MEOW #18: A Chat with the Cheshire Cat

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
Posts: 673
Joined: Sun Sep 27, 2020 1:48 pm

MEOW #18: A Chat with the Cheshire Cat

#1

Post by madhatter5 »

Alice is being held prisoner in Wonderland by the Queen of Hearts. On Tuesday, if Alice can't escape, the Queen will chop off her head.


However, being a fan of puzzles, the Queen gives Alice a fair chance. She provides Alice with an American-style crossword puzzle* and a curious little rhyme. If Alice can use these to figure out the five-letter password, she may go free.


Alice asks you to help her. Can you save Alice?


https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/ ... sp=sharing
http://crossword.info/madhatter5/A_Chat ... eshire_Cat



NOTE: IN ADDITION TO THE CROSSWORD, YOU NEED THE QUEEN'S RHYME WHICH CAN BE FOUND IN THE GOOGLE DRIVE TO SOLVE THE META


Good luck!



* This is of course impossible, since crossword puzzles have not yet been invented, but seeing as Alice has not yet breakfasted she is prepared to believe as many as six impossible things.





Kitten

Calico

Persian

Puma

Lion
Last edited by madhatter5 on Thu Apr 01, 2021 9:01 am, edited 2 times in total.
https://pandorasblocks.org/crosswords-for-cancer
User avatar
whimsy
Posts: 2718
Joined: Sun Jun 21, 2020 9:51 am
Location: Hopkinton MA

#3

Post by whimsy »

Looks like we've been invited to a Mad Tea Party --
Captureimalittleteapot.JPG
madhatter5
Posts: 673
Joined: Sun Sep 27, 2020 1:48 pm

#4

Post by madhatter5 »

Hi all, the clue for 1A is incorrect because I've clearly forgotten all my high school Spanish. It should be "Week in Tijuana". Sorry!
https://pandorasblocks.org/crosswords-for-cancer
User avatar
whimsy
Posts: 2718
Joined: Sun Jun 21, 2020 9:51 am
Location: Hopkinton MA

#5

Post by whimsy »

Gak! -- I missed another one -- sorry!
(I wonder if Julius LaRosa sang Manana?)

Also, I told Josh that this one was a "panther"for me -- I can't even keep my aminals straight!
User avatar
boharr
Moderator
Posts: 3182
Joined: Fri Sep 06, 2019 8:57 am
Location: Westchester, NY

#6

Post by boharr »

whimsy wrote: Wed Mar 31, 2021 2:16 pm Gak! -- I missed another one -- sorry!
(I wonder if Julius LaRosa sang Manana?)

Also, I told Josh that this one was a "panther"for me -- I can't even keep my aminals straight!
What are the cat rankings again? I keep forgetting.
User avatar
Hector
Posts: 1297
Joined: Thu Apr 11, 2019 8:15 pm
Location: San Francisco
Contact:

#7

Post by Hector »

Very fun, and kind of amazing.
madhatter5
Posts: 673
Joined: Sun Sep 27, 2020 1:48 pm

#8

Post by madhatter5 »

boharr wrote: Wed Mar 31, 2021 2:19 pm
whimsy wrote: Wed Mar 31, 2021 2:16 pm Gak! -- I missed another one -- sorry!
(I wonder if Julius LaRosa sang Manana?)

Also, I told Josh that this one was a "panther"for me -- I can't even keep my aminals straight!
What are the cat rankings again? I keep forgetting.
Kitten

Calico

Persian

Puma

Lion


Are you guys finding the ranking system confusing? If so I can switch to the Gaffney or KAS scale instead.
https://pandorasblocks.org/crosswords-for-cancer
User avatar
boharr
Moderator
Posts: 3182
Joined: Fri Sep 06, 2019 8:57 am
Location: Westchester, NY

#9

Post by boharr »

madhatter5 wrote: Wed Mar 31, 2021 5:09 pm
boharr wrote: Wed Mar 31, 2021 2:19 pm
whimsy wrote: Wed Mar 31, 2021 2:16 pm Gak! -- I missed another one -- sorry!
(I wonder if Julius LaRosa sang Manana?)

Also, I told Josh that this one was a "panther"for me -- I can't even keep my aminals straight!
What are the cat rankings again? I keep forgetting.
Kitten

Calico

Persian

Puma

Lion


Are you guys finding the ranking system confusing? If so I can switch to the Gaffney or KAS scale instead.
I like the cats. Why not put a boilerplate line at the bottom of each puzzle’s intro and just bolding the proper level for that particular puzzle?
Last edited by boharr on Wed Mar 31, 2021 8:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
ChrisKochmanski
Posts: 2157
Joined: Tue Apr 09, 2019 9:51 pm
Location: Saline, Michigan

#10

Post by ChrisKochmanski »

My vote: Keep the cats. Helps to make MEOW distinctive.

