Solvers are provided with a grid containing crossword clues. Solving some of those clues should reveal that all answer words begin with the letters I, H, T, F, or P. The completed grid is shown here:
Square root of negative one (1)
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“Laugh-___” (2)
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Greek (8)
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It’s found in New Roman variety (5)
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Satisfied (9)
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Nostradamus’ most famous work, with “The” (10)
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Original style of light bulb (12)
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Put-down (6)
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Own (4)
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Line found in email headers (2)
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Conclude (6)
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Jay-Z has 99 (8)
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“Chronicle of a Death ___” (8)
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Measurements obtained from thermometers (12)
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Highly radioactive (3)
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Growing (10)
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“___, Madly, Deeply” (5)
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Spinoff of Cars (Pixar) (6)
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“One ___ Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” (4)
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TV Land show starring the Katydids (8)
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Cambridge area college and T station (7)
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Word often found with Then and Else (2)
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Element with highest known melting point (8)
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It’s released in an exothermic reaction (4)
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Not lost (5)
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First half of this hunt’s theme (6)
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Harry’s alma mater (8)
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“Fawlty ___” (6)
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Member of order Diptera (3)
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Ghosts responsible for physical disturbances (12)
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Thin wire or thread (8)
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Bus-to-Bus or Subway-to-Bus, e.g. (8)
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Club adjacent to the MIT Nuclear Reactor (8)
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Crazy (6)
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“___ Feeling Lucky” (2)
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Type of aid sometimes used by elderly (7)
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What it takes to tango (3)
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Instrument depicted in Jethro Tull’s logo (5)
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Divides or separates (5)
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Type of loop (3)
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This is one friggin’ example (6)
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They can be associates, assistants, or full (10)
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NYPD’s nickname: New York’s ___ (6)
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Most common word in the English language (3)
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“I Can ___ Cheezburger” (3)
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The I in MIT (9)
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The UN’s is in New York City (12)
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Charge induced by mechanical stresses (16)
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The grid now forms a word-word search for phrases fitting the
pattern “IHTFP”. This is hinted by the title and
flavortext (“I Hate This Friggin’ Puzzle”), and may be
confirmed by common expansions of IHTFP occurring in the grid: I
HAVE TRULY FOUND PARADISE
and INSTITUTE HAS THE FINEST
PROFESSORS
.
There are 10 IHTFP phrases in total. After eliminating all of
these, 5 words remain. Arranging them in standard order yields the
instruction INSULT HEADQUARTERS TO FINISH PUZZLE
.
Rejected alternative final instructions: