Wordy Wednesday 514: Diagramless Crossword 10 & Wordy Wednesday 515: Pent Words 103

WORDY WEDNESDAY #512
DIVIDED INTO COLUMNS 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:
Bonnie Veenschoten **
Cathy Bowen **
Michael Lebowitz **
Tyler Hinman **
Jason Boomer **
Kevin Orfield **
Ryan Faley **
Sam Levitin **

WORDY WEDNESDAY #513
DIVIDED INTO COLUMNS 12 (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!

LAST WEDNESDAY OF THE MONTH = DOUBLE WORDY WEDNESDAYS!
WORDY WEDNESDAY #514
DIAGRAMLESS CROSSWORD 10
(click here for a PDF version)

This crossword has 58 entries in a 15x15 grid, obeys American crossword rules, and has standard rotational symmetry.

ACROSS
1 “While My Guitar Gently ____”
6 Andy Warhol’s movement: 2 wds.
7 Rapper Tyler, The ____
8 Excessively
9 Longoria of Desperate Housewives
10 First part of a clue to the final answer: ? wds.
16 Barkin of Drop Dead Gorgeous (1999)
17 Goof up
18 Prank
21 Talks
23 Young lady
25 Long fish
26 Word after “income” or “sales”
27 Assist
29 The Wild Bunch (1969) director Peckinpah
31 McElhenney of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia
33 Sloth in the Ice Age films
35 You might wear one while dining on ribs
37 25 Words or Less emcee Meredith
39 Bear, in Barcelona
40 Spigot on a cask
42 Killed, as a dragon
43 Second part of a clue to the final answer: ? wds.
47 Hot tub
48 Schumer of stand-up
49 Pays attention
52 Give drugs to a druggie, for example
53 New ____, India
DOWN
1 “____ is me!”
2 Grp. concerned with pollution
3 Consumed
4 Brigham Young University’s city
5 ____ World (2022 Disney film)
6 Poetry’s opposite
7 Gathering of comic fans, briefly
8 Big name in toy trucks
10 ____ Side Story
11 Beto O’Rourke’s birthplace: 2 wds.
12 Bledel of Gilmore Girls
13 Pod vegetable
14 Unit of work
15 Important time periods
19 Antenna
20 “Conga” singer Estefan
22 Bro or sis
24 Loo
28 Featherbrain
30 Young lady
32 You can go out with one
34 Vehicle pulled by huskies
36 Sheepish sound
38 One of Santa’s helpers
41 Flat two-dimensional surface in geometry
44 Express a view
45 Pertaining to a sniffing organ
46 They’re twice as wide as ens
50 “Quite frankly”, in a text message
51 Peyton Manning’s brother

WORDY WEDNESDAY #515
PENT WORDS 103
(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 Crustacean that’s often the “Maine” dish / Doze
2 Prophet whose name means “salvation” in Hebrew / Came up
3 Ginger ____ / Pommel horse user
4 “Do ____ others. . .” / Eucalyptus-eating marsupials
5 Sprang / Item supporting an injured arm, perhaps
6 Operatic solo / Native American tribe whose language was used by WWII code talkers
7 Sounds / With !, onomatopoeic title of Terry Pratchett’s 34th Discworld novel
8 Male merino / Starting the pot
9 Cow’s nipple / Hiss of meat being fried
10 Unaccompanied / “____ Seems to Be the Hardest Word” (Elton John song)
PENTOMINOES:
* HALF OF THE FINAL ANSWER
* THE OTHER HALF OF THE FINAL ANSWER
* Condiment magnate Henry John ____
* Daniel of City Slickers (1991)
* Hillbilly ____ (2020 film)
* Eagle’s claw
* Speak pompously
* Frequent
* Devil ray
* Motortruck, to a Brit
* ____ Shrugged (Ayn Rand novel)
* Grey wolves
* Herb related to the carrot
* Become educated
* Church projections
* Sailor’s “Stop!”
* Shoptalk
* Clothing measurements
* Certain African ungulate
* Drawbridges can help you get across them

COMING NEXT WEEK. . .

* What's a 6-letter word for "State in which Area 51 is located"?

