Loose Vowels
◆ · Por DrTom · Publicado 2024-06-26T11:30:08.575Z
Meta Prompt
The meta answer is a type of vowel
Whew, almost another disaster. I was all primed to release NEXT week's puzzle tomorrow and that would be a shame. This current one came to me in a flash, but took MUCH longer to construct. Luckily I got the assist of Wendy Walker and she helped me make it better. She also convinced me to add a few things that brought it, I'd imagine, from a Lion to a Persian, though mileage will vary. I hope you enjoy it and do not get led down any dastardly paths, you would probably all take a solemn vowel to do me harm.
Kitten
Calico
PERSIAN
Puma
Lion
Nudges:
Nudge 1] Notice that each of the theme answers (asterisked) have only one vowel
Nudge 2] What if that vowel were "loose",i.e. could be replaced easily
Nudge 3] What would replace it, and could/would that make another word?
Nudge 4] What do you ALWAYS do if the puzzle gives you a new word????
REVEAL
Nine entries, symmetrically placed, had an answer with one vowel (PINK squares)that could be replaced (it was loose!) with another to form a different word (GREEN squares) - for example FLITS went to FLATS and FLATS are another name for apartments or DIGS. When all the changes were made and the first letter of the new word taken in order that the original words appeared in the GRID it spelled DIPHTHONG which is defined as a "gliding" vowel.
FLIT>FLATS = DIGS
TASTY>TESTY = IRATE
SHALL>SHILL = PLANT
CHOMP>CHAMP = HERO
GRUBS>GRABS = TAKES
BLIND>BLAND = HOHUM
THANK>THINK = OPINE
STACK>STICK = NAIL
GRANT>GRUNT = GASP
For a graphic representation of the solve go to:
Comprobando datos de juego anteriores…
1A
Licorice-flavored plant
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Horizontales
- 1ALicorice-flavored plant
- 6ASheldon's degree
- 9A*Moves like a monarch
- 14A*Exclamation from your buds?
- 15AIsland ring
- 16AThis man's life was often used to describe ease
- 17APère's oldest daughter
- 18ANeighbor of Bol.
- 19ADisney Darby who liked little people
- 20AOnomatopoetic water sound
- 21AJohn Lennon's in-laws
- 22A*A more definitive will
- 23AWal follower when shopping
- 25ACommon, and controversial, antioxidant in food and cosmetics; Abbr.
- 26A"Burn ___ in your pocket"
- 28APlayground comeback
- 32A*Bite down hard
- 33AHarry Truman's wife
- 34AWall Street debut; Abbr.
- 35AHard scale to measure up to
- 36A*Future beetles
- 38ACapital of Samoa
- 39AR&B group ___ Hill
- 40AHair gel applications
- 41A*A certain Venetian
- 42AFirst Pharaoh of the 19th Dynasty and father of Seti
- 44AIn a foul and angry mood
- 45ASnake that 42A might have encountered
- 46AIt provides a soft touch for 35A
- 47A*Show gratitude
- 50A"Dear ___ Hansen", on Broadway
- 52AFamous for his cookies
- 56AIce in a glass
- 57AWilliam Shatner sci-fi series: "___ War"
- 58AA place rockers rock or fighters fight
- 59AOdd navel formation
- 60ATerm that frequently precedes raise
- 61A*Pile up
- 62A*Give permission
- 63ACollections of mos.
- 64AFoe of Venus and Steffi
Verticales
- 1D"Give it ___" (putting tip)
- 2DGet just right, like a landing
- 3D"..there ___ joy in Mudville"
- 4DSecond wives, vis-à-vis children
- 5DObserve
- 6DScammer's assistant in the crowd
- 7DThe one who finally wins over everyone
- 8DLodgings, slangily
- 9DFirst-year collegians, for short
- 10DIgnites a fire
- 11DBig bones of the pelvis
- 12DGiveaway at the table
- 13DWord seg.
- 21DLike many things, the refined kind is more elegant
- 24DMatterhorn, e.g.
- 25DBig cheese
- 26DRight now, in Bilbao
- 27DHas no "pizzazz"
- 28DCenter of a ball?
- 29D"___ in the bud!"
- 30DExpress a thought
- 31DContemptible one
- 32DU.S.N. rank
- 33DGreyhound, e.g.
- 36DAudible show of fatigue
- 37DBaseball card stat.
- 38DMenu option
- 40DMatching office accessories
- 41DCask: Abbr.
- 43DBecame clear
- 44D"At Seventeen" singer Janis
- 46DSnatches away
- 47DJoan Crawford's final film
- 48DOne of twenty-four
- 49DCourt records
- 50DCrafty retailer
- 51DSwerve
- 53DUsually mediocre airline perk
- 54DStart of many a fairy tale
- 55DBags from this store are highly desired
- 58DDoofus