"Pieces of Eight"

A weekly meta crossword created by members of the forum. Difficulty levels will vary. Hints are usually available starting Wednesday, and solutions are posted on Sunday.
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TMart
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"Pieces of Eight"

#1

Post by TMart »

Good morning, and welcome to this week’s edition of Muggle Meta Mondays! Brian and Al were kind enough to slot me in this week for another go at this meta thing. So here we go.

Today’s puzzle is called “Pieces of Eight” and the meta answer is something you might find in the islands.

Feel free to PM me with answers, comments and feedback. Depending on the solve rate, I’ll try to put up some gentle nudges on Nudge Wednesday. I’ll also post the full solution under a spoiler box next Sunday.

Enjoy!
Tom

Pieces of Eight.pdf: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KYjW_b ... sp=sharing

Pieces of Eight.puz: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1fLB9Gi ... sp=sharing
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Joe Ross
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#2

Post by Joe Ross »

Last edited by Joe Ross on Mon Jun 29, 2020 11:03 am, edited 1 time in total.
Whole blood, platelets, or plasma: Donate 4 in 2024

PLATELET 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗮𝗿𝗲.
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝘀 ENORMOUS 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲:
𝟰𝟬% 𝗽𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰,
𝟯𝟬% 𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰,
𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿 & 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘂𝗺𝗮. 𝗣𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗘 𝗦𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗘!
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Richard B.
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#3

Post by Richard B. »

Thanks, Tom. You guys are amazing. I’m hooked on MMMs.
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Al Sisti
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#4

Post by Al Sisti »

Outstanding!! Sweet construction...
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Hector
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#5

Post by Hector »

Very difficult grid, and neat mechanism. Thanks!
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ChrisKochmanski
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#6

Post by ChrisKochmanski »

Loved it!

I needed to google five or six times for the grid. (I learned some things!) Three or four times to complete the grid, two or three more to confirm I was right.

I then stared at the grid, off and on (between distractions), for about a half-hour before experiencing a very nice aha and working it through.

Indeed, Muggle Meta Monday is quickly becoming a highlight of my week.
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Abide
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#7

Post by Abide »

I was able to backsolve before lots of Google. I would say you bit off plenty here, but MMM good. I will send you a PM asking for explanation of one portion of the solution.
The site is just a web page, a meeting place, a clubhouse - it's the group that's special.
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Al Sisti
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Location: Whitesboro NY

#8

Post by Al Sisti »

Abide wrote: Mon Jun 22, 2020 2:34 pm I was able to backsolve before lots of Google. I would say you bit off plenty here, but MMM good. I will send you a PM asking for explanation of one portion of the solution.
"MMM good" I love it!!
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Meg
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#9

Post by Meg »

I got a bit stuck, but overall I was really impressed with the meta mechanism. Hard grid, though.
Check out and support http://CrosswordsForCancer.com.
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RPardoe
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#10

Post by RPardoe »

One rabbit hole, but then quickly found the right path and the solution.
Agree - grid was a bit of a challenge along the way.
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Al Sisti
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#11

Post by Al Sisti »

Meg wrote: Mon Jun 22, 2020 3:56 pm I got a bit stuck, but overall I was really impressed with the meta mechanism. Hard grid, though.
I mean, it had to be a hard grid when you consider all the constraints.
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hcbirker
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#12

Post by hcbirker »

What a grid! Got it though, except for one portion. Will PM you Tom! Nice work!
Heidi
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BrianMac
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#13

Post by BrianMac »

Off the couch! While solving the grid (with lots of help from Google), I suspected that the payoff would be worth it and I was right! Great meta, Tom, thanks for contributing it! Hope to see more from you on MMM! :)
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hcbirker
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#14

Post by hcbirker »

Oh, am I supposed to say "off the couch"? New to this!
Heidi
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Cindy
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#15

Post by Cindy »

Solved
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oldjudge
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#16

Post by oldjudge »

Great job Tom! As I indicated I found the same answer two different ways, one being the intended way. I thought the grid was fair, although I always google a little.
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Al Sisti
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#17

Post by Al Sisti »

Hey Tom, you're famous! You made it into Matt Gritzmacher's Daily Crossword Links list...

