#678 - “Ad Campaign”

An excellent puzzle written by one of the innovators of the meta crossword format. It comes out every Friday at noon and increases in difficulty throughout the month. Available for modest subscription (worth every cent) here: www.xwordcontest.com
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Joe Ross
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#678 - “Ad Campaign”

#1

Post by Joe Ross »

MGWCC #678 — Saturday, May 29th, 2021 — “Ad Campaign”

THIS WEEK’S INSTRUCTIONS:

This week’s contest answer is an eight-letter word whose last letter is A.

NOTE: Due to the late publication, the deadline for this puzzle is Wednesday, June 2nd at noon ET.

Solve well, and be not led astray by words intended to deceive.
docison
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#2

Post by docison »

I've submitted. Fingers crossed. Liked this one, a bit more approachable than some week 4s.

EDITED: On the board. Sadly missed the top 10 by one spot (will blame it on my kids - we were playing Ticket to Ride when the puzzle came out!).
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ky-mike
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#3

Post by ky-mike »

Took me a while, but am confident that I will be on the board soon. Learned a new word as well (at least one).

Edit - on the board.
Last edited by ky-mike on Sat May 29, 2021 1:56 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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tonyrobots
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#4

Post by tonyrobots »

Matt, you're killing me with the oversized grids lately! About to dig in now, wish me luck.
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DrTom
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Location: Jacksonville, FL

#5

Post by DrTom »

I think I know what to do, I just have to figure out how to do it!
NUDGES!I am always willing to give nudges where needed; metas should be about fun, not frustration. Send me what you have done so far because often you are closer than you think!
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BarbaraK
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#6

Post by BarbaraK »

Hmm. I've got an eight-letter word whose last letter is A. And I'm confident in the path that got me this far. But I'm not seeing the bow on top to tie it all up. No wrong answers yet, so this is probably it, but I think I'll wait a bit and take another look before submitting.
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Meg
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#7

Post by Meg »

Got a great start and then spent an hour in the dank emptiness of a why-doesn’t-this-work tunnel. Backed out slowly, took a deep breath and scrambled down the correct rabbit hole. It’s a relief to have this one done.
Check out and support http://CrosswordsForCancer.com.
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Dannyvee
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#8

Post by Dannyvee »

Beamed up!
I can be found in Sheridan, NY, veejaying. (8)
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HeadinHome
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#9

Post by HeadinHome »

BarbaraK wrote: Sat May 29, 2021 1:56 pm Hmm. I've got an eight-letter word whose last letter is A. And I'm confident in the path that got me this far. But I'm not seeing the bow on top to tie it all up. No wrong answers yet, so this is probably it, but I think I'll wait a bit and take another look before submitting.
I would describe my position as exactly the same, but maybe less confident of my final answer. I want to find the perfect thing to confirm it, and have used about ALL my college education to explore it (learning a lot online!) but cannot nail it for sure. May run my answer by someone who is confirmed after a while so I can do something else with this Saturday!
The other Wendy. :roll:
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tonyrobots
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#10

Post by tonyrobots »

[Redacted as possible (though improbable!) spoiler.]

Edit: Beamed up! It’s a good one, though still a bit confounded. Look forward to the discussion after the deadline…
Last edited by tonyrobots on Sat May 29, 2021 8:13 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Joe
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#11

Post by Joe »

I felt the same (I think) uncertainties that several of you have expressed (BarbaraK, HeadinHome, tonyrobots). I went ahead and submitted and I'm happy to be safely beamed aboard.
Happy to give nudges. If you notice I've solved, please tell me about avenues you've explored so I can nudge you in the right direction and not off a cliff.
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oldjudge
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#12

Post by oldjudge »

Neat puzzle, and worth the wait. Hope everyone has a fun, safe, Memorial Day weekend.
markhr
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#13

Post by markhr »

Quite a workout, but I am beamed up.
Excellent week 4 challenge.
stmv
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#14

Post by stmv »

I am beamed up now, despite a late start. As week 4's go, this one was maybe a bit easier than I feared. I was able to get a toe hold pretty fast, but then was stymied for a while, until I stared harder at the title and the rest of it came to me.

(Edited to add: I was in the same camp of not seeing why the answer word made sense (but it had to be right, so I submitted and indeed am on the leaderboard). Just now I Googled its definition, and now post facto I see that the answer word does make a lot of sense. This makes me admire the craft of the puzzle even more.)
LesY
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#15

Post by LesY »

Beamed up after what sounds like a common condition (late start).

I really enjoyed this one — I may not have gotten it as easily a year or two ago so the credit goes to volume solving.

There’s something else I want to say but can’t now.
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Cindy
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#16

Post by Cindy »

Solved. I could say more but that would be so not me.
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JordanianTomlinson
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#17

Post by JordanianTomlinson »

Beam me up! Ironically much quicker than the WSJ this week which was a good 36-hour slog for me.
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MajordomoTom
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Location: St. Louis, MO

#18

Post by MajordomoTom »

I'm 99% of the way there, just need some friendly input to confirm I'm ready to beam up.

EDIT: I've transported, not on the board yet, but two here have confirmed I had the right answer.

EDIT #2, on at # 67.

Thx all, have a good weekend.
Last edited by MajordomoTom on Sat May 29, 2021 5:33 pm, edited 2 times in total.
"Lots of planets have a North", the Ninth Doctor.
dudeski
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#19

Post by dudeski »

Submitted and awaiting confirmation.

Beam me up.
Last edited by dudeski on Sat May 29, 2021 5:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.
minimuggle
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#20

Post by minimuggle »

I submitted. Hope I'm right. Loved the "aha" moment on this one. Happy Memorial Day
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