"Purloined Letters"

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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Al Sisti
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Location: Whitesboro NY

"Purloined Letters"

#1

Post by Al Sisti »

Good morning Muggles, and welcome to this special “Christmas Bonus Edition” of MMM. And how about a big hand for Peter Abide’s excellent puzzle, “Twelve Twenty-Six,” 800 years in the making…

This week’s puzzle is a sad one indeed. Millions of kids are NOT going to get what they asked for for Christmas tomorrow, because some nefarious ne’er-do-well stole their letters to Santa! Now, who would do such a thing? No, really; that’s what you’re supposed to solve: “Who would do such a thing?”

Please PM me your solution by 9 PM on Sunday, and as has become our custom, I’ll post a couple snapshots of a leaderboard during the week. And since we will have a regular MMM on Monday –- leaving you only 4 days to save someone’s Christmas -- I will start nudges tomorrow afternoon. I’m calling this one a Week 3 difficulty.

Purloined Letters.pdf

Purloined Letters.puz

Good luck and MMMerry Christmas to all!
madhatter5
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Joined: Sun Sep 27, 2020 1:48 pm

#2

Post by madhatter5 »

I was really hoping 5D would be Bo tree ...
https://pandorasblocks.org/crosswords-for-cancer
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Joe Ross
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Location: Cincinnati

#3

Post by Joe Ross »

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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C=64
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Location: PDX

#4

Post by C=64 »

Just checking in to say I am attacking the grid with a highlighter but haven't yet cracked the chestnut. Or something.

Favorite clues: 15A, 20A, 43A, 52A. Nice misdirection on 57D.
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Bob cruise director
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Location: Any golf course within 500 miles of Littleton MA

#5

Post by Bob cruise director »

I want to know how many muggles go to 1A and how well they do?

And 55D is just a measure of how old we are.

Now on to the meta
Bob Stevens
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Dplass
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Joined: Sat Dec 28, 2019 10:09 am

#6

Post by Dplass »

Bob cruise director wrote: Thu Dec 24, 2020 12:59 pm I want to know how many muggles go to 1A and how well they do?

And 55D is just a measure of how old we are.

Now on to the meta
Re 55D...maybe I'm not old enough then...
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Al Sisti
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Joined: Thu Apr 11, 2019 1:28 pm
Location: Whitesboro NY

#7

Post by Al Sisti »

Okay, it's clearly time for Nudge #1:

you are changing a letter (not necessarily the same one) in five grid entries to S-A-N-T-A. Get it? You're rewriting (existing) letters to SANTA. And that's step 1.
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MajordomoTom
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Joined: Sat Nov 02, 2019 12:09 am
Location: St. Louis, MO

#8

Post by MajordomoTom »

1A - would like to attend one day, even to just be blasted out of the group.

55D - sorry that I know that one - I used to follow it on my two-way wrist radio.
"Lots of planets have a North", the Ninth Doctor.
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Al Sisti
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Location: Whitesboro NY

#9

Post by Al Sisti »

We have our first solver... Congrats FrankieHeck!
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FrankieHeck
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Location: West Virginia

#10

Post by FrankieHeck »

Al Sisti wrote: Fri Dec 25, 2020 1:13 am We have our first solver... Congrats FrankieHeck!
Full disclosure, I did submit an incorrect answer first, tipsy on vodka and Tang, and encouraged by my son to submit. But we all had fun trying to solve it while simultaneously playing Settlers of Catan. Stayed up too late, and for the first time ever, we'll be going to bed before setting out the gifts. But I'm willing to bet we'll be up to take care of it before our (twenty-something) kids.

Edited to clarify that I do not have 20+ kids ;-)
Last edited by FrankieHeck on Fri Dec 25, 2020 11:51 am, edited 1 time in total.
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oldjudge
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Location: Pasadena, CA

#11

Post by oldjudge »

I think I have it but I await confirmation. Another amazing job by Al-his puzzles are both thought provoking and entertaining. Merry Christmas to all!
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Al Sisti
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Location: Whitesboro NY

#12

Post by Al Sisti »

First and foremost, Merry Christmas to you all! Here's the leaderboard so far:

1. Abide (test solving)
2. FrankieHeck
3. oldjudge
4. DJB

And here is Nudge #2:

If you're stuck on which five words need to have a letter changed, here's a hint: With the new letter, they are all synonyms of what took place.
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Joe Ross
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#13

Post by Joe Ross »

Enjoyed the grid & cluing, as always.

Will attack meta, again, tomorrow and hope mine eyes will see the glory. Resisting the nudges, for now, but not too proud to use them, after Round 2.
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!
Dplass
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Joined: Sat Dec 28, 2019 10:09 am

#14

Post by Dplass »

Ugh, I completely misread the spoilers... Lol. People would be quite amused at the mess I made of this grid!
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C=64
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Location: PDX

#15

Post by C=64 »

Solved, after working through some "grr, these nudges still don't help" issues. 😁
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FrankH
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Joined: Sat Apr 13, 2019 4:15 am

#16

Post by FrankH »

I misread the first spoiler to fit the rabbit hole I was in. So I was thinking I already knew that. Not!
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Wendy Walker
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Location: Unionville, PA

#17

Post by Wendy Walker »

Step 1 completed!
Good luck, fellow Muggles!
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Meg
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Joined: Tue Apr 09, 2019 1:41 pm
Location: St. Petersburg, FL

#18

Post by Meg »

I got it, I believe, but with a big load of help. Merry Christmas to all muggles everywhere and to meta constructors who keep us on our toes, on a beach, not in a bag, on the Enterprise, and not on a couch. I think we could make a Dr. Seuss poem out of that.
Check out and support http://CrosswordsForCancer.com.
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Al Sisti
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Location: Whitesboro NY

#19

Post by Al Sisti »

Nudge 3 if anyone needs it:

When you're satisfied that you've made the correct five substitutions, you probably used the most well-known mechanism to get your answer. That didn't work... try the next-most mechanism. You'll know when you've got it.
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BarbaraK
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Location: Virginia

#20

Post by BarbaraK »

I'm off the couch, pending confirmation. Definitely needed the first two nudges.
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