MEOW #69 Central Casting UPDATED

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.
dudeski
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#21

Post by dudeski »

doneski
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Meg
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#22

Post by Meg »

You know, Whimsy, @DrTom made a much more serious blunder in his puzzle last year. I don’t even remember what the error was. I just know it was much worse than your minor misspellings. I am in awe of anybody who can construct a meta crossword. I think you are very brave. Plus, we are a very forgiving folk. Simple and forgiving.
Check out and support http://CrosswordsForCancer.com.
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whimsy
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#23

Post by whimsy »

Meg wrote: Thu Mar 24, 2022 8:39 am You know, Whimsy, @DrTom made a much more serious blunder in his puzzle last year. I don’t even remember what the error was. I just know it was much worse than your minor misspellings. I am in awe of anybody who can construct a meta crossword. I think you are very brave. Plus, we are a very forgiving folk. Simple and forgiving.
Thanks, Meg. I know I'm among friends, and I 'm not really beating myself up that much -- just my lighthearted, self-deprecating way of getting the word out!
And see! I so much want to be like you, @DrTom that I've provided myself with my own ultra moment. :P
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Cap'n Rick
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#24

Post by Cap'n Rick »

whimsy wrote: Wed Mar 23, 2022 8:15 am ... now that with the help and approval of test solvers Cap'n Rick ...

See CORRECTIONS below -- Post #s 3, 7 and 19! :oops: Many apologies!
Dejected Capn.jpg

(There goes my post-retirement career of being a meta tester...)
Ahoy! Check out my meta puzzles here! Check out "Smooth Sailing Sundays" here!
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HeadinHome
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#25

Post by HeadinHome »

Well that 67A clue could be interpreted a number of ways, and together with the puzzle title and certain other elements in the grid, this has me stumped. Will keep watching for nudges to be posted!
The other Wendy. :roll:
Ergcat
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#26

Post by Ergcat »

Schmeel wrote: Wed Mar 23, 2022 3:55 pm Cat escaped before I could solve!
I was out and about and I tried to solve on my phone. After finishing the grid I accidentally revealed the answer on Crosshare. I'm all thumbs.
So I figured out the mechanism after seeing the answer.
Thanks @whimsy !
😳 I did the same thing ( accidentally hit “reveal” and saw the answer)…. but I still don’t see the mechanism ! I’m really dense, I guess!
Schmeel
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#27

Post by Schmeel »

Ergcat wrote: Thu Mar 24, 2022 11:00 am
Schmeel wrote: Wed Mar 23, 2022 3:55 pm Cat escaped before I could solve!
I was out and about and I tried to solve on my phone. After finishing the grid I accidentally revealed the answer on Crosshare. I'm all thumbs.
So I figured out the mechanism after seeing the answer.
Thanks @whimsy !
😳 I did the same thing ( accidentally hit “reveal” and saw the answer)…. but I still don’t see the mechanism ! I’m really dense, I guess!
Why dense? It took me some time too. Keep looking - you'll get it!
I found that solving on the phone made it more difficult - I like being able to see the whole thing at the same time.
Good luck!
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BarbaraK
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#28

Post by BarbaraK »

whimsy wrote: Wed Mar 23, 2022 9:33 pm
For those solving with the PDF or PUZ and who thought a bit more direction would have been better, you were absolutely right.
I must have used older versions to make the links. I had updated Crosshare to emphasize a directional hint; this is how the
New Clue
for 67 Across should read --

67A ______ the moon, which you might be when you figure out the key for solving the meta
Ah, that helped! Kudos to those who figured it out without this.
If you want help with a meta, feel free to PM me. The more specific you are about what you have and what you want, the more likely I can help without spoiling.

(And if I help you win a mug, I’ll be especially delighted.)
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rjy
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#29

Post by rjy »

BarbaraK wrote: Thu Mar 24, 2022 12:51 pm Kudos to those who figured it out without this.
Kudos to those who figured it out with this.

