Grid: untimed; Meta: got a nudge
Alex Eaton Salner’s contest, “Switchbacks” — Conrad’s writeup
This month we are asked, what six-letter word is hinted at by this puzzle? There were five starred two-word theme entries:
- 15A NOWPLAYING: [*Marquee phrase]
- 22A GOTHBANDS: [*The Cure and the Cult, for two]
- 36A CARTHORSE: [*Plow puller]
- 55A NOTREDAME: [*Île de la Cité landmark]
- 65A RABBITRUST: [*Method for deferring taxation of received payments]
FB Contest Solution – 09.15.2024
I had the right idea: “switch” the 2nd word at the “back” of each themer, but couldn’t find the right execution. I even tried to match NOTRE… with something else. I reached out to my friend Meg for a nudge, and she got me on track. RABBI/TRUST was the easiest, and formed RABBIT EARS when I swapped TRUST with the grid entry TEARS. The rest fell into place:
- NOW(PLAYING) -> NO W(HAMMIES)
- GOTH(BANDS) -> GOT H(ITCHED)
- CART(HORSE) -> CAR T(HEFT)
- NOTRE(DAME) -> NOT RE(ALLY)
- RABBI(TRUST) -> RABBI(TEARS)
The first letter of the matched grid entries spell HI HAT. Then matching HI to the grid entry KING forms our contest solution HIKING. Solvers: please share your thoughts.