ANSWERS: Gryptics 10

It's been almost two weeks since "Gryptics 10" was posted on this blog, so now's the time to look at everyone who has solved it since then:

• Marie desJardins
• Cathy Bowen
• Grant Fikes
• Kevin Orfield
• Okieboy2008
• Derek Allen
• Chris Kochmanski
• Patrick Jordan
• Wendy Walker
• Michael Lebowitz
• Sam Levitin
• Mom
• Bart Gold
• Lynn Sweeney

Now head below the break for the answers as well as a couple solvers' comments!

PUZZLE #600: Diagramless Fill-In

PUZZLE #600

DIAGRAMLESS FILL-IN

This puzzle type was (partially) suggested by Patron Grant Fikes. Normally, you can suggest a puzzle type of your own choice over on my Patreon page, but both slots are full at the moment, so you might have to resort to PayPal if you still want to make a request of your own.

It's my 600th puzzle! And whenever I reach a big milestone like that, I tend do do something special for the occasion, and this time, it's an all-new-to-this-blog format! This one will be a toughie, however, so I'd suggest reading the directions carefully before jumping straight in.

Below is a fill-in crossword, where all of the answers have been given and all you need to do is to put them into the grid so that they'll all mesh together correctly. However, almost all of the black squares have disappeared, and the only thing left are all of the places where the letter "E" appears. To get started, look for patterns in the provided "E"s that will match the words in the answer list; words with double "E"s and/or multiple "E"s will help out the most. Then, continue fitting the remaining words into the grid. Don't forget to add black squares before and/or after each word (where applicable), and then add their counterparts on the opposite side of the grid so that all of the black squares will have rotational symmetry (two black squares have already been filled in to provide a visual example).

There are two words in the list that have not been revealed, neither of which contains an "E". Figure them out, then combine them to get the FINAL ANSWER: a two-word phrase

3 Letters

ADS

COY

END

FIX

LAW

LOX

OFF

RUG

RUN

TOM

VEG

ZEO

4 Letters

ATOP

BLUE

DEFT

DENS

FLAG

FREE

HIYA

MOCK

OMEN

OPEN

PAPA

REIN

SNOT

TAXI

TEED

YALE

5 Letters

ASIAN

CYCLE

ELITE

FLEES

FORTY

GETUP

GIFTS

GRIEF

LEERS

PESOS

PETER

PSHAW

ROPED

VAPOR

6 Letters

APOGEE

ARTIER

EXOTIC

GINKGO

GUSHED

GYRATE

HEREIN

SNEEZE

TOBIAS

TOYOTA

7 Letters

ASSORTS

CHIEFLY

DEFAMED

EXECUTE

PERPLEX

REPTILE

8 Letters

HALF OF THE FINAL ANSWER

THE OTHER HALF OF THE FINAL ANSWER

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 even ask for a hint, though you'll be marked as having used one if you do so) 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 link to a .PDF version which you can print out!

ANSWERS: Mini-Marching Bands 9

It's been close to two weeks since "Mini-Marching Bands 9" was posted on this blog, and sixteen people have solved it since then:

• Grant Fikes
• Marie desJardins
• Cathy Bowen
• Cindy Heisler
• Joe Bernard
• Kevin Orfield
• Okieboy2008
• Michael Lebowitz
• Chris Kochmanski
• Derek Allen
• Sam Levitin
• Wendy Walker
• Patrick Jordan
• Bart Gold
• Mom
• Lynn Sweeney

Now head below the break for the answers!

PUZZLE #599: Gryptics 10

PUZZLE #599

GRYPTICS 10

This puzzle contains a word or phrase suggested by Patron M. Sean Molley. Support me on Patreon at $15 or more per month to suggest one word or phrase for me to put into a puzzle every month!

Insert a single letter in each space of each grid so that each grid's five rows and five columns spells a word from left to right or top to bottom (including the letters outside the grid).

Once you're done, take a word from the first grid and a word from the second grid and pair them up to get the FINAL ANSWER: a piece of construction equipment

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 even ask for a hint, though you'll be marked as having used one if you do so) 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 link to a .PDF version which you can print out!

ANSWERS: Edges of Glory 5

Two weeks have passed by since "Edges of Glory 5" was posted on this blog, and it must've been on the tougher side, since the number of solvers has decreased from the weekly average:

• Grant Fikes
• Cathy Bowen
• Kevin Orfield
• Okieboy2008
• Sam Levitin
• Michael Lebowitz
• Bart Gold
• Mom
• Chris Kochmanski
• Derek Allen
• Wendy Walker

Now head below the break for the answers as well as a solver's comment!

PUZZLE #598: Mini-Marching Bands 9

PUZZLE #598

MINI-MARCHING BANDS 9

The answers in this grid march both across the Rows and around the Bands. Each row contains two answers, clued in order. Their dividing point is for you to determine, except in Row 5, where the two answers are separated by a black square. The answers in each Band will be entered clockwise, starting at a lettered square (A-D) and ending in the space below that square. The dividing points in each band's string of words are also for you to determine. Each square will be used twice; once in a Row's word, and once in a Band's word.

Once you've filled everything in, read the letters on the diagonal dashed line for the FINAL ANSWER: The name of a fictional villain

ROWS
1) Molds and mushrooms, e.g.

    Ran in the wash

2) Email pretending to be from Amazon asking for your password, most likely

    Chinese bear such as Ling Xiaoyu's pet in Tekken 8

3) Protects with metal suits, maybe

    "To _____ is human, to forgive divine"

4) Action word

    Nationality that lends its name to the alphabetically last of the seven "-stan" countries

5) Smallest dollar amounts in Monopoly

    Evil plumber from the "Ghost Story" episode of Salute Your Shorts (answer hidden in MAZE KEEPER)

6) Sister with a habit

    Pete's _____ (1977 live-action/animated Disney flick)

7) Scattered all over

    Prefix for "corn" and "cycle"

8) Redheaded WarioWare character who shares her name with a da Vinci painting

    Apple music players discontinued in 2022

9) Literal pick-me-up?

    Another name for the crazy, nasty honey badger

BANDS

A) The "F" in "NFTs"

     Turn down the brightness

     Puny part of an archipelago

     Movies that are stereotypically incomprehensible to everyone except their directors: 2 wds.

     Stars that suddenly become a lot brighter

B) Go roughing it

     "The Giant" of 1980s pro wrestling

     Organizing consultant Marie who asks "Does it spark joy?"

     Someone who makes baby grands pitch perfect: 2 wds.

C) Samuel with an eponymous telegraph code

     "We've Only Just _____" (hit song by the Carpenters)

     Jewish actor Klemperer who played Colonel Klink in Hogan's Heroes

D) Vulture relatives such as Beaky from Looney Toons

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 even ask for a hint, though you'll be marked as having used one if you do so) 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 link to a .PDF version which you can print out!