Grid: untimed; Meta: 10 minutes
Patrick Berry’s contest, “Headhunting” — Conrad’s writeup
This month, we are asked, What six-letter word is hinted at by this puzzle? There were six theme entries:
- [Where buds grow up together]: [F]LOWER[B]ED
- [Source of “Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing”]: [T]HE[R]AVEN
- [Bathroom product with a round pink mascot]: [M]R[B]UBBLE
- [Got out of jail]: [W]ENT[F]REE
- [Not standing still]: [I]N[M]OTION
- [Plato’s honorific for Sappho, with “the”]: [T]ENTH[M]USE
FB Contest Solution – 02.31.2024
Each themer matched another clue once the first letter of each word was dropped:
- SANK: [Decreased] -> LOWERED
- EDEN: [Paradisiacal place] -> HEAVEN
- ASHES: [RUINS] -> RUBBLE
- ROUTE: [Chosen course] -> ENTREE
- CLUE: [Notion] -> CLUE
- HYPE: [Pump up] -> ENTHUSE
The first letters of the matching clues spell SEARCH, our contest answer. Another classic Patrick Berry meta, well constructed. Solvers: please share your thoughts.