A guide to recurring Wordy Wednesday formats
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Kevin's Puzzles at Home Season 5, Episode 9 (Meta): The Words of the Profits

Posted on
PREVIOUS EPISODES
Introduction (what these puzzles are and why they're called "Kevin's Puzzles at Home Season 5"): click here
Episode 1 (Veg Out): puzzle PDF, hint PDF
* 20 people solved this within the first week for 50 points apiece; 2 people solved it later for 25 points.
Episode 2 (Baseball Baffler): puzzle PDF, hint PDF
* 20 people solved this within the first week for 50 points apiece; 2 people solved it later for 25 points.
Episode 3 (Musical Arrangement): puzzle PDF, hint PDF
* 20 people solved this within the first week for 50 points apiece; 0 people solved it later for 25 points.
Episode 4 (The Name Game): puzzle PDF, hint PDF
* 17 people solved this within the first week for 50 points apiece; 0 people solved it later for 25 points.
Episode 5 (The Concise Cinema Critic): puzzle PDF, hint PDF
* 16 people solved this within the first week for 50 points apiece; 1 person solved it later for 25 points.
Episode 6 (Nine Letters, All Alone): puzzle PDF, hint PDF
* 15 people solved this within the first week for 50 points apiece; 1 person solved it later for 25 points.
Episode 7 (Crossword Examination): puzzle PDF, hint PDF
* 17 people solved this within the first week for 50 points apiece; 0 people solved it later for 25 points.
Episode 8 ("Five" Got a Problem): puzzle PDF, hint PDF (new!)
* 11 people solved this within the first week for 50 points apiece.
 
The total number of points scored is 6950. Thus, the current money pool for the Food Bank for Larimer County is $69.50. Four anonymous benefactors have agreed to match this donation, meaning that the Food Bank for Larimer County will actually receive $347.50. 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 5, EPISODE 9 (META):
THE WORDS OF THE PROFITS
Ever the entrepreneur, Kevin has started selling the answers to the previous eight puzzles – and thanks to the great prices his wholesaler offered him on letters of the alphabet (a penny buys an A, a nickel buys an E, a dime buys a J, a quarter buys a Y, and so on), Kevin has turned this into a lucrative business! What does Kevin plan to buy with his newfound wealth?

(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!
Labels:

Wordy Wednesday 567: Hex Pathfinder 34

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WORDY WEDNESDAY #565
PENT WORDS 113 (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 **
Derek Allen **
James Haddad **
Joe Bernard **
Michael Lebowitz **
Randy Rogers **
Kevin Orfield **
Ryan Faley **
Sam Levitin **
Tower **

WORDY WEDNESDAY #566
SECTION SIX 56 (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 #567
HEX PATHFINDER 34
(click here for a PDF version)
In this puzzle, each answer starts in the correspondingly numbered hexagon and winds through the grid, starting in the indicated direction. When you have finished, every letter will be used in exactly two entries.

Rearrange the letters in the shaded spaces to get the final answer, a Scrabble-legal (unhyphenated, uncapitalized, etc.) 7-letter word.
1E 2023 hit song for [entry 13NW] (22, 5 wds.)
2W Like e or pi (10)
3E Italian treat made with heavy cream (7)
4SE Titular Lombax in an Insomniac Games franchise (7)
5E Certain Anabaptist (9)
6NE Moderately fast gait (4)
7E Sleeper’s sound, perhaps (5)
8NW Jerusalem resident (7)
9SE Lock and ____ (4)
10SW Tibetan Buddhist monk (4)
11NE Circular window in the side of a ship (8)
11W Dallas suburb in which Frito-Lay is headquartered (5)
12W Porch (7)
13NW [Entry 1E] singer (13, 2 wds.)
14NE Very eager to listen (7, 2 wds.)
15SW Toyota minivan model (6)
16SW 26.2-mile footrace (8)
17SE Mount featured in the film The Ten Commandments (5)
18SE Breakable (5)
19SW Fabric of which viscose is a variety (5)
20W Flowery necklaces (4)
21NE Movable flaps on airplane wings (8)
22W Long slender rod on a radio or television (7)
23SE Verily (6)
24NW “Praying” insect (6)
25SE Feverish (6)
26E Not hot (4)
26E Row of evenly-spaced pillars (9)
27SE Weapon on a submarine (7)
28SW Dock (4)
29SW Remove, as erroneous pencil marks (5)
30W More grating, as a voice (7)
31E Defend (7)

