#25 - "Apple-Pie Order"

Published weekly by expert constructor Peter Gordon, the Fireball crossword is famous for being hard. How hard? Well, in the words of Peter Gordon, if you need to ask, too hard for you! It is not regularly a meta crossword, but does feature a contest or meta puzzle several times throughout the year. Available here for a subscription: http://www.fireballcrosswords.com
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BrianMac
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#25 - "Apple-Pie Order"

#1

Post by BrianMac »

New Fireball contest by Peter Gordon.

The prompt asks What thing associated with the United States is hinted at by this puzzle?

The deadline is 6 p.m. (Eastern time) on Sunday, June 21.

Enjoy and good luck!
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Hector
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#2

Post by Hector »

Fun. There was a similar mechanism in some puzzle a ways back...
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oldjudge
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#3

Post by oldjudge »

Got it, with a confirmation I was on the right path. I thought it was a really neat puzzle with plenty of potential rabbit holes.
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Cindy
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#4

Post by Cindy »

Solved
Tina
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#5

Post by Tina »

Enjoyed this one! Just the right amount of challenge!
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ChrisKochmanski
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#6

Post by ChrisKochmanski »

Got it!
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Beth Tyrpin
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#7

Post by Beth Tyrpin »

Sent in an answer with less than 100% confidence.
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Abide
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#8

Post by Abide »

I carried this grid around town in my back pocket for last two days. Lasered in on it this afternoon. A very satisfactory solve.
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Al Sisti
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#9

Post by Al Sisti »

...still fighting it. Your back pocket, you say?
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RPardoe
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#10

Post by RPardoe »

Puzzle has been sitting on my desk taunting me as I work on other metas.
Looked at it this morning, and the light goes on - and solved. (No doubt about the solution in my mind.)
RunRuskyRun
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#11

Post by RunRuskyRun »

Forgot about this until last night (has anybody else suddenly been receiving their Fireball emails to a hidden gmail filter?). THIS. This is the sort of "Am I having a paranoid psychotic break?" stuff I subscribe for.
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#12

Post by RunRuskyRun »

RPardoe wrote: Sat Jun 20, 2020 2:57 pm Puzzle has been sitting on my desk taunting me as I work on other metas.
Looked at it this morning, and the light goes on - and solved. (No doubt about the solution in my mind.)
Hey wait, that's you. Congrats!
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BrianMac
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#13

Post by BrianMac »

Congrats!! That's two Muggles in a row winning Fireball. And two in a row I didn't solve! :(
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RPardoe
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#14

Post by RPardoe »

RunRuskyRun wrote: Sun Jun 21, 2020 6:07 pm
RPardoe wrote: Sat Jun 20, 2020 2:57 pm Puzzle has been sitting on my desk taunting me as I work on other metas.
Looked at it this morning, and the light goes on - and solved. (No doubt about the solution in my mind.)
Hey wait, that's you. Congrats!
Thanks...was pleasantly surprised when I got the email from Peter Gordon with the news.
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Beth Tyrpin
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#15

Post by Beth Tyrpin »

No wonder I didn’t like the answer I got. Nevada has VA inside. Delaware has LA inside. Maine has Indiana inside. The highways that connect the pairs in order are 70, 81 and 90. Interstate Highway System. And, that’s why saying it’s a 100% answer is a spoiler. If anyone had said it I would have known I was wrong.
Congratulations RPardoe.
RunRuskyRun
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#16

Post by RunRuskyRun »

Nebraska...
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Beth Tyrpin
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#17

Post by Beth Tyrpin »

A little salt in my wounds. I didn’t even realize I had the wrong abbreviation for Nevada. Hilarious. When I drop the ball I go big!
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