XWord Muggles Forum

Nudges, in order of increasing blatancy:

1. The quotation in three parts forms the meta hint: HE WHO NEVER MADE A MISTAKE NEVER MADE A DISCOVERY.

2. I'm sure you have discovered that I made some mistakes as I was cluing this puzzle! In case you were wondering, the down clues always take precedence!

3. What would those across grid entries be if the across clues were actually correct?

4. Which letters got swapped?

Since the nudges were published, there have only been 2 more solvers:

Bird Lives
SeamusOL

That brings us to 53. Next (and last) update before the answer reveal.

Well, lookie who crossed the MOAT!
Thanks, Ben!

3 additional solvers, bringing us up to a total of 56:

edestlin
whimsy
Sharkicicles

Answer soon...

Here's the solution to "Helpful Quotation":


The seed for this meta was a MEOW puzzle I released towards the end of 2022 in which I inadvertently used the clue "Madonna song, 'La ___ Bonita'" for ILSA. A number of solvers reported the error and I immediately fixed the mistake (to "Mrs. Lund of 'Casablanca'"). But thinking about it afterwards I realised something like that could actually be a meta mechanic. Of course I had to use that very same error, which led quite directly to the meta answer. I came up with the other mistakes which all ended up involving short words. Then, since the puzzle needed some long entries, I went looking for a suitable quotation. And I think you will agree that Samuel Smiles' is absolutely perfect, referencing both mistakes and discovery. I love it when everything comes together so serendipitously!

... And then I went and made exactly the same mistake a few weeks ago