COMING NEXT WEEK. . .
* What toy dog breed originates from China?

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

Kevin's Puzzles at Home Season 5, Episode 8: "Five" Got a Problem

Posted on
PREVIOUS EPISODES
Introduction (what these puzzles are and why they're called "Kevin's Puzzles at Home Season 5"): click here
Episode 1 (Veg Out): puzzle PDF, hint PDF
* 20 people solved this within the first week for 50 points apiece; 2 people solved it later for 25 points.
Episode 2 (Baseball Baffler): puzzle PDF, hint PDF
* 20 people solved this within the first week for 50 points apiece; 2 people solved it later for 25 points.
Episode 3 (Musical Arrangement): puzzle PDF, hint PDF
* 20 people solved this within the first week for 50 points apiece; 0 people solved it later for 25 points.
Episode 4 (The Name Game): puzzle PDF, hint PDF
* 17 people solved this within the first week for 50 points apiece; 0 people solved it later for 25 points.
Episode 5 (The Concise Cinema Critic): puzzle PDF, hint PDF
* 16 people solved this within the first week for 50 points apiece; 1 person solved it later for 25 points.
Episode 6 (Nine Letters, All Alone): puzzle PDF, hint PDF
* 15 people solved this within the first week for 50 points apiece; 1 person solved it later for 25 points.
Episode 7 (Crossword Examination): puzzle PDF, hint PDF (new!)
* 17 people solved this within the first week for 50 points apiece.
 
The total number of points scored is 6400. Thus, the current money pool for the Food Bank for Larimer County is $64.00. Four anonymous benefactors have agreed to match this donation, meaning that the Food Bank for Larimer County will actually receive $320.00. If you haven't already, you may solve the above puzzles for 25 points each, possibly with the aid of the hint.

KEVIN’S PUZZLES AT HOME
SEASON 5, EPISODE 8:
"FIVE" GOT A PROBLEM
Are you smart enough to help Kevin divide the grid into 5-cell regions while making sure that identical shapes don’t share an edge? He’s completely clueless!
(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 meta requiring the 8 previous answers to be solved. Good luck!
Labels:

Wordy Wednesday 566: Section Six 56

Posted on
WORDY WEDNESDAY #564
CODEWORDS 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 **
Derek Allen **
Michael Lebowitz **
Randy Rogers **
Kevin Orfield **
Ryan Faley **
Sam Levitin **
Tower **

WORDY WEDNESDAY #565
PENT WORDS 113 (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 #566
SECTION SIX 56
(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 starred spaces to form the final answer, a Scrabble-legal (unhyphenated, uncapitalized, etc.) 6-letter word.
Ring 1
1 “____ Through the Tulips”
2 Marshmallow ingredient
3 Poem that may be Petrarchan
4 Thinly-sliced cured meat used in some sandwiches
5 Grizzly ____
6 Best possible

Ring 2
* Jae’Sean of the Houston Rockets
* Be a braggart
* Upper bound, as of poker bets
* Term for a government body or for a group of owls
* Spring or summer

Ring 3
* Eurasian ermine
* ____ tender
* Diminish the abilities of
* Estrange

Ring 4
* Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s ____
* Commonly consumed freshwater fish
* Hammer with a head shaped like a barrel

Ring 5
* Name shared by a bird and a shade of blue
* Type of tree seen on South Carolina’s state flag

Ring 6
* Child actress Shirley whose mother ensured that she always had exactly 56 curls in her hair

COMING NEXT WEEK. . .
* What's a 5-letter word for "Dallas suburb in which Frito-Lay is headquartered"?

