Pun of a Kind

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).  

PDF / PUZ Hello hello! Cubs are only 3 games back on the Brewers, so I'm happy. That is all. --- Puzzle #187 answer: MACBETH Correct entries: 92 (!!!) Shortest explanation: The five themers all have the letters A, B, and C in various permutations: L ABC OAT, CASH CAB , D CBA SED, RI BCA GE, and WIN BAC K. The missing permutation of ACB can be found in MACBETH  (also 7 letters!) - and the answer to the meta! --- Antepenultimate meta in the Summer of Solves ! I'd say somewhere in the Level 2.5/3  range. Good luck, and may all your solves be beautiful! Mikey G The answer to the meta is a well-known 20th-century American in the form (5, 5).  

PDF / PUZ Hello hello! Cubs had an incredible series at home. Yeah, we only took 1 of 3 from the Yankees - but then have since swept the Dodgers, had an incredible Blue Jays come-from-behind win, and are taking care of business on the road. (Too bad the Brewers are always perfect, haha.) --- Puzzle #186 answer: EMMA Correct entries:  70 Shortest explanation: Unfortunately, I underestimated this one. There were nine surnames in the grid, of people both real and fictional: PEEL, WATSON, WOODHOUSE, SLATER, THOMPSON, BARON, LAZARUS, ROBERTS, and STONE.  I was hoping a few of these would nudge in the direction to EMMA , but I think too many were rather obscure. However, at least one got it immediately upon seeing WOODHOUSE in the grid, so I'll take it! --- This has to be a Level 1 . Please lol Good luck, and may all your solves be beautiful! Mikey G The answer to the meta is the Shakespearean play that would have made a good sixth theme entry.  

PDF / PUZ Hello hello! Cubs had a rocking homestand this week, going 5-2 against the Pirates and Cardinals, including an epic bat flip by Pete Crow-Armstrong (even though it was one of the two games we lost!) Meta posting a day early to avoid MGWCC conflict. --- A quick personal note before the puzzle. Several months ago, I actually had to say goodbye to Ginger Cat. You may have noticed slightly fewer references to her in my puzzles. She had some health issues, and it was time for me to say goodbye. It was hard, but I remember her fondly as the best cat ever and think of her every day. I made sure to pay my respects and honor her memory and was at the point to welcome a new cat into my life a couple of months ago. She came from a more difficult back story and, understandably, is still pretty reticent around me (except when it's treat time, haha). She is cautiously curious but already savors her salmon, her playtime, and her zoomies. I am excited to get to know her more in the comi...

PDF / PUZ Hello hello! Pretty good news in Cubs world as of late, though we did split the homestand 3-3 (would've liked 4-2). Can't seem to catch up to those pesky Brewers, but we have over two months of baseball left to see what we can do! --- Puzzle #183 answer: CIRCLE Correct entries: 54 Shortest explanation: Six of the entries have alternate clues that can answered with characters' names from the 1990s show Friends : CLARA: Santa ___, Calif [Monica] IRMINGER: Sea with a giant ice shelf near by [Ross] ROO: Baby with a pouch [Joey] CARVER: Writer Raymond [Chandler] LEAH: Wife of Jacob in Genesis [Rachel] EDIE: Female name with two rhyming syllables [Phoebe] Put it together and you get CIRCLE , the answer to the meta and, if I took it one step further, could've gotten us a 1990s film called Circle of Friends - wasn't aware of that until now! --- We'll split the difference between Levels 3 and 4, which naturally gives us Level 3.5  for you mathematicians out t...

PDF / PUZ Hello hello! Loved seeing Jordan Walker win the Home Run Derby (rooting for Schwarber, but he was so calm, cool, and collected - and his family was great too!) but All-Star Game was kind of meh. Cubs already go back doing what they do best: giving up home runs and not scoring. WHOOPS. --- Puzzle #183 answer: SLURPEES Correct entries:  87 !! Shortest explanation: See the picture! Pretty by the book. (In honor of the 7-11 release date!) --- This is my entrant for the Crosshare I Love the '90s contest   (that's what I'm calling it, haha). We have a lot of '90s content in this, intentionally so, but don't get distracted by all of that in the meta. The meta is still '90s-related, of course! But don't think every '90s clue relates or anything. Because that increases the signal-to-noise ratio, I'll say Level 2.5  for this one. Good luck, and may all your solves be beautiful! Mikey G The answer to the meta is a 6-letter word.