"Down at the Mall"
- Al Sisti
- Posts: 2067
- Joined: Thu Apr 11, 2019 1:28 pm
- Location: Whitesboro NY
Thursday morning leaderboard update:
38 MamaE
39 Cinny
40 ricky
41 whimsy
42 dplass
43 joequavis
44 Scott Medvetz
45 Snood
46 Anita
47 hoover
48 KayW
49 auee89
50 Tom Mueller
51 bhamren
52 lbray53
38 MamaE
39 Cinny
40 ricky
41 whimsy
42 dplass
43 joequavis
44 Scott Medvetz
45 Snood
46 Anita
47 hoover
48 KayW
49 auee89
50 Tom Mueller
51 bhamren
52 lbray53
- Cinny
- Posts: 820
- Joined: Mon Sep 21, 2020 2:53 pm
- Location: Minoa, NY
- Contact:
- Jeremy Smith
- Posts: 992
- Joined: Thu Apr 11, 2019 5:45 pm
- Location: Tampa Bay area
Finally off the couch! Another great one by Al.
Heading out on a long bike ride, so I’ll be late getting to WSJCC (and the beach party).
Heading out on a long bike ride, so I’ll be late getting to WSJCC (and the beach party).
- CPJohnson
- Posts: 1092
- Joined: Tue Apr 09, 2019 1:38 pm
- Location: Kingsport, TN
- Al Sisti
- Posts: 2067
- Joined: Thu Apr 11, 2019 1:28 pm
- Location: Whitesboro NY
Friday morning leaderboard additions (please let me know if you should be on there; don't forget, there is a prize at stake!).
53 BrianMac
54 Jeremy Smith
53 BrianMac
54 Jeremy Smith
- BethA
- Posts: 633
- Joined: Tue Apr 09, 2019 6:44 pm
- Location: Beaver, PA
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- Posts: 564
- Joined: Wed Nov 04, 2020 7:33 am
Thanks to everyone with all of the help with my technical difficulties You guys are great! Enjoy the weekend.
- LadyBird
- Posts: 879
- Joined: Fri Apr 17, 2020 4:20 pm
- Location: Chicagoland
Just now had a chance to look at this and I am confirmed off the couch. I loved the twist of 15A.
- DrTom
- Posts: 3782
- Joined: Sat Apr 20, 2019 6:46 pm
- Location: Jacksonville, FL
What make's Al's METAs so much fun is only partly the mechanisms, which are always unique. However, it is his cluing that sometimes gets a down right belly laugh out of you. We all try to chase Al in our attempts to amuse, and misdirect. I think 56 solvers may be some kind of record!
Great job!
Great job!
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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- Posts: 624
- Joined: Sat Apr 25, 2020 11:25 am
- Location: Florida
Absolutely agree! Al’s metas are always fun!DrTom wrote: ↑Sat Apr 10, 2021 5:59 pm What make's Al's METAs so much fun is only partly the mechanisms, which are always unique. However, it is his cluing that sometimes gets a down right belly laugh out of you. We all try to chase Al in our attempts to amuse, and misdirect. I think 56 solvers may be some kind of record!
Great job!
“I cannot and will not cut my conscience to fit this year’s fashions”. Lillian Hellman
- Al Sisti
- Posts: 2067
- Joined: Thu Apr 11, 2019 1:28 pm
- Location: Whitesboro NY
11th hour (prorated) leaderboard update:
55 BethA
56 NaptownKid
57 Cindy N
58 LadyBird
55 BethA
56 NaptownKid
57 Cindy N
58 LadyBird
- Al Sisti
- Posts: 2067
- Joined: Thu Apr 11, 2019 1:28 pm
- Location: Whitesboro NY
The answer to this meta, as found by 58 solvers, was FOYER.
So how did we get there? There’s nothing much in the grid that stands out...no long themed entries… no asterisks, no enumerations… So let’s go to the clues.
Not much there, except in that southeast corner – often used by constructors as a go-to place to get a hint. Nudge Corner, if you will. The clue at 58A tells us “Mall symbol used to let you know "You Are Here,” with the answer ARROW (and how does that sign always know where I am???). Again, there are no ARROWs in the grid, except for the unintentional arrow-like visual formed by the placement of the black squares. Ah, but the letter V can be an arrow-head symbol, especially when there’s an I representing the shaft above it in five Down entries. And the letters being pointed to by those five “arrows” are, in order, F-O-Y-E-R.
