MGWCC #817 — "Keep It Simple"

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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Joe Ross
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MGWCC #817 — "Keep It Simple"

#1

Post by Joe Ross »

MGWCC #817 — "Keep It Simple"

Today's puzzle is Week 4 of 4 in January. Instructions:

This week's contest answer, which is 21 letters long, is what you might take to solve this meta.

Good luck!

NOTE: Due to the late posting, the deadline for this week's puzzle is noon ET on Wednesday, January 31st.

--Matt
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Bob cruise director
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#2

Post by Bob cruise director »

No Hail Mary's this week with a 21 letter meta.
Bob Stevens
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ajk
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#3

Post by ajk »

In at #6 after participating in the group solve / wanderings. :lol:
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
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MikeyG
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#4

Post by MikeyG »

All I'm doing is wandering so far, haha.

Image
Less cross words, more crosswords.

Solve my latest "Pun of a Kind" Meta!: 91. You'll Turn It Around
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schmidzy
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#5

Post by schmidzy »

Beamed up, with some discord help to tie up loose ends. Funnily enough, I did think of a Hail Mary and it turned out to be correct!
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DCBilly
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#6

Post by DCBilly »

On the board at #27, non-solo. Just drafting off of AJK's mad skills.
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DrTom
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#7

Post by DrTom »

Well either I got tremendously lucky and saw what I needed to do immediately (actually it was what I wanted to submit the minute I saw the puzzle but my OCD won't let me do that), or I have found the most amazing rabbit hole ever. I am concerned about something, particularly since this is a week 4 and should not have been as quick as it was, but I submitted anyway. I guess I will soon know if I am in or not. Given that there are very few solvers I am going to assume I am not, but I can certainly argue what I answered. Plus if it is not it I am DYING to see what is and how one got there.
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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boharr
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#8

Post by boharr »

Boosters got me beamed up.
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ship4u
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#9

Post by ship4u »

Finally got it. Awaiting beamage. A week 6 grid (IMHO) had me stumped for most of the day.
Don & Cynthia

We are always happy to get to know other muggles and help in any way! PM's are always welcome. The next best thing to winning a mug is helping a fellow muggle win a mug!
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woozy
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#10

Post by woozy »

Meta? I can't even complete the grid.
Funny story. I was all set to enter Par for the course for the CrossHare midi contest for April but I mistakenly thought midi meant 7x 7 and not 11 x 11. Oops. Well.... Here's a complex but **small** meta on the subject of golf.
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markhr
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#11

Post by markhr »

Some brute force, a little back-solving, and I am in at #24. Tough one.
Who besides Gaffney even thinks of something like this?
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lbray53
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#12

Post by lbray53 »

Beamed. Figured out the first three letters early. Spent all day trying to make my guess work out. Finally saw a mechanism that seemed perfect but fell apart. Still missing something but submitted and answer accepted.
My avatar proves that it is sometimes better to be lucky than good!
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KayW
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#13

Post by KayW »

:alien: :flying_saucer: Beaming... but not 100% sure where I'll land.

EDIT: ...on the board!
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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ship4u
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#14

Post by ship4u »

Beamed at #43! Yippee yahoozer!
Don & Cynthia

We are always happy to get to know other muggles and help in any way! PM's are always welcome. The next best thing to winning a mug is helping a fellow muggle win a mug!
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Meg
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#15

Post by Meg »

Beamed up at #25. I’m looking forward to the full explanation.
Check out and support http://CrosswordsForCancer.com.
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SamKat9
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#16

Post by SamKat9 »

Awaiting beam...I have something that really feels like the answer but I only kinda sorta understand the mechanism, I think. Or I could be completely wrong, we'll see.

Edit: Beamed! Looking forward to the reveal.
Last edited by SamKat9 on Sun Jan 28, 2024 7:58 am, edited 1 time in total.
Shannon 🐱
PS: If you want help with a meta, PM what you have so I can help without spoiling too much. I've received lots of help in the beginning and I love to pay it forward!
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#17

Post by benchen71 »

Awaiting the beam... [thanks to a discord group-solve effort!]

... and I'm beamed at #54. :D
Last edited by benchen71 on Sun Jan 28, 2024 3:14 pm, 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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MikeyG
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#18

Post by MikeyG »

lbray53 wrote: ↑Sat Jan 27, 2024 6:53 pm Finally saw a mechanism that seemed perfect but fell apart. Still missing something but submitted and answer accepted.
I might be at the same place as you, post-beamage. Fun one, though, nonetheless!
Less cross words, more crosswords.

Solve my latest "Pun of a Kind" Meta!: 91. You'll Turn It Around
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HeadinHome
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#19

Post by HeadinHome »

Meg wrote: ↑Sat Jan 27, 2024 8:51 pm Beamed up at #25. I’m looking forward to the full explanation.
What she said. Saw it quickly but had a small glitch… submitted anyway after confirming with another solver. Will be interested to learn what explains the glitch.

Hardest grid in a looong time.
The other Wendy. :roll:
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woozy
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#20

Post by woozy »

Weird got seven or eight completely unrelated rabbit holes that all go nowhere and lack consistamcy but most of seem too much for coincidence.

It's rare the I see so much that just nothing goes with nothing. Utterly lost.
Funny story. I was all set to enter Par for the course for the CrossHare midi contest for April but I mistakenly thought midi meant 7x 7 and not 11 x 11. Oops. Well.... Here's a complex but **small** meta on the subject of golf.
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