On Day One, thirty-three people rose from the Central Casting couch and joined the ranks of the solvers. .
.
Maybe an early nudge will bring in a few others.
The title and the “sounds like a middle school subject” part of the prompt seem unrelated — we’re not looking for 13-year old actor. But they both have words that refer to a key thematic element
More nudges (and more solvers) tomorrow.
Re: Central Casting
Posted: Tue Mar 05, 2024 7:27 pm
by SJMcK
Off the sofa
Re: Central Casting
Posted: Tue Mar 05, 2024 8:30 pm
by KayW
Dragged off the couch. Well done, Jay!
Re: Central Casting
Posted: Tue Mar 05, 2024 8:52 pm
by ChrisKochmanski
OTC!
I needed a further nudge from a friendly Muggle, but in my defense, we’re traveling, and I’m having trouble focusing on puzzles.
Very much liked this one. You go, Jay!
Re: Central Casting
Posted: Tue Mar 05, 2024 11:45 pm
by rjy
OTC! Busy week (already!) but glad I eschewed nudges … this was really terrific, Jay, creative with clean execution! Fun to wrestle with this to the final aha!
Re: Central Casting
Posted: Wed Mar 06, 2024 7:02 am
by Bird Lives
Since yesterday’s head count, another seven solvers have checked in.
34. Alvibu67
35. Bob cruise director
36. SJMcK
37. KayW
38. ChrisKochmanski
39. rjy
40. Philip Chow
More will arrive, I hope. As soneone said, “If you nudge them, they will come.”
The theme entries themselves don’t matter. But their clues do.
As in many metas, these are cover-two clues. Each can apply to another entry in the grid, but . . .
. .. only after that entry has been slightly altered. It requires the addition of the common idea mentioned in Nudge 1.
When you find those alternative entries and proceed in the usual way, you will get gibberish. Again, you have to apply the common idea.
Or you could just go to the Internet and look up the date of the puzzle (it’s repeated in the intro) and find that it is designated as a special day.
Re: Central Casting
Posted: Wed Mar 06, 2024 9:10 am
by Cinny
OTC.
I needed nudge 2, but straightforward solve after that. Nicely constructed. Excellent meta, Jay. Thanks!
Re: Central Casting
Posted: Wed Mar 06, 2024 12:13 pm
by BarbaraK
Finally got it! I immediately dived deep into a rabbit hole that I was sure had to be the starting point. Yesterday's nudge made me think I was on the right track. But today's first nudge totally wiped that out and got me reoriented in the correct direction.
Re: Central Casting
Posted: Wed Mar 06, 2024 12:34 pm
by BarbaraK
Bird Lives wrote: ↑Wed Mar 06, 2024 7:02 amOr you could just go to the Internet and look up the date of the puzzle (it’s repeated in the intro) and find that it is designated as a special day.But "pound cake" doesn't sound like any school subject or actor! Amazing how many special days there are every day
Bird Lives wrote: ↑Wed Mar 06, 2024 7:02 amOr you could just go to the Internet and look up the date of the puzzle (it’s repeated in the intro) and find that it is designated as a special day.But "pound cake" doesn't sound like any school subject or actor! Amazing how many special days there are every day
I was going to use that joke in the reveal. Now I'll have to come up with something else.
Re: Central Casting
Posted: Wed Mar 06, 2024 2:13 pm
by Guffman
A stellar construction, Jay.
I'm ashamed to admit that I needed more nudges than I'd like,
but every step of the way was fair and pleasantly surprising.
Thanks!!
Re: Central Casting
Posted: Wed Mar 06, 2024 10:19 pm
by Eric Porter
OTC.
Well done, Jay. I needed the nudges, but really just the first 2. I looked up nudge 6, but it didn't help, so I got to the answer the intended way.
Re: Central Casting
Posted: Wed Mar 06, 2024 10:41 pm
by Dave C
I needed one nudge - the second one - but until then I was clueless.
Re: Central Casting
Posted: Thu Mar 07, 2024 3:05 pm
by MarkWoychick
Finally got back to this one, Jay - very enjoyable and not just because of my brush with greatness at 74A
Re: Central Casting
Posted: Thu Mar 07, 2024 4:46 pm
by Bird Lives
MarkWoychick wrote: ↑Thu Mar 07, 2024 3:05 pm
Finally got back to this one, Jay - very enjoyable and not just because of my brush with greatness at 74A
I'll keep using that clue as long as I keep using that word. And as long as I don't have to pay royalties.
Re: Central Casting
Posted: Fri Mar 08, 2024 1:20 am
by JeanneC
Solved just before Matt’s puzzle came out today. Great construction! It really did take me the four days on and off to get it.
Re: Central Casting
Posted: Sun Mar 10, 2024 8:18 am
by Bird Lives
Another 22 solvers since last count brings the final tally to 62. .
.
This puzzle was ready to go several weeks ago, but @Abide, the alert MMM editor, somehow knew that March 4 was National Grammar Day. So the puzzle was posted on March 4. The answer is KELSEY GRAMMER.
The key to the metanism was MIDDLE. Each of the starred clues could be applied to another entry in the grid if that entry were preceded with MIDDLE. For example, “George Eliot novel” clues SILAS MARNER. But, as many solvers noticed, the entry at 13 Down, MARCH, if preceded by MIDDLE also became a George Eliot novel, Middlemarch.
In most puzzles, you would take the initial letters of these alternate entries. But for this puzzle, you had to take the middle letter. .
.
.
Thanks to all for solving or at least trying and for the kind comments. Also, an interesting fact that I did not know how to work into the puzzle or even the nudges: Kelsey Grammer starred in a film called “Middle Men.”
Re: Central Casting
Posted: Sun Mar 10, 2024 4:49 pm
by Abide
Looking at this solution grid 3-4 months after Jay first proposed this idea, it still amazes me at how Jay polished a chunk of coal into this diamond.