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benchen71's Metas on a Tuesday (MOAT)

Can you storm the castle by getting across the MOAT? We're all fascinated by magicians: sleight of hand, misdirection, smoke, mirrors, and elaborate mechanical devices. Well, this meta has all of those things and more! Your task is to work out how it's done and come up with the answer to the meta, which is an adjective.

PM me with your submissions or submit on Crosshare. Either way, I'll compile a list of those who successfully solve the meta.

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Nudges are here.

The solution is here.

Solved, submitted, confirmed on Crosshare

Stormed Cinderella's Castle. It's the Magic Kingdom, so no light sabers needed -- just some pyrotechnic pixie dust for effect!

Fun puzzle, Ben! Loved it!

Are there gators in that moat? I’ve made it across the drawbridge

Submitted and confirmed... fun one!

I've crossed the moat. Enjoyable start to the day!!

Crossed moat. Stormed castle. Crosshare says I'm right.
Funny, thanks Ben.

Submitted and confirmed.

That one was ... well, no it wasn't.

Stormed the castle, had our box lunches, got back on the tour bus. Thanks, Ben!

Snuck in before the alligators got me!

The lake on which I was kayaking this weekend had a paper sign taped up that said "Alligators have been active in this area" but I was disappointed not to see any (October is a comparatively safe month in which to encounter gators. April-August, not so much!). I did, however, rescue a turtle which had wedged itself upside down in a no-longer-submerged tree branch that had receded to about a foot above the water. Poor guy was still alive, barely. His head was sticking out and moving. When I reached my paddle out to try to free him, he stuck his little legs out and started waving them around but he couldn't reach anything to propel himself with.

Re: 57D I was born way before 1998 and have no idea what it means. Don't be ageist!

Whew - SUPER tough grid for me, luckily nothing interfered with my solve (confirmed on Crosshare). Way too much Australian specific stuff for this other-sider, but then I'll bet Australians look at the WSJ and Gaffney puzzles and say: "Strewth", I don't have Buckley's chance of getting 'Fast train between Washington and Boston', or 'Nine Digit ID' - "damn don't these blokes like to yammer on, one more like that and I'll spit my dummie!"

Ah well - solved is solved, and there appears to be more than one way to cross a MOAT.

Oh, and I crossed the beams and am ashore with a dino.

Thanks for the puzzle. I did enjoy it despite 57D.

Nice one!

It was fun, though I agree that the grid was hard.

Poof!
Across the moat! Fun for me!

DrTom wrote: ↑Tue Nov 02, 2021 2:38 pm Whew - SUPER tough grid for me, luckily nothing interfered with my solve (confirmed on Crosshare). Way too much Australian specific stuff for this other-sider, but then I'll bet Australians look at the WSJ and Gaffney puzzles and say: "Strewth", I don't have Buckley's chance of getting 'Fast train between Washington and Boston', or 'Nine Digit ID' - "damn don't these blokes like to yammer on, one more like that and I'll spit my dummie!"

I do, indeed, struggle with Americanisms in crosswords. But that is to be expected, since most crossword creators and most solvers are Americans. As a crossword creator you want to give your solvers the best chance! I know that in the early days I wanted to get my revenge - and this puzzle is one of my earlier ones! But now, I'm happy to use Americanisms and Australianisms, and clue for both. Next week's puzzle is one I created a few weeks ago, so you might notice a difference. (Then again, you might not!)

Woot. Confirmed. Tough but enjoyable grid.

Across the moat! Thanks, Ben, for the fun.

I have crossed the moat. Interesting fill as always. I enjoy learning new things and that always happens here.