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

Wordy Wednesday 513: Divided Into Columns 12

WORDY WEDNESDAY #511
ANACROSSWORD 27 (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 **
Michael Lebowitz **
Nan **
Stephen Potter **
Tyler Hinman **
Jason Boomer **
Kevin Orfield **
Ryan Faley **
Sam Levitin **

WORDY WEDNESDAY #512
DIVIDED INTO COLUMNS 11 (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 #513
DIVIDED INTO COLUMNS 12
(click here for a PDF version)
(click here for rules)

“Quit while you’re ____” __ __ __ __ __
                         04 35 55 67 86
Helper __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
       24 16 76 43 74 91 57 40 50
Eli Whitney’s famous invention: 2 wds. __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
                                       62 46 88 19 10 53 02 36 84
Scare __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
      39 70 73 41 52 81 28 26
Language from which we get the word “polenta” __ __ __ __ __ __ __
                                              80 69 07 45 22 89 32
Author of the memoir Becoming: 2 wds. __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
                                      05 31 08 42 47 64 18 68 87 72 54 25 82
Plumbing fixture in many rural areas __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
                                     48 03 85 29 23 14 77 15
Hairy spider that’s popular as a pet __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
                                     59 79 30 66 13 20 61 44 01
“I Wanna Rock” band: 2 wds. __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
                            34 71 09 60 27 21 11 17 63 56 49 90 75
“Captain” who’s Mr. Krupp’s superhero alter ego __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
                                                78 83 51 38 33 06 58 12 65 37

COMING NEXT WEEK. . .

* What is the name of Peyton Manning’s brother?
* What's a 5-letter word for "Condiment magnate Henry John ____"?

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

Patron Puzzles for Philanthropy: Patron Puzzles for Philanthropy Pack #4

Patron Puzzles for Philanthropy Pack #4 is the biggest Patron Puzzles for Philanthropy pack yet! As a sequel to the three previous packs, this pack consists of Patron Puzzles #73-#100, all of which were exclusive to Patreon supporters. It also includes issues #4, #5, and #6 of Fox & Badger Magazine, my digital faux magazine which returns with a vengeance after being absent in the previous pack. Each issue contains not only a suite of puzzles with a meta at the end, but also a new Odds & Ends section with a variety of other puzzles to solve. By my count, there are over 140 puzzles altogether, and they're yours for US$10.

This time around, Patron Puzzles include the following:

* Six Codewords puzzles (example).

* One large Snake Crisscross puzzle (example).

* A themed 15x15 Pathfinder puzzle (example) which may have been my most well-received Patron Puzzle to date.

* Three diagramless crossword puzzles (example).

* Three Super Pent Words puzzles, in which some of the answers in a standard 10x10 Pent Words combine to make a miniature 5x5 Pent Words.

* Two Mini-Puzzle Fun Packs with several bite-sized grids to tackle.

* A weirdly experimental puzzle hidden in a custom Chip's Challenge level pack.

* And much more!

As a reminder, this is a charity initiative. Please e-mail me (glmathgrantATgmailDOTcom) a copy of your charitable receipt to my local food bank, the Food Bank of West Central Texas, to receive this puzzle pack. (It must be a new donation, dated no earlier than one day before you email me.) Click here for a list of all of the puzzle packs in this initiative. Happy solving!

Patron Puzzles for Philanthropy: A list of available puzzle packs

Below is a list of all of the puzzle packs available in the Patron Puzzles for Philanthropy series. To make the math simpler, this series has been reformatted so that every pack costs either US$2.50, US$5, or US$10. I have also decided to narrow the focus to the Food Bank for West Central Texas, my local food bank, as charity on a more local level is where my passion has been as of late. Please e-mail me (glmathgrantATgmailDOTcom) a copy of the receipt for your donation to receive the puzzle pack(s) of your choice. (It must be a new donation, dated no earlier than one day before you email me.) The current combined price of all of the packs below is US$95, if you wish to get them all. Happy solving!

