XWord Muggles Forum

Posted: **Wed Mar 25, 2020 8:03 pm**

Great puzzle, Brian! A week 1.5 in my book.

I thought the grid was very solid, too. Didn’t notice that many 3-letter words. I did wonder if you could have changed something related to 67A and avoided the backsolve. (Kudos to anyone who didn’t have to do that) That said, I haven’t been able to think of a better option. And I enjoyed the research I needed to complete it.

Posted: **Wed Mar 25, 2020 8:37 pm**

Cindy wrote: ↑Wed Mar 25, 2020 7:18 pm
Cindy wrote: ↑Wed Mar 25, 2020 7:17 pm
BrianMac wrote: ↑Wed Mar 25, 2020 7:15 pm

Hmmm. What app are you using? It works for me with Puzzazz on my phone and iPad.
I have puzAzz. It when I click the link it asks if I want to download. When I try, nothing happens.
Got it. Twelve step process. Lol.

Did you recently upgrade iOS? They changed the process and made it much more cumbersome. They also started leaving copies of the downloaded files on your device or iCloud account (depending on your settings) to clutter things up unless you remember to find and delete them.

Posted: **Thu Mar 26, 2020 12:04 pm**

This was great - thanks, Brian!

Posted: **Thu Mar 26, 2020 12:39 pm**

Thanks Brian.

Posted: **Thu Mar 26, 2020 3:37 pm**

Brian, I hope you stay bored and keep making metas.

It'll be fun to track your progress.

Posted: **Thu Mar 26, 2020 4:28 pm**

Posted: **Sun Mar 29, 2020 5:42 pm**

Thanks to everyone who solved my puzzle and took the time to give feedback. Thanks also to Joe Ross for the Excel spreadsheet treatment!

The solution was CONNECTION. Everyone who PM'ed me got it correct, so there's probably no need to explain, but the answer was achieved by taking the initials of a celebrity associated with each of the theme answers:

LATE NIGHT: Conan O'Brien
CAPE FEAR: Nick Nolte (required a little backsolving or trial-and-error since Robert DeNiro and Martin Scorsese would also fit the bill)
COCAINE: Eric Clapton
SPARTANS: Tom Izzo (basketball coach of the Michigan State Spartans - a bit of constructor bias here as I did not consider that everyone is not a basketball fan from Michigan like me)
THE HUNTER: Ogden Nash (a rather obscure poem, for some reason not very Google-able, but everyone was able to backsolve to it)

As I mentioned, I kind of threw this puzzle together, and I suspect that a little more time spent brainstorming / researching would have turned up more solid theme answers which would not have required so much backsolving. Many of the comments made me realize how critical it is that the meta-mechanism be super-tight. It makes me really appreciate the people who are able to create these puzzles week after week.

I am working on another puzzle that I will post in this thread shortly. I think it's a lot tighter and should not require backsolving. Thanks again!!

Posted: **Sun Mar 29, 2020 6:59 pm**

BrianMac wrote: ↑Sun Mar 29, 2020 5:42 pm
I am working on another puzzle that I will post in this thread shortly. I think it's a lot tighter and should not require backsolving. Thanks again!!

Oooh! I can't wait!

Posted: **Sun Mar 29, 2020 7:33 pm**

Ok, this puzzle is called "Original Game" and the answer is an 8-letter phrase that is something you might play for.

This one should be a little trickier than the previous one, but nowhere near an MGWCC Week 4 (I hope).

As before, you can PM me the answer if you are so inclined.

Enjoy and good luck (even though there is no prize

)

forums/Original Game.puz

forums/Original Game.pdf

Posted: **Sun Mar 29, 2020 7:46 pm**

BrianMac wrote: ↑Sun Mar 29, 2020 7:33 pm Ok, this puzzle is called "Original Game" and the answer is an 8-letter phrase that is something you might play for.

20200329 BrianMac Original Game Excel blank.xlxs

Posted: **Sun Mar 29, 2020 11:26 pm**

Oh nooooo....I see numbers in the new puzzle! I look forward to getting to this one after the MGWCC deadline has passed...not sure I can deal with another one on top of that right now. Thank you!

