Happy Anniversary!
- Clark E. Tripe
- Posts: 48
- Joined: Sat Apr 08, 2023 10:14 am
- Location: Linux Habitation, CA
Happy Anniversary!
Good morning, Muggles! My name is Clark E. Tripe, longtime lurker and first-time poster. I hail from the sleepy town of Linux Habitation, CA (home of the “Mismatched 3 of Clubs Museum”), where I operate a rubber duck and Mountain Dew concession for the town’s many Linux coders.
First, a little about me. When I’m not working, I spend up to three hours a day standing buttons on end, and I’m a regular presence at barbecue chicken events, hoping to add to my charcoal collection. I once entered a blindfolded Mah Jongg tournament, which I believed I could have won if I hadn’t gotten into an accident on the way to the event (Note to self: next year, don’t put the blindfold on until I get to the tournament. Whoops!). And I was once arrested for trying to alphabetize all the street signs in Linux Habitation (which locals call “Linux Habitatio” for short).
Anyway, one day when my buttons fell over during a .112 magnitude earthquake, I decided that maybe it was time for another hobby, and one that came to mind was writing crossword puzzles. After a series of rejections from the usual outfits – New York Times (“the number of clues should equal the number of grid entries”), Washington Post (“Shouldn’t there be some white squares in the grid?”), Highlights Magazine (“This puzzle insults the intelligence of our readers”) and McDonald’s (“Sir, this is a fast-food franchise”) – I finally decided to submit to the Muggles Forum.
I went through every meta from the beginning of the forum in 2019, and after reviewing thousands of clues, grids, comments and meta mechanisms (hey, has anyone ever thought of calling them ‘metanisms’? Hmmm?), I finally felt like I was ready to create one of my own. I contacted MMM test solvers @Abide, @Al Sisti and @Cap'n Rick, and after several rounds of suggestions, erasures, and a complete rework of all the clues and entries, they ultimately accepted my puzzle, after my check for what they called an “Initiation Fee” cleared.
So, my new fellow Muggles, here at long last is my debut puzzle, called “Happy Anniversary!” I’m looking for a 7-letter word. Enjoy!
Happy Anniversary! Crosshare
Happy Anniversary! PUZ
Happy Anniversary! PDF
Happy Anniversary! spreadsheet
(Note: If you enjoy solving on Crosshare, help keep the site running by donating a few bucks.)
Nudges are here.
Reveal is here.
First, a little about me. When I’m not working, I spend up to three hours a day standing buttons on end, and I’m a regular presence at barbecue chicken events, hoping to add to my charcoal collection. I once entered a blindfolded Mah Jongg tournament, which I believed I could have won if I hadn’t gotten into an accident on the way to the event (Note to self: next year, don’t put the blindfold on until I get to the tournament. Whoops!). And I was once arrested for trying to alphabetize all the street signs in Linux Habitation (which locals call “Linux Habitatio” for short).
Anyway, one day when my buttons fell over during a .112 magnitude earthquake, I decided that maybe it was time for another hobby, and one that came to mind was writing crossword puzzles. After a series of rejections from the usual outfits – New York Times (“the number of clues should equal the number of grid entries”), Washington Post (“Shouldn’t there be some white squares in the grid?”), Highlights Magazine (“This puzzle insults the intelligence of our readers”) and McDonald’s (“Sir, this is a fast-food franchise”) – I finally decided to submit to the Muggles Forum.
I went through every meta from the beginning of the forum in 2019, and after reviewing thousands of clues, grids, comments and meta mechanisms (hey, has anyone ever thought of calling them ‘metanisms’? Hmmm?), I finally felt like I was ready to create one of my own. I contacted MMM test solvers @Abide, @Al Sisti and @Cap'n Rick, and after several rounds of suggestions, erasures, and a complete rework of all the clues and entries, they ultimately accepted my puzzle, after my check for what they called an “Initiation Fee” cleared.
So, my new fellow Muggles, here at long last is my debut puzzle, called “Happy Anniversary!” I’m looking for a 7-letter word. Enjoy!
Happy Anniversary! Crosshare
Happy Anniversary! PUZ
Happy Anniversary! PDF
Happy Anniversary! spreadsheet
(Note: If you enjoy solving on Crosshare, help keep the site running by donating a few bucks.)
Nudges are here.
Reveal is here.
Last edited by Clark E. Tripe on Sun Apr 16, 2023 8:59 am, edited 1 time in total.
"I'm a paper tape guy in a punch card world"
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- Posts: 1770
- Joined: Sun Mar 29, 2020 2:38 pm
Off the couch.
Very amusing. Has it been that long? Thanks for the puzzle guys.