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

Kevin's Puzzles at Home Season 5, Episode 7: Crossword Examination

Posted on
PREVIOUS EPISODES
Introduction (what these puzzles are and why they're called "Kevin's Puzzles at Home Season 5"): click here
Episode 1 (Veg Out): puzzle PDF, hint PDF
* 20 people solved this within the first week for 50 points apiece; 2 people solved it later for 25 points.
Episode 2 (Baseball Baffler): puzzle PDF, hint PDF
* 20 people solved this within the first week for 50 points apiece; 2 people solved it later for 25 points.
Episode 3 (Musical Arrangement): puzzle PDF, hint PDF
* 20 people solved this within the first week for 50 points apiece; 0 people solved it later for 25 points.
Episode 4 (The Name Game): puzzle PDF, hint PDF
* 17 people solved this within the first week for 50 points apiece; 0 people solved it later for 25 points.
Episode 5 (The Concise Cinema Critic): puzzle PDF, hint PDF
* 16 people solved this within the first week for 50 points apiece; 1 person solved it later for 25 points.
Episode 6 (Nine Letters, All Alone): puzzle PDF, hint PDF (new!)
* 15 people solved this within the first week for 50 points apiece.
 
The total number of points scored is 5525. Thus, the current money pool for the Food Bank for Larimer County is $55.25. Four anonymous benefactors have agreed to match this donation, meaning that the Food Bank for Larimer County will actually receive $276.25. If you haven't already, you may solve the above puzzles for 25 points each, possibly with the aid of the hint.

KEVIN’S PUZZLES AT HOME
SEASON 5, EPISODE 7:
CROSSWORD EXAMINATION
Kevin has found this confusing crossword to be a real trial! Can you complete it?
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
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
4 LETTERS
• ____ browns (breakfast item)
• Pay attention to, as a warning
• The Hawkeye State
• The front part of the lower leg
• Sink or ____
5 LETTERS
• Robinson Crusoe author Daniel
• CR-V manufacturer
6 LETTERS
• Hell’s counterpart
• Baseball great Jackson
7 LETTERS
• Remorseful
• Speedy spotted feline
8 LETTERS
• Divert attention
• Power
11 LETTERS
• Device for grinding timber into small bits
(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 7's hint and Episode 8's puzzle. Good luck!
Labels:

Wordy Wednesday 565: Pent Words 113

Posted on
WORDY WEDNESDAY #562
CODEWORDS 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 **
Cathy Bowen **
Derek Allen **
Michael Lebowitz **
Randy Rogers **
Kevin Orfield **
Ryan Faley **
Sam Levitin **
Tower **

WORDY WEDNESDAY #563
ANACROSSWORD 35 (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 **
Derek Allen **
Michael Lebowitz **
Nan **
Randy Rogers **
Jason Boomer **
Kevin Orfield **
Ryan Faley **
Sam Levitin **
Tower **

WORDY WEDNESDAY #564
CODEWORDS 26 (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 #565
PENT WORDS 113
(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 Cylindrical Mexican wrap / “With this ring, I thee ____. . .”
2 Elk horn / Amount of space occupied by a two-dimensional figure
3 Guarded / Went over 21 in blackjack
4 Word on a conical cap / Force
5 Make a hole through, as an earlobe / Word on an octagonal sign
6 Star Trek: ____ New Worlds / Easy as ____
7 Nest in a cliff / Harry’s item
8 Body of traditional belief / Hook-and-loop fastener trademark
9 ____ in a Bottle (1999 film) / Ball honoree, in brief
10 Spreadsheet software included in Microsoft Office / Cuckoo
PENTOMINOES:
* HALF OF THE FINAL ANSWER
* THE OTHER HALF OF THE FINAL ANSWER
* Masked vigilante whose name means “fox” in Spanish
* I Know Why the ____ Bird Sings
* The Hate U Give novelist Thomas
* Brownish color named after a cuttlefish genus
* Accolade
* Like overcooked toast
* County in the East of England
* Carouse
* Mistake
* Yo-Yo Ma’s instrument
* Run away to get married
* “Georgia Time” singer Green
* Sacred song, as one from the Old Testament
* Fear greatly
* Maltreat
* Mythological enchantress who lived on the island of Aeaea
* Dark-colored hardwood
* “Don’t ____ fate!”

