PUZZLE #132: Pieces of Nine: Much Harder Edition (Guest Puzzle by Grant Fikes!)

PUZZLE #132

PIECES OF NINE: MUCH HARDER EDITION

Guest Puzzle by Grant Fikes

Earlier this month, Patron Grant Fikes was inspired by my "Pieces of Nine" puzzle from not too long ago and sent me his version of it. I solved it, thanked him for the "early birthday present" as I called it, and asked him if I could post it on this blog. He agreed, So here we are! Since I've dubbed this the "Much Harder Edition", the directions will be a bit different than normal, so read on to find out what they are!

Arrange the trigrams (blocks with three squares in them) to make 10 9-letter words. Arrange them so that the first one alphabetically is in row 1, the second one alphabetically is in row 2, and so on.

Once you're done, read down two of the columns for the FINAL ANSWER: a two-word phrase.

Once you believe you've figured out the FINAL ANSWER, send it to either redhead64@chartermi.net or itsredhead64@gmail.com (though I'm more likely to check the second one) and I'll put your name on a solvers list once I post the answers in about two weeks. You can also use those email addresses to give me some comments and feedback (or get a hint from me in exchange for a "hint star", more details for that are on the sidebar to the right) or send me the answer to last week's puzzle, if you haven't already figured that one out. If you have a printer and want to solve this puzzle on paper, just head below the break for a version you can print out!

ANSWERS: Line 'Em Up 4

Happy birthday to me! Since I've got a bunch of presents to get to, I'll be taking the week off, but don't worry, because I'll have a Guest Puzzle for you guys tomorrow! In the meantime, here are the people who have solved "Line 'Em Up 4" from two weeks ago:

• Grant Fikes ****
• Eric Maddy ****
• Sam Levitin ****
• Mom ****
• Debbie Benford ****
• Lynn Sweeney ****

Now head below the break for the answers!

PUZZLE #131: Section Six 4

PUZZLE #131

SECTION SIX 4

This puzzle's grid has six rings and six sections. Each ring contains a series of words placed end to end, reading either clockwise OR counterclockwise; all the words in a given ring will read in the same direction. Ring 1 (the outermost ring) contains six answers that read clockwise; the starting spaces are numbered in the grid. Clues for the answers in the remaining rings are given in order, but their starting points and direction are for you to figure out. The sections (separated by the heavy lines radiating from the center) will help you place the inner rings: in a given section, each ring segment contains all but one of the letters in the next segment outward. In other words, a section's outermost segment contains six letters; the next segment inward contains five of those six letters in some order; and so on, until only one of the original six letters remains.

Once you're done, unscramble the six spaces with stars in them to get the FINAL ANSWER: a six-letter word.

RING 1
1) Mumbai music
2) Nintendo's garlic-eating antihero
3) Really, really huge
4) The Little Foxes playwright Lillian and others (HINT: It's one letter off from a mayonnaise brand)
5) Fill the lungs
6) Ecstasy's opposite

RING 2
* Goliath or Demona from a Disney Afternoon show, e.g.
* Spider-like trickster from African folklore
* Place to pick up "pale" potables, perhaps
* Real first name of Marilyn Monroe
* 1987 Eddie Murphy stand-up movie

RING 3
* Shandling who voiced Verne in Over the Hedge
* _____ the Insatiable (animated Fox show)
* Assumed names
* A, S, D, F, J, K, L, and ; on a keyboard: 2 wds.

RING 4
* Similarity comparison
* Happiness Is a _____ Blanket, Charlie Brown (TV special)
* Perfume ingredient from a thorny flower: 2 wds.

RING 5
* Discoverer of Jupiter's four largest moons
* Tia or Tamera from Sister, Sister

RING 6
* Yoshi's _____ World (Wii U game)​

Once you think you know what the FINAL ANSWER is, send it to either redhead64@chartermi.net or itsredhead64@gmail.com (though I'm more likely to check the second one) and I'll put your name on a solvers list once I post the answers in about two weeks. You can also use those email addresses to give me some comments and feedback (or get a hint from me in exchange for a "hint star", more details for that are on the sidebar to the right) or send me the answer to last week's puzzle, if you haven't already figured it out. If you have a printer and want to solve this puzzle on paper, just head below the break for a version you can print out!

