PUZZLE #128: Flower Power 3

PUZZLE #128

FLOWER POWER 3

The answers to this petaled puzzle will go in a curve from the number on the outside to the center of the flower. Each number in the flower will have two 5-letter answers, one going in a clockwise direction, and the other going in a counterclockwise direction.

Once you're done, the numbered tips of petals #2 through #18 (skip #1), reading clockwise, will spell out the FINAL ANSWER: A hit song from the 2010s.

CLOCKWISE
1) _____: The Hands of Fate (infamously bad film made famous by Mystery Science Theater 3000)
2) 2007 Michael Moore documentary about the American health care system
3) Coll. whose mascot is Jonathan the Husky
4) Engine in an Infiniti
5) Author Mercer who wrote and drew the "Little Critter" books
6) Artist's stand
7) Cloak-wearing female member of the Teen Titans
8) Mountain range in Wyoming
9) Tiny Greek vowels?
10) Zebra voiced by Chris Rock in Madagascar
11) Gave birth to a lamb (Okay, fine, just remove the first letter from BEANED)
12) Cutesy nickname for the Man of Steel
13) Good to go, to NASA: Hyph.
14) Supermarket section that those with lactose intolerance might avoid
15) Padres and Pirates, according to really bad crossword fill
16) Residents of Endor
17) Narrow grooves on a rock
18) Like popcorn or potato chips

COUNTERCLOCKWISE
1) McGrath and McGwire
2) _____bury steak (I apologize profusely for this clue and its fill!)
3) Utah mountain chain (Answer hidden in PENGUIN TALK)
4) Real name of "Bones" from Star Trek
5) Evil henchmen easily dispatched by the heroes
6) "Jack Sprat could _____ fat...": 2 wds.
7) Silky synthetic fabric
8) Cop's electric weapon
9) "How can _____ repay you?": 2 wds.
10) Setting for Psycho
11) Actress Shirley who got painted gold in Goldfinger (and didn't actually die from it, mind you)
12) Plastic wrap brand
13) Zelda and Hilda, to Sabrina the Teenage Witch
14) The only one of the Seven Dwarfs with no beard
15) With no clothes on
16) Howe who invented perfected the sewing machine
17) Nickname of the video game director who did Deadly Premonition (Answer hidden in ANSWER YES)
18) One of 102 in the Empire State Building

I apologize for some of the lousier clues and words, but that the only way I could make this puzzle work. Anyways, 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: Drop Tower 3

It's been almost two weeks since I've posted "Drop Tower 3" on this blog, so as usual, here's the list of people who have solved it since then:

• Grant Fikes ****
• Chris Hendricks ****
• Brad Eldredge ****
• Mom ****
• Lynn Sweeney ****
• Sam Levitin ****
• Debbie Benford ****

Now just head below the break for the answers!

PUZZLE #127: Chain Reaction - One Off

PUZZLE #127

CHAIN REACTION: ONE OFF

Below is a single word chain made up of six two-word phrases. Clues are given out to each individual word that needs to be filled in (one word is already given), but not only are they not in any particular order, each word is one letter off from a word that would actually make the word chain make sense! The word chain has one orange box in each line that signifies what letter in each word needs to be changed to make a workable chain, but you'll need to place the words first, and keep in mind that some of the blanks in each line will be unused.

Once you've filled in the grid, unscramble the six new letters that replaced the old ones in each word to get this week's FINAL ANSWER: a six-letter word.

* 0.035 of an ounce, roughly
* Like moist cellars
* Not the former
* Pare down wood with a knife
* Sport that Happy Gilmore plays
* Up-and-coming actress

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: Word Squares: Projectors 2

Before we get to the answers to "Word Squares: Projectors 2", I've noticed that Grant Fikes didn't update his blog last week, and when I emailed him about it, he didn't reply back. Considering that he has had depression before, I'm starting to worry about what happened to him. Do any of you have any details that can fill me in on this? Well, until someone figures out what happened exactly, I'll just post the seven people who have solved my puzzle from thirteen days ago:

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

So if you're still interested, head below the break for the answers to "Projectors 2", along with a couple solver comments.

