MEOW #117: Dude, Where's My Card?

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.
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madhatter5
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MEOW #117: Dude, Where's My Card?

#1

Post by madhatter5 »

Hi all and welcome to the 117th installment of the MEOW! Posting a tad early since tomorrow is busy for me.

The answer to this meta is how you might feel if your 36A partner shows her hand to the enemy team.

Only a PDF this week for obvious reasons.

Lynx:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/ ... share_link

Break a toenail or leg or actually I guess toenail is better huh.

Kitten
Calico
Persian?
Puma
Lion
https://pandorasblocks.org/crosswords-for-cancer
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Dplass
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#2

Post by Dplass »

Edit: duh I can't read.
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madhatter5
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#3

Post by madhatter5 »

NB: the clue about "Portio" should say Portia and also both facts are I am told factually inaccurate. Sorry, I got my info from ChatGPT and it lied to me apparently. It does that.
https://pandorasblocks.org/crosswords-for-cancer
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ImOnToo
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Location: Texas

#4

Post by ImOnToo »

Cat’s outta the bag with a Cheshire grin.
Thanks for the mind gymnastics!
Konnie
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Ergcat
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#5

Post by Ergcat »

I’ve got step one but trying to figure how to proceed from there….
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madhatter5
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#6

Post by madhatter5 »

Also note, the meta answer has 13 letters.
https://pandorasblocks.org/crosswords-for-cancer
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KayW
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#7

Post by KayW »

After a course correction, I think I got it!

I was tickled to see 36A come up in a meta, but fear not. No knowledge or experience is needed to solve.
Image

Great meta, Josh!
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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Cinny
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#8

Post by Cinny »

I swear that I posted this morning that the cat had escaped and I was waiting for confirmation. I must not have hit submit since I don't see my post.

Anyway, confirmed that the cat is out.
Cindy Heisler
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Darth
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Location: Champaign, IL

#9

Post by Darth »

The the cat is out! ;)
gestalt cat.jpg
Last edited by Darth on Thu Feb 23, 2023 8:47 am, edited 1 time in total.
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DrTom
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#10

Post by DrTom »

Wow, I am still struggling to fill the grid, some great clues and very Joshy (OK mind, take everything you know, turn it around, find a different way to phrase it then throw in a cryptic pun and MAYBE, just MAYBE you'll be able to get it).

I'll let you know how much help I need after I knw how much help I need.
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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#11

Post by woozy »

DrTom wrote: ↑Thu Feb 23, 2023 12:47 am Wow, I am still struggling to fill the grid, some great clues and very Joshy (OK mind, take everything you know, turn it around, find a different way to phrase it then throw in a cryptic pun and MAYBE, just MAYBE you'll be able to get it).

I'll let you know how much help I need after I knw how much help I need.
Ditto. But it (the grid; not the meta) comes to you surprisingly well when you just let your mind go into fugue state.
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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ChrisKochmanski
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#12

Post by ChrisKochmanski »

To the cat, the bag is past.

Thanks, Josh!
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boharr
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#13

Post by boharr »

Cat slapped me upside the head and ran away. Thanks, Josh.
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Meg
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#14

Post by Meg »

I have mixed feelings about this cat. And the bag. But I got it with a big nudge. Actually, a shove.
Check out and support http://CrosswordsForCancer.com.
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MatthewL
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#15

Post by MatthewL »

Well, I submitted an answer. Not sure if the cat is out, or still firmly ensconced in the bag of dashed dreams. I guess we'll see.

Edited to add: Appears my answer was correct. Cat is officially free.
Last edited by MatthewL on Thu Feb 23, 2023 12:09 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Matthew
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woozy
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#16

Post by woozy »

Between convoluted mechanisms of recent metas, this is a but like a salad palate cleanser. It's nice to get your brains washed every now and then.
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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DrTom
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#17

Post by DrTom »

woozy wrote: ↑Thu Feb 23, 2023 11:57 am Between convoluted mechanisms of recent metas, this is a but like a salad palate cleanser. It's nice to get your brains washed every now and then.
I washed my brain and now I can't do a thing with it.....
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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benchen71
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#18

Post by benchen71 »

I definitely rely on being able to complete metas grid electronically so that I can confirm the correctness of the final result. All that to say that I think I have completed this grid successfully. But the meta remains elusive. I am eagerly awaiting nudges!
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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woozy
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#19

Post by woozy »

benchen71 wrote: ↑Thu Feb 23, 2023 6:26 pm I definitely rely on being able to complete metas grid electronically so that I can confirm the correctness of the final result. All that to say that I think I have completed this grid successfully. But the meta remains elusive. I am eagerly awaiting nudges!
In ways this was a really weird puzzle. The grid seemed really hard and I only had to smallest of pockets solid. So I had to talk a few intuitive but wild guesses in the many many hard and sparse areas... and my intuitions all played out and helped my get the cross clues with only two or three letters when I couldn't with only one or two. That *never* happens. But this incredibly hard grid just... fell into place.

As for the meta... well that would be telling. But asking myself "what is the mechanism, what is the mechanism" for hours I did a slight reframe of the question to ask something else, and ... there it was.
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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madhatter5
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Joined: Sun Sep 27, 2020 1:48 pm

#20

Post by madhatter5 »

Sorry about the tough fill guys.
https://pandorasblocks.org/crosswords-for-cancer
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