MGWCC #780 — “Spare Parts”

An excellent puzzle written by one of the innovators of the meta crossword format. It comes out every Friday at noon and increases in difficulty throughout the month. Available for modest subscription (worth every cent) here: www.xwordcontest.com
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lbray53
Posts: 1223
Joined: Fri May 08, 2020 8:34 am
Location: Elkhorn, WI

#41

Post by lbray53 »

lbray53 wrote: ↑Mon May 15, 2023 7:46 am I woke up in the middle of the night with the mechanism clearly laid out. I was trying to think of clever comments to make here. But my dream was a nightmare. That path got me no closer to the answer.
UPDATE!! My dream was correct after all. I just needed to look a little closer.

But, alas, after finding three of five letters, I managed to snooker myself. I was absolutely sure that I had five correct letters, but was advised otherwise. And as it turned out, even the letter that got me going on the right track was incorrect.

I am very happy with the amount of this meta that I was able to solve, but disappointed that I could not take the final two small steps alone. If either one of my wrong letters were correct it would have been quite easy to see my error. But it did not work that way.

Awaiting beam up, but it is a 100%er.
My avatar proves that it is sometimes better to be lucky than good!
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DCBilly
Posts: 261
Joined: Thu Apr 01, 2021 4:40 pm
Location: Washington DC

#42

Post by DCBilly »

Beamed up, very non-solo. It's apparently a slow solve for others too - just refreshed and still only 76 on the board.
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hcbirker
Posts: 2017
Joined: Thu Apr 11, 2019 7:24 pm
Location: Studio City, CA

#43

Post by hcbirker »

Beamed up! That was hard!
Heidi
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lbray53
Posts: 1223
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#44

Post by lbray53 »

I was submitting my answer and noticed the link to send a longer answer. I decided to do that. I then kept checking to see if I was on the board. The time between updates was very long. But finally it came. I was NOT on it. PANIC. Big streak in jeapordy. Then I realized that I never went back and hit submit. Resubmitted. On the board. Lesson learned. No more long messages!
My avatar proves that it is sometimes better to be lucky than good!
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Streroto
Posts: 782
Joined: Thu Jul 04, 2019 4:24 pm
Location: Newtown Square, PA

#45

Post by Streroto »

I submitted an answer I can defend. It has to be right. Had a nice aha after a LONG stare at the puzzle.

We shall see
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benchen71
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#46

Post by benchen71 »

Awaiting the beam... but only because a kindly soul provided many, many nudges. Definitely not a solo solve!

... and I'm beamed.
Last edited by benchen71 on Tue May 16, 2023 12:17 am, edited 1 time in total.
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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ZooAnimalsOnWheels
Posts: 302
Joined: Mon Aug 02, 2021 1:02 pm
Location: San Diego, CA

#47

Post by ZooAnimalsOnWheels »

I have been beamed aboard! I managed it solo once I recalibrated my thinking on one thing.
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HeadinHome
Posts: 1090
Joined: Sun Apr 26, 2020 9:06 am
Location: Charlotte, NC

#48

Post by HeadinHome »

Submitted and relieved that’s over. Discord helper (Eckless) = my hero. Did not enjoy this one, for reasons I mostly can’t discuss yet. But one was my complete unfamiliarity with a couple of things that maybe were assumed to be more well known? Another was the timing… on the road yesterday (Sunday) and hate solving in a car. And Monday’s already an intense work day generally, so trying to get a hard meta wasn’t making it any funner.
Anyhoo, not a solo solve, and I too will be glad to get this puzzle back on Friday schedule !
The other Wendy. :roll:
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Berto
Posts: 351
Joined: Sat Feb 05, 2022 4:10 pm

#49

Post by Berto »

Finally got it long past midnight - sleepily awaiting beam…
Also dragged through the metanism by @Eckless - who stood strong even when I walked into brick walls.
100% once you see it, but a lot of rabbit holes to navigate…
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ricky
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#50

Post by ricky »

