32. Two-Factor Authentication
- MikeyG
- Posts: 1443
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- Contact:
32. Two-Factor Authentication
PDF and PUZ
Crosshare
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Hello, everyone! As always, thanks so much for solving these metas. It never ceases to amaze me how passionate the meta community is, and I'm forever grateful to be a part of it!
We had a challenging one last week - and another challenging one this week! The difficulty will reset when August comes, which isn't too far off!
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1. Puzzle #31 recap
Puzzle #31 answer: UPBEAT
Correct entries: 23 - toughie! (Although I'm fully aware this would've been a high number in 2021, so perspective is everything!)
I love music. You really didn't need to know that to do this meta, and I don't ever want to turn these into, "How well do you know Mikey G?" Here's how I envisioned the plan of attack:
a) The title, coupled with the entries with the parentheticals, seem to give some "almost famous" people toward the end of it (note that the film of the same name also centers on the music industry):
From top to bottom: PINK, ADELE, STING, SEAL, ENYA, CHER.
b) If finding the last letters (KEGLAR?) was all we needed to do, that's fine for a mechanism - but it doesn't quite seem like that would needed to merit the 21-by-21 grid (I wish I could've gotten this down to at least 19-by-19, but it was not to be). Do I need to some other searching?
c) And this might be the misfire, in part, though I do think the puzzle is relatively fair! I presumed a lot more people than just me heard of "Orinoco Flow," Enya's trademark 1988 hit. That pun clue (that is, the flow (water) in the countries in which the Orinoco passes would be AGUA) seemed a bit odd, and if we didn't know what that even meant, I intended a Google search to get that that was an Enya song, and we were off to the races at that point.
d) Elsewhere in the grid, each artist has a song that occupies a clue. In order of the themed entries:
PINK: Try (UNDERTAKE)
ADELE: "Hello!" (PLEASED TO MEET YOU) - I was happy how I was able to get this to intersect as much as it needed to.
STING: Fields of gold (BARLEY)
SEAL: Crazy (ERRATIC)
ENYA: Orinoco flow? (AGUA)
CHER: Believe (TRUST)
Note the first letters of these entries spell UPBEAT, the answer to the meta (and my favorite type of music as well).
I did not intend the oldest song in this array to be from the late 1980s, nor did I even realize that! I love all music, but it does bring up the interesting fact if mononymous musicians tend to lean more toward now than then. I'll have to make another music meta for the '60s and '70s lovers out there next!
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2. Leaderboard!
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3. It's time for the Week 5 meta, where anything goes. Shout-outs to @benchen71, @kayw, and @oldjudge for giving this a crack at it behind the scenes!
32. Two-Factor Authentication
The answer to the meta is an 8-letter word.
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Good luck, and may all your solves be beautiful!
Mikey G
Crosshare
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Hello, everyone! As always, thanks so much for solving these metas. It never ceases to amaze me how passionate the meta community is, and I'm forever grateful to be a part of it!
We had a challenging one last week - and another challenging one this week! The difficulty will reset when August comes, which isn't too far off!
---
1. Puzzle #31 recap
Puzzle #31 answer: UPBEAT
Correct entries: 23 - toughie! (Although I'm fully aware this would've been a high number in 2021, so perspective is everything!)
I love music. You really didn't need to know that to do this meta, and I don't ever want to turn these into, "How well do you know Mikey G?" Here's how I envisioned the plan of attack:
a) The title, coupled with the entries with the parentheticals, seem to give some "almost famous" people toward the end of it (note that the film of the same name also centers on the music industry):
From top to bottom: PINK, ADELE, STING, SEAL, ENYA, CHER.
b) If finding the last letters (KEGLAR?) was all we needed to do, that's fine for a mechanism - but it doesn't quite seem like that would needed to merit the 21-by-21 grid (I wish I could've gotten this down to at least 19-by-19, but it was not to be). Do I need to some other searching?
c) And this might be the misfire, in part, though I do think the puzzle is relatively fair! I presumed a lot more people than just me heard of "Orinoco Flow," Enya's trademark 1988 hit. That pun clue (that is, the flow (water) in the countries in which the Orinoco passes would be AGUA) seemed a bit odd, and if we didn't know what that even meant, I intended a Google search to get that that was an Enya song, and we were off to the races at that point.
d) Elsewhere in the grid, each artist has a song that occupies a clue. In order of the themed entries:
PINK: Try (UNDERTAKE)
ADELE: "Hello!" (PLEASED TO MEET YOU) - I was happy how I was able to get this to intersect as much as it needed to.
STING: Fields of gold (BARLEY)
SEAL: Crazy (ERRATIC)
ENYA: Orinoco flow? (AGUA)
CHER: Believe (TRUST)
Note the first letters of these entries spell UPBEAT, the answer to the meta (and my favorite type of music as well).
I did not intend the oldest song in this array to be from the late 1980s, nor did I even realize that! I love all music, but it does bring up the interesting fact if mononymous musicians tend to lean more toward now than then. I'll have to make another music meta for the '60s and '70s lovers out there next!
---
2. Leaderboard!
---
3. It's time for the Week 5 meta, where anything goes. Shout-outs to @benchen71, @kayw, and @oldjudge for giving this a crack at it behind the scenes!
32. Two-Factor Authentication
The answer to the meta is an 8-letter word.
---
Good luck, and may all your solves be beautiful!
Mikey G
Last edited by MikeyG on Wed Aug 03, 2022 11:20 am, edited 1 time in total.
