"Mind The Gaps" 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!)
Post Reply
User avatar
edestlin
Posts: 239
Joined: Sun Apr 10, 2022 9:22 am
Location: Michigan
Contact:
Contact edestlin

#21

Post by edestlin »

Across the moat! Smooth and fun, thanks!
Top
User avatar
benchen71
Posts: 2422
Joined: Thu Jul 22, 2021 8:50 pm
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Contact:
Contact benchen71

#22

Post by benchen71 »

Here's a solver update for you:

Gutman
Ergcat
JeffsPuzzles
shalmanezer
The Hooking Post
woozy
Slime Hudson
Porcos
DrTom
Qmark
Johnny Luau
markhr
Lobsterboys
edestlin

We're up to 48. By the way, I'm keeping a list of "possible alternate answers", so if you have one make a comment on Crosshare and I'll add it to the list.
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:
Top
User avatar
DrTom
Posts: 3777
Joined: Sat Apr 20, 2019 6:46 pm
Location: Jacksonville, FL

#23

Post by DrTom »

Crossed the Moat on stones (and NO Stones is not the recording artist) carefully minding the gaps. By the way, did anyone notice the very nice Easter egg Ben included?

Well played sir, well played!
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!
Top
User avatar
woozy
Posts: 2193
Joined: Mon Aug 10, 2020 12:40 am

#24

Post by woozy »

DrTom wrote: ↑Wed Oct 05, 2022 5:48 pm . By the way, did anyone notice the very nice Easter egg Ben included?
I think I've been too confused and distracted wondering why he would think have heard "Mind the Gap" is something to be fortunate or lucky to have experienced.
Funny story. I was all set to enter Par for the course for the CrossHare midi contest for April but I mistakenly thought midi meant 7x 7 and not 11 x 11. Oops. Well.... Here's a complex but **small** meta on the subject of golf.
Top
User avatar
ajk
Posts: 951
Joined: Mon Dec 21, 2020 4:22 pm
Location: Colorado

#25

Post by ajk »

DrTom wrote: ↑Wed Oct 05, 2022 5:48 pm By the way, did anyone notice the very nice Easter egg Ben included?
Not sure if it's what you're referencing, but I did just notice something I'd missed before that significantly increases both the elegance and difficulty of the construction. And I thought it was nifty *before* :lol:
Check out this very cool project by many of your favorite muggles to raise money to fight cancer. You get a fun puzzle bundle and good causes get $. Win-win: Crosswords for Cancer
Top
User avatar
ReB
Posts: 671
Joined: Sun Mar 29, 2020 9:34 pm
Location: East Tennessee

#26

Post by ReB »

Crossed the moat today after I finally pronounced the password as "shibboleth" instead of "sibboleth" to the crossing guard!
Top
User avatar
benchen71
Posts: 2422
Joined: Thu Jul 22, 2021 8:50 pm
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Contact:
Contact benchen71

#27

Post by benchen71 »

Things are ticking over nicely. Here's the latest group of successful solvers:

Sharkicicles
HeadinHome
Spid4567
Wally
zonkswonk
Rufus T Firefly
kurtalert
Mr Tex
JM
Carolyn
ReB

We're up to 59 now.
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:
Top
User avatar
benchen71
Posts: 2422
Joined: Thu Jul 22, 2021 8:50 pm
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Contact:
Contact benchen71

#28

Post by benchen71 »

I'm going to release the nudges early. Two more solvers to add before I do that:

Frisco17
Meredith DeCarlo
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:
Top
User avatar
benchen71
Posts: 2422
Joined: Thu Jul 22, 2021 8:50 pm
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Contact:
Contact benchen71

#29

Post by benchen71 »

And then here are the nudges:

Nudges, in order of increasing blatancy:

1. If you follow the clues, you will be left with four gaps in the grid.

2. What single letter will fill these 4 gaps?

3. The numbers of these gaps are not coincidental.

4. You need to think of an artist's name that is phonetically suggested by what you did to fill the gaps. (The numbers may help you, following another hint given in the grid.)
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:
Top
User avatar
benchen71
Posts: 2422
Joined: Thu Jul 22, 2021 8:50 pm
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Contact:
Contact benchen71

#30

Post by benchen71 »

Monday morning, here in Australia, which means it's time for the answer reveal. But first, the last tranche of successful solvers:

SeamusOL
Byron
incandenzant
CPJohnson
Dawn Landry
ellequin
MrTheHan
Darrell
Michael Epstein

That's 68 all told. And now on to the answer...
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:
Top
User avatar
benchen71
Posts: 2422
Joined: Thu Jul 22, 2021 8:50 pm
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Contact:
Contact benchen71

#31

Post by benchen71 »

Here's the solution to "Mind The Gaps":

Mind The Gaps (solution).png

I constructed this puzzle in the aftermath of having not gotten the answer to MMMM's January 2022 puzzle, "Just A Number". As I said in my comment at the time, "I'm seriously disappointed I didn't get this one. No excuse really, other than I just didn't connect the numbers to 'age', despite the puzzle's title." So I thought I would see if I could construct a puzzle with ADELE as the answer. And this was the result!

Possible alternate answers suggested by solvers:
  • Elton John ("L TO JOIN") - DrTom / Ergcat
  • Pharrell ("FOUR L") - Qmark / Kurtalert
  • Ellen Whyte ("L IN") - hoover
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:
Top
Post Reply

Return to “Benchen71's Metas on a Tuesday (MOAT)”