Wordy Wednesday 672: DIV IDE DIN TOT RIP LES 16

WORDY WEDNESDAY #670
PENT WORDS 134 (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 **
Derek Allen **
James Haddad **
Joe Bernard **
Michael Lebowitz **
Pavel Curtis **
Randy Rogers *
Russ Kale **
Jevon Heath *
Kevin Orfield **
Marie desJardins **
Ryan Faley **
Ryon Chan **
Sam Levitin **
Steve Levy **

WORDY WEDNESDAY #671
LETRAVEX 3 (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 #672
DIV IDE DIN TOT RIP LES 16
(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

Sailor’s greeting __ __ __ __
                  06 16 56 39
Bill and Hillary Clinton’s daughter __ __ __ __ __ __ __
                                    04 32 12 25 41 48 17
Traditional Hawaiian feast __ __ __ __
                           20 57 42 33
Cocktail made from orange juice and vodka __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
                                          43 01 40 13 08 10 34 27 50 30 38
Low-fat dairy drink: 2 wds. __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
                            46 02 22 21 29 53 05 26
Pieces of pizza __ __ __ __ __ __
                49 28 19 07 15 44
Woody name of a canine predator: 2 wds. __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
                                        47 45 54 14 09 37 24 11 03 36
____ of the majority __ __ __ __ __ __ __
                     18 55 31 51 23 35 52

COMING NEXT WEEK. . .

* What's an 11-letter, 2-word answer for "The Badge of Military Merit, since World War I"?

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

Outside the Fox Puzzles: Year 3!

OUTSIDE THE FOX PUZZLES: YEAR 3

"Touchwords are my favorite crossword variant" - Daily Crossword Links

Outside the Fox Puzzles is a puzzle subscription service in the style of Joon Pahk's Outside the Box Puzzles (spelled with a B, not an F). It is the world's only puzzle subscription service to guarantee that none of the puzzles have been eaten by a fox. Year 2 is almost over (42 weeks out of 50 have been shared), and if you're clamoring to subscribe to year 3 as soon as possible, that opportunity is now open to you.

Outside the Fox Puzzles uses a "pay what you want" model; the minimum price for one year of puzzles is US$10, but some folks are willing to spend more than that, and I aim to please. Every Tuesday for 50 weeks (January 7 through December 15, 2026), at 8:00 AM Central Time, I will release three new puzzles:

* A Touchword. This is a crossword variation of my own invention, featuring words which touch instead of crossing. These alternate between 11x11 (mini) and 15x15 (standard) puzzles each week.
* A gridded logic puzzle. Any logic puzzle genre which is playable on puzz.link is fair game.
* A variety word puzzle. It could be a meaty 15x15 Pathfinder, it could be a brief one-liner like you'd hear Will Shortz give on NPR, it could be anywhere in between. The only guarantee is that your wordplay abilities will be tested, and hopefully rewarded to some extent.

You will get three PDF's each week: one for the puzzles, one for the hints, and one for the solutions. You will also get two PUZ files for each Touchword (one for the normal version and one for the easy version), plus PUZ files for any variety word puzzles which I can offer in that format. Becoming a subscriber to Outside the Fox Puzzles is a simple 4-step process:

Step 1: Add outsidethefoxpuzzles@gmail.com to your address book or whitelist to ensure smooth email delivery.

Step 2: Send me a payment of at least US$10. You may skip this step if you were a Patreon user at the $20/month Ultra Fan level at any point during 2025 or 2026. Otherwise, go to https://paypal.me/mathgrant. ABSOLUTELY IMPORTANT: Mention “Outside the Fox Puzzles Year 3” and the email address with which you want to subscribe!

Step 3: Request to join the Google group at https://groups.google.com/g/outside-the-fox-puzzles-year-3/. (This step is mostly optional, since I can usually invite you to the group or even add you directly if you gave me an email address with which to do so during step 2, but it does help. If you do this step, chances are the email address that Google will use is the Gmail address with which you were signed in; if that's different from the email address that you mentioned to me, then I will assume that the latter is the one you actually want.)
 