COMING NEXT WEEK. . .
* What's a 6-letter word for "Child actress Shirley whose mother ensured that she always had exactly 56 curls in her hair"?

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

Kevin's Puzzles at Home Season 5, Episode 6: Nine Letters, All Alone

Posted on
PREVIOUS EPISODES
Introduction (what these puzzles are and why they're called "Kevin's Puzzles at Home Season 5"): click here
Episode 1 (Veg Out): puzzle PDF, hint PDF
* 20 people solved this within the first week for 50 points apiece; 2 people solved it later for 25 points.
Episode 2 (Baseball Baffler): puzzle PDF, hint PDF
* 20 people solved this within the first week for 50 points apiece; 2 people solved it later for 25 points.
Episode 3 (Musical Arrangement): puzzle PDF, hint PDF
* 20 people solved this within the first week for 50 points apiece; 0 people solved it later for 25 points.
Episode 4 (The Name Game): puzzle PDF, hint PDF
* 17 people solved this within the first week for 50 points apiece; 0 people solved it later for 25 points.
Episode 5 (The Concise Cinema Critic): puzzle PDF, hint PDF (new!)
* 16 people solved this within the first week for 50 points apiece.
 
The total number of points scored is 4750. Thus, the current money pool for the Food Bank for Larimer County is $47.50. Four anonymous benefactors have agreed to match this donation, meaning that the Food Bank for Larimer County will actually receive $237.50. If you haven't already, you may solve the above puzzles for 25 points each, possibly with the aid of the hint.

KEVIN’S PUZZLES AT HOME
SEASON 5, EPISODE 6:
NINE LETTERS, ALL ALONE
This puzzle has letters instead of numbers for some reason! Can you help Kevin fill it in?
(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!
Labels:

Wordy Wednesday 564: Codewords 26

Posted on
WORDY WEDNESDAY #561
SPICY GERMAN SAUSAGE (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 **
Derek Allen **
Michael Lebowitz **
Randy Rogers **
Kenneth Wilson **
Kevin Orfield **
Ryan Faley **
Sam Levitin **
Tower **

WORDY WEDNESDAY #562
CODEWORDS 25 (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 #563
ANACROSSWORD 35 (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!

THE END OF DOUBLE WORDY WEDNESDAYS
In order to simplify my blogging workflow, I will no longer post two Wordy Wednesdays on the last Wednesday of the month. Going forward, there will only be one Wordy Wednesday every week. Between Wordy Wednesday and Kevin's Puzzles at Home, I'm still offering over 75 free puzzles every year, so I'm hoping that I will be forgiven. I'm working on a new project that I hope to launch in 2024, and while I was at first concerned that I'd have to reduce my output much more than that (such as by cancelling Wordy Wednesdays during Kevin's Puzzles at Home), I feel pretty confident that such a drastic measure won't be necessary. I look forward to announcing my new project. . . and if I end up having egg on my face, lesson learned.

WORDY WEDNESDAY #564
CODEWORDS 26
(click here for a PDF version)
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. . .
* What's a 5-letter word for "Mythological enchantress who lived on the island of Aeaea"?
* Patron Puzzle #113, which will be delivered on October 8, 2023, exclusively to Patreon supporters at the Super Fan level and up ($5 or more per month), is a Framelinks.

