In the world of crossword puzzles, Evan Birnholz's March 31 puzzle titled 'World Wide Web' has captivated solvers with its internet-themed clues and meta answers. The puzzle, featured in The Washington Post, challenges solvers to fill in the grid with web-related words and phrases. The article from The Washington Post provides the solution to Birnholz's puzzle, along with tips for online solvers. The author explains how to enter multiple letters in a square on The Washington Post's website, ensuring that solvers can accurately complete the puzzle. The puzzle features two internet-related meta answers, each consisting of seven letters. The theme entries in the puzzle are seven made-up webpages from around the world, with the word 'DOT' represented by rebus squares. The author reveals the answers to each theme entry and explains how to replace the 'DOT' squares with letters to form valid entries. The first meta answer, 'HOTSPOT', hints at websites and world geography. The second meta answer requires solvers to look at the webpage names and their clues, which indicate the country each webpage is supposedly from. By taking the last two letters of each webpage, solvers can spell out the second meta answer, 'HOTSPOT'. This answer refers to a location where one can get online and is also a synonym for a 'point of interest'. The article concludes by inviting readers to the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament (ACPT) in Stamford, Conn. This event serves as a gathering for crossword puzzle enthusiasts and offers a chance to compete and connect with fellow solvers. Solving crossword puzzles like Birnholz's 'World Wide Web' not only provides entertainment but also challenges solvers' knowledge and problem-solving skills. The internet-themed clues and meta answers in this puzzle showcase the intersection of language and technology, making it a unique and engaging experience for crossword enthusiasts worldwide.
The Sunday Puzzle segment on NPR features a puzzle for the guest Puzzlemaster, Greg Pliska. The puzzle consists of familiar two-word phrases or names with the initials G.P. Listeners are given clues and must provide the correct answers. The previous week's challenge involved thinking of a nine-letter word for a tool mentioned in the Bible, removing specific letters, and rearranging the remaining letters to spell two new words related to a biblical passage. The answer was 'plowshare, reap, and sow.' The current week's challenge involves thinking of a popular online service, changing the first letter to a Y, and rearranging the result to get what the service provides. Listeners can submit their answers for a chance to play the on-air puzzle.
Today's New York Times Connections puzzle, #422, provides hints and answers for four groups: yellow, green, blue, and purple. The yellow group theme is 'white fluffy things' with answers including cloud, cotton ball, dandelion, and sheep. The green group theme is 'one in a research study' with answers such as guinea pig, participant, subject, and volunteer. The blue group theme is 'take issue' with answers like disapprove, mind, object, and protest. The purple group theme is '____ horn' with answers including bull, fog, matter, and shoe. The puzzle is played by mentally assigning the 16 words to related groups of four and clicking on the correct group. The yellow group is the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. The puzzle is challenging but fun to play.