"One Short" by benchen71
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Ergcat
- Posts: 806
- Joined: Mon Jun 22, 2020 8:12 pm
- Location: Seneca SC
Crossed the moat! Nudges 5 & 6 did the trick ( already was going in the right direction). Clever construction, Ben!
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ajk
- Posts: 1017
- Joined: Mon Dec 21, 2020 4:22 pm
- Location: Colorado
Yep, I did. But needed nudge 6, to constrain it, and then I just guessed the answer and backsolved. Cool idea though, and impressive construction.
Check out this very cool project by many of your favorite muggles to raise money to fight cancer. You get a fun puzzle bundle and good causes get $. Win-win: Crosswords for Cancer
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Dow Jones
- Posts: 481
- Joined: Thu May 09, 2019 11:02 pm
- Location: Yakima, WA
Crossed the moat. There was no shortage of fun with this one. Thanks for the nudges, Ben.
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benchen71
- Posts: 2534
- Joined: Thu Jul 22, 2021 8:50 pm
- Location: Melbourne, Australia
- Contact:
One more solver update before lights out:
rjy
MatthewL
kymike
Sharkicicles
SeamusOL
Ergcat
Johnny Luau
woozy
ajk
frostyjhammer
Dow Jones
Spid4567
LauraPRmaven
That brings us up to 30!
rjy
MatthewL
kymike
Sharkicicles
SeamusOL
Ergcat
Johnny Luau
woozy
ajk
frostyjhammer
Dow Jones
Spid4567
LauraPRmaven
That brings us up to 30!
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! 
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Cinny
- Posts: 834
- Joined: Mon Sep 21, 2020 2:53 pm
- Location: Minoa, NY
- Contact:
Ran into a snag on Tuesday when I started this. Picked it up again this morning and it all fell into place. And without the nudges!
Castle stormed!!
Castle stormed!!
Cindy Heisler
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MikeyG
- Posts: 1442
- Joined: Wed Dec 30, 2020 2:52 pm
- Location: Chicago
- Contact:
I think they commonly ask musicians to describe a song they would have loved to have written.
This is a puzzle I would have loved to have constructed: what a delightful mechanism.
Well done, Ben! This MOAT is stormed!
This is a puzzle I would have loved to have constructed: what a delightful mechanism.
Well done, Ben! This MOAT is stormed!
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Cap'n Rick
- Posts: 1606
- Joined: Sun Aug 02, 2020 12:44 pm
- Location: Nahant, MA
Great one, Ben! Very clever.
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hoover
- Posts: 1558
- Joined: Mon Mar 29, 2021 7:26 pm
Wow! Great one! I needed nudge 3--I figured out nudges 1-2 on my own but was doing it wrong.
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DrTom
- Posts: 3913
- Joined: Sat Apr 20, 2019 6:46 pm
- Location: Jacksonville, FL
Limped across with nudges, nice puzzle that I completely misread the mechanism on. Clever lad though Ben.
NUDGES!I am always willing to give nudges where needed; metas should be about fun, not frustration. Send me what you have done so far because often you are closer than you think!
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jhseeman
- Posts: 499
- Joined: Sun Dec 13, 2020 3:33 pm
- Location: Charleston, SC
Have crossed the Moat, great puzzle setup.
But I was lazy, should have done this yesterday pre-hints.
But I was lazy, should have done this yesterday pre-hints.
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whimsy
- Posts: 2856
- Joined: Sun Jun 21, 2020 9:51 am
- Location: Hopkinton MA
Lazily on vacation and so used nudges --
Got over the moat and now knocking on castle door so I can be in Ben's Count.
Very nice! Thanks, Ben.
Got over the moat and now knocking on castle door so I can be in Ben's Count.