Now back to solving! (More like muddling around, so far. Though intriguing!)
User avatar
BrennerTJ
Posts: 433
Joined: Sun Jan 31, 2021 2:54 pm
Location: Chicago suburbs

#11

Post by BrennerTJ »

I think I've released Alice from the bag (or was she being held prisoner somewhere else?)...

I also like the cat ratings.
-Tamara
User avatar
jhseeman
Posts: 487
Joined: Sun Dec 13, 2020 3:33 pm
Location: Charleston, SC

#12

Post by jhseeman »

keep the cat ratings, although the male lion is a bit of a lazy sh!t in real life so maybe lioness or Tiger, maybe a sabertooth.

Now back to running into dead ends....damn cat.
madhatter5
Posts: 673
Joined: Sun Sep 27, 2020 1:48 pm

#13

Post by madhatter5 »

boharr wrote: Wed Mar 31, 2021 6:24 pm
madhatter5 wrote: Wed Mar 31, 2021 5:09 pm
boharr wrote: Wed Mar 31, 2021 2:19 pm

What are the cat rankings again? I keep forgetting.
Kitten

Calico

Persian

Puma

Lion


Are you guys finding the ranking system confusing? If so I can switch to the Gaffney or KAS scale instead.
I like the cats. Why not put a boilerplate line at the bottom of each puzzle’s intro and just bolding the proper level for that particular puzzle?
Oh nice idea - I'll do that!
https://pandorasblocks.org/crosswords-for-cancer
User avatar
KayW
Moderator
Posts: 3124
Joined: Wed Apr 10, 2019 12:10 am
Location: Chicago

#14

Post by KayW »

I'm still neck-deep in the litter box on this one.

Josh, I also did not manage to solve your "Dr. Tom" cryptic before you changed your signature... could you possibly repost it or send it to me? I may need a nudge/spoiler on THAT, too LOL. I think I used up all my meta mojo earlier this week.

p.s. I also vote - keep the kitties!
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.
User avatar
boharr
Moderator
Posts: 3182
Joined: Fri Sep 06, 2019 8:57 am
Location: Westchester, NY

#15

Post by boharr »

Cat is out of the bag. Tricky one.
madhatter5
Posts: 673
Joined: Sun Sep 27, 2020 1:48 pm

#16

Post by madhatter5 »

KayW wrote: Thu Apr 01, 2021 2:10 pm I'm still neck-deep in the litter box on this one.

Josh, I also did not manage to solve your "Dr. Tom" cryptic before you changed your signature... could you possibly repost it or send it to me? I may need a nudge/spoiler on THAT, too LOL. I think I used up all my meta mojo earlier this week.

p.s. I also vote - keep the kitties!

Sorry! Changed it back. And the kitties will be kept by popular demand!
https://pandorasblocks.org/crosswords-for-cancer
User avatar
Meg
Posts: 2136
Joined: Tue Apr 09, 2019 1:41 pm
Location: St. Petersburg, FL

#17

Post by Meg »

This one took awhile. But finally, the kitty has shredded the bag. This was after delivering a decapitated lizard to the welcome mat at the front door.
Check out and support http://CrosswordsForCancer.com.
User avatar
oldjudge
Posts: 1623
Joined: Fri Apr 19, 2019 4:16 am
Location: Pasadena, CA

#18

Post by oldjudge »

Cat out of the bag (no felines slain) with a nudge. Very creative puzzle.
User avatar
ChrisKochmanski
Posts: 2157
Joined: Tue Apr 09, 2019 9:51 pm
Location: Saline, Michigan

#19

Post by ChrisKochmanski »

Cat evicted. Though I needed a nudge.

Fun!
madhatter5
Posts: 673
Joined: Sun Sep 27, 2020 1:48 pm

#20

Post by madhatter5 »

Nudge Saturday! First I will give a nudge in the style of Bird Lives:


port.jpg
man.jpg
toe.jpg




And now for some normal spoilers:


I wish Carroll had added a character named Hector the Health Inspector

For each of the five theme entries you need to obtain one letter from the Queen's Rhyme corresponding to that entry.

Synonyms are involved
Last edited by madhatter5 on Mon Apr 05, 2021 1:43 am, edited 1 time in total.
https://pandorasblocks.org/crosswords-for-cancer
Locked