"Fr-r-reezing!" 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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Jeremy Smith
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#21

Post by Jeremy Smith »

Crossed and stormed, but not Fr-r-reezing here today. 81 degrees F. at the moment. Fun one! Thanks, Ben!
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KayW
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#22

Post by KayW »

:crossed_swords: :rabbit: :european_castle: :snowflake: DeMOATed. Fun one, thanks! Now to find the thermostat...
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InAJelly
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Location: Iowa

#23

Post by InAJelly »

MOAT crossed, but not sure how I guessed it exactly. I appreciate any help!
Probably InAJam
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ChrisKochmanski
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#24

Post by ChrisKochmanski »

HeadinHome wrote: Tue Dec 17, 2024 12:50 pm (Brain wipes all meta data outside of 6 months old, apparently. And I am fine with that.)
You remember puzzles for six months?? I seem to forget them in a couple of days!!

But maybe because I do so many. (TOO many??)

Crossed! Stormed!

Thanks as always, Ben!
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DrTom
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#25

Post by DrTom »

Stepped off the golf yacht like a hot-shot, had two martinis and crossed the MOAT - I guess I am bragging?

golf yacht.jpg
(this post may require an explanation for some, if desired, PM me)


Thank you Ben for indulging us super spoiled Muggles with another excellent selection from down under.
Last edited by DrTom on Tue Dec 17, 2024 3:19 pm, edited 1 time in total.
NUDGES!I am always willing to give nudges IF ASKED; metas should be about fun, not frustration. PM me what you have done so far, because often you are closer than you think, and I will try to help you move along.
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DrTom
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#26

Post by DrTom »

woozy wrote: Tue Dec 17, 2024 11:08 am THANK YOU FOR 33-Down!!! (I had to drop everything to say that... I'll edit this when I finish the grid and either solve or get stuck... but I HAD to express my extreme appreciation for a Tintin quote)

EDIT: Have it figured out with the grid half done.

EDIT: And stormed. And blasted. And leveled. Take that you stupid castle. (Gee, woozy, releasing a little frustration over last week's WSJ, MGWCC, and Pun of a kind, are you?)
And here I thought that was a modified Cap'N Rick quote!
NUDGES!I am always willing to give nudges IF ASKED; metas should be about fun, not frustration. PM me what you have done so far, because often you are closer than you think, and I will try to help you move along.
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whimsy
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#27

Post by whimsy »

ChrisKochmanski wrote: Tue Dec 17, 2024 2:47 pm
HeadinHome wrote: Tue Dec 17, 2024 12:50 pm (Brain wipes all meta data outside of 6 months old, apparently. And I am fine with that.)
You remember puzzles for six months?? I seem to forget them in a couple of days!!

But maybe because I do so many. (TOO many??)

Crossed! Stormed!

Thanks as always, Ben!
Yup! But I was going to say about 36 hours! :lol:
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woozy
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#28

Post by woozy »

20221114_220421.jpg

A birthday present from a few years back. From a family member who knows me.
GUAVA is not an anagram of VAGUE
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hcbirker
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#29

Post by hcbirker »

Crossed the moat! Thanks Ben!
Heidi
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benchen71
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#30

Post by benchen71 »

I'm in holiday mode, which means I'm forgetting to do all the things I'm supposed to do! Here's the first batch of solvers:

Carolyn
whimsy
Hector
Tom Wilson
Mr Tex
LindaPRmaven
Avlan
Cindy Weatherman
Berto
Pair O Ducks
LarsCaine
boharr
DCBilly
Capn Rick
rjy
Cindy Heisler
kymike
hoover
DIS
imontoo
mateo
BMW
shalmanezer
Me
JM
Dave C
FedexPope
woozy
ajk
MatthewL
Jaclyn
Darth
HeadinHome
CPJohnson
Johnny Luau
Jeremy Smith
Meg
KayW
markhr
InAJelly
DrTom
rfj
iceman
lbray53
kurtalert
Tim
Susan
heidi
Tyrpmom
JakeDaSnake
CabinCardinal
Abide
Spid4567

We start with 53! :D
Check out "The MOAT Mini Pack of Marching Bands" here. US$5 gets you 7 Marching Bands which, hard enough on their own, now contain metas too. And once again there's a mega-meta! :D
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benchen71
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#31

Post by benchen71 »

A solver update before the nudges:

minimuggle
Serafin
Alex Sisti
edestlin

That's 57.
Check out "The MOAT Mini Pack of Marching Bands" here. US$5 gets you 7 Marching Bands which, hard enough on their own, now contain metas too. And once again there's a mega-meta! :D
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benchen71
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#32

Post by benchen71 »

Nudges, in order of increasing blatancy:

1. The central entry should stand out given its central location and the fact that its clue echoes the puzzle title.

2. Don't look to the clue numbers for those zeros.

3. 42 down is also a clue of sorts.

4. The letter Os sure look like zeros.
Check out "The MOAT Mini Pack of Marching Bands" here. US$5 gets you 7 Marching Bands which, hard enough on their own, now contain metas too. And once again there's a mega-meta! :D
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DaveG
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Location: Broomfield Colorady

#33

Post by DaveG »

Very nice Ben! Across the moat finally... That grid presented me with a challenge in places! Very nice construction and a fun metanism once I got warmed up and saw how to attack. Happy Christmas to you
If you see me on the beach, feel free to pm for a nudge. After all the help I’ve got, I am happy to send it forward when I can!
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benchen71
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#34

Post by benchen71 »

Just one additional solver on Crosshare:

Lance

That's 58. The final solver update will take place before the answer reveal...
Check out "The MOAT Mini Pack of Marching Bands" here. US$5 gets you 7 Marching Bands which, hard enough on their own, now contain metas too. And once again there's a mega-meta! :D
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benchen71
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#35

Post by benchen71 »

No further solvers, so here's the solution:

IMG_20241222_224010_(500_x_736_pixel).png

This puzzle was designed with the metric system in mind: zero degrees Celsius is the freezing point of water. That said, if you get down below zero degrees Fahrenheit it will be plenty cold enough to induce a shiver! :D
Check out "The MOAT Mini Pack of Marching Bands" here. US$5 gets you 7 Marching Bands which, hard enough on their own, now contain metas too. And once again there's a mega-meta! :D
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