// fixed it for you :lol:
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whimsy
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#30

Post by whimsy »

I owe you a NUDGE! :D

Here's this week's cat picture --
Capturecatprism.PNG

And a knock-knock joke courtesy of Mr. Lives -- (Didn't want to give away the answer to 26A! :lol: )

Knock-knock.
Who's there?
Sombrero.
Sombrero who?
Sombrerover the 🌈
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HeadinHome
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#31

Post by HeadinHome »

Yeah, but how do we get The _________ from the puzzle? ( : That's what I can't figure out.
The other Wendy. :roll:
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KayW
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#32

Post by KayW »

Cat has been freed, with a LOT of patient assistance from @whimsy
CatPulled.jpg
Brilliant 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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DrTom
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#33

Post by DrTom »

Well I am embarrassed, solved - if I can actually say that with all the help I got, but oh my I was dense. Very clever puzzle if you are smart enough to follow the signs, and special kudos to those who got there without corrections or nudges. Now if you''ll excuse me I have quickly buy a sandwich before I get back on the train...
grumpy 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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woozy
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#34

Post by woozy »

DrTom wrote: Thu Mar 24, 2022 3:12 pm Very clever puzzle if you are smart enough to follow the signs, and special kudos to those who got there without corrections or nudges.
I got it without corrections or nudges. It doesn't take smarts to enter the names of movie characters until one of them is confirmed by crosshare.

Oh, I guess when it comes to solving it, knowing the answer ahead of time is about as big a nudge as one can get. Okay, I didn't get it without a nudge-- I gave myself the biggest possible nudge one can have.
So I just plain couldn't get my meta based on "Up the Down Staircase" to work.

My challenge it to constructors is to make a meta where the meta, theme or metanism is "Up the Down Staircase".
Laura M
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#35

Post by Laura M »

I thought I posted this earlier but it seems not to have shown up, so: I liked this a lot, and I didn't notice the clue errors at all :-) I would have had a much tougher time without the intended 67A clue, but fortunately I solved on Crosshare. Thanks, @whimsy!
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whimsy
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#36

Post by whimsy »

Stealing from MikeyG and producing a leader board (of 29D.)

Cap'n Rick
madhatter5
Hector
Meg
boharr
dplass
woozy
Laura M
oldjudge
Gutman
Schmeel
Bird Lives
ChrisKochmanski
Tyrpmom
Dave C
BarbaraK
Bbaack
dudeski
KayW
DrTom
CromsFury
HeadinHome
benchen71

No asterisks regarding nudges or not, fumble-fingers or not, unintentional "hard" version vs easier version, etc.
One big happy family!

Capturetolstoy.PNG
Last edited by whimsy on Thu Mar 24, 2022 7:15 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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HeadinHome
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#37

Post by HeadinHome »

Finally solved between bouts of work this afternoon, thanks to encouragements from @Woozy. Everything the published nudges said, and most of what Woozy gave me, was stuff already on my radar, but focusing on just two of those things in combination did the trick.

Really impressed by those who got this with NO help!!

(Cat laid down and went to sleep in bag long ago… I’ll let her nap.)
The other Wendy. :roll:
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benchen71
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#38

Post by benchen71 »

Cat's out of the bag. Thanks for a fun puzzle!
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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whimsy
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#39

Post by whimsy »

In the glitchy way this puzzle's going, while I cross referenced posts and Crosshare to make the solvers list, I neglected PMs.

So let me begin the next grouping (which I'll edit and add to over the next day or two) with:

Cynthia
Carolyn
Cindy Heisler
Mark Woychick
Ergcat
Jack Sullivan
LindaPRmaven
Darth

A couple more nudges in an hour or so --
Last edited by whimsy on Sun Mar 27, 2022 10:17 pm, edited 4 times in total.
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whimsy
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#40

Post by whimsy »

NUDGES

Most probably have the movie and the, ahem, song at this point.
And are considering the significance of the 6 appropriate six-letter symmetrical entries.

Now for the nitty-gritty -- (a cascade of nudges so you can take them on one at a time if you like*)

Take into account where you want to be relative to that colorful thing in the sky.

One of the words in the title the first provides some direction.

Because the entries that serve as a base for the meta solution are even numbered in length, you'll necessarily be looking for more than one letter to pick out from a "central" location.

The answer is 12 letters long.

Two words --
Big Bert Lahr

*asterisk Or all at once with one paw tied behind your back even!
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