Step 4: Wait for me to manually vet your request and add you. You are now a member of the group and will receive a weekly dose of puzzle fun via email! If you joined after January 6, 2026, you may also dive into the archive of puzzles you missed while you wait for the next weekly email! Yappy solving! (Reach out to me via email at glmathgrant@gmail.com or outsidethefoxpuzzles@gmail.com if you have any issues.)

 

Want to subscribe to a previous year? You can instantly download all of year 1's puzzles as a ZIP file! Year 2 is still in progress, and you can still subscribe to it to access its backlog of puzzles plus all future ones. (Just follow the steps above, but mention year 2 instead.) Once year 2 is finished, it will be offered as a ZIP file as well.

I would like to publicly thank the members of the Outside the Fox Puzzles testing team who have made this experiment possible: Jason Boomer, John Bulten, Joseph DeVincentis, Tower Lachesism, Sam Levitin, Spheniscine Kynosoura, and Kevin Orfield.

 

OUTSIDE THE FOX PUZZLES SAMPLER

To entice you, here is a free sampler curated from the puzzles published thus far in Outside the Fox Puzzles! (Three puzzles from Year 2 have been added this time around!) Click here for a PDF of all of the puzzles, click here for a PDF of all of the hints (the "hint document" referred to in the instructions of each puzzle), and click here for a PDF of all of the solutions.

YEAR 1, WEEK 13 (MARCH 26, 2024)
TOUCHWORD

PUZ version | PUZ version (easier)

Every row has one or more answers clued in order. 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. If you want help, full answer enumerations are in this week’s hint document.

1 Seductress / One of the Great Lakes
2 State represented by Bernie Sanders / One of the Great Lakes
3 Pests / Ganders’ mates
4 Surname of the first host of Jeopardy! / Symbol for silence on a music staff
5 Thoroughfare associated with the British national press: 2 wds.
6 Brings back to an initial state / Seven Years in ____ (1997 movie starring Brad Pitt)
7 Word in the fine print of many beer ads
8 ____ of mass destruction / Like Larry’s songs in VeggieTales
9 “If the shoe fits, ____ it” / Phi’s predecessor
10 Rip to shreds: 2 wds. / Boca ____, Florida
11 Feminine hygiene item / 4:3, for example

YEAR 1, WEEK 20 (MAY 14, 2024)
TOUCHWORD

PUZ version | PUZ version (easier)

Every row has one or more answers clued in order. 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. If you want help, full answer enumerations are in this week’s hint document.

1 Relocate / Common allergen / Typeface ornamentation
2 The Spy Who ____ Me / Antics / Browse, as the Internet
3 Portrait’s counterpart / Remove doubt
4 A sedimentary rock / Charm
5 Ointment / Mass of lymphoid tissue in the throat / Oaf
6 Like a cloud’s figurative lining / 2015 animated film about Riley’s feelings: 2 wds.
7 Share, with “up” / Starr of the Beatles / ____ Note (2006-2007 anime)
8 Stop-motion series whose opening theme is an instrumental version of “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God”: 3 wds.
9 Captain ____ and the Teen Angels (1977-1980 Hanna-Barbera cartoon) / ____ saving time
10 Walking stick / Spotted Central American cat / The Hateful ____ (2015 film)
11 Balsamic ____ / Cheer / Composer Stravinsky
12 MasterCard alternative / Use mouthwash / One under a legal age
13 Have different opinions / Symposium
14 “Consider it ____!” / Arborist’s concerns / This Is ____ Tap (1984 rock mockumentary)
15 Impressionist Claude / Brand of chocolate mints / Danger

YEAR 2, WEEK 20 (MAY 20, 2025)
TOUCHWORD

PUZ version | PUZ version (easier)

Every row has one or more answers clued in order. 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. If you want help, full answer enumerations are in this week’s hint document.

