"Christmas In July" by benchen71

Can you storm the castle by getting across the MOAT? A weekly meta crossword constructed by forum member Ben (aka benchen71). These metas range from relatively easy to more challenging, depending on how many Australianisms he puts in them! Puzzles are posted in a new thread every Tuesday, with nudges appearing on Saturdays, and the solution coming out on Mondays. (At least, that's the plan. Given he lives in Australia, and they are so far ahead of the US time-zone-wise, things may get posted early!)
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benchen71
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#21

Post by benchen71 »

An auspicious milestone on Crosshare: :D

Image 001.png
Check out "The MOAT MEOW Mashup Pack" here. US$10 for 14 metas that don't always abide by the "rules" of the game: asymmetry, 2-letter words, uncrossed letters, who knows. And this time there's a mega-meta! :shock:
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benchen71
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#22

Post by benchen71 »

We still have a few hours until the end of the first 24 hours, but so far we have 37 solvers happily celebrating Christmas in July!

Schmeel
Laura M
Cindy Heisler
Cindy Weatherman
madhatter5
Meg
boharr
ChemBrewer
Wendy S HeadinHome
Hector
I K Snamhcok
Paul S
DIS
Tom Wilson
ajk
DebbieC
Dave C
Capn Rick
emmie
Tyrpmom
LindaPRmaven
woozy
Golem
whimsy
KayW
schmidzy
Gutman
CromsFury
kymike
ImOnToo
Jeremy Smith
ReB
Andrew Bradburn
Qmark
BarbaraK
Lobsterboys
CPJohnson

Well done everyone! If you happen to be sweltering through an uncomfortably hot summer, I trust that thinking about snow, hot buttered rum, and mulled wine is proving helpful. ;)
Check out "The MOAT MEOW Mashup Pack" here. US$10 for 14 metas that don't always abide by the "rules" of the game: asymmetry, 2-letter words, uncrossed letters, who knows. And this time there's a mega-meta! :shock:
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DrTom
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Joined: Sat Apr 20, 2019 6:46 pm
Location: Jacksonville, FL

#23

Post by DrTom »

Wow, after having the answer within moments of completing the grid I spent a full 24 hours trying to find another one that did not exist. I know someone here has the motto “overthinking is my superpower “ but I’m willing to challenge!

MOAT crossed, thanks Ben, time for a hot Toddy (I’ve already had a hot Tommy when I was working in the yard)
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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Dplass
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Joined: Sat Dec 28, 2019 10:09 am

#24

Post by Dplass »

Got a shove from @DrTom, thank you. And thanks Ben for the puzzle.
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benchen71
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#25

Post by benchen71 »

Coming up on the end of the second period of 24 hours, and here are the new solvers:

Bbaack
adamthedog
kieranjboyd
DrTom
Johnny Luau
Mr Tex
markhr
dplass
zonkswonk
swagdude
shalmanezer

We're up to 48 now. Keep 'em coming!
Check out "The MOAT MEOW Mashup Pack" here. US$10 for 14 metas that don't always abide by the "rules" of the game: asymmetry, 2-letter words, uncrossed letters, who knows. And this time there's a mega-meta! :shock:
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vandono
Posts: 245
Joined: Sun Dec 26, 2021 7:15 pm
Location: Texas

#26

Post by vandono »

I'm told by a very cross hare that I've crossed the moat. Hanging my stocking on the mantle. Very Merry Christmas, Ben!
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benchen71
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#27

Post by benchen71 »

It's Saturday morning in Australia, and that can only mean two things...

First, a solver update:

Joe
lbray53
Chris B
vandono
hashbrown
maturin
frostyjhammer

which brings us to 55.
Check out "The MOAT MEOW Mashup Pack" here. US$10 for 14 metas that don't always abide by the "rules" of the game: asymmetry, 2-letter words, uncrossed letters, who knows. And this time there's a mega-meta! :shock:
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#28

Post by benchen71 »

Second, some nudges!

1. There is one major hint in the grid: 61 across, which references a famous Arabic book.

2. Did three of the clues/entries seem strange? Were these entries the three longest words in the grid? What would make these entries make more sense?

3. There are additional entries that fit with the theme to provide confirmation.
Check out "The MOAT MEOW Mashup Pack" here. US$10 for 14 metas that don't always abide by the "rules" of the game: asymmetry, 2-letter words, uncrossed letters, who knows. And this time there's a mega-meta! :shock:
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Darth
Posts: 777
Joined: Sat May 15, 2021 6:51 pm
Location: Champaign, IL

#29

Post by Darth »

Late to the (Christmas) party!...Didn't need any nudges to cross the moat -- the hint in the grid made solving easy. ;)

Happy Christmas, Ben! From Santa...Monica, CA
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#30

Post by benchen71 »

Before the answer reveal, here are the last-minute Christmas in July attendees:

Dow Jones
beth
CB
Spid4567
BrennerTJ
Darth
Carolyn
edestlin

for a grand total of 63.
Check out "The MOAT MEOW Mashup Pack" here. US$10 for 14 metas that don't always abide by the "rules" of the game: asymmetry, 2-letter words, uncrossed letters, who knows. And this time there's a mega-meta! :shock:
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benchen71
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#31

Post by benchen71 »

Here's the answer and explanation for "Christmas In July":

Christmas In July (solution).png

Goodness, I went back and forth on whether to change the meta prompt from "seasonal song" to "Christmas song". After all, the whole point of celebrating Christmas in July is to make the most of the cold weather, not for any religious significance. But in the end I left it as I had originally constructed it. Hope that didn't lead you astray!

Then again, it shouldn't have been a difficult meta. There were three obvious themers that should have been enough to derive the answer, with 6 theme-supporting entries for those with eyes to see, and a hint to boot.

And now I think it's time for some mulled wine... :D
Check out "The MOAT MEOW Mashup Pack" here. US$10 for 14 metas that don't always abide by the "rules" of the game: asymmetry, 2-letter words, uncrossed letters, who knows. And this time there's a mega-meta! :shock:
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kurtalert
Posts: 134
Joined: Tue Apr 05, 2022 3:02 pm
Location: Chicagoland

#32

Post by kurtalert »

New solver here; I found a not-terribly convoluted way to another answer: The First Noel.

There are 2 clues in the puzzle where you substituted N for the full AND- His N Hers and Nice N Easy. So, you’ve left out AD- there’s NO AD. Combined that with the IOOI clue- A and D being the first and fourth letters of the alphabet- if you reference each letter as an On/Off switch (1/0) you can easily see 1001 as saying- A and D are part of this meta- it made me think I was clearly on the right path with the AD thing.

Then, 56D essentially offers an easy translation from AD to EL - a building ADdition is also known as an ELl… so now I’ve turned NO AD into NOEL. Thus, The First Noel.

A bit of a stretch, for sure, and given the limited number of clues for the meta in my version, I probably should have abandoned that idea- but I’m convinced that it’s not a terrible answer!

Fun puzzle- even if I went down the totally wrong path for the meta. Thanks!
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#33

Post by benchen71 »

Thanks, @kurtalert, you've come up with a fiendish metanism that would make for a great puzzle!
Check out "The MOAT MEOW Mashup Pack" here. US$10 for 14 metas that don't always abide by the "rules" of the game: asymmetry, 2-letter words, uncrossed letters, who knows. And this time there's a mega-meta! :shock:
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