"Encrypted" by benchen71
- benchen71
- Posts: 2538
- Joined: Thu Jul 22, 2021 8:50 pm
- Location: Melbourne, Australia
- Contact:
"Encrypted" by benchen71
Welcome to...
benchen71's Metas on a Tuesday (MOAT)
Can you storm the castle by getting across the MOAT? I'm really leaning into my Australian heritage now. International solvers, feel free to consult Google whenever you want to; Aussie solvers, feel free to do the same with all the Americanisms that inevitably creep in! I also trust this meta crossword isn't considered in poor taste during this time of pandemic. All the best, as you seek the answer to the meta which is a four letter word.
PM me with your submissions or submit on Crosshare. Either way, I'll compile a list of those who successfully solve the meta.
Encrypted - Online Form
Encrypted - PUZ
Encrypted - PDF
Encrypted - Excel
Nudges are here.
The solution is here.
benchen71's Metas on a Tuesday (MOAT)
Can you storm the castle by getting across the MOAT? I'm really leaning into my Australian heritage now. International solvers, feel free to consult Google whenever you want to; Aussie solvers, feel free to do the same with all the Americanisms that inevitably creep in! I also trust this meta crossword isn't considered in poor taste during this time of pandemic. All the best, as you seek the answer to the meta which is a four letter word.
PM me with your submissions or submit on Crosshare. Either way, I'll compile a list of those who successfully solve the meta.
Encrypted - Online Form
Encrypted - PUZ
Encrypted - PDF
Encrypted - Excel
Nudges are here.
The solution is here.
Last edited by benchen71 on Sun Oct 10, 2021 5:32 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Check out "The MOAT MEOW Mashup Pack" here. US$10 for 14 metas that don't always abide by the "rules" of the game: asymmetry, 2-letter words, uncrossed letters, who knows. And this time there's a mega-meta!
- whimsy
- Posts: 2857
- Joined: Sun Jun 21, 2020 9:51 am
- Location: Hopkinton MA
- Darth
- Posts: 777
- Joined: Sat May 15, 2021 6:51 pm
- Location: Champaign, IL
He said, "Looked like trouble, but just made light work of it!"
- Attachments
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- boharr
- Moderator
- Posts: 3249
- Joined: Fri Sep 06, 2019 8:57 am
- Location: Westchester, NY
- lbray53
- Posts: 1260
- Joined: Fri May 08, 2020 8:34 am
- Location: Elkhorn, WI
Just waiting for the Saturday nudges. What time is it in Australia anyway? Is it even Saturday yet?
My avatar proves that it is sometimes better to be lucky than good!
- benchen71
- Posts: 2538
- Joined: Thu Jul 22, 2021 8:50 pm
- Location: Melbourne, Australia
- Contact:
Saturday morning, and here are the nudges, in order of increasing blatancy:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Last edited by benchen71 on Sat Oct 09, 2021 2:01 am, edited 1 time in total.
Check out "The MOAT MEOW Mashup Pack" here. US$10 for 14 metas that don't always abide by the "rules" of the game: asymmetry, 2-letter words, uncrossed letters, who knows. And this time there's a mega-meta!
- ChrisKochmanski
- Posts: 2253
- Joined: Tue Apr 09, 2019 9:51 pm
- Location: Saline, Michigan
Crossed and stormed!
Came to this one late, and with my brain somewhat fried at the end of the week, I took all of Ben’s spoilers.
Fun!
Came to this one late, and with my brain somewhat fried at the end of the week, I took all of Ben’s spoilers.
Fun!
- Cinny
- Posts: 836
- Joined: Mon Sep 21, 2020 2:53 pm
- Location: Minoa, NY
- Contact:
Crossed the MOAT!
I did use the first 2 nudges - just happy to have solved. I enjoyed this one!!
I did use the first 2 nudges - just happy to have solved. I enjoyed this one!!
Cindy Heisler
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- Posts: 1411
- Joined: Thu Apr 11, 2019 11:49 am
Needed all of the hints to get there... I thought I had come up with all possible ways to look at this, but there was one more :-)
- woozy
- Posts: 2282
- Joined: Mon Aug 10, 2020 12:40 am
Stinky Pinkies!
My Entry to the May 2024 CrossHare Midi Contest
Not a meta, but, yeesh!, that was tough to create.
My Entry to the May 2024 CrossHare Midi Contest
Not a meta, but, yeesh!, that was tough to create.
- benchen71
- Posts: 2538
- Joined: Thu Jul 22, 2021 8:50 pm
- Location: Melbourne, Australia
- Contact:
Check out "The MOAT MEOW Mashup Pack" here. US$10 for 14 metas that don't always abide by the "rules" of the game: asymmetry, 2-letter words, uncrossed letters, who knows. And this time there's a mega-meta!
- CPJohnson
- Posts: 1118
- Joined: Tue Apr 09, 2019 1:38 pm
- Location: Kingsport, TN
Solved, but only with an additional push from Ben. So, I've crossed the moat with water wings.
Cynthia
- woozy
- Posts: 2282
- Joined: Mon Aug 10, 2020 12:40 am
Nope.... with your nudges can't see anything at all.
I think there is a very large disconnect between what a constructor and what a solver would find obvious.