1 Waterproof garment / Over / 2022 musical docudrama starring Austin Butler
2 Miniature toy residence / Boll ____
3 Jenkins who created the series The Chosen / Dopehead / Presidential ____ of Freedom
4 Remains of an animal / Senator’s tenure / ____ Ruins Everything (2015-2019 TruTV series)
5 Shapes seen in the Target logo / Wrongful civil act / Basic particle of matter
6 Vlasic offering / Baseball fielding position abbreviated with two identical letters
7 Group of wolves / Bind / Seize, as power
8 1985 film that ends, “Where we’re going, we don’t need roads”: 4 wds.
9 Giant pandas eat it / One wearing a toque, often / Fixed gaze
10 Spectacular failure / Purple flower / Play for time
11 American name for what Brits call football / Sneaked / Military exercise
12 Favorable outcome / Lascivious / Orange peel
13 Hot ____ sundae / Tendon / Current fashion
14 Stress-relieving toy / Gold brick / Part of a clarinet
15 Squeeze between the thumb and finger / “It takes two to ____” / Santa’s helpers

YEAR 1, WEEK 12 (MARCH 19, 2024)
MID-LOOP
Illustrated rules on puzz.link | Solve on puzz.link
Rules summary: Draw a single loop composed of horizontal and vertical line segments connecting the centers of cells; the loop may not cross itself or branch off. Every dot must mark the midpoint of a horizontal or vertical line segment in the loop. If you want help, solving hints are in this week’s hint document.

YEAR 1, WEEK 16 (APRIL 16, 2024)
CROSS THE STREAMS
Illustrated rules on puzz.link | Solve on puzz.link
Rules summary: Shade some cells black. Numbers to the left of a row or above a column represent the lengths of the blocks of consecutive shaded cells in that row or column, in order. “?” represents a block of any length; “*” represents any number of blocks, including possibly none. No 2x2 area may be entirely shaded. All of the shaded cells must be connected through their edges. (The thick grid lines are a counting aid, but are otherwise meaningless.) If you want help, solving hints are in this week’s hint document.

YEAR 2, WEEK 27 (JULY 8, 2025)
AKARI
Illustrated rules on puzz.link | Solve on puzz.link
Rules summary: Place light bulbs in some of the white cells so that every white cell is illuminated. A light bulb illuminates its own cell and all other white cells in a straight horizontal or vertical line, up to the nearest black cell or the edge of the grid. No two light bulbs may illuminate each other. A numbered clue in a black cell represents how many of the white cells which share an edge with it (up to four) contain light bulbs. If you want help, solving hints are in this week’s hint document.

YEAR 1, WEEK 10 (MARCH 5, 2024)
ANACROSSWORD
Solve the crossword using the clues provided. When the letters in the numbered squares are transferred to the same-numbered blanks, you will reveal a quote followed by its author. Work back and forth between the quote and the crossword to finish the puzzle. The clues are listed alphabetically by their answers; you must determine where each answer belongs. Additionally, spaces and punctuation are not provided for the quote. If you want help, the locations and full enumerations of the answers and the spacing and punctuation of the quote are in this week’s hint document.

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
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
CLUES
• Sailor’s greeting
• “Praise the Lord and Pass the ____”
• Irritate
• PopCap puzzle game in which players match gems
• Start up, as a computer
• The capital of Wales
• Certain onion relative
• Snowman in an animated Christmas special
• The Rocky ____ Picture Show
• Johnson Space Center’s city
• Immediate
• Character portrayed as a brown bear in Disney’s Robin Hood: 2 wds.
• “Monster ____” (Bobby “Boris” Pickett song)
• Like a boxing event on HBO: hyph.
• Wrinkly Chinese dog breed: hyph.
• Stiffening agent used in laundering
• Classic puzzle game whose spin-offs include Arika’s Japan-only The Grand Master arcade games
• Plane, train, or automobile

YEAR 1, WEEK 18 (APRIL 30, 2024)
PATHFINDER
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. If you want help, full answer enumerations and starting directions of the answers are in this week’s hint document.

