XWord Muggles Forum

Happy Sunday everyone! Since the SSS well was dry this week, today will be an interesting experiment. This puzzle was originally published in March 2001 in Games Magazine, as a co-construction with my mentor Nancy Salomon. The puzzle has been slightly tweaked to turn it into a meta.

If the name Nancy Salomon is not familiar to you, take a few minutes after solving to read up on the impact she had on the Crossworld. This post from @ebirnholz is a good starting point (click image to read more, especially Evan's comments):


Political Fallout
crosshare
PUZ
PDF
spreadsheet

SSSolved! I wish I had known Nancy -- she sounds like a wonderful human being.

I should have gotten this faster. Sssolved.

SSSolved. Thank you, Peter.

TIL that 6A can be used not only for the chain attaching it to the pocket, but also for the pocket.

SSSolved!

Though, FYI, I’m not able to enter on Crosshare. The link takes me to the page, but I can’t open the puzzle. (I printed the puzzle and solved on paper.)

Sad weekend for puzzlers. Nancy Salomon, whose passing is noted here. And if you surf the forum for Other Puzzles, you’ll learn that Emily Cox and Henry Rathvon, aka HEX — possibly our most revered constructors of variety cryptics (they also did the NYT’s acrostic, and many other puzzles, I’m told, for years and years) — have retired. If interested, you’ll learn more here: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emily_C ... ry_Rathvon

The HEX twosome, Emily and Henry, were apparently a laugh and a half:

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/22/cros ... thvon.html

Cute one! Thanks for sharing. What a nice way to honor Nancy’s memory.

ChrisKochmanski wrote: ↑Sun Dec 17, 2023 12:02 pm Though, FYI, I’m not able to enter on Crosshare. The link takes me to the page, but I can’t open the puzzle. (I printed the puzzle and solved on paper.)

FWIW the Crosshare link works for me. Grid solved just fine. Still working on the meta.

Sunday nudges

Metanisms didn't exist in 2001. But the first words of the three themers have a connection

Google those three words as a group

Ok, I'll Google it for you ..https://www.google.com/search?q=hanging ... e&ie=UTF-8

SSSolved SSSans SSSuggestions (just getting to the forums a little late today). Loved all the cluing and the opportunity to get acquainted with the late great Ms. Salomon's work. Thanks Peter!

Sssolved!

sssolved. Thanks, Peter. The grid was great fun and Cynthia enjoyed filling it in during lunch.

The puzzle title made us a bit skittish since the topic these days offers little enjoyment. And, the only thing I know about Africa centers around Tarzan and that 1951 film staring Humphrey Bogart and Katherine Hepburn.

However, you created a great one after all. Congratulations!

Kicking myself that I needed two nudges to get something that should have been right up my alley.

Very fun stuff, with some great clues. Thanks.

ETA after looking at the third nudge: Though I might have gone with https://letmegooglethat.com/?q=hanging+pregnant+dimpled

SSSolved. I had never known about Nancy Salomon before today, but I wish I had.

Sssolved (with nudges). Nice one, Peter.

Finally got it without looking at the nudgeSSS. Thanks!

SSSolved with nudges, thank you. And thanks to the late Ms Salomon as well!

Nudges confirmed my guess based on the one important thing I recognized. You learn something new every day around here!

Sssolved nudgeless.

Ah, nothing like a topical puzzle at the height of it's relevance![*]

Got to say it's hard to come to a puzzle late when the nudges are just sitting there... but I managed to avoid peaking at them.

[*]Okay, snarkiness aside this was a delightful puzzle and I'm saddened by the news.