$10 Packs
* Patron Puzzles for Philanthropy Pack #1: Patron Puzzles #1-#24 and Fox & Badger Magazine issues #1 and #2, all previously exclusive to Patreon supporters.
* Patron Puzzles for Philanthropy Pack #2: Patron Puzzles #25-#48 and Fox & Badger Magazine issue #3, all previously exclusive to Patreon supporters.
* Patron Puzzles for Philanthropy Pack #3: Patron Puzzles #49-#72, all previously exclusive to Patreon supporters.
* Patron Puzzles for Philanthropy Pack #4: Patron Puzzles #73-#100 and Fox & Badger Magazine issues #4, #5, and #6, all previously exclusive to Patreon supporters.
* Anacrossword Twenty-Pack: 20 crossword-style puzzles which reveal quotes as you fill them in.
* Anacrossword Twenty-Pack Two: 20 crossword-style puzzles which reveal quotes as you fill them in.
* Anacrossword Twenty-Pack Three: 20 crossword-style puzzles which reveal quotes as you fill them in.
$5 Packs
* LiveJournal Logic Pack: 300 vintage logic puzzles in a variety of styles.
* Section Six Six-Plus-Six Pack: 12 Section Six puzzles full of well-rounded wordplay.
* Magnum Opus Snake Crisscross: Only one puzzle, but it's probably the largest of its kind ever written. Over 300 answers read across, down, and along slithery paths.
$2.50 Packs
* 10x10x10 Crosswords: 10 miniature crosswords, including themed, themeless, vwllss, and Something Different.
* 10x10x10 Crosswords II: 10 miniature crosswords, including themed, themeless, vwllss, and Something Different.
* 10x10x10 Crosswords III: 10 miniature crosswords, including themed, themeless, vwllss, and Something Different.
* 11x11x11 Touchword: 11 miniature specimens of my original invention Touchword, in which answers touch at identical letters rather than crossing.

Wordy Wednesday 512: Divided Into Columns 11

WORDY WEDNESDAY #509
TOUCHWORD 27 (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 **
Michael Lebowitz **
Stephen Potter **
Tyler Hinman **
Kevin Orfield **
Patrick Jordan **
Ryan Faley **
Sam Levitin **

WORDY WEDNESDAY #510
PENT WORDS 102 (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 **
Michael Lebowitz **
Stephen Potter **
Tyler Hinman **
Kevin Orfield **
Patrick Jordan *
Ryan Faley **
Sam Levitin **

WORDY WEDNESDAY #511
ANACROSSWORD 27 (hint)

As of this writing, 14 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 #512
DIVIDED INTO COLUMNS 11
(click here for a PDF version)
(click here for rules)

This puzzle contains words suggested by patron Cindy Heisler and SilvermoonHowler. 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!

Long-haired breed of hunting dog: 2 wds. __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
                                         96 43 11 80 55 29 04 33 47 64 15
Another name for a cougar or a lynx __ __ ___ __ __ __ ___ __ __
                                    18 69 103 48 82 06 100 75 78
____ suey __ __ __ ___
          26 79 65 102
Tony the Tiger’s cereal: 2 wds. __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
                                08 51 40 36 32 93 66 38 28 85 77 63 84
Off-kilter __ __ __ __ __ __ __
           97 62 31 05 44 54 24
Lemon- and lime-flavored  __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
   tonic beverage: 2 wds. 50 87 09 12 19 74 23 58 14 68 92 90
____ and development __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
                     95 59 35 30 07 41 73 89
Casino game with a wheel __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
                         98 71 86 67 52 17 57 42
Card game in which you can bid blind nil __ __ __ __ __ __
                                         13 16 22 76 94 46
Third-person shooter franchise in which players __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
   engage in turf wars with colored ink         56 25 53 37 03 60 83 10
____ Susan (1996-2000 sitcom) __ __ __ __ __ ___ __ __
                              72 99 01 88 81 101 39 21
The Horse ____ (1998 movie) __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
                            20 02 49 91 45 27 61 70 34

COMING NEXT WEEK. . .

* What's a 7-letter word for "Language from which we get the word 'polenta'"?

