Pun of a Kind

PDF  /  PUZ Hello hello! Stay warm! That's still all I have to say today, haha. (Just waiting for baseball season to begin!) --- 1.  Puzzle #79 answer:  AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS Correct entries:  48 Shortest explanation: Two things are going on here: a list of words that can be preceded by "world" encircling the grid. There are also four time-related entries in the middle of the grid, whose total days sum to 80. Both come together to suggest the fitting title for meta #80: AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS . --- 2. A Level 3  today, maybe a 3.3  or so? We shall see! Thanks to Claudia and Kay for test-solving on short notice! Good luck, and may all your solves be beautiful! Mikey G The answer to the meta is where you might be when you solve it.

PDF  /  PUZ Hello hello! Stay warm! That's all I have to say today, haha. --- 1.  Puzzle #79 answer: TWENTY-FOUR SEVEN Correct entries:  46 Now that's epic. Shortest explanation: It's a SAD one: highlight all the letters of either "T," "I," "M," or "E," per the title. They form the numbers 2, 4, and 7, which indicate TWENTY-FOUR SEVEN , the fitting answer to the meta! I would have loved to incorporate the black squares as well, but it took at least 8 hours to make this, haha. --- 2. So we had that Level 4 out of order, which means today's puzzle is a Level 2 . Good luck, and may all your solves be beautiful! Mikey G The answer to the meta is a 6-word title.

PDF  /  PUZ Hello hello! The Winter Solvestice continues, and the Midwest finally got some snow to accompany it! I'll be reading, solving logic problems, and watching football (a substitute until my beloved Cubbies return - we got Imanaga!!). A perfect weekend! --- 1.  Puzzle #78 answer: CHILD'S PLAY Correct entries: 84  (second-highest ever!) Tamara's reveals are a work of art! Shortest explanation: Ten clues that had ONE within them did not satisfy the clue as written; change them to a single letter to make that happen, and the changed letters spell CHILD'S PLAY , the answer to this Level 1 meta! --- 2. Well, I apologize for the lurch here; this month's Level 4  meta actually appears now, and then the following weeks should be 2  and 3 , respectively. Good luck, and may all your solves be beautiful! Mikey G The answer to the meta is a phrase visually depicted in the grid.

PDF  /  PUZ Hello hello! Happy 2024! Now awaits my toughest time of the year: the holidays are over, and baseball doesn't start until March, so what better way to spend your time than curl up with a cat and some crosswords? Ideally, I'll use this time to make some metas too, so we're introducing the: (I just like an excuse to make graphics.) Metas coming in weekly until winter ends - no leaderboard or anything like that, just good 'ole-fashioned puzzling! --- We have two explanations here, since we have had two puzzles' deadlines come and go since last time. 1a.  Puzzle #76 answer:  MANY HAPPY RETURNS Correct entries:  46 Shortest explanation: Sixteen of the entries start with the clue answer in reverse order (one of them, for instance, is 1-Across: "Subway alternative" = BUS, which is reversed at the beginning of the clue). Find all sixteen of these clues, and then take their last  orders in reverse  order, bottom-to-top, right-to-left. They spell out...