Very amusing. Has it been that long? Thanks for the puzzle guys.
- woozy
- Posts: 2320
- Joined: Mon Aug 10, 2020 12:40 am
Off the couch.
A nice clean debut. Congratulations.
A nice clean debut. Congratulations.
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".
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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- Posts: 329
- Joined: Thu Aug 25, 2022 4:33 pm
- Location: Ottawa, Canada
- Cinny
- Posts: 838
- Joined: Mon Sep 21, 2020 2:53 pm
- Location: Minoa, NY
- Contact:
- boharr
- Moderator
- Posts: 3261
- Joined: Fri Sep 06, 2019 8:57 am
- Location: Westchester, NY
Off the couch. What a fantastic debut! I won't say it's REDACTED. And I won't say it's REDACTED. I loved the clues, especially REDACTED, REDACTED, (Oxford comma not a spoiler) and REDACTED. Surely Brain can create an extra day for us here because we surely need more TRIPE.
- ky-mike
- Posts: 2064
- Joined: Thu Apr 11, 2019 4:22 pm
- Location: Near Louisville Ky
- ChrisKochmanski
- Posts: 2269
- Joined: Tue Apr 09, 2019 9:51 pm
- Location: Saline, Michigan
OTC!
But wait. Monday’s test solvers are Peter, Al, and the Cap’n? All this time I assumed they were Larry, Moe, and Curley,
Heheheheh.
Just teasing, fellows. Fun start to the puzzling week!
But wait. Monday’s test solvers are Peter, Al, and the Cap’n? All this time I assumed they were Larry, Moe, and Curley,
Heheheheh.
Just teasing, fellows. Fun start to the puzzling week!
-
- Posts: 1739
- Joined: Sat Dec 28, 2019 10:09 am
Solved. Thanks for the puzzle and the amusingly awesome introduction. (Especially "Sir, this is a fast-food franchise", BWAHAHAHA!)
- Al Sisti
- Posts: 2090
- Joined: Thu Apr 11, 2019 1:28 pm
- Location: Whitesboro NY
- Bird Lives
- Posts: 2836
- Joined: Tue Apr 09, 2019 6:43 pm
- Location: NYC
- Contact:
Off the couch. I wont ASK about the 20A of Clark or whoever, but I did find some fingerprints that CSI is working on as we speak.
Jay
- MMe
- Posts: 307
- Joined: Tue Sep 21, 2021 11:27 am
"Clark E. Tripe," huh?! Are you not, in point of fact, none other than . . . ERRATIC KELP?
...PICKLE RATER, maybe?...
...PICKLE RATER, maybe?...
- Darth
- Posts: 785
- Joined: Sat May 15, 2021 6:51 pm
- Location: Champaign, IL
- Abide
- Moderator
- Posts: 1340
- Joined: Thu Apr 11, 2019 11:16 pm
- Location: Biloxi
- Contact:
An obvious up-and-coming talent, but check the calendar for May 22.
The site is just a web page, a meeting place, a clubhouse - it's the group that's special.
—Brian MacDonald
—Brian MacDonald
- cbarbee002
- Posts: 610
- Joined: Fri Apr 24, 2020 6:02 pm
- Location: Philly Area
Off the couch. Fun one - - well done!
Last edited by cbarbee002 on Mon Apr 10, 2023 11:38 am, edited 1 time in total.
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- Posts: 810
- Joined: Thu Dec 31, 2020 11:57 am
- Location: Atlanta, GA
- MikeyG
- Posts: 1456
- Joined: Wed Dec 30, 2020 2:52 pm
- Location: Chicago
- Contact:
Mike's students when Mike keeps talking about polynomials:
Test solvers, where'd you find this guy? He might have a future in this!
Test solvers, where'd you find this guy? He might have a future in this!
- rjy
- Posts: 1084
- Joined: Fri Oct 08, 2021 12:52 pm
- Location: Gaithersburg, MD
Off the couch... got caught in a few rabbit holes, but saw clear to the finish line. Thoroughly enjoyed the puzzle and especially the write-up, Mr Tripe!
Ray
- hcbirker
- Posts: 2083
- Joined: Thu Apr 11, 2019 7:24 pm
- Location: Studio City, CA
- ajk
- Posts: 1033
- Joined: Mon Dec 21, 2020 4:22 pm
- Location: Colorado
Hah, stumped for longer than I should have been, but got there. Nice debut indeed, and bonus points for the Crosshare header image.
If a bridge player is caught using a mismatched 3 of clubs does that require a trick repeal?
If a bridge player is caught using a mismatched 3 of clubs does that require a trick repeal?
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