MEOW #119: The Ultimate Challenge

[KayW]

OK. I just had to jump on the bandwagon and try. This is REALLY lame but it's my very first meta and I felt like had to come up with something.

Kay's 1st meta: EDGY

Thanks to Josh and all for inspiring me to at least stick my toe into Crosshare constructing. You may regret it

It's amazing how easy Crosshare makes it to construct a puzzle.

[Abide]

SATURDAY NUDGES

At Josh's request, I am posting some nudges for the Ultimate Challenge, in order of nudginess:

While the puzzle technically could be solved in pdf, I wouldn't recommend it.

When I said I finished the grid in 2 minutes, I took a big short cut.

This could be a science experiment to see how long a solver will look at nonsense before giving up and hitting check or reveal.

Just hit reveal and look/think about the clues and title.

[MikeyG]

I'm happy but I'm not but I am, haha.

Late to the party: I Can't See Anything!

[madhatter5]

OK. I just had to jump on the bandwagon and try. This is REALLY lame but it's my very first meta and I felt like had to come up with something.

Kay's 1st meta: EDGY

Thanks to Josh and all for inspiring me to at least stick my toe into Crosshare constructing. You may regret it

It's amazing how easy Crosshare makes it to construct a puzzle.

Two debuts in one week!! Anyone else? This is you time to shine @boharr @Darth @Dplass @Meg @Joe Ross

[whimsy]

SATURDAY NUDGES

At Josh's request, I am posting some nudges for the Ultimate Challenge, in order of nudginess:

While the puzzle technically could be solved in pdf, I wouldn't recommend it.

When I said I finished the grid in 2 minutes, I took a big short cut.

This could be a science experiment to see how long a solver will look at nonsense before giving up and hitting check or reveal.

Just hit reveal and look/think about the clues and title.

Well, there's the problem, I guess.
I can't seem to download anything on Josh's original puzzle that will let me hit "Reveal."
However, I may have an educated guess about the solution -- and of course, I want to play too!

So:
https://crosshare.org/crosswords/K7DUYS ... s-backsies

(Mine has a different configuration. I didn't get exact info because of not solving, and I couldn't do what I wanted to do in a mini.)

[Abide]

Hmm, I didn't notice that his main link doesn't show reveal, and its not on Crosshare.

So you have to go to his links which have a puz file (reveal on Across Lite).

Or use this link I made on Crosshare. It's private, and I did not post the solution, but there will be a comment box.

https://crosshare.org/crosswords/ZRCrLh ... -challenge

[madhatter5]

Uhhhh

I thought I had restricted the solution which apparently I did not? which would not be a problem except there is a profane word in that grid evidently. Sorry about that I did not look at the grid at all! I just needed something autofilled to be allowed to write clues.

[KayW]

Uhhhh

I thought I had restricted the solution which apparently I did not? which would not be a problem except there is a profane word in that grid evidently. Sorry about that I did not look at the grid at all! I just needed something autofilled to be allowed to write clues.

Haha you KNOW as soon as I saw this the twelve-year-old in me had to go back and scour my [revealed] puz grid. I saw two entries that some might assUme are offensive, but I googled and they both have innocuous definitions. Or did I completely miss something else?

[whimsy]

OK -- so now I see it.
But (gasp) I did not follow directions!
Points off and lashes with cattails!

[Laura M]

Ah, everything makes more sense now. I had much of the right idea (after the first 20 minutes or so) but wasn't quite looking at the right things. Thanks for always challenging us, @madhatter5... even if I'm not always up for it!

[BarbaraK]

OK, I finally got it.

And here’s my contribution:

https://crosshare.org/crosswords/FBgujy ... ar-crossed

[Cinny]

Cat has finally escaped the bag!

[madhatter5]

What the heck

https://crosshare.org/crosswords/9DyIQm ... retrograde

[MMe]

In case anyone is still interested, nudges on my 4x4 meta:
Hit reveal and try to figure out how the clues relate to the entries
Like cryptic clues, they break down into two parts.
One part is a straight clue of the four-letter entry, and the other is also a straight clue, but this time of three of those letters. Keep track of the extra letters.
The title, including the "(7)", is a regular cryptic clue whose answer will tell you what to do with the 4 letters you have found.
"for the final" clues the final letters of "for" and "the".
The 7-letter word you have now found is acceptable as the answer, but doesn't have much in particular to do with outer space. I was going for a space vehicle which is a near synonym to that word, and is also 7 letters.

[DrTom]

VERY late to the dance, and in truth I had to have it ELIF for me (thanks Claudia). Hopefully not too late to post my very bad Mini?

https://crosshare.org/crosswords/aWtIjR ... wF/trapped

[madhatter5]

Solution (to mine anyway):

The ULTIMATE letters of the clues spelled out the answer, CONSTRUCT A DIFFICULT YET SATISFYING META ON A FOUR BY FOUR GRID WHICH IS THEMED ON OUTER SPACE.

The grid was unfillable. Which I was hoping people would realize fairly quickly but now feel pretty bad knowing people spent quite a while on it. This was all based on a recent gripe about how that duplicate bridge meta did not require the grid to be filled at all. Which got me thinking, what if you can do away with the grid entirely.

P.S. one of the clues, "Bust down reason" is my favorite cryptic clue ever. It clues a nine letter word.

P.S.S. to the powers that be, I think this shows meta challenges can and should totally be a thing. So much muggle talent.

P.S.S.S. if you thought this was a rotten trick, just wait till tomorrow.

[madhatter5]

P.S.S.S.S. it should really have been P.P.S and P P.P.S and this should have been P.P.P.P.S

[Dplass]

Solution (to mine anyway):

The ULTIMATE letters of the clues spelled out the answer, CONSTRUCT A DIFFICULT YET SATISFYING META ON A FOUR BY FOUR GRID WHICH IS THEMED ON OUTER SPACE.

The grid was unfillable. Which I was hoping people would realize fairly quickly but now feel pretty bad knowing people spent quite a while on it. This was all based on a recent gripe about how that duplicate bridge meta did not require the grid to be filled at all. Which got me thinking, what if you can do away with the grid entirely.

P.S. one of the clues, "Bust down reason" is my favorite cryptic clue ever. It clues a nine letter word.

P.S.S. to the powers that be, I think this shows meta challenges can and should totally be a thing. So much muggle talent.

P.S.S.S. if you thought this was a rotten trick, just wait till tomorrow.

Well that explains a lot...

[dsbened]

This puzzle was way over my head and I didn't fill in a single square. When will the grid solution and meta be posted? Thx!

[benchen71]

This puzzle was way over my head and I didn't fill in a single square. When will the grid solution and meta be posted? Thx!

The grid won't be posted, since it was irrelevant to the meta. The solution is here.