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

Kevin's Puzzles at Home Season 5, Episode 5: The Concise Cinema Critic

Posted on
PREVIOUS EPISODES
Introduction (what these puzzles are and why they're called "Kevin's Puzzles at Home Season 5"): click here
Episode 1 (Veg Out): puzzle PDF, hint PDF
* 20 people solved this within the first week for 50 points apiece; 2 people solved it later for 25 points.
Episode 2 (Baseball Baffler): puzzle PDF, hint PDF
* 20 people solved this within the first week for 50 points apiece; 2 people solved it later for 25 points.
Episode 3 (Musical Arrangement): puzzle PDF, hint PDF
* 20 people solved this within the first week for 50 points apiece; 0 people solved it later for 25 points.
Episode 4 (The Name Game): puzzle PDF, hint PDF (new!)
* 17 people solved this within the first week for 50 points apiece.
 
The total number of points scored is 3950. Thus, the current money pool for the Food Bank for Larimer County is $39.50. Four anonymous benefactors have agreed to match this donation, meaning that the Food Bank for Larimer County will actually receive $197.50. If you haven't already, you may solve the above puzzles for 25 points each, possibly with the aid of the hint.

KEVIN’S PUZZLES AT HOME
SEASON 5, EPISODE 5:
THE CONCISE CINEMA CRITIC
When it comes to reviewing his favorite (and least favorite) films, Kevin likes to keep things brief.
“I didn’t laugh even once at this 1984 ‘comedy’ about a team fighting to rid New York City of paranormal phenomena. I give it 2 out of 12.”
“This 1991 film starring Robin Williams as Peter Pan and Dustin Hoffman as the titular captain is underrated. I give it 3 out of 4.”
“I can sum up this 1942 Humphrey Bogart classic in 5 words: ‘Here’s looking at you, kid.’ I give it 8 out of 10.”
“This 2013 Disney flick has ‘Let It Go’ stuck in my head. Again. I give it 5 out of 6.”
“This 1980 comedy about the Bushwood Country Club is okay, but not even Bill Murray can make golf exciting. I give it 5 out of 10.”
“As you would probably expect about a movie named after a gambling establishment, this 1995 Martin Scorsese classic takes place in Las Vegas. I give it 4 out of 6.”
“I’m not a deer, but I still couldn’t help but cry at the scene in this 1942 film in which the title character’s mother gets shot. I give it 4 out of 5.”
“If you can’t afford a trip to Paris, the next best thing is this 2007 animated flick about a rodent chef named Remy. I give it 9 out of 11.”
“Too many people got unfair views about sharks from this 1975 Spielberg flick. I give it 2 out of 4.”
“All the dreams within dreams within dreams in this 2010 film starring Leonardo DiCaprio broke my brain, but after multiple viewings, Christopher Nolan’s genius truly showed. I give it 9 out of 9.”
“This 1976 film starring Sylvester Stallone as a boxer is one of the better sports movies I’ve ever seen. I give it 4 out of 5.”
“‘My Heart Will Go On’? More like this mediocre 1997 film will go on, and on, and on, and freaking on! When will the ship sink already and end my suffering? I give it 3 out of 7.”
“Even when I’m watching it on October 31, this 1978 horror film starring Jamie Lee Curtis fails to entertain me. I give it 1 out of 9.”
“Despite the title, I found this 2000 film directed by Christopher Nolan forgettable. I give it 2 out of 7.”
“This 2001 film in which Mike Myers voices an ogre is probably the perfect film. I give it 5 out of 5.”
“Michael Keaton does an incredible job playing the titular ‘freelance bio-exorcist’ in this 1988 horror comedy directed by the inimitable Tim Burton. I give it 9 out of 11.”
“Mara Wilson, in my eyes, will always be synonymous with the telekinetic title character of this 1996 movie based on a Roald Dahl book. I give it 6 out of 7.”
“This 2005 animated movie tells the story of New York City zoo animals who are shipped off to an island nation off the coast of Africa. I give it 7 out of 10.”
(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 5's hint and Episode 6's puzzle. Good luck!
Labels:

