Pun of a Kind

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.  

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.  

PDF  /  PUZ Hello hello! The Cubs are rocking it now, and I'm trying to bottle up all these good feelings inside when we face some tough stretches later in the season. Something incredible is happening on the North Side, and I will always root for the South Siders as well (except against us!), so I'm glad the White Sox are in the mix once again (being at nearly .500 after a historically cataclysmic season is  an accomplishment). --- Puzzle #175 answer:  ELLA FITZGERALD Correct entries:  64 Shortest explanation: There were a bevy of clues, 15 of them!, which involved only the letters A - G of the alphabet (see graphic), which are the typical notes in the musical alphabet. The initial letters of these clues' entries spell FIRST LADY OF SONG, the well-deserved accolade given to Ella Fitzgerald, whose birthday was on the Saturday of this puzzle's release! --- This one is a bit of a vanity project, but I think it's solveable. The late, great Bob Lodge of GAMES  ...

PDF  /  PUZ  /  Full-Screen Hello hello! Yep, it's me again - and here for themeless #2 for my blog. Working on fill and stacks - I like the one in the middle - would've liked another mini-triple in NW and SE, but that single black square always seems to help with quality of fill a bit. Have fun, and may all your solves be beautiful! Mikey G

PDF  /  PUZ Hello hello! Since my last meta, the Cubs game back against the Pirates, got knocked down by the Phillies, but came back to a 9-game winning streak, their first since 2016! (Against the struggling Mets and Phillies but still). Real test occurs tonight as we head out west. Posting a day early to avoid MGWCC conflict. --- Puzzle #174 answer:  ACPT Correct entries:  64 Shortest explanation: There are eight entries whose letters are in alphabetical order (including a couple of two-letter ones, had to do it!). This constitutes 22 letters of the alphabet; the remaining four, in alphabetical order, form ACPT , in honor of the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament held that weekend! --- I like this one and committed myself to a symmetrical grid, which led to a bit of strain in fill. I'm thinking a solid Level 3 , even so. Good luck, and may all your solves be beautiful! Mikey G The answer to the meta is a well-known 20th-century American.  

PDF  /  PUZ  /  Full-Screen Hello hello! Welcome to my first full-sized themeless puzzle for my blog. I'm numbering these as "MT1" for "Mikey Themeless" moving forward. (A normal number points to a meta.) The themeless bug bit me last year - and while I'm still going to be posting a bunch of my metas along the way (hopefully to hit 200 this year!), I will sporadically plan themelesses for every other Monday  going forward. (And my mini-themelesses can also be found on Crosshare ). Thanks for being here! Happy puzzling, and may all your solves be beautiful! Mikey G