Answer to yesterday's puzzle:
You can add the letters of the word IDEA to each string of letters (in order, but not necessarily consecutively) to make the following words and phrases:
BIG DEAL
CINCO DE MAYO
CONSIDERABLY
FIDEL CASTRO
KIDS MEAL
PRIDE FLAG
SPIDER-MAN
SIDEWALK
VIDEOCALL
WINDOW SEAT
Let's see how this one goes...
“Indoctrinate” these strings of letters in the same way so that they become common words and phrases.
BGL
CNCOMYO
CONSRBLY
FLCSTRO
KSML
PRFLG
SPRMN
SWLK
VOCLL
WNOWST
Today's puzzle is too enormous for a mere Bluesky post! Go solve it on...
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And if that wasn't enough: Go try my latest Patchwork puzzle! puzzlesnacks.com/patchwork/
Yesterday's answers:
FORBID (FORD)
AUDACIOUS (AUDI)
DISLODGE (DODGE)
ACCURATE (ACURA)
RENAISSANCE (NISSAN)
No one was saying anything spoilery, but I suspect a solver or two decided MAYHAP was somewhere within an expansive definition of "common."
The @merriam-webster.com Word of the Day is BRAZEN.
Place a car company into the blanks to make a synonym for the given word.
BAN
_ _ _ BI _
BRAZEN
_ _ _ AC _ OUS
EXTRICATE
_ ISL _ _ _ _
FACTUAL
_ _ C _ _ _ TE
REVIVAL
RE _ A _ _ _ _ _ CE
Yesterday's answer:
ANYHOW
There are a few other possibilities if you expand past "common." Which is why I was careful to include the word "common."
What is the only other common six-letter word with the consecutive letters YH?
I was at the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament all weekend, so I forgot to spread the word that I posted a new Patchwork puzzle on Friday. You can find it here: puzzlesnacks.com/patchwork/
Ain't no way today's puzzle is fitting in a Bluesky post. Go take a look at it on Facebook: www.facebook.com/puzzlesnacks
Or on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/posts/erberl...
Yesterday's answer.
Hope a ceasefire contains this? (5) #cryptic #crossword #crosswordclue #repost
The answers to these clues can be placed into the grid (in some order) so that every answer reads both across and down.
Actor Pratt
Out of practice
Panache
Regular hangout spot
What spies gather
Yesterday's answers:
AWOL + LIZA = ZILLOW
DADA + VEND = NEVADA
ORAL + LOCO = COLLAR
HORA + MACH = CAMARO
GAIN + RANG = NARNIA
SAKE + RUES = EUREKA
TRAP + BUST = SUBPAR
(Put what remains side-by-side *in reverse* the instructions should have said, but I bet you figured that out.)
Below expected quality
Break
Capture
/7 of 7
Has regrets about
“I understand now!”
Japanese drink
/6 of 7
Acquire, as weight
Fictional land of children’s books
Pealed
/5 of 7
Dance at some weddings
One-time sports car brand
Speed-of-sound word
/4 of 7
Crazy
Like some exams
Shirt part
/3 of 7
Baby’s first word, often
Sell, as from a machine
The Silver State
/2 of 7
Missing from base
Ms. Minnelli
Real estate website
/1 of 7
In the following posts, you'll get sets of three clues. Two clues will lead to 4-letter words. One begins with a certain letter and the other ends with that same letter. Drop these and put what's left side by side. You’ll get a 6-letter word that answers the remaining clue.
Ex: KNOT + TOCK = COTTON
The most nails-on-a-chalkboard Trumpism is him changing LITTLE to LIDDLE in order to infantilize an enemy, but then tacking an apostrophe to the end of that for some reason, as in "liddle' Marco Rubio." One can only stare in horrified wonder.
The @merriam-webster.com Word of the Day is VERDANT.
Take the letters from one square in each column, reading left to right, to make six green things.
Yesterday's answers:
AIREDALE RED ALERT
ESPRESSO PRESS ONE
FATALISM TALISMAN
FIRESIDE RESIDENT
SALINGER LINGERIE
So much for my clever loophole.
I don't generally announce my NYT crossword times, but when I get below 5 minutes on a Saturday, I'm gonna say so. (My average time is just under 14 minutes.)
See previous post for directions.
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“Warning! Warning! A breed of dog!”
Phone tree option that gets you strong coffee
A belief that you were predestined to get a magic object
Occupant sitting where it’s warm indoors
Noted author in lacy underthings