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Solving => Today's Puzzles => Topic started by: magus on July 12, 2015, 09:07:53 AM
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THEME: the sound of a phrase when a -TH ending is added changes the meaning of the original phrase
GOOD ONES:
couldn't find any but I found 4 Z's
BTW:
The title "Th-, Th-, That's All Folks" suggests the stuttering of Porky Pig, yet the theme answers are simply phrases to which a "TH" is appended meaning that it's the digraph TH which is germain. Thus, Chairman Mao becomes CHAIRMAN MOUTH, which would have been good if the clue "Unflattering nickname for a boastful corporate bigwig?" were less wordy. "Loud boss?" would work.
Guffaw YUK [a "guffaw" is loud; a YUK is often a disparaging term for, or a false, laugh or titter]
More experienced WISER [would that were so --- wisdom is not reserved for the elderly, so many of whom are unwise]
Ashton's partner MYLA [I assume these are stars (I know Aston Kutcher), and if they are lovers why do we not call them so: partners sounds like a business arrangement. Even worse is "sleeping with" as a euphemism for "having sexual relations with" or the Anglo-Saxon term which I much prefer, but which vestiges of our Victorian heritage forbid in "polite" company.]
Spanish "these" ESTOS [exactly]
RATING: :'(
Three grins = Loved it; Two grins = Enjoyed it; One grin = A bit bland for my taste; One teardrop = Not much fun
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MILA and OMIGOSH
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Merl Reagle was a birdbrain today.....and I mean that in a nice way. The title of the crossword is "Birds With Friends" and the theme answers are names of famous people. Each person's last name can become a type of bird when one letter is traded for a new letter:
LAURADERN: Tern
RANDYQUAID: Quail
JIMMYFALLON: Falcon
EVAPERON: Heron
EARTHAKITT: Kite
SHELLEYHACK: Hawk
LEONARDMALTIN: Martin
LINDSAYCROUSE: Grouse
LEEELDER: Eider
The new "traded letters" can then be rearranged to spell an alternate title for the puzzle, beginning with the letter F: FLIGHTCREW. The crossword included one 23-letter answer. "Where all of the 'trading' in this puzzle normally occurs?" was THENEWYORKSTORKEXCHANGE.
This is one of Reagle's nest puzzles. Pardon me---did I say "nest"? I meant "best."