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benchen71
- Posts: 2534
- Joined: Thu Jul 22, 2021 8:50 pm
- Location: Melbourne, Australia
- Contact:
Some more solvers:
Cindy Heisler
Schmeel
Pair O Ducks
Adam Simon Levine
Mikey G
Capn Rick
Bbaack
hoover
Matt A
DrTom
DebbieC
Caroline
Jim23809
JHSeeman
CPJohnson
whimsy
rfj
That's 47. One more solver update directly before the answer reveal Monday morning (Oz time!)
Cindy Heisler
Schmeel
Pair O Ducks
Adam Simon Levine
Mikey G
Capn Rick
Bbaack
hoover
Matt A
DrTom
DebbieC
Caroline
Jim23809
JHSeeman
CPJohnson
whimsy
rfj
That's 47. One more solver update directly before the answer reveal Monday morning (Oz time!)
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!
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edestlin
- Posts: 244
- Joined: Sun Apr 10, 2022 9:22 am
- Location: Michigan
- Contact:
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benchen71
- Posts: 2534
- Joined: Thu Jul 22, 2021 8:50 pm
- Location: Melbourne, Australia
- Contact:
Just two more solvers, bringing us to a grand total of 49:
edestlin
BarbaraK
And now, on to the reveal...
edestlin
BarbaraK
And now, on to the reveal...
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!
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benchen71
- Posts: 2534
- Joined: Thu Jul 22, 2021 8:50 pm
- Location: Melbourne, Australia
- Contact:
Here's the solution to "One Short":
I was a little unsure how this one would go over. The "trial and error" nature of getting to the answer was a bit of a gamble. Sure, there was the hint in 43 down, but where was should the column be added? In order to retain rotational symmetry, it had to be right down the middle. I also hoped you would find HEATHY and OFFRED suspiciously weird, with one obvious word that could be made in each case, so that would then confirm that decision. After that, well, that's where the TRIAL AND ERROR would come into it!
Successful solver comments were almost unanimously positive, so I guess the gamble paid off!
I was a little unsure how this one would go over. The "trial and error" nature of getting to the answer was a bit of a gamble. Sure, there was the hint in 43 down, but where was should the column be added? In order to retain rotational symmetry, it had to be right down the middle. I also hoped you would find HEATHY and OFFRED suspiciously weird, with one obvious word that could be made in each case, so that would then confirm that decision. After that, well, that's where the TRIAL AND ERROR would come into it!
Successful solver comments were almost unanimously positive, so I guess the gamble paid off!
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!
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Dplass
- Posts: 1739
- Joined: Sat Dec 28, 2019 10:09 am
I kept trying to mutate DISCOER into DISCOVER and AMBLERS into GAMBLERS...but after a huge hint and a few iterations, and some... ok I'll say it... _trial and error_... I did find the path.
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dsbened
- Posts: 99
- Joined: Fri Oct 25, 2019 4:31 pm
- Location: Seattle, WA, USA
I'm still a rookie at this website and I truly appreciate all of the constructors who take the time (days) to compose these great crosswords. But I'm stumped about the spelling of 40A. I thought the name was "Roz" instead of "Ros". Help!
Seattle DB
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benchen71
- Posts: 2534
- Joined: Thu Jul 22, 2021 8:50 pm
- Location: Melbourne, Australia
- Contact:
Oof, you are correct! I think I made the same error in another of my puzzles, too. Sorry if that made solving the meta harder!
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!
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benchen71
- Posts: 2534
- Joined: Thu Jul 22, 2021 8:50 pm
- Location: Melbourne, Australia
- Contact:
@dsbened, I went back and changed the clue. It's now "The girl whose eyes the lead singer of Toto sings about wanting to wake up in the morning and see, for short"
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!
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dsbened
- Posts: 99
- Joined: Fri Oct 25, 2019 4:31 pm
- Location: Seattle, WA, USA
Ah yes, Toto's song "Rosanna" Arquette. She also dated Peter Gabriel, I think.benchen71 wrote: ↑Wed Mar 01, 2023 3:16 am@dsbened, I went back and changed the clue. It's now "The girl whose eyes the lead singer of Toto sings about wanting to wake up in the morning and see, for short"
Seattle DB