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

Wordy Wednesday 511: Anacrossword 27

WORDY WEDNESDAY #508
CRYPTICROSTIC 18 (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 **
Michael Lebowitz **
Nan **
Stephen Potter **
Tyler Hinman **
Ezra Brauner **
Kevin Orfield **
Ryan Faley **
Sam Levitin **

WORDY WEDNESDAY #509
TOUCHWORD 27 (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 #510
PENT WORDS 102 (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 #511
ANACROSSWORD 27
(click here for a PDF version)
(click here for rules)

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
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 99 100 101 102
• Like Cubist artwork
• Seat for some “quarterbacks”
• Harper’s ____ (fashion magazine)
• Sneaky thief: 2 wds.
• Combat pilot
• Steam-powered winch used in logging: 2 wds.
• Percussion instrument of the bass or snare variety
• Remove, as pencil marks
• Furniture namesake Allen
• Robbery
• Flightless bird of New Zealand
• Orlando’s NBA team
• Production company famous for the web series Red vs. Blue: 2 wds.
• Mischievous one
• Small item for tallying the points of an ongoing game
• Used up
• Upper leg
• Popeye’s cohort who would gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today

COMING NEXT WEEK. . .

* What's a 6-letter word for "Card game in which you can bid blind nil"?
* Patron Puzzle #103, which will be delivered on December 8, 2022, exclusively to Patreon supporters at the Super Fan level and up ($5 or more per month), is a Mini-Puzzle Fun Pack. Patreon supporters at all levels ($1 or more per month) will also receive Fox & Badger Magazine issue #6!

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

Wordy Wednesday 509: Touchword 27 & Wordy Wednesday 510: Pent Words 102

WORDY WEDNESDAY #507
CODEWORDS 20 (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 **
Michael Lebowitz **
Tyler Hinman **
Damon French **
Ezra Brauner **
Kevin Orfield **
Patrick Jordan *
Ryan Faley **
Sam Levitin **

WORDY WEDNESDAY #508
CRYPTICROSTIC 18 (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 #509
TOUCHWORD 27
(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 Felt hat / Endures / Traveled via horse
2 Rage / Nautical interjection that’s the name of an antivirus software / Breathe loudly during sleep
3 Read a forum without posting / Event with glow sticks, often / Theater set designer’s concern
4 2022 animated film with a black cat named Bob / Discourage / Green relative of the carrot
5 Establishment for playing video games / ____ Days Grace (rock band) / Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, and Vile star Collins
6 Length times width, for a rectangle / Family Guy creator MacFarlane / Rodents often kept as pets
7 Musical set at Rydell High School / Cereal mascot Tony, for one / Slant
8 Stand-up comic also known as Fluffy: 2 wds.
9 Convertible coupe / Ulcer, for example
10 Certain keyboard instrument / Benedict Arnold’s crime
11 Cultivar named after a musical instrument: 2 wds. / It may be acquired
12 Rocksteady’s cohort / Knowledgeable person / Feed the kitty
13 I, ____ (Isaac Asimov novel) / Wheel’s shaft / Posture
14 Judge’s garment / Having the most height / The Amazing ____ (reality series)
15 ____ Trade Commission / Inspector portrayed by Rupert Graves on Sherlock

WORDY WEDNESDAY #510
PENT WORDS 102
(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 Russian chess grandmaster Anatoly / ____ Season (2006 animated film)
2 It may have the word “welcome” printed on it / It may be poetic or artistic
3 Off-color, as a joke / One who pays undue attention to minutiae
4 Next of ____ / Oil rig sighting
5 Crafty person / Having the most slack
6 Lager with a strong hoppy flavor / Miner’s find
7 Fail to have / Egyptian amulet based on a beetle
8 Try / “My dog ____ my homework”
9 “Goddess in the ____” (Mick Jagger song) / Chest muscle, briefly
10 Sequel to the computer game Myst whose title means “torn asunder” / “You are the salt of the ____. . .”
PENTOMINOES:
* HALF OF THE FINAL ANSWER
* THE OTHER HALF OF THE FINAL ANSWER
* One Halloween choice. . .
* . . . and the other
* Fall ____ at the seams
* Buddhist concept sometimes summarized as “what goes around comes around”
* Word before “card” or “finger”
* ____ and field
* One who prefers solitude
* Some fencing swords
* Hardwood tree with nuts
* A tubular pasta
* Thorny flowers
* Mushroom-shaped growth in the body
* Well-groomed
* Three-box automobile
* Grouchy Sesame Street resident
* The Republic author
* Maneuver a car
* Ice hockey great Gretzky

COMING NEXT WEEK. . .

