Puzzle #6

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Edgar

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Puzzle Contest #6 is now open. It is probably going to be the toughest puzzle of them all, so you get 2 weeks to work on it. The deadline for your entry is noon CST on Tuesday, Feb 26.

This is a crossword puzzle and since we no longer have an interactive puzzle server, you will have to do this the old-fashioned way (paper & pen or pencil) and you will also have to type out all your answers in order to submit an entry.

PLEASE READ & FOLLOW THESE RULES CAREFULLY.

1. Print out the puzzle from the attached pdf file and solve it as best you can
2. Copy the list of clues at the end of this post into a text editor of some sort and insert your answers IN FRONT of each clue (do not erase the clues)
3. After you have solved the puzzle, or whenever you give up, copy and paste your list of answers into an email message and send it to iap.puzzles@gmail.com. Be sure to put Puzzle #6 in the Subject line of your message and include your user name in the message.
4. Please put a question mark in front of any clues that you cannot solve.
5. This puzzle will close at noon CST on Tuesday, Feb 26.

There are 60 words in this puzzle. Get at least 50 of them right and you will earn 1 point. Get at least 55 right and you will earn 2 points. Get all 60 correct and you will earn 3 points. Everyone earning 1 or more points will be entered into the drawing for an individual prize puzzle.

HINT: The puzzle theme is shown at the top of the grid.

The list of clues is in the attached pdf file, but I have also included it in this post to make it easier for you to import into a text file for preparing your entries for this contest.

Banter is encouraged, but please do not post any real hints. Everyone needs to figure out the puzzles on their own.

Have fun and let me know if you have any questions.
Edgar


(Note: some of you may recognize this puzzle from last year. It was our last puzzle of the 2018 Bash, but I obviously did not allow enough time for you to work on it - only 4 people submitted an entry and no one got more than 14 answers correct, so I shelved it until this year for a redo.).




Across

3. Ridges
4. A Squad
5. Amber
8. Squab
10. Oatmeal
11. Fudge
13. Bull's Eye
17. Hide Maybe
18. Course
20. Hoagie
24. Resign
27. Sock
29. Helve
32. Watch It!
33. Scour
35. Coif
37. Perfect
39. Cheat
42. Babs
44. Mistral
46. Lure
47. Motto
49. Media
51. Tickler
52. Naves
54. Record
55. Nurture
56. CRT Glass

Down

1. Subs
2. Pale
4. Guise
6. Exercise
7. Arm's Cover
9. Addict
10. Luge
12. Score
14. Gimlet
15. Gat
16. Train
17. Norm
19. Commode
21. Rex
22. Letup
23. Massage
25. Sets
26. Mad
28. Rap
30. Lungs
31. Gulf
34. Sweatshop
36. Ooze
38. Depth
40. Abuse
41. Kent Area
43. Red-Eye
45. Bricks
48. Key Part
49. Mew
50. Chops
53. Bag
 

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mark james

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I humbly beseech the "Great and Benevolent Puzzle Wizard" for one line to be filled in, just to give us a starting reference to narrow the 1,000,000,000 combinations?
 

EBorraga

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Edgar. Can you give us 1 word to start. Im going crazy!!!!
 

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Edgar

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Come on guys - I already gave you a big hint by revealing the theme of the puzzle. :)

Everything in the puzzle is a common shop item and I'll bet that every one of you has almost all (if not all) of them in your own shop.

You might have to give a little thought to the clues -- for the most part, they are not just simple synonyms.

For a simple one, you might start with 48D.
 

1080Wayne

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Funny how a strained brain sometimes works . As soon as I laid down in bed last night (well , early this morning) , I knew one of the answers . Woke up this morning and knew another one , but had forgotten last nights . Both now in place , so maybe will exceed last years 14 correct answers in a couple more weeks .



You may not have realized that this puzzle is actually a research project for Edgar`s forthcoming book , provisionally titled ` A Users guide to penturning slang`. He needs to know whether we use the terms in the same way . So , we will all be a part of penturning history .



The reason why he feels compelled to do this though , is a different story . It seems he has developed badly strained arms and is no longer able to turn a pen , because of carrying the 20 volumes (21,730 pages) of the Greater Oxford English Dictionary into the shop every day . Try as he might , he is unable to find the answers he needs there . Please join me in extending your deepest sympathy to Edgar , and do your best with the puzzle .
 

greenacres2

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Okay, i'm at 3 for sure answers and 3 good "maybes". So if i get really lucky at 44 wild guesses i'm good for a point!! Great challenge--got to arrange my thinking a bit more!!
earl
 

Edgar

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That's the spirit guys. :)

I think that once you get a few of them and get a feel for the way the clues relate to the target words, it will help make things a bit easier.