1 Street ____ (4)
1 Goblet (7)
2 The Phantom ____ (Norton Juster novel) (9)
3 Boston ____ (2004-2008 series) (5)
4 Gad about (9)
5 Famous Edvard Grieg work (26, 7 wds.)
6 Accounting concern (7)
7 Glutinous grain with a gluelike texture (10, 2 wds.)
8 Board game in which players claim railway routes with train cards (12, 3 wds.)
9 Pieces of furniture housing printed materials (9)
10 Citrusy name of an ocean predator (10, 2 wds.)
11 The first tsar of Russia (15, 3 wds.)
12 Wormwood- and anise-flavored liquor (8)
13 Former German chancellor Angela (6)
14 Knight’s spear (5)
15 Samples, as food (6)
16 Computer directory (6)
17 Onion relative (7)
18 Have an excessive preoccupation (6)
19 Rich cake (5)
20 Goatlike companion of Dionysus (5)
21 Truck company with a bulldog in the logo (4)
21 Brief written message (4)
22 The lead singer of U2 (4)
23 Like Arial, but not Times New Roman (9, hyph.)
24 Tennis great Arthur (4)
25 Certain seabird (4)
26 Trends (10)
27 A beachgoer might want to get one (6)
28 Pressing need? (4)
29 Certain cut of pork (6)
30 Crowded (5)
31 Recently formed (7)
32 Long-barreled firearm (5)
33 ____ of contents (5)
34 ____ of ceremonies (6)
34 Singer-songwriter Alanis (10)
35 Climb (6)
36 ____ verb (“be”, for example) (7)
37 Natural incline (8)
38 Cold sensations (6)
39 Karate teacher (6)
40 Towards the back of a ship (6)
41 Psycho (1960) villain Norman (5)
42 Toss, as dice (4)
43 Jeweler’s unit of weight (5)
44 Comedienne Burnett (5)
44 Cloudy area of the lens of the eye (8)

YEAR 2, WEEK 24 (JUNE 17, 2025)
MIX-UP 

(The illustration is by Infernal.)
If you want help, an easier version is in this week’s hint document.

 

Wordy Wednesday 671: Letravex 3

WORDY WEDNESDAY #669
LETRAVEX 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:
Cathy Bowen **
Derek Allen **
Michael Lebowitz **
Pavel Curtis **
Randy Rogers **
Russ Kale **
crystaltoady **
Kevin Orfield **
Ryan Faley **
Ryon Chan **
Sam Levitin **
Steve Levy **

WORDY WEDNESDAY #670
PENT WORDS 134 (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 #671
LETRAVEX 3
(click here for a PDF version)

Write the 4-letter clue answers in the square tiles in the grid, one letter per triangle, so that adjacent triangles across tiles have the same letter. Each answer reads clockwise, starting in the triangle indicated by the arrow. Answers are alphabetized; you must determine which answer goes in which tile. The letters on the grid’s perimeter will spell the final answer, a song title, going clockwise from the leftmost triangle on the top edge.

• Meat from a cow ↑
• “Hickory Dickory ____” →
• True ____ (1969 John Wayne film) ↑
• ____ Dreams (1994 basketball film) ↑
• “Look before you ____” ←
• Spoils of war ↓
• Hawaiian feast →
• Mr. Holland’s ____ ↑
• Ruse ←
• Sport played on horseback →
• Wealthy ←
• Lion’s sound →
• Chess piece that starts in a corner ←
• Leading performer ←
• Dance move →
• “. . . and a partridge in a pear ____” →

COMING NEXT WEEK. . .

* What's an 11-letter word for "Cocktail made from orange juice and vodka"?

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

Outside the Fox Puzzles: Triple Crown Fox Derby #4 (RESULTS!)

The 4th quarterly Triple Crown Fox Derby from two weeks ago has concluded. Click here for a PDF of all the puzzle solutions. The contest results follow.