*Who is Popeye’s cohort who would gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today?

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

Fox & Badger Magazine #6 is coming soon!

As my gift to all of my Patreon supporters at all dollar levels, the sixth edition of my sporadically published digital magazine Fox & Badger Magazine will be sent out on December 8, two weeks from today! This edition features a 12-puzzle meta titled "The Puzzle of the Month Club", plus a bevy of miscellaneous puzzles in the Odds & Ends section. If you currently support me on Patreon, I hope you enjoy! If you don't currently support me on Patreon, you could change that right now! Or not, it's your choice.

Wordy Wednesday 508: Crypticrostic 18

WORDY WEDNESDAY #506
SECTION SIX 50 (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 **
Joe Bernard **
Michael Lebowitz **
Tyler Hinman **
Ezra Brauner **
Kevin Orfield **
Ryan Faley **
Sam Levitin **

WORDY WEDNESDAY #507
CODEWORDS 20 (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 #508
CRYPTICROSTIC 18
(click here for a PDF version)
(click here for rules)

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!

The answer is 8 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 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45

Adaptable and flexible relatives __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
                                 21 31 13 41 03 15 17 45 25
Ask for ID from a mother with an Indian herb __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
                                             39 28 23 07 08 04 12 30
Follow leaderless men and novelist Grafton __ __ __ __ __
                                           40 06 35 44 22
Poker game with idiotic, oafish beginners in apartment __ __ __ __ __ __
                                                       42 33 09 26 14 05
Raw quality of untidy rubbish __ __ __ __ __ __
                              32 37 01 34 24 16
Songbird and flamingo initially move slowly __ __ __ __ __
                                            43 19 18 38 11
Wrestler Steve Borden receives rare rope __ __ __ __ __ __
                                         36 10 29 02 20 27

COMING NEXT WEEK. . .

* What's a 15-letter, 2-word answer for "Stand-up comic also known as Fluffy"?

* What's a 5-letter word for "Buddhist concept sometimes summarized as 'what goes around comes around'"?

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

Wordy Wednesday 507: Codewords 20

WORDY WEDNESDAY #505
PENT WORDS 101 (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 **
Michael Lebowitz **
Nan **
Stephen Potter **
Tyler Hinman **
Damon French **
Ezra Brauner **
Jason Boomer **
John Bulten **
Kevin Orfield **
Patrick Jordan *
Ryan Faley **
Sam Levitin **

WORDY WEDNESDAY #506
SECTION SIX 50 (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!

WORDY WEDNESDAY #507
CODEWORDS 20
(click here for a PDF version)

This puzzle contains a word suggested by patron Daren Bischel. 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 the crossword puzzle above, every letter is represented by an integer from 1 through 26. You must decipher the code to reveal the words.

Arrange the letters in the shaded spaces to spell the final answer, an eight-letter word.

COMING NEXT WEEK. . .

* A Crypticrostic!

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

Kevin's Puzzles at Home Season 2: 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 (A to Z). The total number of points scored was 8325. Thus, the final money pool for the Food Bank for Larimer County is $83.25. Three anonymous benefactors have agreed to match this donation, meaning that the Food Bank for Larimer County will actually receive $333.00.

Head below the break for the actual solutions! If you're looking for more easy-ish puzzles in this style, remember to visit the actual Kevin's website every single Monday, or come back to this site in 2023 when I hope to have Season 3 of this tribute series ready!

