Wordy Wednesday 444: Divided Into Columns 9 & Wordy Wednesday 445: Pent Words 89

WORDY WEDNESDAY #442
PATHFINDER 25 (answer)

Here is the answer to this puzzle. If you still wish to solve it yourself, please go here for the normal version of the puzzle, or here for the easier version of the puzzle. Here's a list of people who solved it:
Bonnie Veenschoten **
Cindy Heisler **
James Haddad **
Joe Bernard **
Karen Spencer **
Stephen Potter **
Tyler Hinman *
Damon French **
John Bulten **
Kevin Orfield **
Patrick Jordan *
Ryan Faley **
Sam Levitin **

WORDY WEDNESDAY #443
BUILD YOUR OWN PUZZLE (hint)

As of this writing, 5 people have solved this puzzle. Haven't solved it yet? Here's a hint. Send your answers to glmathgrant[at]gmail[dot]com within the next week to appear on the solvers list and be recognized for your puzzle prowess. Good luck, solvers!

LAST WEDNESDAY OF THE MONTH = DOUBLE WORDY WEDNESDAYS!
WORDY WEDNESDAY #444
DIVIDED INTO COLUMNS 9
(click here for a PDF version)
(click here for rules)

Bitterness __ __ __ __ ___ __ __

           47 24 31 86 100 62 56

Camelion product __ __ __ __ __ ___ __

                 16 84 66 53 74 107 26

Symbol on a music staff, perhaps __ __ __ __

                                 58 07 43 75

Texas NBA team: 2 wds. __ __ __ __ ___ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

                       87 10 34 22 106 49 81 57 76 27 19 65 99 91 03

Faulty __ __ __ __ __ __ __ ___ __

       51 80 64 54 30 25 95 104 17

Woolly females ___ __ __ __

               105 93 63 04

Like sandpaper __ __ __ __ __ __

               90 60 38 45 37 29

____ Five-0 __ __ __ __ __ __

            78 68 42 85 21 05

Texas NBA team: 2 wds. __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ ___ __ __

                       28 79 92 41 33 02 72 83 48 23 15 101 46 36

Course for speeding cars, say __ __ __ __ __ __ __

                              44 67 70 20 09 98 13

Board game that’s an ancestor of Othello ___ __ __ __ __ __ __

                                         102 11 69 59 18 40 01

Texas NBA team: 3 wds. __ __ __ __ __ ___ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ ___

                       61 97 06 14 32 108 73 96 12 35 88 39 50 52 103

Treble speaker __ __ __ __ __ __ __

               89 55 71 77 08 94 82

WORDY WEDNESDAY #445
PENT WORDS 89
(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 Noisy device used to warn ships of hazards / ____ de cologne

2 Grocery shopper’s aid / Fiona of the Shrek movies is one

3 ____ collie / Dispense a beverage, for example

4 Wombs / Winner

5 Sports official, briefly / Treachery against one’s country’s government

6 ____ waffle / Guadalajara gold

7 A reddish brown hue / ____, Please (2013 video game)

8 Asiatic wild ass / Yearn (for)

9 The county seat of Ector County, Texas / Danish toy brand

10 Streep of Out of Africa / Not at all secret

PENTOMINOES:

* HALF OF THE FINAL ANSWER

* THE OTHER HALF OF THE FINAL ANSWER

* Six Feet ____ (2001-2005 HBO series)

* ____ force

* Gold brick

* Regions

* Witch’s prop

* Seize forcefully, as authority

* Parts of fishing rods

* “Part-Time ____” (Stevie Wonder hit)

* The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo ____

* Early wireless communications device

* Certain literary composition

* Enormous

* A leaf of a book

* ____ Jacks (cereal)

* Scandinavian

* Important historical time period

* Approaches

* Apt word spelled by the initials of the names of the Possessors, five spectral characters fought in Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon

COMING NEXT WEEK. . .

* What's a 6-letter word for "Tinker ____ Soldier Spy"?

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

Wordy Wednesday 443: Build Your Own Puzzle

WORDY WEDNESDAY #441
DIVIDED INTO COLUMNS 8 (answer)

Here is the answer to this puzzle. If you still wish to solve it yourself, please go here for the normal version of the puzzle, or here for the easier version of the puzzle. Here's a list of people who solved it:
Bonnie Veenschoten **
James Haddad **
Karen Spencer **
Stephen Potter **
Tyler Hinman **
Damon French **
John Bulten *
Kevin Orfield **
Michael Lebowitz **
Ryan Faley **
Sam Levitin **

WORDY WEDNESDAY #442
PATHFINDER 25 (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 #443
BUILD YOUR OWN PUZZLE
(click here for a PDF version)

Because sometimes the “author” is too lazy to finish doing it.

