MEOW 120 : Rotten Trick

A weekly meta crossword on the forum started by member Josh (aka madhatter5). These puzzles are often very creative with solving mechanisms out of the norm and skewing towards the more challenging. Puzzles are posted every Wednesday, and the solution appears the following Tuesday.
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DrTom
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MEOW 120 : Rotten Trick

#1

Post by DrTom »

Rotten Trick pic.jpg

So, a Rotten Trick! Well if any day is prime for a Rotten Trick puzzle it is today. Granted it is not as rotten as the one played on Julius Caesar, I mean stabbed to death by a group of your allies has got to top the chart for pure, unadulterated mean. Hah, and all you have to contend with is a DrTom Meta that is, admittedly, at least a 3.

The meta answer is 10 letters long and has caused many people restless nights.

There will be nudges posted Friday of course (earlier if needed) and help is always available from me if you PM. I wish you good luck and here is hoping you get the Veni, Vidi, Vici moment!

Kitten
Calico
PERSIAN
Puma
Lion


"Rotten Trick" - Crosshare (NOTE: If you enjoy solving on Crosshare, help keep the site running by donating a few bucks).

Rotten Trick PUZ

Rotten Trick PDF

Rotten Trick spreadsheet


Image
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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DrTom
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#2

Post by DrTom »

Well, maybe 3 is the wrong rating? Actually I'll bet a lot of you got what you were supposed to but then said "WHAT?" There is a reason for that and an included nudge clue to help you, though you may not have recognized it as such. So let me do a Day 1 spoiler:

Clue 47A is so funkily worded that it MUST mean something. Think of the day's victim, does that give you any ideas?
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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MikeyG
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#3

Post by MikeyG »

I may know what to do? Famous last words.

When Julius took his wife out to eat, she Caesar salad. (Lettuce have some fun!)
Less cross words, more crosswords.

Solve my latest "Pun of a Kind" Meta!: 93. Person of Letters
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boharr
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#4

Post by boharr »

The hissing cat has left the couch. Thanks, DrTom.
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benchen71
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#5

Post by benchen71 »

Cat's out. Needed a nudge from the constructor to get me out of a deep rabbit hole!
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
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#6

Post by Darth »

"Juju Cat" at the Muggles Forum.
download (18).jpg
Evil to the bone! Love it of course! :twisted:
In case you were thinking it, A WELL-PLACED PEA UNDER THE MATTRESS is NOT the answer! Too many letters and it doesn't apply to "many people" :lol:
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Meg
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#7

Post by Meg »

The cat is exhausted! I believe he’s hacking up his 4th hairball of the day. But the bag is gone, thank goodness!
Check out and support http://CrosswordsForCancer.com.
Ergcat
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#8

Post by Ergcat »

Had the first part, saw the hint earlier … but still no clue as to what to do! Cat is not happy!
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MarkWoychick
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#9

Post by MarkWoychick »

Cat's out of the bag - thanks, Dr. Tom! Hope you get a good night's sleep
Contest Crosswords Combating Cancer (CCCC) is a bundle of 16 contest-style (meta) crosswords that we've created to help raise money for cancer-related organizations - get the bundle at http://crosswordsforcancer.com
markhr
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#10

Post by markhr »

Took quite an effort, but the cat is freed.
Thanks, Dr. Tom. That was fun.
dudeski
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#11

Post by dudeski »

Thanks, Dr. T
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DrTom
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#12

Post by DrTom »

MikeyG wrote: Wed Mar 15, 2023 2:51 pm I may know what to do? Famous last words.

When Julius took his wife out to eat, she Caesar salad. (Lettuce have some fun!)
Roman lettuce no doubt? Had to be, Caesar bought 999.9 kilos of it (he apparently referred to it as a crude tonne). It must be popular because I had it at his palace in Las Vegas.
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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DrTom
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#13

Post by DrTom »

Darth wrote: Wed Mar 15, 2023 5:08 pm "Juju Cat" at the Muggles Forum.
download (18).jpg
Evil to the bone! Love it of course! :twisted:
In case you were thinking it, A WELL-PLACED PEA UNDER THE MATTRESS is NOT the answer! Too many letters and it doesn't apply to "many people" :lol:
Oh Lord don't I wish I COULD have made that the answer...it was hard enough at a third of that length! :)
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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DrTom
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#14

Post by DrTom »

MarkWoychick wrote: Wed Mar 15, 2023 8:47 pm Cat's out of the bag - thanks, Dr. Tom! Hope you get a good night's sleep
Hmmmm - the way that last sentence is phrased I wonder if perhaps I should sleep with one eye open?

You know my wife warned me not to do this puzzle! :D
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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DrTom
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#15

Post by DrTom »

Meg wrote: Wed Mar 15, 2023 5:25 pm The cat is exhausted! I believe he’s hacking up his 4th hairball of the day. But the bag is gone, thank goodness!
So that is what I stepped on earlier; explains a lot.

Thank you for staying the course and Caesing the day
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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DrTom
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#16

Post by DrTom »

benchen71 wrote: Wed Mar 15, 2023 4:22 pm Cat's out. Needed a nudge from the constructor to get me out of a deep rabbit hole!
I can tell you if Xword Rabbit worked the MEOW forum Ben would be in contention!
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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DrTom
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#17

Post by DrTom »

boharr wrote: Wed Mar 15, 2023 2:56 pm The hissing cat has left the couch. Thanks, DrTom.
Interesting, I have a herring cat, sounds like they go together.
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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DrTom
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#18

Post by DrTom »

DANG!

Only 11 solvers so far:
1 Whimsy (T)
2 Hector
3 boharr
4 benchen71
5 Darth
6 Meg
7 markhr
8 Mwoychick
9 Gutman
10 dudeski
11 Bird Lives

I do understand that this one is a step or two more difficult than most of my others, but it is playing like a LION. I am sorry and that is why there have been some early hints. I'm going to put another up in a few minutes and hope that you will all see through my subterfuge.
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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DrTom
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#19

Post by DrTom »

Friends, Romans, Countrymen, lend me your ears (well eyes I guess). Counsul Doctorus Thomus doth decree this day an assist to those fighting the Metagoths. This will continue for the next few diems or possibly longer if the Metagoths are not defeated and cattus magna is not released from his sacculum.


Scan the Clues/Grid for "rotten" things people do or did, then do what YOU usually do

Read 47A clue

Roman Cat.jpg
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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MikeyG
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#20

Post by MikeyG »

I still haven't figured out the name for this phenomenon yet, but it's when you take a look at the first nudge, and all it does is confirm what you've already seen. So, then you muse on if seeing the first nudge is enough to try to dislodge something further, or if you break and go to the second nudge.

I promise that all made sense in my mind.
Less cross words, more crosswords.

Solve my latest "Pun of a Kind" Meta!: 93. Person of Letters
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