Wordy Wednesday 506: Section Six 50

WORDY WEDNESDAY #503
DIAGRAMLESS CROSSWORD 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:
Bonnie Veenschoten **
Cathy Bowen **
James Haddad **
Joe Bernard **
Michael Lebowitz **
Stephen Potter **
Tyler Hinman **
Kevin Orfield **
Patrick Jordan **
Ryan Faley **
Sam Levitin **

WORDY WEDNESDAY #504
ANACROSSWORD 26 (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 **
Michael Lebowitz **
Tyler Hinman **
Ezra Brauner *
Kevin Orfield **
Ryan Faley **
Sam Levitin **

WORDY WEDNESDAY #505
PENT WORDS 101 (hint)

As of this writing, 16 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 #506
SECTION SIX 50
(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 Structure that provides protection
2 Nathaniel Rothschild’s father
3 Bane of certain dieters
4 Beverage brewed from beans
5 Science fiction franchise created by Gene Roddenberry: 2 wds.
6 Sleipnir’s rider in Norse mythology

Ring 2
* Make a big bet on a bad hand, say
* Observed differences between two things
* Aligns toward a particular direction
* Idol
* Bird’s enclosure, often

Ring 3
* Pistol inventor and namesake Georg
* Be in pain
* Sideways ____ from Wayside School (1978 Louis Sachar book)
* Big name in prepaid wireless plans

Ring 4
* Shoreline extending from Texas to Florida: 2 wds.
* Engage in public acts of violence
* Unit of stock

Ring 5
* Brigham Young University’s Cosmo is one
* “Obey your ____” (Sprite slogan)

Ring 6
* 50 Cent album whose title is also 50 Cent’s real first name

COMING NEXT WEEK. . .

* A Codewords!

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

Kevin's Puzzles at Home Season 2: Final hint and final week!

PREVIOUS EPISODES

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

* 18 people solved this within the first week for 50 points apiece; 3 people solved it later for 25 points.

Episode 2 (Spot the Difference): puzzle PDF, hint PDF

* 18 people solved this within the first week for 50 points apiece; 3 people solved it later for 25 points.

Episode 3 (Perplexing Pairs): puzzle PDF, hint PDF

* 17 people solved this within the first week for 50 points apiece; 4 people solved it later for 25 points.

Episode 4 (Sports Stats Stumpers): puzzle PDF, hint PDF

* 17 people solved this within the first week for 50 points apiece; 4 people solved it later for 25 points.

Episode 5 (Kevin Watches Movies): puzzle PDF, hint PDF

* 14 people solved this within the first week for 50 points apiece; 5 people solved it later for 25 points.

Episode 6 (Special Arrangements): puzzle PDF, hint PDF

* 17 people solved this within the first week for 50 points apiece; 3 people solved it later for 25 points.

Episode 7 (Connect the Peri-Dots): puzzle PDF, hint PDF

* 10 people solved this within the first week for 50 points apiece; 5 people solved it later for 25 points.

Episode 8 (The Art of the Matter): puzzle PDF, hint PDF

* 12 people solved this within the first week for 50 points apiece; 3 people solved it later for 25 points.

Episode 9 (Meta) (A Meta-Puzzle Whose Answer is "NEEDLE"): puzzle PDF, hint PDF (new!)

* 13 people solved this within the first week for 100 points apiece.

The total number of points scored is 8200. Thus, the current money pool for the Food Bank for Larimer County is $82.00. Three anonymous benefactors have agreed to match this donation, meaning that the Food Bank for Larimer County will actually receive $328.00. 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!

Wordy Wednesday 505: Pent Words 101

WORDY WEDNESDAY #502
SNAKE CRISSCROSS 21 (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 **
Joe Bernard **
Karen Spencer **
Michael Lebowitz **
Stephen Potter **
Tyler Hinman **
Ezra Brauner **
John Bulten **
Kevin Orfield **
Mary Maynard **
Ryan Faley **
Sam Levitin **

