Let the hunt begin!

Note: 🌶️ are ratings (inspired by Curious Cookoff) based mostly on puzzle length and somewhat on difficulty. Internet searches are allowed (and needed).

Feeling super stuck? Email us at mutedpuzzles at gmail with subject line HINT REQUEST for [“puzzle name”] [“your username”], brackets included. Response times may be slow (2-3 hrs) due to limited staffing, but we’ll get to you!

Happy puzzling! Above notes not a puzzle.

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A Sticky Situation 🌶️

Bills and coins	BACON
Pancake start	BREAD
Play on words	BUN
Wind or tread	BUTTER
Actor part	EGGS
Frozen waffle brand	GRITS
WWI’s Red ___	HAM
Rec. device	HONEY
Wide	MILK
Insult comedy	ROLL
Toothy smiles	TOAST

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Animal Sayings 🌶️

The in the room.

Brave as a .

Let the out of the bag.

-shaving.

Blind as a .

The around one’s neck.

Busy as a .

To out of something.

Like a out of water.

Quitting cold .

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To B or not to B 🌶️

DAHLE
LOUIES
BOEING
STAYED
QUILLE
COOLER
BURLY
EYED
RICED
HOLY
BOULE
PEELE
BAILED
BONY
BUGLE
RANI
MOOED
CLOSER
GRAYING

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Some Random Poetry 🌶️

Well, that’s what you would expect of new writers…

With cases at highs as never before, 2021 started dim,
But here’s what I wrote, a hunt full of puzzles, on a wh___.
I picked up new hobbies, in a quarantine cliché,
Watercolored some flowers, and even tried to croch___.
I play with my cat, to try to restore, what’s left of my mental energy,
Lest I lie all day and all night, on my bed in leth___.
Though it may seem, there isn’t much reason to yell yay or hurray,
But all of my friends, and family too, they’re healthy and ok___!
And although, of jobs I have none, I try not to stew in dismay,
At least I’ll get my vaccine (in a few days) through publix ___ M___.

2020, what a year to live through.
At movies, bars, and clubs, there’s no longer a ___.
I used to commute from Alewife to Braintree,
But now I work from home. I don’t need the ___.
Going inside without masks, now considered a sin,
Forget going to restaurants, you should only stay ___.
New year and vaccines, I’ll celebrate with Henny,
I have hopes and dreams, do you have ___?

Back aches, feel old ___d.
Cup my hot mug, sip some ___.
Breathe out, a big s___.
Writing these poems, what a toil and trouble,
I will not write twice, that’d make my worries ___ –
This is the last poem we’ll give ___, of that I’ll make sure.

THOU HE BALK “REMOVER”

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SweetSmash 🌶️🌶️

I	M	O	C	E	V	Y	R	H
M	O	L	L	M	N	T	E	E
A	V	A	N	A	N	C	H	E
R	S	T	O	O	N	O	D	E
O	I	H	F	T	E	T	I	A
T	N	G	A	E	O	O	L	R
S	K	U	O	M	R	H	S	T
H	E	O	I	R	P	D	Q	H
D	R	A	Z	C	I	L	B	N
C	O	L	N	Z	E	A	N	U
F	R	C	Y	D	L	O	N	E
I	L	D	E	U	S	D	A	A
E	N	A	C	I	T	R	U	K
E	V	A	S	A	R	O	L	E

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Magic Plane Travel 🌶️🌶️

GS1 → M20

ALA → SOM → THS → THB

C14 → SOI → WAR → ZNR

FRF → WAR → M21

ALA → ROE → KTK → DTK → M19 → WAR

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Bagus 🌶️🌶️🌶️

ANDOVICHAZGAZZELBALOGBLACKOTCOWLEYCYBERANDVROSELYAKOVGEGLAURUNGLLUMGORIYIVELMIALUIFERLURZOBLINOCTROKPISTACOPOSVOICERAINRASILONRMOSSELOBSIBYSLIHEENSNOWFLAKWACHIEFWEDIGO

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IT’S ABOUT TIME! 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Boy, they sure pick some weird people sometimes…

Apparently, he really preferred offense planning (12)
Character on a popular Netflix drama (3)
Do Bunsen & Beaker count… or is it just non-fictional ones? (2)
Famous dreamer (4)
Finally, me! What… it’s not me? (2)
Five missions away from winning 2 Oscars! (6)
Former leader of Saudi Arabia (5)
Healy painting (14)
Nonstop flier from NYC to Paris (7)
Olympic chairman in the 80s (2)
One who rallies for a good cause! (7)
Poor, poor planet… (5)
Powerful woman who is cynophobic (2)
She’s married to the first second gentleman (12)
Still don’t know why he dropped the the (1)
These avengers really went viral! (11)
These fine people were named after a parable (12)
This guy is definitely in his Prime! (3)
This is CNN…’s founder. (5)
Those who would die in “A Quiet Place” (8)
Vietnam commander (9)
Who gets the estate? (8)
Whom Chris, Zoe, Dave, Vin and Bradley portray, for short (9)

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Meta 🌶️

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Did you win?

(Not a puzzle)