Crosshare
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Lots to square away (there's that phrase again) before we get into this week's challenge!
1. Puzzle #30 recap
Puzzle #30 answer: TRADE RUMORS
Correct entries: 49 - I think this also might be a record! So close to the half-century mark!
You know I love my baseball - but it wouldn't be fair to use prior knowledge of Mikey G to solve this one. Given the title, as well as some bizarre entries such as LIGERS, MAILINS, and TRIOLES, we might think that baseball is in play (especially since those entries look suspiciously like TIGERS, MARLINS, and ORIOLES, three MLB teams). Other longer examples, such as PILATES and DANGERS, turn into PIRATES and RANGERS with a letter swap, and we should be off to the races.
There are 11 of these swaps, which also matches with the 11-letter prompt. When all the "trades" are made, the correct letters of the baseball teams (highlighted in yellow above) spell TRADE RUMORS, the answer to the meta. (And I have heard so many about the Cubs' beloved catcher Willson Contreras, it's not even funny.)
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2. It's leaderboard time!
A couple of you have been asking me what was going on with the Summer of Solves. The answer? It's been going on just fine! I haven't been updating you all on the leaderboard, which I shall rectify now.
I've been putting your shiny points into an Excel spreadsheet, and - in line with the Top 25 poll of college football - you will see the Top 25 below, which will allow you to keep tabs on the competition. This will be updated live, so any time this leaderboard is seen in the forum, it will reflect the new standings.
I have 7 puzzles chronicled and still need to do TRADE RUMORS from last week. This week's puzzle is 9 of 15, and swag in the form of virtual pats on the back will be doled out accordingly once we finish. I like this format and might continue something akin to it once fall hits, once I'll have to scale back down basically to every other week like before.
Here's where we stand so far:
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3. It's the fourth week in July, so that means it's time for a challenging Week 4 meta! Super shout-out to @KayW with amazing wisdom in the test-solving process! Seeing that epiphany was an extra bonus, so I hope you have an epiphany at some point as well! And if you like 21-by-21 puzzles, you're in luck! (If you're not, you'll be suffering for a puzzle that's 96% larger. I did the math, per usual.)
31. Almost Famous
The answer to the meta is how you might feel when you get it.
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Good luck, and may all your solves be beautiful!
Mikey G
