzzle week!

I want to devote myself more to mental illness and/or suicide activism in the future. Are there any good charities for these things that I could add to my Patron Puzzles for Philanthropy initiative? The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention has a four-star rating on Charity Navigator, and seems like a good candidate.

Until next time, keep on living, and yappy solving!

Wordy Wednesday 160: Pent Words 32

WORDY WEDNESDAY #158

CRYPTICROSTIC (answer)

It's been two weeks, so time to unveil 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:
Anthony Bailey **
Benjamin Smith **
Edderiofer He **
Giovanni Pagano **
Jack Bross **
M. Sean Molley **
Adam Weaver **
Bryce Herdt **
Deusovi **
Jason Boomer **
Ryan Faley **
Sam Levitin **

WORDY WEDNESDAY #159

FOXGERYPTICS 7 (hint)

As of this writing, 10 people have solved last week's 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 #160

PENT WORDS 32

(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 Terrier's tether / Additional
2 Material in an Elvis song title / Because
3 Become dry and wrinkled / "Friends in ____ Places" (Garth Brooks song)
4 Peter of tongue twister fame / Private instructor
5 ____ deco / Like the shape of DNA
6 Be a skeptic / Extremely angry
7 Dis / Item worn around the neck in cold weather, perhaps
8 One shouting "Safe!", perhaps / Marlin's son
9 Kerchief / "See ya!"
10 Makes a quick note / Old ____ (1957 Disney film)

PENTOMINOES:
* HALF OF THE FINAL ANSWER
* THE OTHER HALF OF THE FINAL ANSWER
* New York city on the Mohawk River
* The ____ of Nibbleswicke (Roald Dahl book)
* Kazooie's partner
* "I Can't ____ 55" (Sammy Hagar song)
* Hotel lobby
* Impatient
* Saturday Night Live announcer Don
* A new ____ on life
* Fluid injected through the anus
* There are 19 in the board game Catan
* "Drops of Jupiter" band
* Large violin relative
* Japanese dish of rice and fish
* ____ of the ball
* The fourth most populous city in Australia
* Name on Joy Villa's dress at the 2017 Grammy Awards
* Large brass instruments
* Statue of Liberty's island

COMING NEXT WEEK. . .

* More cryptic clues!

Until next time, yappy solving!

Patron Puzzles for Philanthropy Preview: Mini Cryptic Crossword Plus

Thus far, my charity initiative Patron Puzzles for Philanthropy, wherein a charitable donation of US$11.10 can get you a pack of 24 puzzles and 2 small metas, has raised a total of US$65 for Child's Play Charity and Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders. I decided to write this puzzle, a smaller version of Patron Puzzle #24, as a preview of what to expect in this puzzle pack, Have fun with it!

PATRON PUZZLES FOR PHILANTHROPY PREVIEW:

MINI CRYPTIC CROSSWORD PLUS

(click here for a PDF version)

In this cryptic crossword, the answer from the wordplay half of each clue contains an extra letter. For example, if the clue were "Shy memo for North American canine (6)", the answer would be COYOTE, as clued by "North American canine"; the wordplay half clues COY+NOTE, which has an extra N. These extra letters can be anagrammed to produce this puzzle’s final 8-letter answer.

ACROSS
1 Nannies head west for a buck (4)
6 Orchestra's initially considerate with a wind instrument (7)
7 Excellent supporter, at last (7)
8 Endless ceremony for poet Dove (4)
DOWN
2 Tennessee firearm: it's not worth much (6)
3 Ms. Knight is joyful, certainly (6)
4 Derisive person's strongbox (6)
5 Refrigerator decoration destroyed garment (6)

If you enjoyed this puzzle, consider participating in Patron Puzzles for Philanthropy. For the price of US$11.10, you will get access to a larger version of the puzzle above (with 31 cryptic clues instead of a mere 8) and a bunch of other puzzles that don't involve cryptic clues. For philanthropic people on a budget, I now offer this: you can get Patron Puzzle #24, Cryptic Crossword Plus, for a donation of just US$1! Hey, every little bit helps, they say. :)

Until next time, yappy solving!

Wordy Wednesday 159: Foxgeryptics 7

WORDY WEDNESDAY #157

DIV IDE DIN TOT RIP LES 3 (answer)

It's been two weeks, so time to unveil 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:
Anthony Bailey **
Benjamin Smith *
Giovanni Pagano **
Jack Bross **
James Sinnett **
Bryce Herdt **
Ryan Faley **
Sam Levitin **

WORDY WEDNESDAY #158

CRYPTICROSTIC (hint)

As of this writing, 12 people have solved last week's puzzle. Haven't solved it yet? Here's an easier version. The type of wordplay involved in each clue is specified in an effort to give cryptic crossword novices a foothold. 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!

PATRON PUZZLES FOR PHILANTHROPY!

I have recently begun an initiative called Patron Puzzles For Philanthropy, wherein my first 24 Patron Puzzles will be made available to those who make charitable donations to Child's Play Charity and Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders. Click the link for more info!

WORDY WEDNESDAY #159

FOXGERYPTICS 7

(click here for a PDF version)

This puzzle contains word suggested by patrons Anthony Bailey, James Sinnett, and M. Sean Molley. Support me on Patreon at the $5 per month level and solve the monthly Patron Puzzle for a chance to suggest a seed word for a future puzzle, or at the $20 per month level to suggest one seed word every month!
Insert a single letter in each space of each grid so that each grid's five rows and five columns spells a word from left to right or top to bottom (including the letters outside the grid). Arrange the letters in the shaded spaces to form the final answer, an eight-letter word.

COMING NEXT WEEK. . .

* What'a s 5-letter word for "Saturday Night Live announcer Don"?

Until next time, yappy solving!