13 foxes qualified for the first race, the Kittucky Derby, by solving all three puzzles. Race results:

Gate 1: Endless Foxtabilities
Gate 2: Fleet Flying Fox Four
Gate 3: Guy Fox, Reynard, Sly Comet
Gate 4: Ruin Seeker
Gate 5: Faux-Chi, Puzzling Queen
Gate 6: Falling for Foxtails, Fleet
Gate 8: Vixen For A Fight
Gate 14: Reddy Fox
Gate 37: Ferris Homer Swiper Carlson

Perhaps not having Kevin's Puzzles at Home as a lead-in reduced participation somewhat, but there were a few last-day entries to keep me alert. Derek would have used gate 7, but failed to submit a corrected solution to the Pencils. Snarl didn't even attempt the Codewords. Gate 3 was the most crowded, with 3 foxes. Besides the winner Endless Foxtabilities, 5 other foxes managed to finish.

15 foxes qualified for the second race, the Sneakness Stakes, by solving two puzzles. Race results:

Gate 1: Endless Foxtabilities
Gate 2: Fleet Flying Fox Four, Guy Fox, Reynard
Gate 3: Faux-Chi, Sly Comet
Gate 4: Ruin Seeker
Gate 5: Falling for Foxtails
Gate 6: Puzzling Queen
Gate 7: Derek
Gate 8: Vixen For A Fight
Gate 12: Snarl
Gate 14: Fleet, Reddy Fox
Gate 37: Ferris Homer Swiper Carlson

Endless Foxtabilities would have won this race handily, but the rules prohibit a fox from winning multiple races in the same derby. Gate 2 was the most crowded. Besides the winner Ruin Seeker, 6 other foxes finished.

 

15 foxes qualified for the third race, the Tailmont Stakes, by solving one puzzle. Race results:

Gate 1: Endless Foxtabilities, Reynard, Vixen For A Fight
Gate 2: Fleet Flying Fox Four
Gate 3: Guy Fox, Sly Comet
Gate 4: Falling for Foxtails, Faux-Chi, Ruin Seeker
Gate 7: Derek, Puzzling Queen
Gate 12: Snarl
Gate 14: Reddy Fox
Gate 20: Fleet
Gate 37: Ferris Homer Swiper Carlson
Thanks to Endless Foxtabilities and Ruin Seeker hanging out in the winner's circle, this race wound up with a 4-way tie for the most crowded gate (gates 1, 3, 4, and 7). Besides the winner Fleet Flying Fox Four, 4 other foxes finished.

The three winners, Brian Joughin, Spheniscine Kynosoura, and Tamara Brenner, will soon be contacted about redeeming their prizes. Additionally, a $43 money pool will be split between the Food Bank of West Central Texas, the Food Bank for Larimer County, and the Palm Beach County Food Bank ($14.34 each), and this donation will be matched by three anonymous benefactors. Thanks to you all for participating! The 5th quarterly Triple Crown Fox Derby will be held on January 5, 2025.

Wordy Wednesday 670: Pent Words 134

WORDY WEDNESDAY #668 (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 **
Derek Allen **
Michael Lebowitz **
Pavel Curtis **
Randy Rogers **
Russ Kale **
Jason Taniguchi **
KeoFam **
Kevin Orfield **
Ryan Faley **
Ryon Chan **
Sam Levitin **
Steve Levy **

WORDY WEDNESDAY #669
LETRAVEX 2 (hint)

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

WORDY WEDNESDAY #670
PENT WORDS 134
(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 Magazine with a “Fold-in” / “____ aweigh, my boys. . .”
2 Short in duration / Senior
3 Run off to marry / Use a Gillette tool
4 White aquatic bird / Move with long steps
5 Mexican street food item / Adolescents
6 Receive by effort / Fail to go through, as a check
7 Boy / 1959-1965 Western series starring Clint Eastwood
8 Russian wolfhound / ____ Grey tea
9 Vigilant / Watchmaker’s magnifier
10 Canonized one / Climb
PENTOMINOES:
• HALF OF THE FINAL ANSWER
• THE OTHER HALF OF THE FINAL ANSWER
• ____ and blood
• Perfect
• Flower related to the viola
• Angel of the Chicago Sky
• “Just ____” (Lady Gaga song)
• “O come let us ____ Him. . .”
• Take someone else’s property
• Oak nut
• Pakistani currency
• Rainbow ____
• Underneath
• Gillette tool
• Light tropical wood
• Intuitive feeling
• Support Your ____ Sheriff! (1969 film)
• Hues
• One of the Osmonds
• Race participant, perhaps

COMING NEXT WEEK. . .

