#684 - "Seeing Double"

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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AnswerPfinder
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#61

Post by AnswerPfinder »

Beam me up! Really enjoyed this puzzle from Malaika!

Funny to see so many comments from people that struggled with the grid, I breezed right through. I guess you all now have a sense of what the WSJ grid normally feels like for me! LOL
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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FrankieHeck
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#62

Post by FrankieHeck »

AnswerPfinder wrote: Sat Jul 10, 2021 9:06 pm Beam me up! Really enjoyed this puzzle from Malaika!

Funny to see so many comments from people that struggled with the grid, I breezed right through. I guess you all now have a sense of what the WSJ grid normally feels like for me! LOL
I actually found it a much smoother solve than normal, too. Which is weird, because I am not exactly a spring chicken. I am immature, though, so maybe that helped.
bradisbrad
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#63

Post by bradisbrad »

Beam me up! Now if I could just be dropped off at the beach, that'd be neat.
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ky-mike
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#64

Post by ky-mike »

I must be making the meta much harder than I should be based on number of solves and comments here. No real issues with the grid. I have explored a couple of rabbit holes, but all dead ends so far. A bit more time to play with this, but if anyone wants to debug my thoughts so far, feel free do DM me.
Orsys
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#65

Post by Orsys »

I see some things, but nothing is taking me anywhere at this point. If I can run this by anyone, please private message me.
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KayW
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#66

Post by KayW »

Abide wrote: Sat Jul 10, 2021 5:43 pm Enjoyed the guest meta and cluing difficulty change-up. But how did 53-A "Singer DiFranco" sneak in there over Rachel McAdams' "True Detective" character? Guess she threw us a bone.

@Bob cruise director, you need to DM @malisolves and ask her to ELI5.
Yet another TIL. (Which itself was a TIL at that time). Such an educational forum :nerd_face:
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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DrTom
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#67

Post by DrTom »

WOW, what a fantastic puzzle. I went down sooooo many rabbit holes until, by chance, I saw what might be an avenue and darned if it didn't turn out to be. Kudos to Malika, me likea!

Fire up that transporter please - not confirmed but I feel VERY confident. EDIT: #319 WooHoo

Oh, and my attempt at Sunday humor....
Bishop moves diagonally.jpg
Last edited by DrTom on Sun Jul 11, 2021 4:59 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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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DrTom
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#68

Post by DrTom »

Barney wrote: Sat Jul 10, 2021 3:44 pm
DrTom wrote: Sat Jul 10, 2021 12:21 pm Well darn, I got through the grid (with lots of guessing and more than a modicum of Google) but alas no "and then I saw it immediately". I am quite literally META blind this week-end. I must have quite a ways to go because TIL nothing abut solving. (though I did learn a lot about things I didn't know)
If Dr Tom can’t get it, I bail.
No Barney don't bail - I am DISTINCTLY not the person to base your "should I continue" decision on. If it is Al Sisti or Hector or any of a number of others, then yes, but not me.

I asked my Magic 8 Ball the other day; "Will I ever get good at solving metas?". Unfortunately it gave me the same answer as for the Nobel Prize, Tony, MVP, People's Sexiest Man Alive List questions...."As I see it NO!" (and then it quietly chuckled and rolled into the corner).

I finally DID get it, keep trying.
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!
Verisimilitude
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#69

Post by Verisimilitude »

Done. Fun.
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DrTom
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#70

Post by DrTom »

Abide wrote: Sat Jul 10, 2021 5:43 pm @Bob cruise director, you need to DM @malisolves and ask her to ELI5.
Et tu Petrus?

IAIDGMOTA, EWTHOG

T
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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ky-mike
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#71

Post by ky-mike »

ky-mike wrote: Sun Jul 11, 2021 11:06 am I must be making the meta much harder than I should be based on number of solves and comments here. No real issues with the grid. I have explored a couple of rabbit holes, but all dead ends so far. A bit more time to play with this, but if anyone wants to debug my thoughts so far, feel free do DM me.
After another look, I am confidently submitting my answer.
matt79
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Joined: Mon Jun 21, 2021 2:50 pm

#72

Post by matt79 »

Could someone PM me a gentle starting nudge please? I’ve tried a bunch of approaches and can’t find the first step. Thanks.
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Abide
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#73

Post by Abide »

matt79 wrote: Sun Jul 11, 2021 7:00 pm Could someone PM me a gentle starting nudge please? I’ve tried a bunch of approaches and can’t find the first step. Thanks.
Will do, Mr. Gaffney!
The site is just a web page, a meeting place, a clubhouse - it's the group that's special.
—Brian MacDonald
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Cinny
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#74

Post by Cinny »

Finally got it!! I had no problem with the grid. But struggled with the meta. I really need to learn not to make these harder than they are. I seem to feel the need to explore many rabbit holes before seeing the obvious!!
Cindy Heisler
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auee89
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#75

Post by auee89 »

Finished the grid this morning with a normal amount of Googling for me. TGFG! Meta solved after some over-complicating and reading Cinny's comments. Just stick to the obvious!
Kevin
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SusieG
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#76

Post by SusieG »

I am also “meta blind” this week. Whiffed on the WSJ and have been down so many rabbit holes here, I am seeing double. May need to start over.

The grid was enjoyable for me and I didn’t have to google anything to solve it (I am also 20A). Although many of the answers were filled with their crossing words.
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cbarbee002
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#77

Post by cbarbee002 »

After a weekend of golf (member/guest) and wedding pretty much all day Sunday due to travel, I totally missed the WSJ puzzle, and now just printed the MGWCC - - wish me luck.
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SusieG
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#78

Post by SusieG »

Is anyone willing to help me sort out my rabbit holes? I have several that each end with nada. Thanks,

Thanks to some clarifications and a great hint, I’ve solved it.
Last edited by SusieG on Mon Jul 12, 2021 10:04 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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cbarbee002
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#79

Post by cbarbee002 »

Wow, looked at this thing for an hour and got nadda. Then I decided to do something really, really crazy. I thought, "what could the title mean?". Duh. Submitted, not verified but it's a lock.
burghman
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#80

Post by burghman »

Took DrTom up on the kind offer in his post signatures to give me the slight nudge I needed to cross the finish line - thank you, Dr!
If you see that I’ve completed the MGWCC meta, feel free to DM me and I’ll help you out - nudges, confirmations of paths, etc.
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