WORDY WEDNESDAY #503
DIAGRAMLESS CROSSWORD 9 (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 #504
ANACROSSWORD 26 (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 #505
PENT WORDS 101
(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 Challenged / Block of gold
2 Anxiety / Late-night legend Jay
3 Skin design, briefly / Palpatine of the Star Wars movies, for one
4 Having a hardened exterior / “____ Me Your Comb”
5 Clock parts / An intermediate state
6 Change direction / Caravan creatures
7 Make accustomed to / Flower for which there was a “mania” in 17th-century Holland
8 Rely (on) / Feed the kitty
9 Venomous Egyptian snake / Exalt
10 Thrust of a pointed weapon / Bed Bath & ____
PENTOMINOES:
* HALF OF THE FINAL ANSWER
* THE OTHER HALF OF THE FINAL ANSWER
* Overturn
* “Gangnam ____” (hit song by South Korean rapper Psy)
* Bird in a Poe poem
* Animated title character voiced by Ming-Na Wen
* Sports stadium
* Concepts
* It may be cut up into rings and fried
* “____ the Sea” (song from The Little Mermaid)
* Bowler’s bane
* Painter’s stand
* Proofreading symbol
* ____ Bump (comic strip)
* A classical music form
* Downton ____ (British drama series)
* Australian canine
* Barbershop quartet member, perhaps
* ____ Rancher (2017 Monomi Park video game)
* Arizona city where Sun Devil Stadium is located

COMING NEXT WEEK. . .

* What's a 6-letter word for "50 Cent album whose title is also 50 Cent’s real first name"?
* Patron Puzzle #102, which will be delivered on November 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 Season 2, Episode 9 (Meta): A Meta-Puzzle Whose Answer is "NEEDLE"

PREVIOUS EPISODES

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

* 18 people solved this within the first week for 50 points apiece; 3 people solved it later for 25 points.

Episode 2 (Spot the Difference): puzzle PDF, hint PDF

* 18 people solved this within the first week for 50 points apiece; 3 people solved it later for 25 points.

Episode 3 (Perplexing Pairs): puzzle PDF, hint PDF

* 17 people solved this within the first week for 50 points apiece; 4 people solved it later for 25 points.

Episode 4 (Sports Stats Stumpers): puzzle PDF, hint PDF

* 17 people solved this within the first week for 50 points apiece; 4 people solved it later for 25 points.

Episode 5 (Kevin Watches Movies): puzzle PDF, hint PDF

* 14 people solved this within the first week for 50 points apiece; 5 people solved it later for 25 points.

Episode 6 (Special Arrangements): puzzle PDF, hint PDF

* 17 people solved this within the first week for 50 points apiece; 3 people solved it later for 25 points.

Episode 7 (Connect the Peri-Dots): puzzle PDF, hint PDF

* 10 people solved this within the first week for 50 points apiece; 5 people solved it later for 25 points.

Episode 8 (The Art of the Matter): puzzle PDF, hint PDF (new!)

* 12 people solved this within the first week for 50 points apiece.

The total number of points scored is 6825. Thus, the current money pool for the Food Bank for Larimer County is $68.25. Three anonymous benefactors have agreed to match this donation, meaning that the Food Bank for Larimer County will actually receive $273.00. If you haven't already, you may solve the above puzzles for 25 points each, possibly with the aid of the hints. These 8 answers will also be necessary for solving the meta below.

KEVIN’S PUZZLES AT HOME

SEASON 2, EPISODE 9 (META):

A META-PUZZLE WHOSE ANSWER IS “NEEDLE”

(click here for a PDF version)

This meta-puzzle is so easy that Kevin has managed to solve it already, and he did so without even needing to read the puzzle’s title! Can you figure out what this puzzle is called?

---

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

Submit your answer title to glmathgrant[at]gmail[dot]com for 100 points, and stay tuned next week for Episode 9's hint, and then the week after for all of the solutions. Good luck!

Wordy Wednesday 503: Diagramless Crossword 9 & Wordy Wednesday 504: Anacrossword 26

WORDY WEDNESDAY #501
TOUCHWORD 26 (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 **
James Haddad **
Joe Bernard **
Karen Spencer **
Michael Lebowitz **
Stephen Potter **
Tyler Hinman **
Ezra Brauner **
Kevin Orfield **
Patrick Jordan **
Ryan Faley **
Sam Levitin **

WORDY WEDNESDAY #502
SNAKE CRISSCROSS 21 (hint)

As of this writing, 14 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 #503
DIAGRAMLESS CROSSWORD 9
(click here for a PDF version)

This crossword has 50 entries in a 15x15 grid, obeys American crossword rules, and has standard rotational symmetry.

