Puzzle #104 – Cat’s Cradle

Do you like solving my crosswords? Well, have I’ve got a treat for you! Be sure to check out Matt Gaffney’s weekly puzzle today. You won’t be disappointed. (And be sure to solve Gaffney’s puzzle every week!)

THROWBACK: Puzzle #23 – It’s the End of the World as We Know It

Constructor’s Note: With school back in session, it’s becoming harder for me to keep up with one quality puzzle a week. For the sake of quality and my sanity, I think I may be going one puzzle every two weeks for a little while, with throwbacks on the off-weeks. Thanks for understanding!

In last week’s contest, I asked you to give me a famous name. Fifty of you managed to send in the right answer. Here’s what happened: the cleverest of solvers noticed that certain puzzle entries had a few letters in common, namely C, A and R. Let’s take a closer look:

ALCATRAZ
ROCOCO ART
CAMRYN
NECTARINE
CHARIZARD
CUARTO
MARC MARON
CABRIOLE

Indeed, one letter has hitched a ride in each CAR. Taking them in order, we see that TOM THUMB had his thumb up to hitch a ride.

The most common note I got (by a longshot) was about overlooking CAMRYN and CUARTO. If I’d had other choices for the U, I would’ve made both entries longer. Sorry for the confusion!

Our lucky winner is Paolo Pasco of San Diego, CA. Your prize? A copy of my puzzlefest and all of the bragging rights. Congratulations, Paolo!

One last thing: Matt Gaffney is running a guest constructor month right now; you should totally go check it out. Make it a priority.

Puzzle #103 – Hitchin’ a Ride (and it’s a contest!)

In this meta-puzzle, you’re looking for a famous name.

It’s time for another contest! For the winner: a copy of my puzzlefest and plenty of bragging rights. Last time, only one solver managed to get the correct answer. I’m hoping for better results this week. Don’t let me down!

1. First, solve this week’s crossword puzzle. (To keep you honest, I’m locking the Across Lite file, so it’s not going to tell you if you’re making mistakes or give you Mr. Happy Pencil when you’ve gotten everything right. Plus, the solution grid isn’t up yet, either. Fair warning!)
2. Figure out the answer to the meta-puzzle (note the prompt in italics above) and email it to neville.fogarty@gmail.com. Please put your solution in the subject line of the email. You have until 6 AM ET on Thursday, September 11, 2014 to submit your answer – and please: only one guess per person. If you’ve got the right answer, you’ll receive one entry in the random drawing to win.
3. Keep your fingers crossed!

That’s it! Remember that all correct answers submitted before the deadline are treated equally, so you don’t have to solve quickly. If your name is selected, I’ll send you an email on Thursday asking you for some details, so keep an eye out for that. I’ll announce the winner next Friday along with this puzzle’s solution and a new puzzle. And if you’re craving more contest crosswords with an added “meta-puzzle” element, check out  Matt Gaffney’s puzzle every week. Feel free to comment on the puzzle, but please don’t give too much away. Referring to entries by their locations is always a safe bet.