New Beginnings

A weekly meta crossword created by members of the forum. Difficulty levels will vary. Hints are usually available starting Wednesday, and solutions are posted on Sunday.
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Cap'n Rick
Posts: 1601
Joined: Sun Aug 02, 2020 12:44 pm
Location: Nahant, MA

New Beginnings

#1

Post by Cap'n Rick »

Ahoy Muggle Mateys! Welcome to my very first meta! I’ve been enjoying solving for the past year and half, and now that I’m retired, I thought I’d try my hand at constructing. I’m very honored to have this opportunity to debut my puzzle on Muggle Meta Monday, and I’d like to thank Peter Abide (@Abide), Al Sisti (@Al Sisti), and Will Pfadenhauer (@AnswerPfinder) for their encouraging analyses, comments, and suggestions. I'd also like to thank @boharr for all of his pre-testing help and Joe Ross (@Joe Ross) for all of his technical help.

The puzzle title, appropriately, is “New Beginnings”, and hopefully I’ll be able to contribute more metas in the future.

The meta answer is a two-word place name.

Difficulty: This is the hardest puzzle I’ve published to date (but it’s also the easiest) 😊

New Beginnings PUZ

New Beginnings PDF

New Beginnings Excel


Image

Please feel free to PM me with your answer and/or questions. You can also solve via Crosshare and receive immediate feedback.

New Beginnings on Crosshare

If needed, I’ll post nudges on Wednesday once I figure out how to do that! (Still getting my sea legs!)

Nudges are here.
Solution is here.

Good luck!
Cap’n Rick
Last edited by Cap'n Rick on Sun Dec 11, 2022 11:25 am, edited 2 times in total.
Ahoy! Check out my meta puzzles here! Check out "Smooth Sailing Sundays" here!
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Dplass
Posts: 1739
Joined: Sat Dec 28, 2019 10:09 am

#2

Post by Dplass »

I'm off the couch. Thanks for the puzzle. Great debut! And I learned a new word.
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Meg
Posts: 2187
Joined: Tue Apr 09, 2019 1:41 pm
Location: St. Petersburg, FL

#3

Post by Meg »

I’m not on the sofa. Very nice puzzle. Congratulations on your debut!
Check out and support http://CrosswordsForCancer.com.
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Schmeel
Posts: 1732
Joined: Sun Mar 29, 2020 2:38 pm

#4

Post by Schmeel »

Off the couch.
Fun puzzle - great debut, Rick! Thanks!
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rjy
Posts: 1058
Joined: Fri Oct 08, 2021 12:52 pm
Location: Gaithersburg, MD

#5

Post by rjy »

De-couched... anxious to see what further tricks you have up your sleeve!
Ray
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Dannyvee
Posts: 518
Joined: Sat Oct 10, 2020 11:39 am
Location: Jamaica Plain, MA

#6

Post by Dannyvee »

🛋🕺🏻
Great debut, Rick
I can be found in Sheridan, NY, veejaying. (8)
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Wendy Walker
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Joined: Thu Apr 11, 2019 7:44 pm
Location: Unionville, PA

#7

Post by Wendy Walker »

Excellent puzzle -- what fun! Thank you, Rick. (I did have to backsolve for one letter.)
Good luck, fellow Muggles!
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MikeM000
Posts: 579
Joined: Mon Aug 24, 2020 11:31 am
Location: Metro Detroit

#8

Post by MikeM000 »

Wendy Walker wrote: ↑Mon Jan 24, 2022 1:07 pm Excellent puzzle -- what fun! Thank you, Rick. (I did have to backsolve for one letter.)
There was one element that made me go "Huh?" But googling did demonstrate that piece to be factually correct, if not well known or readily apparent.

But yes, awesome debut!
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Bbaack
Posts: 20
Joined: Sat Apr 13, 2019 3:30 pm
Location: Fort Collins, CO

#9

Post by Bbaack »

Great puzzle and a lot of fun. It's hard to believe it's only your first puzzle!
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whimsy
Posts: 2837
Joined: Sun Jun 21, 2020 9:51 am
Location: Hopkinton MA

#10

Post by whimsy »

In honor of Cap'n Rick's debut, I'm off this couch --
Captureboatcouch.PNG
Congrats and thanks, Rick. That was fun!
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DrTom
Posts: 3875
Joined: Sat Apr 20, 2019 6:46 pm
Location: Jacksonville, FL

#11

Post by DrTom »

"Aye Captain, I'm giving it everything I got" - he said in an engineered manner.

Nice job Rick, I looked for the easy and it wasn't there, had to look some more. GREAT debut!

Who knew they had Polish snowboarders!

Confirmed on Crosshare so couchless it is.
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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Cap'n Rick
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Location: Nahant, MA

#12

Post by Cap'n Rick »

DrTom wrote: ↑Mon Jan 24, 2022 1:49 pm Who knew they had Polish snowboarders!
I see what you did there @DrTom. :lol:
Ahoy! Check out my meta puzzles here! Check out "Smooth Sailing Sundays" here!
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ky-mike
Posts: 2023
Joined: Thu Apr 11, 2019 4:22 pm
Location: Near Louisville Ky

#13

Post by ky-mike »

Off the couch (about time, my wife would say)
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ky-mike
Posts: 2023
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Location: Near Louisville Ky

#14

Post by ky-mike »

Cap'n Rick wrote: ↑Mon Jan 24, 2022 2:34 pm
DrTom wrote: ↑Mon Jan 24, 2022 1:49 pm Who knew they had Polish snowboarders!
I see what you did there @DrTom. :lol:
Should we refer to Dr. Tom as a "groan man"?
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lbray53
Posts: 1247
Joined: Fri May 08, 2020 8:34 am
Location: Elkhorn, WI

#15

Post by lbray53 »

Off the couch! Confirmed on Crosshare. Great meta. It took me a bit.

Well constructed and great fill.
My avatar proves that it is sometimes better to be lucky than good!
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oldjudge
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Location: Pasadena, CA

#16

Post by oldjudge »

Great job Rick! I was going to say that that was a great job for a new constructor, but that would have been a great job for a seasoned constructor. Tight puzzle that was fun and challenging and just darn good.
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ChrisKochmanski
Posts: 2233
Joined: Tue Apr 09, 2019 9:51 pm
Location: Saline, Michigan

#17

Post by ChrisKochmanski »

I never liked that couch anyway.

Good one, Cap’n! Just pleasure-sailing these days, are you? Congrats on your retirement — and your debut MMM!
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benchen71
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Location: Melbourne, Australia
Contact:
Contact benchen71

#18

Post by benchen71 »

Off the couch! Excellent debut puzzle, Rick.
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! :shock:
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Darth
Posts: 765
Joined: Sat May 15, 2021 6:51 pm
Location: Champaign, IL

#19

Post by Darth »

Off the couch. A perfect beginning for the week... and from a new meta constructor, too.
Thanks, Rick! Hope to see more from you. ;)
Attachments
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BarbaraK
Posts: 2642
Joined: Tue Apr 09, 2019 2:37 pm
Location: Virginia

#20

Post by BarbaraK »

Nice puzzle! I enjoyed filling the grid, and that left me favorably disposed to look for the meta.

I’m off the couch
If you want help with a meta, feel free to PM me. The more specific you are about what you have and what you want, the more likely I can help without spoiling.

(And if I help you win a mug, I’ll be especially delighted.)
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