- boharr
- Moderator
- Posts: 3249
- Joined: Fri Sep 06, 2019 8:57 am
- Location: Westchester, NY
The puz file is titled 32. Two-Factor Authentication (Test).puz
Hope that doesn't matter to the solve?
Hope that doesn't matter to the solve?
- MikeyG
- Posts: 1443
- Joined: Wed Dec 30, 2020 2:52 pm
- Location: Chicago
- Contact:
I uploaded the new one - I think there were typos, haha. (Surprise, surprise.)
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- Posts: 1739
- Joined: Sat Dec 28, 2019 10:09 am
"artist has a song that occupies a clue" wow. Never in a million years. I'd have to have heard of all their songs...
- boharr
- Moderator
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- Joined: Fri Sep 06, 2019 8:57 am
- Location: Westchester, NY
- Cinny
- Posts: 836
- Joined: Mon Sep 21, 2020 2:53 pm
- Location: Minoa, NY
- Contact:
Solved. You always have the best clues. Thanks. Mikey!
Cindy Heisler
- KayW
- Moderator
- Posts: 3471
- Joined: Wed Apr 10, 2019 12:10 am
- Location: Chicago
Got it. Finally. With help. Fantastic grid and meta!
Contest Crosswords Combating Cancer (CCCC) is a bundle of 16 metapuzzles created to help raise money for cancer-related charities. It is available at CrosswordsForCancer.com.
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- Joined: Thu Apr 11, 2019 11:49 am
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- Posts: 11
- Joined: Tue Mar 01, 2022 1:27 pm
- MikeyG
- Posts: 1443
- Joined: Wed Dec 30, 2020 2:52 pm
- Location: Chicago
- Contact:
Nudge Wednesday coming soon indeed!
- MikeyG
- Posts: 1443
- Joined: Wed Dec 30, 2020 2:52 pm
- Location: Chicago
- Contact:
This one is definitely playing like a Week 5 as advertised, so let's see if these nudges aid in the cause!
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I am also going to have a Nudge Friday, haha, to see if that gets you the rest of the way home - since I didn't quite divulge my entire hand with these.
Best of luck on your solving trails!
Mikey G
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I am also going to have a Nudge Friday, haha, to see if that gets you the rest of the way home - since I didn't quite divulge my entire hand with these.
Best of luck on your solving trails!
Mikey G
- jhseeman
- Posts: 499
- Joined: Sun Dec 13, 2020 3:33 pm
- Location: Charleston, SC
I'm glad the torture you're putting us through is supplying you with such enjoyment.MikeyG wrote: ↑Wed Aug 03, 2022 11:12 am This one is definitely playing like a Week 5 as advertised, so let's see if these nudges aid in the cause!
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I am also going to have a Nudge Friday, haha, to see if that gets you the rest of the way home - since I didn't quite divulge my entire hand with these.
Best of luck on your solving trails!
Mikey G
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- Posts: 1566
- Joined: Mon Mar 29, 2021 7:26 pm
Um, yeah, that wasn't much help.MikeyG wrote: ↑Wed Aug 03, 2022 11:12 am This one is definitely playing like a Week 5 as advertised, so let's see if these nudges aid in the cause!
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
I am also going to have a Nudge Friday, haha, to see if that gets you the rest of the way home - since I didn't quite divulge my entire hand with these.
Best of luck on your solving trails!
Mikey G
Spoiler 1: ok
Spoiler 2: uhhhhh.... not really!
- woozy
- Posts: 2282
- Joined: Mon Aug 10, 2020 12:40 am
Yeah.... 2) Absolutely nothing.
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.
- whimsy
- Posts: 2857
- Joined: Sun Jun 21, 2020 9:51 am
- Location: Hopkinton MA
Still was lost after the nudges, until a Eureka moment while dozing off last night. Still some twists and turns while following the breadcrumbs this AM. And one siren bunny kept calling to me to follow her, until I steered away from that big boulder.
Thanks for several days of fun, Mikey!
Thanks for several days of fun, Mikey!
- MikeyG
- Posts: 1443
- Joined: Wed Dec 30, 2020 2:52 pm
- Location: Chicago
- Contact:
Mini-Thursday nudge is in order, I feel, haha:
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Don't worry, the next puzzle is a Level 1! Thanks for solving and, as always, walk away for a while if need be and come back with a refreshed mind.
Mikey G
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Don't worry, the next puzzle is a Level 1! Thanks for solving and, as always, walk away for a while if need be and come back with a refreshed mind.
Mikey G
- woozy
- Posts: 2282
- Joined: Mon Aug 10, 2020 12:40 am
EEP!!!!!!
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: 1566
- Joined: Mon Mar 29, 2021 7:26 pm
That nudge was enough, thanks! Amazing mechanism!
- rjy
- Posts: 1069
- Joined: Fri Oct 08, 2021 12:52 pm
- Location: Gaithersburg, MD
Wow! Needed that Mini-Thursday, thankfully aha-preserving nudge, but very cool… thanks, Mikey! (and agree w his comment to just walk away and come back…)
Ray
- MikeyG
- Posts: 1443
- Joined: Wed Dec 30, 2020 2:52 pm
- Location: Chicago
- Contact:
Final Friday nudges!
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See if that helps! Level 1 coming tomorrow! (Reminder: I still need to clue it.)
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See if that helps! Level 1 coming tomorrow! (Reminder: I still need to clue it.)