Wordy Wednesday 562: Codewords 25 & Wordy Wednesday 563: Anacrossword 35

Posted on
WORDY WEDNESDAY #560
PENT WORDS 112 (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 **
Derek Allen **
James Haddad **
Joe Bernard **
Michael Lebowitz **
Randy Rogers **
Bart Gold **
Kevin Orfield **
Patrick Jordan *
Ryan Faley **
Sam Levitin **
Tower **

WORDY WEDNESDAY #561
SPICY GERMAN SAUSAGE 5 (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!

LAST WEDNESDAY OF THE MONTH = DOUBLE WORDY WEDNESDAYS!
WORDY WEDNESDAY #562
CODEWORDS 25
(click here for a PDF version)
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.

WORDY WEDNESDAY #563
ANACROSSWORD 35
(click here for a PDF version)
(click here for rules)
This puzzle contains a word suggested by patron Cathy Bowen. 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 98 99
• Reservation, as for a flight or a hotel room
• Disregard
• Alice’s cat in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
• It was built to commemorate the centenary of the French Revolution: 2 wds.
• Dinner and a movie, perhaps (or, alternatively, making balanced): 2 wds.
• Charles Gounod opera
• “____ is where the heart is”
• Gland that can secrete milk
• The Joe Rogan Experience, for one
• Actor who portrayed Zed in Men in Black: 2 wds.
• Talk back to
• Gastroenterologist’s concern
• George who sang “All My Ex’s Live in Texas”
• Provable mathematical proposition
• Food for ____
• Frugal
• Successfully oppose
• Quiver
• Like many a woven basket or chair

COMING NEXT WEEK. . .
* A Codewords!

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

Kevin's Puzzles at Home Season 5, Episode 4: The Name Game

Posted on
PREVIOUS EPISODES
Introduction (what these puzzles are and why they're called "Kevin's Puzzles at Home Season 5"): click here
Episode 1 (Veg Out): puzzle PDF, hint PDF
* 20 people solved this within the first week for 50 points apiece; 2 people solved it later for 25 points.
Episode 2 (Baseball Baffler): puzzle PDF, hint PDF
* 20 people solved this within the first week for 50 points apiece; 2 people solved it later for 25 points.
Episode 3 (Musical Arrangement): puzzle PDF, hint PDF (new!)
* 20 people solved this within the first week for 50 points apiece.

The total number of points scored is 3100. Thus, the current money pool for the Food Bank for Larimer County is $31.00. Four anonymous benefactors have agreed to match this donation, meaning that the Food Bank for Larimer County will actually receive $155.00. A special thank you to my newest anonymous benefactor for hopping aboard. If you haven't already, you may solve the above puzzles for 25 points each, possibly with the aid of the hint.

KEVIN’S PUZZLES AT HOME
SEASON 5, EPISODE 4:
THE NAME GAME
Can you help Kevin figure out what these trios of famous people have in common?
Burnett, Channing, Kane
Griffith, Samberg, Warhol
Dreyfuss, Gere, Nixon
Colbert, Hawking, King
de la Hoya, de la Renta, Wilde
Grace, Pelosi, Reagan
Darwin, Dickens, Lindbergh
Rickman, Thicke, Turing
Baio, Bakula, Joplin
Hunt, Keller, Reddy
Attenborough, Bowie, Letterman
Murphy, Van Halen, Vedder
McCartney, Rudd, Simon
Dinklage, Frampton, Jackson
(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 4's hint and Episode 5's puzzle. Good luck!
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Wordy Wednesday 561: Spicy German Sausage 5

