MEOW # 4: Books!

A weekly meta crossword on the forum started by member Josh (aka madhatter5). These puzzles are often very creative with solving mechanisms out of the norm and skewing towards the more challenging. Puzzles are posted every Wednesday, and the solution appears the following Tuesday.
madhatter5
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MEOW # 4: Books!

#1

Post by madhatter5 »

Hi all and welcome to the fourth installment of the MEOW!

The answer to this meta is a novel.


http://crossword.info/madhatter5/Books

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/ ... sp=sharing


Good luck!


P.S. I was thinking about introducing a rating scale for these puzzles so solvers have an idea of the difficulty before they start. Something like this:

1) Kitten: Easy peasy.

2) Persian: Somewhere around "Blinded by the Light".

3) Calico: Like a Gaffney week 3, maybe.

4) Puma: You must present two valid forms of ID to try this puzzle. Think "Count Me In".

5) Lion: Puzzles which ought to come with a warning from the Surgeon General (think "On the Rebound").


I thought the scale might also reify the MEOW a bit more. But perhaps it's superfluous given that we already have a KAS scale, and a Gaffney scale, and the rating stars on the thread ... so let me know what you think!

If we do use this scale, "Books!" would be a Persian.
https://pandorasblocks.org/crosswords-for-cancer
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C=64
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#2

Post by C=64 »

I got a jump on this before bedtime PST. I have submitted a "I sorta think this is the answer but it seems a little weird?" guess.

Update: confirmed! ๐Ÿ˜บ
Last edited by C=64 on Wed Dec 23, 2020 11:22 am, edited 2 times in total.
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ChrisKochmanski
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#3

Post by ChrisKochmanski »

Cat's out of the bag. I'm confident, though awaiting confirmation.

I told Josh that I like the rating system, because I like having the constructor's sense of the meta's difficulty -- even if I'd end up assessing it differently. This gives me an idea of how hard I'll probably need to think about the puzzle. Good to know that going in.

The cat theme is fun. I initially thought that Josh would need to remind us of the levels for a while -- as in "Persian (2)" -- but as I write this, I realize that I've already retained the five categories. And it's so clear that, for example, a Puma is much bigger than a Persian.
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Meg
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#4

Post by Meg »

My cat is a bit orange. Apparently, it was a Doritos bag, but he's out! Well, Iโ€™m awaiting confirmation, but feel pretty confident.
Check out and support http://CrosswordsForCancer.com.
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whimsy
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#5

Post by whimsy »

ChrisKochmanski wrote: โ†‘Wed Dec 23, 2020 10:34 am Cat's out of the bag. I'm confident, though awaiting confirmation.

I told Josh that I like the rating system, because I like having the constructor's sense of the meta's difficulty -- even if I'd end up assessing it differently. This gives me an idea of how hard I'll probably need to think about the puzzle. Good to know that going in.

The cat theme is fun. I initially thought that Josh would need to remind us of the levels for a while -- as in "Persian (2)" -- but as I write this, I realize that I've already retained the five categories. And it's so clear that, for example, a Puma is much bigger than a Persian.
When Josh proposed the rating system to me as a test solver, I initially read his comment about "let people know what they're in for" as "... what they're in fur." (Too much in the way of cats and rabbits on the brain!) So that's gonna be the way I think of it now. :)
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boharr
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#6

Post by boharr »

Cat is out of the bag and submitted. Well, my answer was submitted. The cat's just purring.
Edit: Confirmed
Last edited by boharr on Thu Dec 24, 2020 6:59 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Cindy
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#7

Post by Cindy »

Solved
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KayW
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#8

Post by KayW »

Cat's out of the bag, pending confirmation :handbag: :cat:

Edit: Confirmed! :heart_eyes_cat:
Last edited by KayW on Thu Dec 24, 2020 10:02 am, edited 1 time in total.
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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joequavis
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#9

Post by joequavis »

Image
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oldjudge
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#10

Post by oldjudge »

Submittedโ€”not much more to say.๐Ÿ˜•
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RPardoe
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#11

Post by RPardoe »

Ibid - submitted.
Laura M
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#12

Post by Laura M »

Cat's out of the bag (probably)!
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#13

Post by Schmeel »

Cat's out of the bag.
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Wendy Walker
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#14

Post by Wendy Walker »

Submitted and confirmed. My first MEOW solve!
Good luck, fellow Muggles!
Dave C
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#15

Post by Dave C »

The catโ€™s out of the bag. This is easy but only if the novel is familiar to you.
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Joe Ross
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#16

Post by Joe Ross »

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#17

Post by Abide »

Solved and confirmed Madhatter will join next Tuesday's Zoom call. I'm working on Ted Lange for next year.
The site is just a web page, a meeting place, a clubhouse - it's the group that's special.
โ€”Brian MacDonald
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FrankH
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#18

Post by FrankH »

Dave C wrote: โ†‘Thu Dec 24, 2020 7:35 am The catโ€™s out of the bag. This is easy but only if the novel is familiar to you.
Yes, I needed my daughter's help.
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Jaclyn
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#19

Post by Jaclyn »

Cat out of bag. (Two are asleep at my feet. Not sure where the other two are.)
Didn't get it yesterday when I completed the grid, but I had a V8 moment earlier today when I wasn't even looking at the puzzle.
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ReB
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#20

Post by ReB »

The cat is out of the bag and hiding under the sofa. (confirmed)

I wonder if there should be a Cheshire Cat level?

[Original post rewritten]
Last edited by ReB on Sat Dec 26, 2020 9:39 am, edited 1 time in total.
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