Wordy Wednesday 546: Section Six 54 & Wordy Wednesday 547: Anacrossword 32

WORDY WEDNESDAY #544
TOUCHWORD 28 (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 **
Michael Lebowitz **
Tyler Hinman **
Derek Allen *
Kevin Orfield **
Patrick Jordan **
Ryan Faley **
Sam Levitin **

WORDY WEDNESDAY #545
PENT WORDS 109 (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 #546
SECTION SIX 54
(click here for a PDF version)

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

Arrange the letters in the six starred spaces to form the final answer, a 6-letter word.

Ring 1
1 It takes two to do this dance
2 Blueprint
3 One without an appointment: hyph.
4 Sequence of events in a fictional work
5 Gifts from Santa, perhaps
6 Truly

Ring 2
* Unexpected blessing
* Big name in computers that became RadioShack
* “____ Night” (Christmas song)
* Sarcasm
* One of the first two words in a children’s song about a little star

Ring 3
* Mode of human-powered transportation consisting of a chair attached to carrying poles, or a type of car
* Bills depicting Hamilton
* Subject of a crisis, perhaps
* Harry Potter creator’s surname

Ring 4
* Port of ____
* Felt a sudden sharp pain
* John McEnroe’s sport

Ring 5
* Gizmo
* Number of minutes in a soccer game

Ring 6
* Fred of the sitcoms Car 54, Where Are You? and The Munsters

WORDY WEDNESDAY #547
ANACROSSWORD 32
(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
• A high backcombed hairstyle
• Oil company whose logo contains two V-shaped figures
• Entryway for Santa Claus
• Omit something important to save time or money: 2 wds.
• Italian model Lanzoni
• Guadalajara gala
• One who’s easily angered
• Title character of a 1988 Roald Dahl novel
• Emery board used by a pedicurist: 2 wds.
• Something so revered as to be unreasonably immune from criticism: 2 wds.
• Charlie Brown’s sister
• Nestlé chocolate morsel brand: 2 wds.
• Heavy or serious
• “____ in the Sky” (Journey song)
• What Jesus turned water into, according to the Gospel of John
• Chocolate-flavored beverage brand: hyph.

COMING NEXT WEEK. . .

* What is Mississippi’s eastern neighbor?
* Patron Puzzle #110, which will be delivered on July 8, 2023, exclusively to Patreon supporters at the Super Fan level and up ($5 or more per month), is a pair of Codewords.

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

Kevin's Puzzles at Home Season 4, Episode 9 (Meta): The One and Only

PREVIOUS EPISODES

Introduction (what these puzzles are and why they're called "Kevin's Puzzles at Home Season 4"): click here

Episode 1 (The Writing on the Wall): puzzle PDF, hint PDF

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

Episode 2 (Baffling Banners): 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 3 (Humor Me): puzzle PDF, hint PDF

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

Episode 4 (Garden Paths): puzzle PDF, hint PDF

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

Episode 5 (Confounding Columns): 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 6 (Window Pain): 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 (Archer Rivals): puzzle PDF, hint PDF (new!)

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

Episode 8 (Just Horsing Around): puzzle PDF, hint PDF (new!)

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

 

The total number of points scored is 6700. Thus, the current money pool for the Food Bank for West Central Texas is $67.00. Three anonymous benefactors have agreed to match this donation, meaning that the Food Bank for West Central Texas will actually receive $268.00. If you haven't already, you may solve the above puzzles for 25 points apiece, 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 4, EPISODE 9 (META):

THE ONE AND ONLY

(click here for a PDF version)

Help Kevin find the one and only way to use the previous puzzle answers to fill in these blanks!

The one and only letter in __________ whose representation in Braille has an odd number of dots
The one and only letter in __________ whose representation in Morse code has at most one dot
The one and only letter in __________ which is in the second half of the alphabet
The one and only letter in __________ which is in the first half of the alphabet
The one and only letter in __________ which can be a chemical symbol for an element
The one and only letter in __________ whose representation in Morse code has more than one dot
The one and only letter in __________ whose representation in Braille has an even number of dots
The one and only letter in __________ which cannot be a chemical symbol for an element

---

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

Submit your answer 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 545: Pent Words 109

WORDY WEDNESDAY #543
ANACROSSWORD 31 (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 **
Michael Lebowitz **
Derek Allen **
Kevin Orfield **
Ryan Faley **
Sam Levitin **

