The Weekly Whoop #4
A genetic mutation and a protein
STFU (So That Folks Understand)
The Weekly Whoop #4 is now closed. If you are looking for The Turkey Hunt (i.e., The Weekly Whoop's Thanksgiving Edition), jump right here or whet your appetite with our open hunts here.Yello!
Welcome to The Weekly Whoop #4!
A reward of up to US $ 500 is up for grabs.
The hunt’s format is the same as #2 and the (currently) open hunts (#3 and the Lamps & Lanterns Hunt):
there’s a quest (a crossword) that you must complete by using the crossword’s traditional Across and Down prompts, deciphiring a key (a riddle in verse or prose) and using additional clues (helpful hints released with a time delay).
Given enough time and effort, one could theoretically solve the crossword without the riddle, but the riddle and the crossword are interlinked.
Many of the crossword’s Across and Down prompts reference the riddle directly (and might, therefore, come across as unfair on their own).
In a previous post, I mused about this format and how it is (essentially) a scavenger hunt. You can read about it here for more context.
You can also DM me for more insight or visit the About page to learn more about whoop!
Alright! Let’s dive into the Hunt.
The Key
Here is the riddle in verse that you must decipher. Lots of potatoes in it! Find what or who it is and complete the quest.
And so riddled the son his papa: His papa's son was papa, papa. His papa's son a rollin' stone. His sons' papa drank papa papa. His sons' papa a rollin' stone.
Alright, on to the quest.
The Quest
Use the key to complete the crossword below by answering the prompts Across and Down and providing the logic1 behind your answers.
You can complete the crossword online (and free) at Crossword Labs.
You don’t need to create an account on Crossword Labs if you don’t want to. The interface is intuitive. The website awards you a star once you have completed all the correct answers.
When that happens, use the website's Print button to make a PDF of the completed crossword and send it along with the logic via DM (below) or email.
As far as I know, there is no option to save the completed solution to your account (should you make one on Crossword Labs), making the PDF option doubly important.
DM me for clarifications, brainstorming, checking/sending solutions, and idle chitchat.
The Clues
The clues are helpful hints released with a time delay. There will be at least three clues for this Hunt, and at least two will be open to all.
Clue #1
Patience is a virtue! This cluewill bewas out on November 22, 2024 at 1800 hours PT.Check this space
Clue #2
Patience is a virtue! This cluewill bewas on November 23, 2024 at06000610 hours PT.Check this space
Clue #3
Patience is a virtue! This cluewill bewas out on November 23, 2024 at18001945 hours PT.Check this space
You can also follow these releases on whoop! ’s Whatsapp channel. It’s anonymous.
The Rules
The rules of the Hunt:
Complete the Hunt by completing the crossword and providing the logic behind the answers.
Partial solutions are a no-no for submission, but you can discuss them with me during the Hunt.
The deadline is 1800 hours Pacific Time on Sunday, November 24, 2024.
The Hunt ends when someone completes it OR if the time runs out.
Whoever completes the Hunt first (within the timeframe) wins2
Ask questions, seek clarifications, confirm answers, brainstorm, and send the solutions (and logic) via DM (preferred method) or email.
The Rewards
There is only one reward. It will go to the person operating the Substack account that sends through the first complete and correct solution.
Annual subscribers are eligible for a $500 cash prize.
Monthly subscribers are eligible for a $250 cash prize.
Free subscribers3 are eligible for a $125 cash prize.
Say you are the first to complete the Hunt. You can upgrade to a particular subscription tier and become eligible for the prize corresponding to that tier.
The Tools to Complete the Hunt
In addition to putting that beautiful mind of yours to work, you can:
work with friends and family
collaborate with colleagues and strangers
brainstorm with me4
use the internet,
walk into the local library (remember that old thing),
use AI and any other resources
This is it, folks! Have fun.
Welcome to the Hunt!
Logic is more than superficial connections like synonyms, antonyms, anagrams, word lengths, et cetera. E.g., if the answer to a particular prompt is a synonym of the prompt, your logic should explain why that specific synonym is the answer in the context of the riddle.
Or, e.g., say you see a particular word emerge as the answer to an Across or Down prompt because of the letters from answers to the other prompts. You must still explain how that specific word is connected to the riddle.
This means there is only one reward up for grabs, and its value varies with your subscription plan.
Free subscribers do have to subscribe by providing an email.
DM me on Substack (waveman). That’s the preferred route. You will have to opt for a free subscription for this.
You can also find me on LinkedIn, Instagram, Reddit, Grapevine, and X at the handle whoopthefeed. This facility is available for a limited time only. I will notify the community once we move entirely to Substack DMs.
[This benefit is available to subscribers only] You can access the community chat to work with other community members. Just (a) be respectful, (b) please don’t disclose the answers on the chat (use DMs if you must), and (c) remember that there’s only one reward per quest, and it will go out to the subscriber who communicates it first via DM or email.