I'm requesting a nudge. Tired of fighting with this one. Too many red herrings. The entire solve experience has been no fun this week.
Check out the meta challenge at Lexicon Devil

Latest puzzle: "This Place Looks Familiar," March 7, 2024

Deadline: Tuesday, March 12, 2024, 12 PM EST
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minimuggle
Posts: 564
Joined: Wed Nov 04, 2020 7:33 am

#51

Post by minimuggle »

I'm with Ricky. I need a nudge. Even the rabbit holes haven't been fun :)
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Wendy Walker
Posts: 1720
Joined: Thu Apr 11, 2019 7:44 pm
Location: Unionville, PA

#52

Post by Wendy Walker »

Struggled mightily with this one. Cruise Director Bob and I co-solved over a series of phone calls last night. What a sense of relief when we FINALLY saw what was going on! Thanks to Meg and Heidi for the hints. And it was a landmark of sorts for Bob: his 100th puzzle solved!
Good luck, fellow Muggles!
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rjy
Posts: 1032
Joined: Fri Oct 08, 2021 12:52 pm
Location: Gaithersburg, MD

#53

Post by rjy »

Was in the right rabbit hole, but needed a Discord compadre to tell me that. Still took some further mental gymnastics - with some nice AHA’s along the way - but man! I was led astray by words intended to deceive. Matt should really warn us about that!
Ray
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MajordomoTom
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Joined: Sat Nov 02, 2019 12:09 am
Location: St. Louis, MO

#54

Post by MajordomoTom »

well, thanks to ky-Mike's nudges and not giving me the actual answer, I'm there, pretty much a 100% solution - how could it not be?

and #116 on the board
"Lots of planets have a North", the Ninth Doctor.
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HunterX
Posts: 1184
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Location: Philadelphia, PA

#55

Post by HunterX »

Thanks to @HoldThatThought for a couple of gentle nudges to keep me working on it, I'm awaiting beam-up.

WAY harder than week 2 for me. Maybe a 4 or 5 given how long it took me and how much work I put into it. Though I made a couple of mistakes on the way that I had to correct. Got far enough with the last step to sus the answer and backsolve.


Edit: Right behind @MajordomoTom at 117.
Last edited by HunterX on Tue May 16, 2023 4:20 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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MikeyG
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#56

Post by MikeyG »

I am going to presume this will be the lowest Week 2 since I began my Gaffney journey (August '20). Toughest was "A City of Puzzles" in February '22 with 293 (193 solo). I'm going to say about 228 for this one when all is said and done.
Less cross words, more crosswords.

Solve my latest "Pun of a Kind" Meta!: 91. You'll Turn It Around
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Joe
Posts: 559
Joined: Sat May 11, 2019 12:45 pm
Location: New Hampshire

#57

Post by Joe »

Needed a nudge but I got there. I even tried the thing that was the key but didn't try hard enough. This one is freaking tough!
Happy to give nudges. If you notice I've solved, please tell me about avenues you've explored so I can nudge you in the right direction and not off a cliff.
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MMe
Posts: 293
Joined: Tue Sep 21, 2021 11:27 am

#58

Post by MMe »

MikeyG wrote: ↑Tue May 16, 2023 4:18 pm I am going to presume this will be the lowest Week 2 since I began my Gaffney journey (August '20). Toughest was "A City of Puzzles" in February '22 with 293 (193 solo). I'm going to say about 228 for this one when all is said and done.
Give the "nudge" culture, probably "solo solves" is a more telling indicator of difficulty (though who knows what folks take themselves to have done "solo").
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Streroto
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#59

Post by Streroto »

I’m sure happy to be in (solo) at 86. Have never cracked the top 100!! For reasons I can share on (?) Thursday I owe it to all of you especially those of you who construct. Thanks.
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Clpdlt22
Posts: 10
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Location: Andover

#60

Post by Clpdlt22 »

I could use a nudge. I feel I know the first and second step , but nothing leads to a useable five letter answer.

Nudges no longer requested
Last edited by Clpdlt22 on Wed May 17, 2023 11:21 am, edited 1 time in total.
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