Monday, 22 June 2020
Jun 23

Cruzzles: Name A More Iconic Duo (Themeless) by Ricky Cruz. .puz, .pdf.
Aaronson.org: The Gang’s All Here by Adam Aaronson. .puz, .pdf, online.
The New Yorker: The Weekday Crossword by Anna Shechtman. .pdf, online.
Brain Candy: Monday Midi by Amanda Rafkin. .puz, .pdf, online.
Xword Muggles Meta: Pieces Of Eight by Tom Marturano. .puz, .pdf
Monday Fills: Force Down by Dave Murchie. .pdf, .puz, online.
Happy Little Puzzles: Little-ish Puzzle by Matthew Stock. .pdf, .puz, online.
BEQ: Themeless Monday by Brendan Emmett Quigley. .pdf, .puz, online.
New York Magazine: Reinterpreting The Past by Matt Gaffney. .pdf, online.
A to Z Crosswords: ($) #44 by Frank Longo and Peter Gordon. Subscribe and receive past puzzles at link.
BEQ Marching Bands: ($) #5 by Brendan Emmett Quigley. Subscription info at link

Puzzles-for-donations links: LoneShark Games puzzle pack | Erik Agard | Paolo Pasco | Eric Berlin

Daily Beast: In It To Win It by Matt Gaffney. Online, .pdf.
USA Today: Way To Go by Mark McClain. Online; can print
Universal: Corporate Decision by Pam Klawitter. Online; can print. .puz
Los Angeles Times: by Jordan Hildebrandt. Online; can print. Free Cruciverb account for .puz.
New York Times: ($) by Sid Sivakumar. Online, .pdf, .puz, phone app.
The Wall Street Journal: Handy by Barbara Lin. .puz
Newsday: Teachers’s Desk by Brad Wilber. Link direct to .pdf. Online.

Crosswords with Friends: by Tony Orbach. Phone app. App Store | Google Play
Daily POP Crosswords: by Andrew J. Ries. Phone app. App Store | Google Play
LA Times Mini: by Elizabeth Gorski. Online.
The Atlantic Mini: by Caleb Madison. Solve online or print at link.
The New York Times Mini: by Joel Fagliano. Online, phone app.

Hard Crossword: archival puzzle from Stan Newman
Easy Crossword: archival puzzle from Stan Newman

My Puzzle Sources Google Sheet is here. I’m due to update that with a few newer sites. Please tweet me at @gritzmac if I’m missing any puzzles so I can include them and solve them myself.


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MarkL
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#18

Post by MarkL »

Good thing you didn't use the Urban Dicrionary for 55D!
'tis... A lovely day for a Guinness!
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FrankieHeck
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#19

Post by FrankieHeck »

Al Sisti wrote: Mon Jun 22, 2020 8:26 pm Hey Tom, you're famous! You made it into Matt Gritzmacher's Daily Crossword Links list...


© 2020 Matt Gritzmacher Unsubscribe
548 Market Street PMB 72296, San Francisco, CA 94104
Al, I noticed that you made it to the list last week, under your pseudonym "BrianMac." ;)
Last edited by FrankieHeck on Mon Jun 22, 2020 9:38 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Al Sisti
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#20

Post by Al Sisti »

FrankieHeck wrote: Mon Jun 22, 2020 9:21 pm
Al Sisti wrote: Mon Jun 22, 2020 8:26 pm Hey Tom, you're famous! You made it into Matt Gritzmacher's Daily Crossword Links list...


© 2020 Matt Gritzmacher Unsubscribe
548 Market Street PMB 72296, San Francisco, CA 94104
Al, I noticed that you made it to the list last week, under your pseudonym "BrianMac." ;)
(I was hiding in the bushes to see if anyone liked it!)
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