WORDY WEDNESDAY #544
TOUCHWORD 28 (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 #545
PENT WORDS 109
(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 Catty name of a Mercury model / Oscar’s successor
2 Rotate / Clues
3 Certain Eurasian weasel / Not early
4 Giza sighting / Writing implement
5 White ____ (cocktail) / Viral disease, briefly
6 Gas cloud in space / The Legend of Zelda protagonist
7 Bonnie’s partner in crime / Mesa relative
8 Newton-John of Grease (1978) / 1992 presidential candidate Perot
9 Confess / ____ Trick (rock band)
10 Pollen-producing flower organ / Pointed item at a pub
PENTOMINOES:
* HALF OF THE FINAL ANSWER
* THE OTHER HALF OF THE FINAL ANSWER
* Wayne’s sidekick in Wayne’s World (1992)
* Princess of Wales honored in Elton John’s “Candle in the Wind 1997”
* ____ the town red
* Copy and ____
* Came up
* Faulty
* Dried plum
* Independently
* Loretta Lynn’s father, for one
* ____ pulpit
* Reheats in the microwave, slangily
* Comic Hedberg
* Put right
* Two-person automobile
* Place for a pin, perhaps
* Fire-starting item
* Make one’s first appearance
* Very angry

COMING NEXT WEEK. . .

* What's a 6-letter word for "Fred of the sitcoms Car 54, Where Are You? and The Munsters"?
* What's the name of Charlie Brown’s sister?

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

Kevin's Puzzles at Home Season 4, Episode 7: Archer Rivals & Episode 8: Just Horsing Around

PREVIOUS EPISODES

Introduction (what these puzzles are and why they're called "Kevin's Puzzles at Home Season 4"): click here

Episode 1 (The Writing on the Wall): puzzle PDF, hint PDF

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

Episode 2 (Baffling Banners): 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 3 (Humor Me): puzzle PDF, hint PDF

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

Episode 4 (Garden Paths): puzzle PDF, hint PDF

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

Episode 5 (Confounding Columns): 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 6 (Window Pain): puzzle PDF, hint PDF (new!)

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

 

The total number of points scored is 5225. Thus, the current money pool for the Food Bank for West Central Texas is $52.25. Three anonymous benefactors have agreed to match this donation, meaning that the Food Bank for West Central Texas will actually receive $209.00. If you haven't already, you may solve the above puzzles for 25 points apiece, possibly with the aid of the hints.

 

Due to me forgetting to publish a draft and not being home to notice or fix it, Episode 7 wasn't posted on the intended June 12 date. Thus, I have decided to post Episode 7 simultaneously with Episode 8 one week later, and to donate $10 to the food bank. (I will not ask my anonymous benefactors to match this. The mistake is on me, not them.)

KEVIN’S PUZZLES AT HOME

SEASON 4, EPISODE 7:

ARCHER RIVALS

(click here for a PDF version)

Kevin had a strange dream in which he had to get through a forest guarded by skilled archers. The archers teamed up to guard every square foot of the forest, but avoided friendly fire by staying out of range of each other.

---

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

KEVIN’S PUZZLES AT HOME

SEASON 4, EPISODE 8:

JUST HORSING AROUND

(click here for a PDF version)

Kevin took a tour of a factory that manufactures chessboards, and brought home this souvenir.

 

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __    __ __    __ __ __ __ __ __,

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __    __ __    __ __ __ __    __ __ __ __

__ __    __ __ __ __ __ __    __ __ __ __ __ __    __ __ __ __    __ __    

__    __ __ __ __ __ __.

---

 

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

Submit your answers to glmathgrant[at]gmail[dot]com for 50 points, and stay tuned next week for Episode 7's and 8's hints and Episode 9's puzzle, a meta requiring the 8 previous answers to be solved. Good luck!

Wordy Wednesday 544: Touchword 28

WORDY WEDNESDAY #541
CODEWORDS 24 (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 **
Derek Allen **
Kevin Orfield **
Ryan Faley **
Sam Levitin **

WORDY WEDNESDAY #542
DIAGRAMLESS CROSSWORD 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 **
Joe Bernard **
Michael Lebowitz **
Tyler Hinman **
Derek Allen **
Kevin Orfield **
Patrick Jordan **
Ryan Faley **
Sam Levitin **

