The Meaning of M

Dr. TTT's Puzzle Game Show

By Ben Lowenstein

Answer: STOCK MARKET CLOSE

First, select the noun from each group of six that doesn't have a property the other five share.

Next, fill in these thirty-two words into the crosses after sorting into the three categories. Note that each row/category can be filled in two different ways.

Persons:
                                                                                                  J
                                                                                                  O
      P                                                                                           H
      R                                                                                           A
      U                                                                                           N
      D                                                                                           N
      E                                                                                           E
      N                                                                                           S
      T                                   G                                                       B
      B                            V      A                                                       R
      E                            E      U                                                       A
      A                            R      T                          S                            H
      U                            C      A                          H                            M
T I M D U N C A N    W I L H E L M I I    M I K E G R A V E L    N O E L C O W A R D    J A K O B S T E I N E R
      R                            N      A                          R
      Y                            G      B                          R
                                   E      U                          Y
                                   T      D                          P
                                   O      D                          A
                                   R      H                          L
                                   I      A                          M
                                   X                                 E
                                                                     R

                                                                                                  P
                                                                                                  R
      J                                                                                           U
      O                                                                                           D
      H                                                                                           E
      A                                                                                           N
      N                                                                                           T
      N                                                                                           B
      E                                   V                                                       E
      S                            G      E                                                       A
      B                            A      R                                                       U
      R                            U      C                          J                            D
      A                            T      I                          A                            R
W I L H E L M I I    T I M D U N C A N    N O E L C O W A R D    M I K E G R A V E L    S H E R R Y P A L M E R
      M                            M      G                          O
      S                            A      E                          B
                                   B      T                          S
                                   U      O                          T
                                   D      R                          E
                                   D      I                          I
                                   H      X                          N
                                   A                                 E
                                                                     R
Places:
                                                                               M
                           E                                                   A
                           N                                                   N
                           G                                                   H
                P          L                                                   A
                A          A                        B                          T
P I K E S P E A K    W I N N I P E G    O K E E C H O B E E    C I N C I N N A T I
                I          D                        H                          A
                S                                   E                          N
                T                                   M
                A                                   I
                N                                   A

                                                                               P
                           B                                                   I
                           O                                                   K
                           H                                                   E
                W          E                                                   S
                I          M                        E                          P
M A N H A T T A N    P A K I S T A N    C I N C I N N A T I    O K E E C H O B E E
                N          A                        G                          A
                I                                   L                          K
                P                                   A
                E                                   N
                G                                   D
Things:
                                                                                  P
                                                                                  E
                                                                       M          R
S                                                   C                  I          C
W                U                                  O                  C          E
O                N        K                         N                  R          N
R                U        I                         C                  O          T
D                N        D                         E                  F          I
F L A G    A G O U T I    N O O D L E    T O E    A R K    R A I L R O A D    N U L L
I                N        E                  M      T                  R          E
S                I        Y                  B      O                  A
H                U        S                  A                         D
                 M                           S
                                             S
                                             Y

                                                                                  M
                                                                                  I
                                                                       P          C
U                                                   R                  E          R
N                S                                  A                  R          O
U                W        E                         I                  C          F
N                O        M                         L                  E          A
U                R        B                         R                  N          R
N U L L    N O O D L E    A G O U T I    A R K    T O E    C O N C E R T O    F L A G
I                F        S                  I      A                  I          D
U                I        S                  D      D                  L
M                S        Y                  N                         E
                 H                           E
                                             Y
                                             S
Taking the intersection points of each row and reading across gives the six words DIMES, HANKY, KNOT, NINE, FUNERAL, and NDAKOTA.
Finally, we take these six words and fill them into the blanks on the left, giving us the answers on the right:
Capital of NDAKOTA
There were NINE before 2006
With KNOT, a parasite
Real name for a HANKY
Half of DIMES
FUNERAL director
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BISMARCK
PLANETS
ROOT
HANDKERCHIEF
NICKELS
UNDERTAKER
The blanks numbered 1, 2, and 3 respectively spell, when read top to bottom, STOCK MARKET CLOSE.