Puzzle Seventy-Three: Returns Department (midi)

Hey everyone, the blog has returned after a couple of weeks of absence caused by my being locked out of my domain name registration company's account, making it impossible to renew the domain name after it expired. 

Last month's contest meta, "Wide Body," proved challenging, and I never really enforced a deadline to the contest, because the blog went down before the deadline. 

If you're a faithful follower of the contest meta, you'll know that I post the solutions in the Lexicon Devil subforum of the XWord-Muggles forum, because, to be blunt, it's easier to do there. But I wasn't able to do that for quite some time because I couldn't get access to *that* account either. Now that issue's fixed too. Hopefully everything is on track once again. In the meantime:

.puz / PDF

Puzzle Seventy-Two: Wide Body (meta)

 

image from mentalhealth.org.uk

Today is my anniversary. My wife's a writer, and this puzzle is an oblique tribute to some of her work. I'll explain once the contest is over...

The meta answer is a three-word place name.

Submit answers at the Google Forms or Crosshare link below before 12 PM EST, Wednesday, August 23 at 12 PM EST:

https://forms.gle/EiX5oXMpNbkCRe5h8 

.puz / PDF / Crosshare

Puzzle Seventy-One: Taste of Chaos

Apologies for the lengthy delay in posting a new puzzle. A lot of crossword-related things have had to go on the back burner since March, including the meta contest puzzles, which will hopefully return. My most recent contest meta can be found in the Contest Crosswords Combating Cancer puzzle pack. 

Fireball Crosswords was kind enough to publish a puzzle of mine on June 28. It's a subscription service so I can't share a link but if you subscribe, hopefully you enjoyed it.

I suspect someone beat me to the punch with the theme for this week's puzzle, but such things happen.

 .puz / PDF

Puzzle Seventy: Support Staffs (themeless)

This is my contribution to the ACPT puzzle table. I'll be attending for the first time, so say hi if you see me.

.puz / PDF

Puzzle Sixty-Nine: Sticks Up For Birds (freestyle) (Enigmarch Day 2) + Bonus Puzzle: Enigmarch Day 1

Enigmarch begins again. Today's freestyle is for Day 2 and the prompt... Well, I put the prompt in the puzzle as an entry. You can figure it out pretty easily. 

.puz / PDF

(Yes, I know today is March 3rd. I ran out of time to post this yesterday.)

I'm going to be posting my #Enigmarch puzzles in this thread on XWordMuggles. 

Scroll down once you're done for my Day 1 mini-meta puzzle - for the prompt KEY. 

Puzzle Sixty-Eight: Bad Move? (meta) + Bonus Puzzle: Marching Bands No. 1

 

One of many amazing drumline battle videos on YouTube

The meta answer is a ten-letter word. Submit answers through the Crosshare applet below (which also exports .puz and PDF). All answers due by Tuesday, January 31 at 12 PM EST. Two winners receive an unreleased puzzle pack! 

After you've solved, scroll down for a bonus Marching Bands puzzle that's a little different - you'll find out how.

Puzzle Sixty-Seven: Round One? A Puzzle Suite

 

The last Lexicon Devil meta contest of the year is a suite of three puzzle-hunt-style puzzles and one crossword, each with its own meta answer, the four of which must be combined to reveal a final meta answer: a four-letter object. Sorry, no .puz files or applet this time. 

The rules are a little different for this one. First, working in teams is A-OK. Second, you can use the links below to check your answers to the individual puzzles. However, the final answer must be submitted by email to lexicondevillive@outlook.com. (This is so I can provide better feedback in response to wrong answers, etc.) Third, there's a little more time to submit the final answer for this one. The deadline is Tuesday, January 3, 2023 at 12 PM EST. Fourth, any individual or group who submits a correct final answer will receive a digital package of unreleased Lexicon Devil puzzles. 

PDF

Answer Checker #1: Modern Rock

Answer Checker #2: Power Ballads

Answer Checker #3: Yacht Rock

Answer Checker #4: Quiet Storm