WORDY WEDNESDAY #543
ANACROSSWORD 31 (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 #544
TOUCHWORD 28
(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 Follows / Feel pain / Common pizza topping
2 Respect, as on the street / Obis and such / A dentist looks at them
3 Stupid people / Bird’s home / “New ____” (Tom Lehrer song)
4 Undo a correction in a manuscript / Meaningless / Tribute
5 Soviet dictator Joseph / Alaska’s most populous city
6 Being based on how things actually are / The Miami ____ (newspaper)
7 Extends, as a subscription / Many a church offering / Minnesota’s NHL team
8 1939 film classic based on a 1936 Margaret Mitchell novel: 4 wds.
9 Asian percussion instrument / Half of a half of a half / Pearls Before ____ (newspaper comic)
10 Fraudulently copy a signature / Inuit dwellings / Sharpen
11 Give up / Ambiguity in a law
12 Do-nothing / Goof ____ (1992-1993 Disney cartoon) / “____ mackerel!”
13 Animal Crossing: New ____ (2012 Nintendo 3DS game) / Wood decay that is caused by fungi: 2 wds. / False
14 “I ____ It Through the Grapevine” / Novice / Full of thistles
15 Newspaper publisher William Randolph / Gator relative / Charlie of Lamb Chop’s Play-Along, for one

COMING NEXT WEEK. . .

* What's a 5-letter word for "Wayne’s sidekick in Wayne’s World (1992)"?

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

I'm home sooner than expected

* Today's Wordy Wednesday will be posted, but later in the day than usual.

* I apparently made a mistake with this week's Kevin's Puzzles at Home and left it as an unpublished draft. This makes catching up on email easier, I suppose. To ensure that I get back on the right schedule, Episodes 7 and 8 will therefore be posted in one post next Monday.

I won’t be home for a while

 While I’m gone, expect no email responses. The future KPAH posts have all been scheduled, but won’t be fancy. (I’ll edit them to the fancy versions when I can.) Next week’s KPAH will be fancy because it was already written up, but the solving stats will not be completely accurate. Wordy Wednesday will be put on hold.

Wordy Wednesday 543: Anacrossword 31

WORDY WEDNESDAY #540
PENT WORDS 108 (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 **
Tyler Hinman *
Derek Allen **
Jason Boomer **
Kevin Orfield **
Patrick Jordan *
Ryan Faley **
Sam Levitin **

WORDY WEDNESDAY #541
CODEWORDS 24 (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 #542
DIAGRAMLESS CROSSWORD 11 (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 #543
ANACROSSWORD 31
(click here for a PDF version)
(click here for rules)

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!

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
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
• Folk tale character who finds a magic lamp
• Gorge
• Knob on a watch
• Common material for sleepwear
• Cloth for blowing one’s nose
• Online gesture of acknowledgment: 2 wds.
• Not informed
• Fictional island in a hit song for the Beach Boys
• Legendary San Francisco 49ers quarterback Joe
• With The, 1993-1999 sitcom starring Fran Drescher
• Lisa’s role on Friends
• Rational
• Part of a mortarboard
• Excessive
• Designing ____ (1986-1993 sitcom)
 

COMING NEXT WEEK. . .

* What's a 15-letter, 4-word answer for "1939 film classic based on a 1936 Margaret Mitchell novel"?
* Patron Puzzle #109, which will be delivered on June 8, 2023, exclusively to Patreon supporters at the Super Fan level and up ($5 or more per month), is a Mini-Puzzle Fun Pack.

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

Kevin's Puzzles at Home Season 4, Episode 6: Window Pain

PREVIOUS EPISODES

Introduction (what these puzzles are and why they're called "Kevin's Puzzles at Home Season 4"): click here

Episode 1 (The Writing on the Wall): puzzle PDF, hint PDF

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

Episode 2 (Baffling Banners): 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 3 (Humor Me): puzzle PDF, hint PDF

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

Episode 4 (Garden Paths): puzzle PDF, hint PDF

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

Episode 5 (Confounding Columns): puzzle PDF, hint PDF (new!)

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

 

The total number of points scored is 4300. Thus, the current money pool for the Food Bank for West Central Texas is $43.00. Three anonymous benefactors have agreed to match this donation, meaning that the Food Bank for West Central Texas will actually receive $172.00. If you haven't already, you may solve the above puzzles for 25 points apiece, possibly with the aid of the hints.

KEVIN’S PUZZLES AT HOME

SEASON 4, EPISODE 6:

WINDOW PAIN

(click here for a PDF version)

Can you help Kevin tint some of these windows so that each numbered window indicates how many of its horizontal, vertical, and diagonal neighbors, including itself, are tinted?

---

(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 6's hint and Episode 7's puzzle. Good luck!