Pun of a Kind

PDF / PUZ Hello hello! Good news: The Cubs are 7th in the Power Rankings! Not as great of news: We don't have a bullpen. Wow! --- Puzzle #182 answer: ACCLAIM Correct entries: 76 Shortest explanation: No picture this time, so imagine it in your mind! We had seven entries whose clues began with letters in the C* C* L* format, in honor of our 250th. (Guest-starring was MIKE as "Chicago Cubs lover," unsurprisingly). The seven clues spell ACCLAIM , itself having a CCL trigram. --- Wow, this grid shape looks familiar! Taking things easier on you a bit this month for another Level 1 this time. Good luck, and may all your solves be beautiful! Mikey G The answer to the meta is an 8-letter plural.  

PDF / PUZ Hello hello! Good news: Cubs swept the Padres, beating them 23-3 on Wednesday. Bad news: They lost  17-1 against the Cards yesterday (fun fact: That -36 run differential between two consecutive days is the second-worst in the history of baseball, haha). --- Puzzle #181 answer: NULL (ISLAND) Correct entries:  69 Shortest explanation: Solid job, everybody! See picture above! --- Let's hope for a nice, solid easy start to celebrate America's 250th. Level 1 , almost certainly. Good luck, and may all your solves be beautiful! Mikey G The 7-letter answer to the meta is what I'll give you if you solve it.  

PDF / PUZ Hello hello! Good news: Cubs just swept a team! Bad news: It was the Mets, who are having a horrendous season and just fired their manager. (I actually like the Mets and hope they have a better second half, for sure.) We have a collab today with Phil, a definite Week 4  meta - but we're posting early to avoid a MGWCC double-post, so no answer to the previous puzzle just yet! --- There will be nudges posted on the Crosshare link for sure, but I believe you can do this! Hopefully we put enough signposts along the way for your success. Here we go! Good luck, and may all your solves be beautiful! Mikey G The answer to the meta is a mysterious island.  

PDF / PUZ Hello hello! I state with some trepidation that the Cubs might be back? What a sinusoidal season. We've won five or our last seven and are on track for our third series win in a row, but yikes on bikes, we've got catching up to do! --- Puzzle #179 answer: OBTUSE Correct entries: 65 Shortest explanation: We pretty much have our 60-70 regulars, haha. Note the grid above and what happens when you let the "O" and "B" be quiet ("Oh Be Quiet," har har). The remaining letters in each row concatenate to form ANGLE LARGER THAN RIGHT, giving us the apropos OBTUSE  as our meta answer! --- I think this should be a solid Level 3  that may trend a skosh upward. Kind of SAD - you just need to see what you need to see! Good luck, and may all your solves be beautiful! Mikey G The answer to the meta is a geographic region illustrated in the grid.  

  PDF / PUZ Hello hello! The Cubs have been on the struggle bus lately to say the least (but kudos to the White Sox, who have been rocking it!). They have won their last two in a row, so let's see if they can get something going! --- Puzzle #178 answer: GIBBOUS MORE (har har) Correct entries: 65 Shortest explanation: Eleven entries in the grid rhyme with "moon," and the initial letters of their clues spell out GIBBOUS MORE , another hilarious pun from yours truly. --- And you want more? Okay! When making this, I planned for Level 2, but it might tick up to 2.5? I think that's solid. We'll say Level 2.5 for this one. Good luck, and may all your solves be beautiful! Mikey G The answer to the meta, which begins with a vowel, is what I hope you don't find this puzzle.  

PDF / PUZ Hello hello! This is where I normally post about the Cubs, but we won't talk about that right now, haha. --- Puzzle #177 answer: BUMP Correct entries: 69 Shortest explanation: Find the explanation here ! --- Summer of Solves time! Here's your obligatory graphic: Puzzles every Saturday through August if inspiration strikes! Mikey G The 11-letter answer to the meta is what I hope you all say when you solve it.  

PDF / PUZ Hello hello! What a difference a couple of weeks make - the Cubbies are in a brutal stretch right now, after getting swept by the brutal Milwaukee Brewers (who I'm not a fan of - but they completely trounced us at Wrigley, so I'll tip my cap). Let's see if we can turn it around soon! --- Puzzle #176 answer: NEW YORK LIBERTY Correct entries: 67 Shortest explanation: Five current WNBA players' surnames start each of the themers, minus a letter. (Happy to find ONES CUP OF TEA for Ionescu!). The missing letters spell ELLIE, the effervescent mascot to the NEW YORK LIBERTY , the answer to the meta. --- Posting a day early to avoid a MGWCC double-post. This is a solid Level 3 , and your time to beat is 6 minutes (if you want to beat Jangler, that is!). Good luck, and may all your solves be beautiful! Mikey G The answer to the meta is a 4-letter word.