COMING NEXT WEEK. . .

* What's a 7-letter word for "Board game that’s an ancestor of Othello"?
* What's a 5-letter word for "The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo ____"?

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

Contest: Let's Guess Three Words V! (RESULTS!)

It's time for the results of this contest!

Wordy Wednesday 442: Pathfinder 25

WORDY WEDNESDAY #439
PUT A RING ON IT (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 **
Cindy Heisler **
Cole Kendall **
James Haddad **
Joe Bernard **
Karen Spencer **
M. Sean Molley **
Stephen Potter **
Tyler Hinman *
Alex Sisti **
John Bulten **
Kevin Orfield **
Michael Lebowitz **
Ryan Faley **
Sam Levitin **

WORDY WEDNESDAY #440
PENT WORDS 88 (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 **
Cindy Heisler **
Cole Kendall **
James Haddad **
Karen Spencer **
Stephen Potter **
Tyler Hinman **
Kevin Orfield **
Michael Lebowitz **
Ryan Faley **
Sam Levitin **

WORDY WEDNESDAY #441
DIVIDED INTO COLUMNS 8 (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 #442
PATHFINDER 25
(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 City whose initials form the two-letter postal abbreviation for the state it’s in (4 10)

2 Chest of drawers (6)

3 Certain clergy member (6)

3 Curves defined by a directrix and a focus (9)

4 Laying away (7)

5 Fixed charges (4)

6 Certain meteorological device (4 5)

7 Downright easy (10)

8 American Revolutionary War battle site (6 4)

9 Angelic figure (6)

10 Cruel (6)

11 A Visit from St. ____ (8)

12 Boring tool (5)

13 1994 SNES game where players race to assemble jigsaw puzzles (6)

14 My ____ Academia (4)

14 Item at the top of a car seat (8)

15 What a computer might display when it fails to complete an operation (5 7)

16 For fear that (4)

17 One of two music options in the classic NES puzzle game Dr. Mario, the other being “Fever” (5)

17 Arizona has a “Grand” one (6)

18 Go back to a previous state (6)

18 Tiny slip of paper accompanying a purchase, often (7)

19 “____ Breath You Take” (The Police hit) (5)

20 Denmark’s only neighbor (7)

21 Certain literary composition (5)

22 “Sorry, that’s impossible for me!” (2 3 2)

23 Honesty (6)

COMING NEXT WEEK. . .

* A puzzle that I was too lazy to finish making!

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

Contest: Let's Guess Three Words V! (Week 6 update - FINAL UPDATE!)

For full rules, see here.

Note: Unless otherwise specified, "vowel" and "consonant" are defined as per National Puzzlers League rules, since those are the rules my readers seem to want to go along with. This means that A, E, I, O, U, and Y are vowels, and the other 20 letters are consonants.

Week 0:

The set of all 4-letter words which start with a vowel: ONE
The set of all words ending with a letter strictly after Q alphabetically (RSTUVWXYZ): TWO

Week 1:

[Izak Bulten] The set of all words whose second letter appears in the words "PANIC ROOM": TWO

[John Bulten] The set of all words whose first letter appears in the word "CAMPERS": ONE

[Kevin Orfield] The set of all words containing the letter R: TWO

Week 2:

[Izak Bulten] The set of all words whose second-to-last letter appears in the words "THE GREAT ESCAPE": TWO

[John Bulten] The set of all words with an even number of letters: TWO

Week 3:

[Izak Bulten] The set of all words whose third letter appears in the words "FIGHT CLUB": ONE

[John Bulten] The set of all words with an even number of vowels: TWO

[Kevin Orfield] The set of all words containing three or more vowels: ONE

[Penni Bulten] The set of all words which have a vowel as the second to last letter: NONE

Week 4:

[Izak Bulten] The set of all words ending with a letter in "SPACEBALLS": ALL

[John Bulten] The set of all words containing L, M, or N: ONE

[Kevin Orfield] The set of all words whose first letter appears in "BULTEN": NONE

Week 5:

[Cody McWilliams] The set of all words that contain at least one string of two or more consecutive vowels: TWO

[Kevin Orfield] The set of all words in the American Oxford 5000 (this list plus this list): ALL

Week 6:

[Grant Fikes] The set of all 4- and 5-letter words in which all of the letters, with the possible exception of the first letter or the third letter (but not both), appear in the phrase "WHO GETS THE DRUMSTICK?": ALL

[John Bulten] [private guess of a set of 3 words]: ALL

[Kevin Orfield] [private guess of a set of 3 words]: ALL

Since the trio of words has been guessed, $12 has been donated to the Food Bank of West Central Texas!