PUZZLE #126: Drop Tower 3

PUZZLE #126

DROP TOWER 3

Starting with the 8-letter word on top of the "tower", drop one letter and rearrange the rest to form a 7-letter word. Continue this process until only the given 2-letter word remains. Use only common words--no capitalized words, names foreign terms or abbreviations allowed. Also, dropping a final S or D without rearranging the other letters is against the rules. Since there are normally multiple solutions to each puzzle, there's an extra wrinkle added to this one: each of the five entries, once filled in, should match up to one of the five clues below, listed in no particular order.

Once the grid is completely filled in, look inside it for this week's FINAL ANSWER: a five-letter word that can be read going down and in a straight diagonal line.

CLUES

​* "Rose is a rose is a rose is a rose" poet Gertrude

* "Ain't I a _____?" (Bugs Bunny catchphrase)

* Computer key above "Delete"

* Lunch lady's hair holder

* Pointy part of a fork

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: Putting Up a Front

Before I reveal the answers to "Putting Up a Front", I just wanted to advertise my Patreon for a bit. I'm grateful if you decide to donate any amount of money towards me, but if you donate at least five dollars per month, you'll get access to a Patreon-exclusive puzzle each month! This month's offering is a Connection Wall, an Only Connect-inspired puzzle that I've done on this blog a couple times in the past. So with that plug out of the way, let's look at the people who have solved my puzzle from two weeks ago:

• Grant Fikes ****
• M. Sean Molley ****
• Chris Hendricks ****
• Sam Levitin ****
• Eric Maddy ****
• Mom ****
• Debbie Benford *

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

PUZZLE #125: Word Squares: Projectors 2

PUZZLE #125

WORD SQUARES: PROJECTORS 2

There are a series of clues whose answers will fit into the provided grid, reading across and down. However, all of the answers are one letter too long to fit in properly, so each one must have either its first or last letter sticking out (or "projecting" out) of the grid. Once you're done, start at the top left and read the "Projectors" either clockwise or counterclockwise to get another word or phrase. In the example above, the Projectors spell out SAMPLE.

This week's FINAL ANSWER is the name of a video game director who had a hit game this year. HINT: Try placing a space in the direct middle of the Projectors

CLUES

* Dumber than _____ of potatoes: 2 wds.

* R&B singer with the 2010 hit "**** You!" (AKA "Forget You")

* Mike's girlfriend in Monsters Inc.

* Ancient Egyptian princess (Answer hidden in the direct center of INHERITED)

* Someone who uses a boat paddle

* Really bizarre

* Heffer from Rocko's Modern Life, for one (Don't call him a cow!)

* Beastie Boys rapper Adam who passed away in 2012

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: Puzzle in the Round

Before we get to the answers to "Puzzle in the Round", remember when I said last week that I was going to post a puzzle to Patreon before today? Well, I've managed to do so... roughly two hours before this post went up! Talk about living on the edge! Speaking of living on the edge, I just remembered that I was supposed to give my $5+ Patrons an exclusive puzzle last Monday, and as of this writing, I haven't made one yet! Hopefully, I'll have provided one by tomorrow, but until then, here are the seven people that have solved "Puzzle in the Round":

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

Now head below the break for the answers!

PUZZLE #124: Putting Up a Front

PUZZLE #124

PUTTING UP A FRONT

For this puzzle, there are four numbered sets of four words each. The first word of each set has already been given, but the other three have been replaced by pictures and rebuses. You job is to figure out what word each picture represents, then find a new word for each set that can go before all four words to form four two-word phrases and titles.

The FINAL ANSWER is a five-letter computer game that precedes all four of the new words to form four more two-word phrases.

Click on the picture for a much larger version

In case you don't know what some of the pictures are, remember that you can use Google Image Search or something similar to look them up! Anyways, 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!