* What's a 4-letter word for "Mr. Holland’s ____"?

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

Wordy Wednesday 669: Letravex 2

WORDY WEDNESDAY #667
LETRAVEX (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 **
Derek Allen **
Michael Lebowitz **
Pavel Curtis **
Randy Rogers **
Russ Kale **
Adam Weaver **
Kevin Orfield **
Marie desJardins **
Patrick Jordan *
Ryan Faley *
Ryon Chan **
Sam Levitin **
Steve Levy **

WORDY WEDNESDAY #668 (hint)

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

WORDY WEDNESDAY #669
LETRAVEX 2
(click here for a PDF version)

Write the 4-letter clue answers in the square tiles in the grid, one letter per triangle, so that adjacent triangles across tiles have the same letter. Each answer reads clockwise, starting in the triangle indicated by the arrow. Answers are alphabetized; you must determine which answer goes in which tile. The letters on the grid’s perimeter will spell the final answer, a song title, going clockwise from the leftmost triangle on the top edge.

• Fava ____ ↑
• Genoa greeting ↓
• Red Muppet on Sesame Street ←
• Currency that replaced the Greek drachma ↑
• Go out of sight ↓
• Colored portion of the eye →
• Ore deposit ↑
• Spar on a ship ←
• “Don’t ____ with Texas” ↑
• Jupiter’s Io, for one ←
• Norway’s capital ↑
• Salsa brand owned by Campbell’s ↓
• Wharf ↑
• President’s four-year tenure ↓
• Drawn contest results ↑
• ____ de force →

COMING NEXT WEEK. . .

* What's a 5-letter word for "Support Your ____ Sheriff! (1969 film)"?

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

Outside the Fox Puzzles: Triple Crown Fox Derby #4

 (Click here for a PDF of all of the puzzles and the contest rules.)

 

Outside the Fox Puzzles is proud to sponsor the 4th Triple Crown Fox Derby! Up to three winners of this contest will receive their choice of one of these prizes, for themselves or for anyone else of their choice:
• A 1-year subscription to Outside the Fox Puzzles, which comes with 150 puzzles just like the ones in this contest!
• A $10 gift card for Grandmaster Puzzles, with which one can buy ebooks of beautiful logic puzzles written by talented authors from around the world!
• A 2-month Premium membership on Board Game Arena, with which one can play board games in real-time and turn-based modes against opponents from around the world!

My plan is to run these contests on the first Monday of every January, April, July, and October, at 12:01 AM Central Time. The entry deadline will be 13 days later (on a Sunday) at 11:59 PM Central Time; in this case, the deadline is Sunday, October 19, 2025, at 11:59 PM Central Time.

This contest combines a Touchword puzzle, a gridded logic puzzle, and a variety word puzzle with a fox race. Yes, in the real world, people bet on horse races and greyhound races, but in the fantastic world of Outside the Fox Puzzles, it is foxes who race. To participate in the contest, send an e-mail to glmathgrant@[at]gmail[dot]com. Your entry should include:
• Your answers to the three puzzles, as explained in their respective instructions. (Any format, including scans or photos of printed pages, screenshots, or plain text, will work, so long as I can read and judge it.)
• The name of the fox you'll be entering in the race (this is just for fun and has no effect on the outcome).
• The number of the gate your fox will start from (any integer between 1 and 50 inclusive) in each of the three races (the Kittucky Derby, the Sneakness Stakes, and the Tailmont Stakes). You can use the same gate any number of times.

