A Thorny Subject

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
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A Thorny Subject

#1

Post by Cap'n Rick »

Ahoy Muggles!

I hope you're not getting tired of the old Cap'n, 'cause I'm right back atcha with another MMM. This time I'm reaching back into my literary collection and selecting a fine Gothic novel that I hope you'll enjoy. I'm guessing the difficulty will register somewhere between Gentle Ripple and A Bit Choppy. I'd like to thank @Abide, @Al Sisti, @Whimsy, @boharr, @MarkWoychick, and @Joe Ross for their pretesting and technical help.

The meta answer is a Gothic novel.

A Thorny Subject - Crosshare

A Thorny Subject - PUZ

A Thorny Subject - PDF

A Thorny Subject - spreadsheet

Image


Difficulty:
Gentle Ripple.JPG

Nudges are here.
Solution is here.

Happy reading!
Cap'n Rick
Last edited by Cap'n Rick on Sat Jul 16, 2022 10:30 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Ahoy! Check out my meta puzzles here! Check out "Smooth Sailing Sundays" here!
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Cinny
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#2

Post by Cinny »

Solved and confirmed on Crosshare. Great way to start a week of metas! Literature ~ right up my alley. Thanks, Cap'n Rick!
Cindy Heisler
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benchen71
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#3

Post by benchen71 »

Off the couch! Nice one, @Cap'n 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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BarbaraK
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Location: Virginia

#4

Post by BarbaraK »

I'm not up on my Gothic novels, so I saw something and then started trying the usual ways to overcomplicate it to find an answer. After setting it aside a bit, the little voice in the back of my head whispered, "google". I'm now off the couch. Nice puzzle. Thanks, Rick!
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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SewYoung
Posts: 735
Joined: Sun Apr 14, 2019 9:25 pm
Location: Meridian, MS

#5

Post by SewYoung »

Off the Couch and getting ready for a walk.
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oldjudge
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#6

Post by oldjudge »

Thanks Cap'n --smooth sailing on a very quick voyage.
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JeanneC
Posts: 629
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Location: Florida

#7

Post by JeanneC »

Just printed out the puzzle and will take it with me shopping.
Captain, my captain! Anyone who provides so much entertainment to so many should never apologize!
Hey, how about a Muggle Contributor’s mug?!
“I cannot and will not cut my conscience to fit this year’s fashions”. Lillian Hellman
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ChrisKochmanski
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Joined: Tue Apr 09, 2019 9:51 pm
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#8

Post by ChrisKochmanski »

Off the couch!

Quite a construction!

Thanks, Cap’n!
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Schmeel
Posts: 1717
Joined: Sun Mar 29, 2020 2:38 pm

#9

Post by Schmeel »

Off the couch.
It took me a while to get the whole picture - thanks for the great puzzle!
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HeadinHome
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Joined: Sun Apr 26, 2020 9:06 am
Location: Charlotte, NC

#10

Post by HeadinHome »

A good half-hour lunch challenge… thanks Rick! Impressive construction. 🛋👋
The other Wendy. :roll:
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woozy
Posts: 2243
Joined: Mon Aug 10, 2020 12:40 am

#11

Post by woozy »

Very cute!
I guess I should change my signature, and start promoting this meta: Hungry Little Creature. I was going to sent it to people for testing but I dropped the ball on it.
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Wendy Walker
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#12

Post by Wendy Walker »

The title puts the icing on the cake! Thanks, Cap'n Rick.
Good luck, fellow Muggles!
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woozy
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Joined: Mon Aug 10, 2020 12:40 am

#13

Post by woozy »

Wendy Walker wrote: ↑Mon Jul 11, 2022 2:25 pm The title puts the icing on the cake! Thanks, Cap'n Rick.
?? ... um.... Oh! (Ha!)
I guess I should change my signature, and start promoting this meta: Hungry Little Creature. I was going to sent it to people for testing but I dropped the ball on it.
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hcbirker
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#14

Post by hcbirker »

You're quite the shipwright Cap'n! I am off the couch!
Heidi
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Bob cruise director
Cruise Director
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Location: Any golf course within 500 miles of Littleton MA

#15

Post by Bob cruise director »

Off the couch and waiting confirmation. Very well done and my ignorance of Gothic anything was not a problem.
Bob Stevens
Cruise Director
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Anita
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Joined: Fri Apr 12, 2019 1:55 am

#16

Post by Anita »

Off the couch very quickly. Cute construction!
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Hidden in 3D
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Joined: Sun Nov 17, 2019 11:42 pm

#17

Post by Hidden in 3D »

Off the couch. What a fun puzzle and meta! Brilliant construction! Thanks so much, Rick!
Sara
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Bird Lives
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#18

Post by Bird Lives »

Off the couch, though for me this was déjà vu thanks to an inadvertency on the part of the Cap'n. Still, as Sinatra (actually Sammy Cahn) said, it was lovelier the second time around, especially since the first time, I didn't appreciate the cleverness of the construction.
Jay
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CromsFury
Posts: 170
Joined: Sun Mar 13, 2022 5:00 pm

#19

Post by CromsFury »

Got it!
Image
Morticia & Gomez are my kind of Goths!
(Completely unrelated to this puzzle!)
Flectere si nequeo superos, Acheronta movebo. - Virgil
Quand on lit trop vite où trop doucement, on n'entend rien. - Pascal
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Ergcat
Posts: 796
Joined: Mon Jun 22, 2020 8:12 pm
Location: Seneca SC

#20

Post by Ergcat »

Off the couch, finally! ( Confirmed on Crosshare). Spent way too much time overthinking this one! Finally saw the pieces and got the “aha”!
Clever construction!
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