Posted on
WORDY WEDNESDAY #559
SNAKE CRISSCROSS 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 **
Cathy Bowen **
Cindy Heisler **
Cole Kendall **
Derek Allen **
Joe Bernard **
Michael Lebowitz **
Randy Rogers **
Tyler Hinman **
Kevin Orfield **
Ryan Faley **
Sam Levitin **
Tower *

WORDY WEDNESDAY #560
PENT WORDS 112 (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 #561
SPICY GERMAN SAUSAGE 5
(click here for a PDF version)
This puzzle contains a word suggested by patron Jeri Feaster. 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 a German Sausage, a type of puzzle originating from the National Puzzlers League, when you take the indicated pairs of answers to the clues from the first list, combine their letters, and anagram them, you get the answers to the clues from the second list. (For example, if the answers to clues 1 and 2 were ANAGRAM and SEGUES, then the answer to clue 1+2 could be GERMAN SAUSAGE.) However, in this variation, you must add an extra letter to each pair of answers to make the longer answer (for example, you might make GERMAN SAUSAGE from ANAGRAM and GUESS plus an extra E).

Rearrange the added letters in (parentheses) to make a 6-letter word, and rearrange the added letters in [square brackets] to make a 6-letter word. Write these words in the final set of blanks, and rearrange the letters in {curly braces} to make a 6-letter word, the final answer.

1. Trade
2. Former Kansas City Royals outfielder Otis
3. Cut with blows from an ax
4. Jimmy Eat World drummer Zach
5. Digit on a foot
6. Not false
7. Lament
8. ____-only memory
9. Cliché saying
10. Jeweler’s magnifier
11. Timid
12. Blue-haired Fire Emblem character who's playable in Super Smash Bros. Brawl

1+2+(__). Certain heraldic emblem: 3 wds.
2+3+[__]. Jeopardy!, for one: 2 wds.
3+4+(__). India’s capital: 2 wds.
4+5+[__]. What you might hear when picking up the phone: 2 wds.
5+6+(__). Casino game in which you can bet on red or black
6+7+[__]. Top part of a fraction
7+8+(__). Galaxy named after the daughter of Cepheus and Cassiopeia
8+9+[__]. Phrase on the back of a car with tin cans tied to it, perhaps: 2 wds.
9+10+(__). Having several different possible functions
10+11+[__]. Pee-wee’s ____ (children’s television series starring Paul Reubens)
11+12+(__). Alcoholic beverage associated with Tennessee
12+1+[__]. Foodstuff that might be an unwanted Christmas gift

(Parentheses): {__} __ {__} __ __ {__}
[Square brackets]: __ {__} {__} __ {__} __
{Curly braces}: __ __ __ __ __ __

COMING NEXT WEEK. . .
* A Codewords!
* What was built to commemorate the centenary of the French Revolution?

Submit your answers to glmathgrant[at]gmail[dot]com. Until next time, happy solving!
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Kevin's Puzzles at Home Season 5, Episode 3: Musical Arrangement

Posted on
PREVIOUS EPISODES
Introduction (what these puzzles are and why they're called "Kevin's Puzzles at Home Season 5"): click here
Episode 1 (Veg Out): puzzle PDF, hint PDF
* 20 people solved this within the first week for 50 points apiece; 1 person solved it later for 25 points.
Episode 2 (Baseball Baffler): puzzle PDF, hint PDF (new!)
* 20 people solved this within the first week for 50 points apiece.

The total number of points scored is 2025. Thus, the current money pool for the Food Bank for Larimer County is $20.25. Three anonymous benefactors have agreed to match this donation, meaning that the Food Bank for Larimer County will actually receive $81.00. If you haven't already, you may solve the above puzzles for 25 points each, possibly with the aid of the hint.