Posted: **Sun Mar 29, 2020 11:36 pm**

Step one done and...out of gas. Will sleep on it!

Posted: **Mon Mar 30, 2020 1:17 pm**

This was excellent!

Posted: **Mon Mar 30, 2020 5:25 pm**

Is it just me or are there only five numbers in parentheses.

Posted: **Mon Mar 30, 2020 5:52 pm**

It’s not just you

Posted: **Mon Mar 30, 2020 5:53 pm**

What is the deadline for solving Original Game?

I saw the first one late. Then scrolled to far and revealed the solution!

Posted: **Mon Mar 30, 2020 6:02 pm**

boharr wrote: ↑Mon Mar 30, 2020 5:53 pm What is the deadline for solving Original Game?

I saw the first one late. Then scrolled to far and revealed the solution!

Sorry about that Bob! I waited until a couple days went by with no replies, and then I posted the solution. I didn't really think about a deadline since I'm really just goofing around. But to prevent anyone else from being spoiled, I will not post the answer to this one before next Sunday at noon.

Thanks for your interest!

Posted: **Mon Mar 30, 2020 6:16 pm**

Impressive construction. Thanks!

Posted: **Mon Mar 30, 2020 7:50 pm**

BrianMac wrote: ↑Sun Mar 29, 2020 5:42 pm Thanks to everyone who solved my puzzle and took the time to give feedback. Thanks also to Joe Ross for the Excel spreadsheet treatment!

The solution was CONNECTION. Everyone who PM'ed me got it correct, so there's probably no need to explain, but the answer was achieved by taking the initials of a celebrity associated with each of the theme answers:

LATE NIGHT: Conan O'Brien
CAPE FEAR: Nick Nolte (required a little backsolving or trial-and-error since Robert DeNiro and Martin Scorsese would also fit the bill)
COCAINE: Eric Clapton
SPARTANS: Tom Izzo (basketball coach of the Michigan State Spartans - a bit of constructor bias here as I did not consider that everyone is not a basketball fan from Michigan like me)
THE HUNTER: Ogden Nash (a rather obscure poem, for some reason not very Google-able, but everyone was able to backsolve to it)

As I mentioned, I kind of threw this puzzle together, and I suspect that a little more time spent brainstorming / researching would have turned up more solid theme answers which would not have required so much backsolving. Many of the comments made me realize how critical it is that the meta-mechanism be super-tight. It makes me really appreciate the people who are able to create these puzzles week after week.

I am working on another puzzle that I will post in this thread shortly. I think it's a lot tighter and should not require backsolving. Thanks again!!

Fabulous puzzle Brian! I tried solving this one and got the CO/(RD,NN,MS)/EC.... and then faded fast. No habla basketball or Nash, so I came here to cry uncle. And to say that based on the theme answers the meta answer might well have been MULTIMEDIA.

Too soon?

I will give your next puzzle a try once the deadline for MGWCC is passed so I can quit pretending to be trying to solve that one.

Posted: **Mon Mar 30, 2020 8:54 pm**

I did the grid for Original Game and now I’m LAS. Must be that numbers curse.

I hope we can get Isaac some overtime for keeping the bar open during the week.

XWord Muggles Forum

My first stab at a meta crossword

Re: My first stab at a meta crossword

Re: My first stab at a meta crossword

Re: My first stab at a meta crossword

Re: My first stab at a meta crossword

Re: My first stab at a meta crossword

Re: My first stab at a meta crossword

Re: My first stab at a meta crossword

Re: My first stab at a meta crossword

Re: My first stab at a meta crossword

Re: My first stab at a meta crossword

Re: My first stab at a meta crossword

Re: My first stab at a meta crossword

Re: My first stab at a meta crossword

Re: My first stab at a meta crossword

Re: My first stab at a meta crossword

Re: My first stab at a meta crossword

Re: My first stab at a meta crossword

Re: My first stab at a meta crossword

Re: My first stab at a meta crossword

Re: My first stab at a meta crossword