Category: Solutions

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[Solution] Great Fall

Each of the answers to the feeder puzzles is a different length and fits neatly into one of the columns at the top of the grid.

This is a variation of a dropquote puzzle. Each of the letters in the boxes can be dropped into the an empty spot in the column below to spell out a message. Key to solving this is noting that the words do not end at the edges of the grid, and only where there is an extra bold line. Also helpful is noticing the the word PUZZLE starting in the third column, which ultimately becomes part of the ten-letter word METAPUZZLE. The completed dropquote appears below:

As the completed grid indicates, the solution to this metapuzzle is DROP THE MIC.

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[Solution] Circles Within Circles

Each of the clues gives a five-letter word:

  • GUESS
  • SEUSS
  • PAUSE
  • SUPER
  • VERBS
  • ROBES
  • IBSEN
  • BIKES
  • ROAST
  • STRAW
  • CZARS
  • RAZES
  • CASEY
  • YEARS
  • SPAYS
  • ABYSS

These words can be anagrammed and inserted into the grid in the given order, starting from 1 and going clockwise. Each larger segment of the circle indicates a letter that is shared by multiple words.

Once the grid has been completed, the letters in the second ring spell out the answer SPRITZES.

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[Solution] Ladder Drills

Each of the clues leads to a five letter word. With the exception of the “First Name” and “Last Name” clues, these words can be arranged into a word ladder, where each word differs by one letter from the word before it:

  • BREST
  • CREST
  • CHEST
  • CHESS
  • CHEWS
  • CHOWS
  • SHOWS
  • SHOWN
  • SHORN
  • SHORE
  • SHIRE
  • SHINE
  • SHINS
  • CHINS
  • COINS
  • CORNS
  • CORNY
  • CARNY
  • CARRY
  • HARRY
  • HAIRY
  • FAIRY
  • FAIRE

It makes sense for this ladder to be bracketed by the two remaining clues, leading to a name which differs by one letter in each word from BREST FAIRE. The answer is former Green Bay Packers quarterback BRETT FAVRE.

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[Solution] Bigger Isn’t Better

The given words will not fit into the grid. However, they are all the largest member of their respective groups. Replacing them with the smallest member allows the grid to be completed.

  • Asia → Australia (continent, by area)
  • Great Dane → Poodle (dog breed, by height)
  • Wrangell St. Elias → Gateway Arch (US National Park, by area)
  • Ostrich → Hummingbird (bird, by weight)
  • Oganesson → Hydrogen (element, by mass)
  • Abraham Lincoln → James Madison (US President, by height)
  • Jupiter → Mercury (planet)
  • Gheorghe Muresan → Muggsy Bogues (NBA player, by height)
  • Alaska → Rhode Island (US state, by area)
  • Khmer → Rotokas (alphabet, by number of letters)
  • Femur → Stapes (human bone, by size)
  • Russia → Vatican City (country, by area)

Once the answers are placed into the grid, the yellow squares spell out LITKE DEEP, which is the point on the earth’s surface which is closest to the center of the earth. The point which is farthest from the center of the earth is Mount CHIMBORAZO.

Since the earth bulges near the equator, sea level at the poles is about thirteen miles closer to the center of the earth than it is at the equator. This isn’t used for official measuring, but it’s a fun piece of trivia.

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[Solution] Hog Confinements

Each of the connected groups of fence can be separated into a series of letters in the pigpen cipher, with pigs acting as dots. In reading order, these are:

Using the standard pigpen cipher, this translates to ACCORDING TO ADAGE, WHAT SPORT SHOULD YOU AVOID DOING WITH PIGS? (THREE NINE). The numbers given at the end are the length of the words in the answer. The clue phrase refers to a frequently quoted saying, variously attributed to many people, along the lines of “Never wrestle with a pig – you both get dirty and the pig enjoys it.” The answer is MUD WRESTLING.

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[Solution] Bless You

Each of the sneezes is an anagram of a common allergen with one additional letter added:

  • RAGWEED + H
  • BEE STING + I
  • LATEX + S
  • PENICILLIN + T
  • DANDER + A
  • DUST MITES + M
  • POLLEN + I
  • TREE NUTS + N
  • SHELLFISH + E

The extra letters spell the answer HISTAMINE.

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[Solution] Color Coded

Half of the clues give a two-word answer beginning with the name of a color, and the other half give those same answers without the color name:

  • Origin
  • Elephant
  • WHITE Elephant
  • Wings
  • BLACK Pudding
  • Pudding
  • GOLDEN Years
  • RED Wings
  • PURPLE Emperor
  • GREEN Lantern
  • CORAL Gables
  • BROWN Algae
  • Ladies
  • Seals
  • Algae
  • Lantern
  • PINK Ladies
  • Emperor
  • BLUE Origin
  • NAVY Seals
  • Gables
  • Years

In order of the colors given at the bottom of the puzzle, the answers are:

  • GOLDEN Years
  • WHITE Elephant
  • GREEN Lantern
  • PINK Ladies
  • BLUE Origin
  • RED Wings
  • BLACK Pudding
  • BROWN Algae
  • CORAL Gables
  • PURPLE Emperor
  • NAVY Seals

In this order, the first letters of the non-color words spell out the answer YELLOW PAGES.

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[Solution] Plenty of Fish

The flavor text is a line from Dr. Seuss’s book One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish. The book begins:

“One fish
two fish
old fish
new fish.
Black fish
blue fish
old fish
new fish.
This one has a little star.
This one has a little car.
Say! what a lot of fish there are.”

Each of the answers to the regular puzzles in this set has a word from one of these lines in it, which provides an order for the answers. (Blue appears twice, so the answer BRITISH BLUE must also be used twice.)

  • FORMULAONE
  • FIRSTWORLD
  • HUNDRED
  • BRITISHBLUE
  • CHICAGOBLACKHAWKS
  • BRITISHBLUE
  • OLDTESTAMENT
  • NEWDELHI
  • CORNSTARCH

Reading down the diagonal (taking the first letter of the first answer, the second letter of the second answer, and so on) gives the solution FINTASTIC.

Some solvers reported getting misled by one of the top Google results for the text of the book switching the lines “This one has a little star” and “This one has a little car”. I made the same mistake when initially writing the puzzle, and didn’t discover my error until the week Tired Clues came out.