MEOW #8: Snake In The Grass

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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Joined: Sun Sep 27, 2020 1:48 pm

#21

Post by madhatter5 »

Solution:

I am proud to say this puzzle breaks a golden rule of cruciverbal construction, namely that the grid ought to be entirely connected. Here, instead, the snake and the blade of grass divide the grid into four quadrants.

Each quadrant is hiding a U-pentomino containing the name of a grassy ecosystem (see picture). The letters contained by these pentominoes spell FEAR, which is the answer.
Attachments
FEAR.PNG
https://pandorasblocks.org/crosswords-for-cancer
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cbarbee002
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#22

Post by cbarbee002 »

Wow, tough one. A Puma for sure!
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ReB
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#23

Post by ReB »

Did finally get it with an extra nudge from the author, with an expected answer.
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Al Sisti
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Location: Whitesboro NY

#24

Post by Al Sisti »

Finding HISS - snaking around the top quadrant - I was hoping the answer was going to be something like HISS-Teria. Spent too much time trying to backsolve. Nice puzzle...
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whimsy
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#25

Post by whimsy »

I was trying for FANGS at one point, based on first letters of acronyms and the Jeb Stuart clue.
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RPardoe
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#26

Post by RPardoe »

I was afraid the puzzle would reinforce hatred to snakes....if I found a snake in the grass (and I have!) my response is one of awe and wonder at such a wonderful creature.
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whimsy
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Location: Hopkinton MA

#27

Post by whimsy »

Each spring, as the weather warms, I make my re-acquaintance with our local garter snake ("Snakey" - how original!) as he finds a place to sun himself. When I do inevitably jump, I always like to say that he didn't scare me, he just startled me. :P
Which is true. And I'm sure I do him!
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