Pun of a Kind

PDF  /  PUZ Hello hello! Cubs finally had a solid spring training game yesterday after almost blowing yet another  lead. Of course, March Madness is coming up again soon, which also keeps me plenty busy! --- Puzzle #169 answer:  FAIR AND SQUARE Correct entries: 76 Shortest explanation: There are seven squares of 2-by-2 like letters in the puzzle - the only  instance of any repeat letters anywhere, in fact! They give us FAIR AND and, since they're in a square shape, that gives us FAIR AND SQUARE , the apropos meta answer to #169! --- The antepenultimate puzzle of Summer of Solves! Another Level 2.5  or so, I'm thinking. Good luck, and may all your solves be beautiful! Mikey G The answer to the meta is what you won't be if you solve it.  

PDF  /  PUZ Hello hello! Amazing action at the Winter Olympics, with a wonderful gold-medal performance by Alysa Liu! Baseball also started, and we lost our opening spring training game to the White Sox (season's over). --- Puzzle #168 answer:  SUPERIOR VENA CAVA VEIN Correct entries:  60 Shortest explanation: I didn't have any nudges this week, which did maybe lead us to a solid Level 3. Basically, use the literal DOWNRIGHT and go, alternatingly, down from the "S" in MEANS and right, down, right, one square after the other, until you end up at the "N" in NEXUS. You'll spell SUPERIOR VENA CAVA VEIN (redundant, as I should have left off "vein"!), the answer to the meta. --- I had a Level 2 last week that ended up as a Level 3. I'll see if this one hews more closely to Level 2 . Good luck, and may all your solves be beautiful! Mikey G The 3-word, 13-letter answer to the meta is what I hope you find this puzzle.  

PDF  /  PUZ Hello hello! Watched the Winter Olympics every day, pretty much all day, all week long. And baseball, if only spring training, starts this week! Let's go! --- Puzzle #167 answer:  JOE NAMATH Correct entries: 59 Shortest explanation: I underestimated the difficulty here. Another back-to-back Roman numeral puzzle. Take the four themers and extract Roman numerals, in left-to-right order: LABEQUINOX = LIX AXELORIGIN = XLII EXPERTHIVE = XIV XEROXFIXER = XXIX Take the MVPs of those Super Bowls: Jalen Hurts Eli Manning Terry Bradshaw Steve Young Their initial names spell JETS, signaling the MVP of the only Super Bowl the Jets have won to this day: JOE NAMATH . (Jets, after Super Bowl III: "We're going to be pretty good at this Super Bowl thing!") --- This one should (really) be a Level 2. Trying to make February a bit less chaotic overall. Good luck, and may all your solves be beautiful! Mikey G The 4-word answer to the meta is the way to my heart.  

PDF  /  PUZ Hello hello! Love the Winter Olympics and can't wait to engage with them for the next couple of weeks! Images will be forthcoming below, though I have a busy day ahead (read: watching the Winter Olympics). --- 1.  Puzzle #165 answer:  ROOT (BEER) Correct entries: 66 Shortest explanation: The word "BEER" can surround the four starred entries to form four new entries, whose alternates are in the grid:  WILD --> BEWILDER --> R ATTLE HOLD --> BEHOLDER --> O NLOOKER GINN --> BEGINNER --> O RIENTEE LIEV --> BELIEVER --> T RAIN And my favorite beer is, of course, ROOT  BEER! Hope you gave this puzzle an A(&W). --- 2.  Puzzle #166 answer:  FORUM Correct entries:  49 Shortest explanation: A toughie, for sure. The first word of each of the five themers have a word with a single Roman numeral in it. Exactly one other Roman numeral could replace that lone Roman numeral to form another new word: COUNT --> MOUNT (...

PDF  /  PUZ Hello hello! Insert obligatory sports news here. Posting early to avoid the MGWCC double-post, so no reveal until next week! --- This is a completely cromulent Level 4  - I presume it's a bit of a challenge, but I also believe it's doable. Thanks to Jangler for the test-solve. Good luck, and may all your solves be beautiful! Mikey G The answer to the meta is a 5-letter word.  

PDF  /  PUZ Hello hello! Indiana won the national championship, which is so well-deserved, and the ebullient Fernando Mendoza will likely be a Raider. Love that guy! Also hoping my Broncos can somehow beat the Patriots tomorrow with a backup QB to go to the Super Bowl. Wish us luck! --- 1.  Puzzle #163 answer:  JAMES MICHENER Correct entries:  82 Shortest explanation: The compass direction SOUTH and ocean PACIFIC were missing from the grid, suggesting "Tales from the South Pacific," the Pulitzer Prize-winning work from our meta answer JAMES MICHENER , my mom's favorite author! --- 2.  Puzzle #164 answer: BOWTIE Correct entries: 70 Shortest explanation: A bizarre grid, where you just have to follow the directive in the omega-across entry to find the message, drawn using four consecutive diagonal lines (top left to bottom right to top right to bottom left, back to the top left): "What six-letter accessory to my tux did you doodle here?" (That left column was ...

  PDF  /  PUZ Hello hello! Alex Bregman is also a Cub now and is endearing himself to the city of Chicago already. We love to see it! Early post today due to the MGWCC delay; that means we have no answer explanation - I guess we'll double up next week then! --- 1.  The main debate I've been having internally is if this one needed a hint at omega-across. I finally gave in and put one there, but this is still  Level 3  with that - and, depending on what you see, this could trend  Level 3.5 . Good luck, and may all your solves be beautiful! Mikey G The answer to the meta is an article of clothing.