KEVIN’S PUZZLES AT HOME
SEASON 5, EPISODE 3:
MUSICAL ARRANGEMENT
Help Kevin arrange the letters in each column to make musical instruments reading across the rows of the music box!
(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 3's hint and Episode 4's puzzle. Good luck!
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Wordy Wednesday 560: Pent Words 112

Posted on
WORDY WEDNESDAY #557
ANACROSSWORD 34 (answer)
Here is the answer to this puzzle. If you still wish to solve it yourself, please go here for the normal version of the puzzle, or here for the easier version of the puzzle. Here's a list of people who solved it:
Bonnie Veenschoten **
Cathy Bowen **
Cindy Heisler **
Derek Allen **
Michael Lebowitz **
Randy Rogers **
Tyler Hinman **
Kevin Orfield **
Ryan Faley **
Sam Levitin **
Tower **

WORDY WEDNESDAY #558
DIAGRAMLESS CROSSWORD 12 (answer)
Here is the answer to this puzzle. If you still wish to solve it yourself, please go here for the normal version of the puzzle, or here for the easier version of the puzzle. Here's a list of people who solved it:
Bonnie Veenschoten **
Cathy Bowen **
Derek Allen **
James Haddad **
Joe Bernard **
Michael Lebowitz **
Randy Rogers **
Tyler Hinman **
Kevin Orfield **
Patrick Jordan *
Ryan Faley **
Sam Levitin **

WORDY WEDNESDAY #559
SNAKE CRISSCROSS 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 #560
PENT WORDS 112
(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 “The wheels on the ____ go round and round. . .” / Critical remark aimed at an easy target
2 Sailor’s affirmative response / Either of a dog’s front limbs
3 “____ Brew” (Cream song) / “____ Me to the Moon”
4 Baltimore bird / Woof’s counterpart
5 Impose a penalty on / “____ the front door!”
6 Part of a church, perhaps / ____ Dare (Nickelodeon game show)
7 Gas, in London / Certain marine mammal
8 Foe / Drink made from oranges, perhaps
9 Nissan crossover model / Extraterrestrial being
10 Common stocking material / Judge’s hammer
PENTOMINOES:
* HALF OF THE FINAL ANSWER
* THE OTHER HALF OF THE FINAL ANSWER
* English author Carroll
* English author Carroll’s title character
* Monopoly player’s purchase
* Monopoly player’s purchase
* Russian currency unit
* Underdog’s victory
* Andrews of Mary Poppins
* Merrily We Roll ____
* Aswan’s country
* Fur trader John Jacob
* “Let the ____ beware”
* Quality exhibited by satire
* Unclearly expressed
* Belly button
* ____ of Empires (browser-based strategy game)
* “A leopard cannot change its ____”
* Oddly amusing
* Negatively charged atom or molecule

COMING NEXT WEEK. . .
* What galaxy is named after the daughter of Cepheus and Cassiopeia?

Submit your answers to glmathgrant[at]gmail[dot]com. Until next time, happy solving!
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Kevin's Puzzles at Home Season 5, Episode 2: Baseball Baffler

Posted on
PREVIOUS EPISODES
Introduction (what these puzzles are and why they're called "Kevin's Puzzles at Home Season 5"): click here
Episode 1 (Veg Out): puzzle PDF, hint PDF (new!)
* 20 people solved this within the first week for 50 points apiece.

The total number of points scored is 1000. Thus, the current money pool for the Food Bank for Larimer County is $10.00. Three anonymous benefactors have agreed to match this donation, meaning that the Food Bank for Larimer County will actually receive $40.00. If you haven't already, you may solve the above puzzle for 25 points, possibly with the aid of the hint.

KEVIN’S PUZZLES AT HOME
SEASON 5, EPISODE 2:
BASEBALL BAFFLER
Kevin found this old collection of baseballs and baseball bats, suspiciously arranged as though he had meant to encode some kind of secret message with them when he was younger. Remorsefully, Kevin does not seem to recall what that message was!
(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 2's hint and Episode 3's puzzle. Good luck!
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