Pun of a Kind

PDF / PUZ Hello hello! Well, I hope the Rays win the World Series, I guess, haha, but it simply might be the Brewers' year. Happy the Bears and Broncos are both off to a pretty good start! --- Puzzle #193 answer: WAVES OF GRAIN Correct entries: 79 Shortest explanation: Twelve 3-letter entries in the grid conceal the states of the Midwest. Use the excess letter in each of them to get WAVES OF GRAIN , the answer to the meta! --- Phil and I have teamed up for another meta on this beautiful autumn day! We feel there are enough signposts but will still put it at Level 4 . You can do it, though! Good luck, and may all your solves be beautiful! Mikey G The 11-letter answer to the meta is a great approach for solving puzzles.  

PDF / PUZ Hello hello! While I am primarily a Broncos fan, remembering Mike Ditka today and his incredible Chicago legacy. In baseball news, let's see if the White Sox can do it today (I am not watching the NLCS, haha). Midwest Gridfest was a lot of fun! So great to see so many faces in the crossword community! --- Puzzle #192 answer: REFS Correct entries: 73 Shortest explanation: Let's go to the second half of each 2-word themer: TOMB, BALD, MALTESE, PATRON. Each of these is the start of another common 2-word reference or phrase. So let's go to the 2nd half of those: TOMB RAIDER, BALD EAGLE, MALTESE FALCON, PATRON SAINT. The initial letters of those new words spell REFS , the answer to thfe meta. This can be a bit SAD once you see it - but it might be tough to see in the first place! Note FOOT BALL TEAM NAME around the grid. (And I was limited in the revealer - not too many football team names start with vowels, I've learned!!) --- This was the meta passed out at the ...

PDF / PUZ  / Answer Hello hello! Some of you might be my usual solvers, but this also is a post welcoming any of you from Midwest Gridfest to my blog. Hi there! I usually post metas every other week or so here with the occasional themeless (ideally 1st and 15th of the month, but I have been lagging in that!). This is the landing page for my bonus themeless I'll be giving out at the solving table. The back page of that themeless is a meta puzzle, my usual fare, and if you want to check your answer, you can do that on the Crosshare link here ! (Note that I will be posting the exact same meta in its official slot on October 10.) And that's about it! I usually share random baseball news in the opening lines, so I'm still consoling myself about my Cubbies. I'll still root for the White Sox, though! Go Chicago! Thanks for stopping by and solving and, as always, may all your solves be beautiful! Mikey G ---  

PDF / PUZ Hello hello! My Broncos have a win so far, but it's still baseball season in my book! Cubs and  White Sox are both into the playoffs, the first time in a full season since 2008! Posting a day early to avoid a MGWCC double-post. Also honored to have a puzzle represented at the upcoming " Midwest Gridfest "! --- Puzzle #191 answer: NAIL IT Correct entries: 71 Shortest explanation: Form a new word using letters 9 through letters 5, in order, in each of the themers (NAMED, VITAL, CARET, ARTSY, AWARE, SALAD). Find the entry whose clue references that word. In order: NENE, AGE, INSERT, LOFT, INON, TOSS. Those initials spell NAIL IT , the answer to the meta! --- When all the dust settles, I'm thinking we'll be at a Level 3  for this one! Thanks to Alan and Jangler for test-solving! Good luck, and may all your solves be beautiful! Mikey G The answer to the meta is a 4-letter group who might appreciate it.  

PDF / PUZ Hello hello! My beloved Broncos are starting this weekend, so I have to balance that with my beloved Cubbies! Tough start to September, so let's see if we can get back on track in the final games of the season! --- Puzzle #190 answer: TIME Correct entries:  55 Shortest explanation: Solid Level 3/3.5. Each of the six themers has at least two pairs of multiple letters (so the NUMBER TWO allusion to the pencil); erase these to get six new entries (NURSE, ASK, CLUE, JO, CHILE, CAROL) - and you know what to do! The alternates are also in order, all acrosses as well: TASTE, ICH, NUDGE, MEG, ECUADOR, NOEL. We have...TIN MEN? Not too apropos! Follow the deletion mechanism one more time to get TIME , a fitting end to this last "proctored meta exam" of the summer! --- Honoring the late, great Dolly Parton with this one - I think, like the last one, it'll be a relatively solid Level 2.5/3 . Good luck, and may all your solves be beautiful! Mikey G The answer to the met...

PDF / PUZ Hello hello! A brutal road series, where the Cubs go 1-2 against both the Mariners and the Diamondbacks, the latter of which always play us tough. --- No answer for the previous meta, since we're posting this one a day early to avoid a double-post with MGWCC. This is puzzle #190, almost to 200 and our final puzzle in this year's Summer of Solves. We will go back to every other Saturday until the Winter Solvestice , as long as inspiration strikes! Final one will clock in at Level 3/3.5 , and thanks to Jangler for test-solving and somehow getting the entire thing in 8 minutes. Good luck, and may all your solves be beautiful! Mikey G The answer to the meta is my apropos message to you right after you finish it.  

PDF / PUZ Hello hello! And now Cubs are six  games back at the Brewers. Sigh. --- Puzzle #188 answer:  COUNT BASIE Correct entries:  62 Shortest explanation: A bit SAD: the five main themers have the numbers ONE through FIVE appearing, with a letter change. Those letter changes spell BASIE, suggesting (with the numbers) COUNT BASIE , the answer to the meta. --- Penultimate meta in the Summer of Solves ! I had no idea here, so I asked a buddy behind the scenes for some brainstorming topics, and this is what resulted! Solid Level 2 . Good luck, and may all your solves be beautiful! Mikey G The answer to the meta is a 2-word phrase in the form (7, 4).