ACROSS
1 Attack a fly
5 Long vehicle, for short
6 Traveling musician’s stagehand
8 Some robotics motors
9 Word before “sandwich” or “soda”
13 First part of a clue to the final answer: ? wds.
17 “____ House” (Madness song)
18 Indian beverage: 2 wds.
19 292.5 deg. on a compass
20 Equipment for a draft animal
21 Wall Street Journal article subj.
24 Gumshoe
25 What’s left over
29 ____ and haw
32 Highly educated
33 Wrath
34 Second part of a clue to the final answer: ? wds.
39 Have a bias
40 Eddies
41 Silverstone of Clueless
42 Common piece of office furniture
43 Dutch painter van Veen
DOWN
1 12 Years a ____ (2013 film)
2 Black ____ (spider)
3 Certain Mennonite
4 Foot digit
6 1954 thriller in which James Stewart plays nosy photojournalist L.B. Jefferies: 2 wds.
7 Food scrap
8 Astonish
9 South American rodent
10 Tardy
11 Operates
12 Bleats like a sheep
13 Scatter, as seed
14 “____ bin ein Berliner”
15 Informal talk, as by a fireside
16 Tortoise’s rival
22 “King of ____” (hit song for The Police)
23 Aware of
25 Confederate soldiers, briefly
26 Estrada of CHiPs
27 Erato, for one
28 Commandments number
30 Historic time periods
31 Ryan of Sleepless in Seattle
35 Cay
36 Oliver ____ (Dickens novel)
37 2007 Michael Moore documentary which criticizes the American health care industry
38 Thu. follower
41 Fuss

WORDY WEDNESDAY #504
ANACROSSWORD 26
(click here for a PDF version)
(click here for rules)

This puzzle contains a word suggested by SilvermoonHowler. 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!

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
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
• Unit of land area
• Saunter
• Possible ender of a marriage
• Thunder
• ____ of the Corn (Stephen King novel)
• Star Wars: The ____ Wars (animated series)
• Harvesting machine
• Secant’s reciprocal
• Southern accent
• CBS series starring Jonny Lee Miller as Sherlock Holmes
• Colossal
• Certain camera crew member: 2 wds.
• Woodwind that shares its name with a Dragon Ball character
• Professional boxing match
• String of Catholic prayer beads
• Lady Gaga hit
• November birthstone

COMING NEXT WEEK. . .

* What's a 5-letter word for "'Gangnam ____' (hit song by South Korean rapper Psy)"?

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

Kevin's Puzzles at Home Season 2, Episode 8: The Art of the Matter

PREVIOUS EPISODES

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

* 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 PDF, hint PDF

* 18 people solved this within the first week for 50 points apiece; 1 person solved it later for 25 points.

Episode 3 (Perplexing Pairs): puzzle PDF, hint PDF

* 17 people solved this within the first week for 50 points apiece; 2 people solved it later for 25 points.

Episode 4 (Sports Stats Stumpers): puzzle PDF, hint PDF

* 17 people solved this within the first week for 50 points apiece; 2 people solved it later for 25 points.

Episode 5 (Kevin Watches Movies): puzzle PDF, hint PDF

* 14 people solved this within the first week for 50 points apiece; 3 people solved it later for 25 points.

Episode 6 (Special Arrangements): puzzle PDF, hint PDF

* 17 people solved this within the first week for 50 points apiece; 1 person solved it later for 25 points.

Episode 7 (Connect the Peri-Dots): puzzle PDF, hint PDF (new!)

* 10 people solved this within the first week for 50 points apiece.

The total number of points scored is 5800. Thus, the current money pool for the Food Bank for Larimer County is $58.00. Three anonymous benefactors have agreed to match this donation, meaning that the Food Bank for Larimer County will actually receive $232.00. 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 8:

THE ART OF THE MATTER

(click here for a PDF version)

Kevin’s newest piece of abstract artwork is eye-catching so far, but can you help him figure out how to use his four colors of paint to finish painting the rest of the artwork, while being aware of the borders between regions?
(Note: As an aid for solvers who are colorblind or who have black and white printers, the PDF, linked above, includes a second page with a black and white version of this puzzle, with shapes instead of colors.)

---

(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 8's hint and Episode 9's puzzle, a metapuzzle requiring the previous 8 answers to be solved. Good luck!