The first race is the Kittucky Derby; to qualify, you must have submitted correct solutions to all three puzzles. The second race, the Sneakness Stakes, requires only two correct solutions, and the Tailmont Stakes requires only one. Winning an earlier race disqualifies you from a later race; otherwise, you can qualify for, and participate in, one, two, or all three races. The winner of each race is the fox that started from the lowest-numbered gate that nobody else selected! Unfortunately, when two or more foxes are crammed into the same gate, they have a tendency to fight each other and to not notice when the race has started. If no foxes qualify for a race, or if all qualifying foxes end up in fights, then there will be no winner.

The Triple Crown Fox Derby now also supports the three food banks featured previously in Kevin’s Puzzles at Home. For every valid puzzle solution received during the contest, I will add $1 to a money pool which will be split between the Food Bank of West Central Texas, the Food Bank for Larimer County, and the Palm Beach County Food Bank. The money pool is capped at $150 ($50 per food bank), and will be matched by three anonymous benefactors.

These statistics on the previous Triple Crown Fox Derbies may give you an estimate of how many entrants the current Derby will have and help you plan your strategy. Enjoy the puzzles, and yappy racing!

Derby #1: 22 triple solves, 24 double solves, 24 single solves
Derby #2: 21 triple solves, 23 double solves, 23 single solves 

Derby #3: 22 triple solves, 23 double solves, 23 single solves 

TOUCHWORD

PUZ version

Every row has one or more answers clued in order. 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. To qualify for the Triple Crown Fox Derby, submit the completed grid.

1 Horned mammal, briefly / Disease
2 High-pitched cries or complaints / Of ill repute
3 One who testifies in court / Stop
4 Not merely figurative / Revolver namesake Samuel
5 In the future / Nook
6 2010 romantic drama film based on Elizabeth Gilbert’s memoir: 3 wds.
7 Tombstone lawman Wyatt / Where bales are stored
8 Kitt who voiced Yzma in The Emperor’s New Groove / Quick
9 Girdle straps / Married woman
10 Male goose / Piece of bread
11 Like the result of a coin flip / Literary character who visits Wonderland

PENCILS
Illustrated rules on puzz.link | Solve on puzz.link
Rules summary: Fill the grid with pencils drawing lines. Every pencil is composed of a 1-cell wide rectangular body with a tip attached to one of its short sides, pointing into an adjacent cell; some pencil tips are given in the grid. Every number must be part of a pencil body, and indicates how many cells that body occupies; a pencil body may contain no numbers, one number, or multiple numbers. The line being drawn by a pencil starts from the pencil tip and moves horizontally and vertically through adjacent cells without branching off or retracing itself; the length of the line must be equal to the size of the pencil body. Except where a pencil tip touches one endpoint of its corresponding line, pencils and lines may not overlap. Every cell must be used. To qualify for the Triple Crown Fox Derby, submit the completed grid.

CODEWORDS
In the crossword below, each letter has been replaced by a number from 1 through 26. Decipher the code to reveal the words. To qualify for the Triple Crown Fox Derby, submit either the completed grid or the list of letters represented by the numbers 1 through 26 (in that order).

Wordy Wednesday 668

WORDY WEDNESDAY #666
THE PUZZLE FROM HELL (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 **
Derek Allen **
Michael Lebowitz *
Pavel Curtis **
Randy Rogers **
Russ Kale **
Adam Weaver **
Kevin Orfield **
Marie desJardins **
Ryan Faley **
Ryon Chan **
Sam Levitin **
Steve Levy **

WORDY WEDNESDAY #667
LETRAVEX (hint)

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

WORDY WEDNESDAY #668
(click here for a PDF version)

This puzzle contains a word suggested by patron Randy Rogers. 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! 

Oops! I forgot to give this puzzle a title! Can you find me a good title?

WORD LIST (in alphabetical order):
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COMING NEXT WEEK. . .

* What's a 4-letter word for "Salsa brand owned by Campbell’s"?
* Patron Puzzle #137, which will be delivered on October 8, 2025, exclusively to Patreon supporters at the Super Fan level and up ($5 or more per month), is a Letravex.

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