Everyone now has one more week to guess the trio of words! Results will be announced on November 15.

Wordy Wednesday 441: Divided Into Columns 8

WORDY WEDNESDAY #438
HOGGLE (answer)

Here is the answer to this puzzle. If you still wish to solve it yourself, please go here for the normal version of the puzzle, or here for a hint. Here's a list of people who solved it:
Tyler Hinman *
Jason Boomer **
John Bulten **
Kevin Orfield **
Ryan Faley **

WORDY WEDNESDAY #439
PUT A RING ON IT (hint)

As of this writing, 14 people have solved this puzzle. Haven't solved it yet? Here's a hint. Send your answers to glmathgrant[at]gmail[dot]com within the next week to appear on the solvers list and be recognized for your puzzle prowess. Good luck, solvers!

WORDY WEDNESDAY #440
PENT WORDS 88 (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 #441
DIVIDED INTO COLUMNS 8
(click here for a PDF version)
(click here for rules)

Place for planes to take off and land __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

                                      39 73 58 91 06 46 85 20

Fluid that prevents an engine overheating __ __ __ __ __ __ __

                                          17 22 96 69 51 03 45

Salad bit __ __ __ __ __ __ __

          61 70 76 56 34 50 30

Game show with ten contestants: 2 wds. __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

                                       54 43 07 29 02 16 74 24 60 41

Enormous cephalopod: 2 wds. __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

                            92 82 31 86 37 10 23 57 42 66

Frozen spike __ __ __ __ __ __

             64 35 89 18 11 67

First letter, as of a name __ __ __ __ __ __ __

                           72 93 81 48 08 40 36

Large dog with an apricot, brindle, or fawn coat __ __ __ __ __ __ __

                                                 78 90 87 77 95 28 25

Like gneiss or schist __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

                      12 63 38 94 52 79 04 68 21 32 71

Cheesy Mexican restaurant item __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

                               55 27 88 33 14 62 75 47 09 65

Establishment in many a Western __ __ __ __ __ __

                                59 05 44 26 53 13

Billiards shot that pockets the cue ball __ __ __ __ __ __ __

                                         80 84 83 15 19 49 01

COMING NEXT WEEK. . .

* What's a 5-letter word for "One of two music options in the classic NES puzzle game Dr. Mario, the other being 'Fever'"?
* Patron Puzzle #90, which will be delivered on November 8, 2021, exclusively to Patreon supporters at the Super Fan level and up ($5 or more per month), is a Fill-In Crossword.

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

Contest: Let's Guess Three Words V! (Week 5 update)

For full rules, see here.

Note: Unless otherwise specified, "vowel" and "consonant" are defined as per National Puzzlers League rules, since those are the rules my readers seem to want to go along with. This means that A, E, I, O, U, and Y are vowels, and the other 20 letters are consonants.

Week 0:

The set of all 4-letter words which start with a vowel: ONE
The set of all words ending with a letter strictly after Q alphabetically (RSTUVWXYZ): TWO

Week 1:

[Izak Bulten] The set of all words whose second letter appears in the words "PANIC ROOM": TWO

[John Bulten] The set of all words whose first letter appears in the word "CAMPERS": ONE

[Kevin Orfield] The set of all words containing the letter R: TWO

Week 2:

[Izak Bulten] The set of all words whose second-to-last letter appears in the words "THE GREAT ESCAPE": TWO

[John Bulten] The set of all words with an even number of letters: TWO

Week 3:

[Izak Bulten] The set of all words whose third letter appears in the words "FIGHT CLUB": ONE

[John Bulten] The set of all words with an even number of vowels: TWO

[Kevin Orfield] The set of all words containing three or more vowels: ONE

[Penni Bulten] The set of all words which have a vowel as the second to last letter: NONE

Week 4:

[Izak Bulten] The set of all words ending with a letter in "SPACEBALLS": ALL

[John Bulten] The set of all words containing L, M, or N: ONE

[Kevin Orfield] The set of all words whose first letter appears in "BULTEN": NONE

Week 5:

[Cody McWilliams] The set of all words that contain at least one string of two or more consecutive vowels: TWO

[Kevin Orfield] The set of all words in the American Oxford 5000 (this list plus this list): ALL

The money pool for the Food Bank of West Central Texas is now $12.

Submit more guesses!