"'E' Is For Extraneous" by benchen71

Can you storm the castle by getting across the MOAT? A weekly meta crossword constructed by forum member Ben (aka benchen71). These metas range from relatively easy to more challenging, depending on how many Australianisms he puts in them! Puzzles are posted in a new thread every Tuesday, with nudges appearing on Saturdays, and the solution coming out on Mondays. (At least, that's the plan. Given he lives in Australia, and they are so far ahead of the US time-zone-wise, things may get posted early!)
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benchen71
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#21

Post by benchen71 »

woozy wrote: ↑Tue Sep 13, 2022 11:33 am Don't have it. But don't know if it's because I've never heard of them, or because didn't finish this correctly.
The band in question is known in the US. But that doesn't mean you've heard of them. Depends on your age and musical taste!
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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#22

Post by Bird Lives »

Moat crossed though as yet unconfirmedly. My superficial knowledge (I have heard of the answer but could not identify any of their hits) was sufficient. Clever idea for a meta, and executed in a very Benchenesque way.
Jay
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CPJohnson
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#23

Post by CPJohnson »

benchen71 wrote: ↑Tue Sep 13, 2022 6:08 pm
woozy wrote: ↑Tue Sep 13, 2022 11:33 am Don't have it. But don't know if it's because I've never heard of them, or because didn't finish this correctly.
The band in question is known in the US. But that doesn't mean you've heard of them. Depends on your age and musical taste!
I knew them only from working crossword puzzles.
Cynthia
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woozy
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#24

Post by woozy »

benchen71 wrote: ↑Tue Sep 13, 2022 6:08 pm
woozy wrote: ↑Tue Sep 13, 2022 11:33 am Don't have it. But don't know if it's because I've never heard of them, or because didn't finish this correctly.
The band in question is known in the US. But that doesn't mean you've heard of them. Depends on your age and musical taste!
Usually that would mean I hadn't heard of them.
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".
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#25

Post by benchen71 »

So as we near the end of the first day of solving, here's the initial list of 31 successful solvers:

SeamusOL
markhr
Laura M
Cindy Weatherman
hoover
Hector
Darth
lbray53
rjy
boharr
Ergcat
Pair O Ducks
dplass
Tom Wilson
Capn Rick
DrTom
DIS
kymike
Johnny Luau
CPJohnson
Bbaack
KayW
Tyrpmom
ChrisKochmanski
LindaPRmaven
Dow Jones
Schmeel
Gutman
Meg
ReB
Bird Lives
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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#26

Post by SJMcK »

Moated
—
Steven McKinney
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jhseeman
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#27

Post by jhseeman »

Made it across the moat...a bit more challenging in Berlin vz sitting at my desk at home.... but just as much fun to see the answer appear
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#28

Post by Cinny »

Getting to the metas late this week, but I sped across the moat with this one. Very nice. Thanks, Ben!
Cindy Heisler
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#29

Post by Qmark »

Crossed the MOAT...thanks Ben!
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#30

Post by benchen71 »

Some more solvers, bringing us to 42:

Spid4567
LuckyGuest
SJMcK
JHSeeman
Cindy Heisler
imontoo
Qmark
Mr Tex
kurtalert
jbird
Emma Oxford

Nudges in less than 24 hours.
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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Joe Ross
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#31

Post by Joe Ross »

Emma gave you a nice write-up in the Crosshare weekly review, Ben!
Whole blood, platelets, or plasma: Donate 4 in 2024

PLATELET 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗮𝗿𝗲.
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝘀 ENORMOUS 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲:
𝟰𝟬% 𝗽𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰,
𝟯𝟬% 𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰,
𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿 & 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘂𝗺𝗮. 𝗣𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗘 𝗦𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗘!
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#32

Post by benchen71 »

Joe Ross wrote: ↑Thu Sep 15, 2022 11:00 pm Emma gave you a nice write-up in the Crosshare weekly review, Ben!
Thanks! For those of you not on the email list, this is what she said:
Wow, very clever meta! (As far as I can tell, this was not part of a weekly contest.) Step 1 only took me a second, but getting the rest of it was a head-scratcher for a minute! Emma's difficulty rating: 3.5/5.
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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#33

Post by Joe Ross »

Emma - @damefox - & Will - @AnswerPfinder - had a pilot podcast also linked in an email that was very well done. Both are founding members of crosshare.org with other intelligent, creative, hardworking folk.

I'm embarrassed to admit that I don't know the entire story of crosshare. This is an appeal for it to be posted.
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Dplass
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#34

Post by Dplass »

Joe Ross wrote: ↑Fri Sep 16, 2022 7:15 am Emma - @damefox - & Will - @AnswerPfinder - had a pilot podcast also linked in an email that was very well done. Both are founding members of crosshare.org with other intelligent, creative, hardworking folk.

I'm embarrassed to admit that I don't know the entire story of crosshare. This is an appeal for it to be posted.
I'm embarrassed that I can't find a link to subscribe to the "Crosshare weekly review" email... and I'm pretty good with The Google.
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#35

Post by Joe Ross »

Dplass wrote: ↑Fri Sep 16, 2022 10:20 am
Joe Ross wrote: ↑Fri Sep 16, 2022 7:15 am Emma - @damefox - & Will - @AnswerPfinder - had a pilot podcast also linked in an email that was very well done. Both are founding members of crosshare.org with other intelligent, creative, hardworking folk.

I'm embarrassed to admit that I don't know the entire story of crosshare. This is an appeal for it to be posted.
I'm embarrassed that I can't find a link to subscribe to the "Crosshare weekly review" email... and I'm pretty good with The Google.
EMail Mike at crosshare, mike@crosshare.org, or PM @hashbrown.
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#36

Post by benchen71 »

Just two solvers to add to the list:

woozy
Tobonic

That's 44 so far. Let's see if some nudges can make a difference...
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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#37

Post by benchen71 »

This was not intended to be a difficult meta, so it's hard not to nudge the game away. But here they are: nudges, in order of increasing blatancy:

1. The only hint is in the title, but something is going on with some down clues.

2. Apply the title to the across entries, too.

3. What you're left with points to other entries in the grid.
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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#38

Post by edestlin »

Another delightful meta where I got to 99% and failed to keep going. I had done all of it and just never bothered to put it together. Thanks, Ben!
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#39

Post by MikeyG »

Fun one, and I can name at least one song by the band in question!

("What bands do you know?" "Well, rubber, for starters.")
Less cross words, more crosswords.

Solve my latest "Pun of a Kind" Meta!: 97. Drab Bag
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#40

Post by ajk »

Got it with the nudges. Well, particularly the second one. Don't think I'd have thought to do that (though I probably should have).
ETA: and yeah, certainly very familiar with the band
Check out this very cool project by many of your favorite muggles to raise money to fight cancer. You get a fun puzzle bundle and good causes get $. Win-win: Crosswords for Cancer
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