ANSWERS: Smush 3

Boy, I guess my newly revamped version of "Smush" was a hit, as an astounding twelve people have solved it since it was first posted two weeks ago! Take a look:

• Grant Fikes ****
• Cindy Heisler ****
• Joe Bernard ****
• Kevin Orfield ****
• Tyler Hinman ****
• Stephen Potter ****
• Patrick Jordan ****
• Sam Levitin ****
• Mom ****
• Brittany Trofimovich ****
• Lynn Sweeney ****
• Eric Maddy ****

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

PUZZLE #278: Smush 3

PUZZLE #278

SMUSH 3

In this puzzle, you take the answers to two clues and combine them to make one smushed-up phrase. For example, if the clue is "Swirly candy on a stick + Frozen treat on a stick", then the answer would be "Lollipopsicle", since that's the smushed-up form of "Lollipop" and "Popsicle". Below are some more smushed-up phrases for you to solve, and in order to do so, write the answers to the clues on the correspondingly numbered rows of dashes, one letter per dash, so that the overlapping part of each answer lies in the colored box.

Once all of the phrases have been solved, copy the boxed letters into the boxes at the bottom (keeping the letters in each box together, but rearranging the boxes themselves) to spell your FINAL ANSWER: a smushed-up form of two TV shows that aired on the same network

1) Eminem song named after Clark Kent's alter ego + Nicki Minaj song named after a large snake

2) Chihuahua City's country + San José's country

3) Italian pie that can be tough and bready + American President nicknamed "Old Rough and Ready"

4) County fair prize seen in the title cards of some Looney Tunes shorts + Disney show about a cartoon bobcat who becomes a cop

5) Swinger in a grandfather clock + Swinger of an axe in a forest

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 it out. If you have a printer and want to solve this puzzle on paper, just head below the break for two versions you can print out: a .PNG and a link to a .PDF!

ANSWERS: Smush 2

It's been roughly two weeks since I've posted "Smush 2", and since then, eight of you have correctly solved it, as you can see in the list below:

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

Now just click on "Read more" below for the answers as well as a couple solver comments!

GAME SHOW MONTH! PUZZLE #139: Smush 2

GAME SHOW MONTH!

PUZZLE #139

SMUSH 2

Boy, this is one that I haven't done in a while! The second puzzle of Game Show Month is based on the obscure game show Smush, from the creators of You Don't Know Jack. I haven't made one of these since November 2015, so I think it's well overdue for another installment. Let's begin, shall we?

In this puzzle, you take the answers to two clues and combine them to make one smushed-up phrase. For example, if the clue is "Swirly candy on a stick + Frozen treat on a stick", then the answer would be "Lollipopsicle", since that's the smushed-up form of "Lollipop" and "Popsicle". Below are six more smushed-up phrases for you to solve.

Once you've completed the puzzle, the letters that overlap the answers in each smushed-up pair (the ones in the boxes) will spell out this week's FINAL ANSWER: The smushed-up form of two countries.

1) The first letter in EDM + The first cable network for kids
2) The largest desert in Africa + The largest desert in Asia
3) Competitor of Prego + Competitor of Rock Band
4) The capital of Oman + The capital of Georgia
5) New York home of the Globetrotters + New York-set TV drama with Lucious Lyon
6) Venerable opera house in Milan + Memorable landmark in San Antonio

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: Smush

Before I get to the answers for "Smush" and reveal the people who solved it, I just wanted to remind you that I'm going to publish my fiftieth puzzle tomorrow, and to celebrate that milestone, I'll be holding another contest, so stay tuned for that! Now then, let's find out who solved "Smush" in the past two weeks:

• YYW ****
• Sam Levitin ****
• Mom ****
• Adam Weaver ****
• Tyler Hinman ****
• Lynn Sweeney ****
• Eric Maddy ****
• Paolo Pasco ****
• Grant Fikes ***

Now just click on "Read more" for the answers, along with an anecdote about the rather circuitous way one of my solvers completed this puzzle!

PUZZLE #48: Smush

PUZZLE #48

SMUSH

This one's inspired by an obscure game show from the creators of You Don't Know Jack called Smush (if you're curious, you can watch the first round of an episode here, and apologies in advance for the low sound quality). In that game show (and this puzzle), you take the answers to two clues and combine them to make one smushed-up phrase. For example, if the clue is "Swirly candy on a stick + Frozen treat on a stick", then the answer would be "Lollipopsicle", since that's the smushed-up form of "Lollipop" and "Popsicle". Below are six more smushed-up phrases for you to solve.

Once you've completed the puzzle, the letters that overlap the answers in each smushed-up pair (the ones in the boxes) will spell out this week's FINAL ANSWER: The smushed-up form of two video games in the same genre.

1) Like nice-smelling roses + Creator of A Cleverly-Titled Logic Puzzle Blog (2 wds.)
2) Hero from The Sword in the Stone + Villain from The Little Mermaid
3) Biggest city in France + Biggest city in Turkey
4) Apache chief + Precious Oscar winner
5) Human caretakers + Human chests
6) Energetic and memetic Darude song + Anguish probably caused by playing that song on an endless loop

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!