ANSWERS: Pieces of Nine

Before I get to the answers to "Pieces of Nine", I just wanted to point out that Patreon did a redesign last week, and that includes a completely new logo, so if you see that giant orange "P" on the far right change soon, that'll be why. Also, I messed up on one of the blocks in the puzzle, so when I corrected it, I sent an email to everyone who might've been stuck to notify them of the change, and it resulted in the solver count rising back to seven! Take a look:

• Grant Fikes ****
• Eric Maddy ****
• Sam Levitin ****
• Lynn Sweeney ****
• Brad Eldredge ****
• Chris Hendricks ****
• Mom ****

Now just head below the break for the answers as well as a couple of solver comments!

PUZZLE #130: Line' Em Up 4

PUZZLE #130

LINE 'EM UP 4

Place the answers to each numbered clue in the squares to the right of each corresponding number. (a number in brackets following each clue will tell you how many letters are in each answer). Once you have the answers, align them properly in the grid so that going down, a two-word phrase will be spelled out by the two red columns in the grid's center.

This week's FINAL ANSWER is an indie rock band

1) Polos and Passats, for short [3]
2) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle with a red bandana [7]
3) Legendary voice actor Blanc [3]
4) Dinner cloth placed on one's lap [6]
5) With "The", daytime talk show created by Barbara Walters [4]
6) Bert's roommate [5]
7) Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last _____ [4]

Once you believe you've figured out the FINAL ANSWER, send it to either redhead64@chartermi.net or itsredhead64@gmail.com (though I'm more likely to check the second one) and I'll put your name on a solvers list once I post the answers in about two weeks. You can also use those email addresses to give me some comments and feedback (or get a hint from me in exchange for a "hint star", more details for that are on the sidebar to the right) or send me the answer to last week's puzzle, if you haven't already figured that one out. If you have a printer and want to solve this puzzle on paper, just head below the break for a version you can print out!

ANSWERS: Flower Power 3

It's been thirteen days since I've posted "Flower Power 3", and just like last week, not a whole lot of you have solved it. Take a look:

• Grant Fikes ****
• Eric Maddy ****
• Mom ****
• Debbie Benford ****
• Sam Levitin ****
• Lynn Sweeney ****

Fortunately for me, my latest puzzle is at seven solvers right now, so at least we're back to the current average number of solvers. Anyways, enough about me worrying about numbers of solvers, head past the break below for the answers and a solver's comment!

PUZZLE #129: Pieces of Nine

PUZZLE #129

PIECES OF NINE

There are a series of blocks containing three letters each and a partially-completed grid. Place the three-letter blocks into the grid to form seven common nine-letter words reading across.

Once you've filled everything in, two of the vertical columns will spell out the FINAL ANSWER: A new wave band

Once you think you know what the FINAL ANSWER is, send it to either redhead64@chartermi.net or itsredhead64@gmail.com (though I'm more likely to check the second one) and I'll put your name on a solvers list once I post the answers in about two weeks. You can also use those email addresses to give me some comments and feedback (or get a hint from me in exchange for a "hint star", more details for that are on the sidebar to the right) or send me the answer to last week's puzzle, if you haven't already figured it out. If you have a printer and want to solve this puzzle on paper, just head below the break for a version you can print out!

ANSWERS: Chain Reaction - One Off

Boy, "Chain Reaction: One Off" must've been a tough one, as only five six of you have solved it in the past two weeks. Take a look:

• Grant Fikes ****
• Mom ****
• Lynn Sweeney ****
• Sam Levitin ****
• Eric Maddy ****
• Debbie Benford ****

If you want to know the answers to this one, just head below the break!