Solution - Trubled Monicas

by Joseph DeVincentis

Answer: Click here to reveal

Each clue's spelling has been altered in some way. Decipher the original clues, then solve them. Applying the same spelling change to the answer as was done on the clue produces a trademark which contains one or more incorrectly spelled words. Match these trademarks to the numbers at the bottom in the same style as the logotype associated with them.

Matching notes: Most of the numbers are clear enough. The blue 4 goes with Google and the blue 5 with flickr because flickr uses thicker letters than Google. The small black 5 goes with muzak, who writes their name in very small lower-case letters. The black 6 goes with Kwikset because it is italicized. The black 9 goes with the Beatles since it imitates their serifs and the unexpected descender (on the T in Beatles). And the black 4 which has no special features goes with Infiniti.

Extract the letter indicated by this number from the resulting name to get BETELGEUSLLANKKDENEII. This is BETELGEUSE AND DENEB with the last letter of each word shifted forward by seven in the alphabet and doubled. The answer to the clue is stars, so the answer to the puzzle is STARZZ.

ClueDeciphered clueClue answerTrademarkSpelling changeIndexLetter
ILLEGUITIMATECHILERENLACKIUNGFAMEORHONOEillegitimate children lacking fame or honoringlorious bastardsInglourious Basterdsinsert U after 5th of 1st wd, change 5th to E in second12B
LOSATAONWHEAEDOMASAISATEDANIAAASAREBURAEAlocation where domesticated animals are buriedpet cemeteryPet Sematarychange all C to S, change 4th and 6th to A5E
ZOFTFLAKKIDMFFINBREADROLLORKOOKIEsoft, flaccid muffin, bread roll, or cookielimp biscuitLimp Bizkitchange all S to Z, all C to K, delete all U10T
CHARACTERIZEEEBEETHEEPRESENCEEOEEFROZEEEWATEEEcharacterized by the presence of frozen watericyIceechange last letter to EE4E
LAGESPPTTEDWIDCATWHJCHCANOTHEBRlarge spotted wildcat which cannot heardeaf leopardDef Lepparddelete 3rd of 1st wd, change 3rd of second word to following letter in alphabet4L
TNEOETEEOEEHUNDREDHEPOWREten to the one hundredth powergoogolGoogledelete penultimate, add E at end4G
COVETHATTHINWITHZOLIZEAZONEDMILCURDcover that thing with solid seasoned milk curdcheese itCheez-Itchange S to Z, delete last letter of first word4E
ABAMOFLIGHTAROUNDFOURHUNDRDSVNTYNANOMTRSa beam of light around four hundred seventy nanometersblue rayBlu-Raydelete all E3U
PHLOUNDERALEWIPHEBLUEPHINANDPUPHPHERPHOREXAMPLEflounder, alewife, bluefin, and puffer, for examplefishPhishchange all F to PH4S
RONGSOFSOODBOORONGPLONTPORTSrings of seed-bearing plant partsfruit loopsFroot Loopschange all vowels to O6L
TWICEAMANYUNSPECIFIEMATERIALStwice as many unspecified materialsdouble stuffDouble Stufdelete last of second wd5L
BONALASSCUOFMAAFROMABABYHANboneless cut of meat from a baby henchick filetChick-Fil-Achange E to A, delete all T9A
UNDMESTYCATEDMALEBREEDYNGHRSESundomesticated male breeding horseswild stallionsWyld Stallynschange all I to Y, delete all O11N
SHIEWIHAFLUCTUATIGLIGTshine with a fluctuating lightflickerflickrdelete penultimate5K
VOKALANDANZTRUMENTALZOUNDZKOMBANEDHARMONAOUZLYvocal and instrumental sounds combined harmoniouslymusicMuzakS -> Z, I -> A, C -> K5K
NBAKEDBREADFORASTAESHOWORFICTITIOSREENBACKSunbaked bread for a stage show or fictitious greenbacksplay doughPlay-Dohdelete all U and G5D
THOSEINAECTSWITHHAADEXOSKELETONSANAHARDFOAEWINGSthose insects with hard exoskeletons and hard forewingsthe beetlesThe Beatleschange 3rd of 2nd word to A9E
PLESINGTOTHETSTENCLOSETOTHEGROUNpleasing to the taste and close to the groundsweet and lowSweet 'N Lowdelete all A and D6N
LEVERORBREAKNEKKWANTITYOFITEMSPERHAPSAOMPLETEOLLECTIONclever or breakneck quantity of items, perhaps a complete collectionquick setKwiksetdelete all C, change all QU to KW6E
AIAMOUNIOIDISTANCIBEYONIANIMEASURABLIOISTATABLIAMOUNIan amount or distance beyond any measurable or statable amountinfinityInfinitichange final letter to I4I
MAXINGTUFFDIAPPEARANDOTHERENTERTAININGATIONMAGIIANPERFORMmaking stuff disappear and other entertaining actions magicians performtricksTrixchange all K to X, delete all C and S3I