Keep in mind that few, if any, of the clues are simple synonyms and every target word is a common shop item.

It is a little (ok, maybe a lot) of work, but we will have some really nice prizes for the 3 top puzzlemeisters.
 

Edgar

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Puzzle #6 Results

I realize that this was a difficult puzzle (by design), so I want to thank and congratulate the 5 people who made the extreme effort to complete the puzzle as best they could and submit an entry. To reward your efforts, I decided to relax the rules on how many correct words were required to earn 1, 2, or 3 points.

I also realize that alternate words could fit the puzzle in some places, so I also gave some slack in that regard. IF the alternate word you used fit the criteria that it is a common shop item that most of us probably have in our shop, then I gave you credit for that alternate word whether or not it actually fit the clue.

So with that in mind, here is how I awarded points for this puzzle to our 5 entrants:

Chief TomaToe - 3 points for getting 58 words correct
Karl_99 & RHoliday - 2 points each for getting 54 words correct
Skeleton2014 & 1080Wayne - 1 point each for getting at least 30 words correct

Here is the list of words that I was looking for:

Across

3. SHELVES—Ridges
4. VICE—A Squad
5. RESIN—Amber
8. BUFFER—Squab
10. SANDER—Oatmeal
11. SKEW—Fudge
13. BLANK—Bull's Eye
17. GLUE—Hide Maybe
18. DUCT—Course
20. GRINDER—Hoagie
24. CHUCK—Resign
27. BELT—Sock
29. SPINDLE—Helve
32. DUST—Watch It!
33. SANDPAPER—Scour
35. HOOD—Coif
37. FINISH—Perfect
39. CHISEL—Cheat
42. MANDREL—Babs
44. CYCLONE—Mistral
46. JIG—Lure
47. SAW—Motto
49. PRESS—Media
51. KNIFE—Tickler
52. CENTERS—Naves
54. TAPE—Record
55. POLISH—Nurture
56. FACEPLATE—CRT Glass

Down

1. BENCH—Subs
2. FENCE—Pale
4. VENEER—Guise
6. DRILL—Exercise
7. BUSHING—Arm's Cover
9. FAN—Addict
10. SLED—Luge
12. GOUGE—Score
14. AWL—Gimlet
15. HEATER—Gat
16. HONE—Train
17. GAUGE—Norm
19. CABINET—Commode
21. RULER—Rex
22. REST—Letup
23. PAINT—Massage
25. KITS—Sets
26. WOOD—Mad
28. PUNCH—Rap
30. LIGHTS—Lungs
31. VACUUM—Gulf
34. MILL—Sweatshop
36. FILTER—Ooze
38. CALIPER—Depth
40. HOSE—Abuse
41. LATHE—Kent Area
43. ALCOHOL—Red-Eye
45. CLAMPS—Bricks
48. BIT—Key Part
49. PEN—Mew
50. JAWS—Chops
53. NAIL—Bag


Thanks to all who attempted to work on this puzzle, even if you did not submit any answers to the clues.

Edgar
 

Dehn0045

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It looks so easy with all the answers. Well done to those who tackled this one. I worked on it for over an hour and didn't get a single word, then gave up in shame and defeat...
 

JessePens

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La Crescent, MN
Wow, I had a few but nowhere enough to bother submitting. I definitely didn't catch the theme and wordplay that definitely would have helped.

Awesome work to those that got so many, and thanks to Edgar for putting the time into making such a unique puzzle.
 

keithncsu

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Catawba, SC 29704
Only one I got was the "key part" clue being "bit." Even after seeing the answers I can't see how any of it relates. A few of them I get but overall, it looks like completely random pairings to me.
 

greenacres2

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I was probably between 12 and 15--like others not enough to submit. But...it sure did occupy some "idle time" in the mornings!!

For 18 Across i had DISH as a course, which meant that 19 Down started with an S--well...i could not get past the word that kept popping into my head that fit, and sounded like a repository for a Biblical wood. I was way off base!!
earl
 

1080Wayne

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Well , thank you for your extreme generosity in awarding me a point , Edgar . When I see the answers , I kick myself for having missed some , knowing the theme , but on some others I haven`t a clue . Would you explain the Kent area - lathe connection to me please . All I could find were rugs , cities and counties .
 

Edgar

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Well , thank you for your extreme generosity in awarding me a point , Edgar . When I see the answers , I kick myself for having missed some , knowing the theme , but on some others I haven`t a clue . Would you explain the Kent area - lathe connection to me please . All I could find were rugs , cities and counties .


That one was a little diabolical. :)

It refers to land areas in County Kent in England which are known as lathes.

https://britishcountyflags.com/2016/11/20/the-lathes-of-kent/
 
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