You non-nudges 3 and 4 and at this point it should be completely spelled out. Nudge five is and the implication is it's all spelled out. .
I think there is a very large disconnect between what a constructor and what a solver would find obvious.
You non-nudges 3 and 4 and at this point it should be completely spelled out. Nudge five is and the implication is it's all spelled out. .
Stinky Pinkies!
My Entry to the May 2024 CrossHare Midi Contest
Not a meta, but, yeesh!, that was tough to create.
My Entry to the May 2024 CrossHare Midi Contest
Not a meta, but, yeesh!, that was tough to create.
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- Posts: 364
- Joined: Thu Apr 18, 2019 7:56 pm
- benchen71
- Posts: 2538
- Joined: Thu Jul 22, 2021 8:50 pm
- Location: Melbourne, Australia
- Contact:
Monday morning has come around again, so here is the solution:
(WSJ regulars might recognise the mechanic from a Gaffney puzzle involving HOPE diamonds.) This puzzle was more difficult that it should have been. For some reason, I thought I had included a hint in the clue for the central entry, but it turns out I didn't. I have since gone back and added one to the puzzle on Crosshare: "Song Midnight Oil recorded for the handing back ceremony of Uluru to its traditional Aboriginal owners (with "The", and a hint to where you can find the answer to the meta)" I'm putting more and more hints like this in my puzzles, so hopefully that will make things just a touch easier for solvers!
The next MOAT will reference a key moment in Australian sport that played out on the international scene.
(WSJ regulars might recognise the mechanic from a Gaffney puzzle involving HOPE diamonds.) This puzzle was more difficult that it should have been. For some reason, I thought I had included a hint in the clue for the central entry, but it turns out I didn't. I have since gone back and added one to the puzzle on Crosshare: "Song Midnight Oil recorded for the handing back ceremony of Uluru to its traditional Aboriginal owners (with "The", and a hint to where you can find the answer to the meta)" I'm putting more and more hints like this in my puzzles, so hopefully that will make things just a touch easier for solvers!
The next MOAT will reference a key moment in Australian sport that played out on the international scene.
Last edited by benchen71 on Sun Oct 10, 2021 5:34 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Check out "The MOAT MEOW Mashup Pack" here. US$10 for 14 metas that don't always abide by the "rules" of the game: asymmetry, 2-letter words, uncrossed letters, who knows. And this time there's a mega-meta!
- benchen71
- Posts: 2538
- Joined: Thu Jul 22, 2021 8:50 pm
- Location: Melbourne, Australia
- Contact:
The list of successful solvers is as follows:
whimsy
Darth
Meg
boharr
ChrisKochmanski
Cinny
Laura M
Abide
CPJohnson
lbray53
Carolyn
markhr
woozy
whimsy
Darth
Meg
boharr
ChrisKochmanski
Cinny
Laura M
Abide
CPJohnson
lbray53
Carolyn
markhr
woozy
Check out "The MOAT MEOW Mashup Pack" here. US$10 for 14 metas that don't always abide by the "rules" of the game: asymmetry, 2-letter words, uncrossed letters, who knows. And this time there's a mega-meta!
- woozy
- Posts: 2282
- Joined: Mon Aug 10, 2020 12:40 am
Will I get any bonus points for guessing before the puzzle comes out?
Stinky Pinkies!
My Entry to the May 2024 CrossHare Midi Contest
Not a meta, but, yeesh!, that was tough to create.
My Entry to the May 2024 CrossHare Midi Contest
Not a meta, but, yeesh!, that was tough to create.
- benchen71
- Posts: 2538
- Joined: Thu Jul 22, 2021 8:50 pm
- Location: Melbourne, Australia
- Contact:
Sure! I'm all for bonus points. So what do you think the key moment is?
Check out "The MOAT MEOW Mashup Pack" here. US$10 for 14 metas that don't always abide by the "rules" of the game: asymmetry, 2-letter words, uncrossed letters, who knows. And this time there's a mega-meta!
-
- Posts: 1739
- Joined: Sat Dec 28, 2019 10:09 am
The differences between the two puzzles was that 1. HOPE was in the same orientation on each instance so HP was visible in every answer. The DEAD letters (heh) switched around orientations.benchen71 wrote: ↑Sun Oct 10, 2021 5:30 pm Monday morning has come around again, so here is the solution:
Encrypted (solution).png
(WSJ regulars might recognise the mechanic from a Gaffney puzzle involving HOPE diamonds.) This puzzle was more difficult that it should have been. For some reason, I thought I had included a hint in the clue for the central entry, but it turns out I didn't. I have since gone back and added one to the puzzle on Crosshare: "Song Midnight Oil recorded for the handing back ceremony of Uluru to its traditional Aboriginal owners (with "The", and a hint to where you can find the answer to the meta)" I'm putting more and more hints like this in my puzzles, so hopefully that will make things just a touch easier for solvers!
The next MOAT will reference a key moment in Australian sport that played out on the international scene.
2. The letters in DEAD feel more common in English to me than HOPE, making them blend in easier.
3. Maybe people didn't even try the HOPE mechanism because it was so recently used?
I totally didn't see the mechanism, but that doesn't mean much. Keep making metas, and thanks for the puzzles.