Grid: untimed; Meta: 10 minutes
Peter Gordon’s contest, “That’s Not Even Funny” — Conrad’s writeup
FB Contest Solution – 03.31.2024
This month, we are asked, What 11-letter name of a nonhuman is hinted at by this puzzle? The central horizontal entries where thematic: WHATARE/THEODDS, clued as “How unlikely is that?!”
The puzzle title included “Not Even” and the center entries referenced THE ODDS. I searched the grid for odd-numbered entries and found them quickly. The odd numbered grid squares (1, 3, 5, 7, etc.) spelled HES FAMOUS FOR STEAMBOAT WILLIE BY DISNEY, leading to our contest solution MICKEY MOUSE. Really enjoyed this meta by Peter: I am amazed that he was able to embed a 35(!) letter sentence in a 15×15 grid. And the meta was a blast. Solvers: please share your thoughts.
Reading Peter’s notes, I saw that all the letters in Mickey Mouse are odd numbered letters of the alphabet. An extra level of elegance that I totally missed while solving!
What an ingenious puzzle! Peter’s ability to weave a 35-letter sentence into a 15×15 grid is truly remarkable. The ‘Not Even’ title and reference to ‘THE ODDS’ cleverly led solvers to uncover the hidden gem: MICKEY MOUSE. Kudos to Peter for crafting such an engaging and rewarding meta challenge. Solvers, what did you think of this brilliant puzzle?