Now, a couple of points. Yes, some malls have foyers. I didn’t think so, but test solver extraordinaire Peter Abide assured me there was. Secondly, a sports “mea culpa.” Leon Lett – the football version of Bill Buckner – did indeed make two highly-aired gaffes, but only one was in a Super Bowl. Then there was this – the absolute perfect answer, suggested by two solvers, that I didn’t think of when I was making the meta. The perfect place at a mall, pointed to by an Arrow? Target, of course.
Oh, finally, people ask sometimes where I get the ideas for my metas. This one actually came from a meta that one of our Muggle friends recently did, where one of the clues was (I’m paraphrasing) “letters under the arrow at a basketball game,” with the answer being “POS” (for “possession arrow”). I remember circling that clue, sure that it was going to be the key to the mechanism. Well, it wasn’t… for that puzzle. So I stole it.
The random winner this week was Cap’n Rick, who will receive his choice of a) a Blarney Rebel Band CD, b) a Utica Club keepsake or c) a $15 donation I will make to a charity of his choice (Cap'n Rick, PM me with your address so I can get it to you).
Anyway, thanks for solving, and I hope to be back on a Monday in the not-too-distant future!
[graphic contributed by the inimitable Joe Ross]
So how did we get there? There’s nothing much in the grid that stands out...no long themed entries… no asterisks, no enumerations… So let’s go to the clues.
Not much there, except in that southeast corner – often used by constructors as a go-to place to get a hint. Nudge Corner, if you will. The clue at 58A tells us “Mall symbol used to let you know "You Are Here,” with the answer ARROW (and how does that sign always know where I am???). Again, there are no ARROWs in the grid, except for the unintentional arrow-like visual formed by the placement of the black squares. Ah, but the letter V can be an arrow-head symbol, especially when there’s an I representing the shaft above it in five Down entries. And the letters being pointed to by those five “arrows” are, in order, F-O-Y-E-R.
Now, a couple of points. Yes, some malls have foyers. I didn’t think so, but test solver extraordinaire Peter Abide assured me there was. Secondly, a sports “mea culpa.” Leon Lett – the football version of Bill Buckner – did indeed make two highly-aired gaffes, but only one was in a Super Bowl. Then there was this – the absolute perfect answer, suggested by two solvers, that I didn’t think of when I was making the meta. The perfect place at a mall, pointed to by an Arrow? Target, of course.
Oh, finally, people ask sometimes where I get the ideas for my metas. This one actually came from a meta that one of our Muggle friends recently did, where one of the clues was (I’m paraphrasing) “letters under the arrow at a basketball game,” with the answer being “POS” (for “possession arrow”). I remember circling that clue, sure that it was going to be the key to the mechanism. Well, it wasn’t… for that puzzle. So I stole it.
The random winner this week was Cap’n Rick, who will receive his choice of a) a Blarney Rebel Band CD, b) a Utica Club keepsake or c) a $15 donation I will make to a charity of his choice (Cap'n Rick, PM me with your address so I can get it to you).
Anyway, thanks for solving, and I hope to be back on a Monday in the not-too-distant future!
[graphic contributed by the inimitable Joe Ross]
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- Posts: 624
- Joined: Sat Apr 25, 2020 11:25 am
- Location: Florida
The head smack heard ‘round the world! Brilliant construction. Wish I had seen it.
“I cannot and will not cut my conscience to fit this year’s fashions”. Lillian Hellman
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- Posts: 1739
- Joined: Sat Dec 28, 2019 10:09 am
Facepalm...I didn't see the Is above the Vs forming the.arrows...thought it was just the Vs...
- Joe Ross
- Moderator
- Posts: 5084
- Joined: Fri Apr 12, 2019 4:46 am
- Location: Cincinnati
As did I, until I thought, "arrows have shafts," looked, again, & saw the "I"s. Al is meticulous, as well as hugely entertaining. All MMM creators are impressive! We're lucky to have them.
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PLATELET 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗮𝗿𝗲.
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝘀 ENORMOUS 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲:
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𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿 & 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘂𝗺𝗮. 𝗣𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗘 𝗦𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗘!
PLATELET 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗮𝗿𝗲.
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝘀 ENORMOUS 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲:
𝟰𝟬% 𝗽𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰,
𝟯𝟬% 𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰,
𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿 & 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘂𝗺𝗮. 𝗣𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗘 𝗦𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗘!
- Al Sisti
- Posts: 2067
- Joined: Thu Apr 11, 2019 1:28 pm
- Location: Whitesboro NY
For all the metas that gave me the shaft, it seemed almost fitting. Thanks for the compliments, for the whole stable.
- whimsy
- Posts: 2786
- Joined: Sun Jun 21, 2020 9:51 am
- Location: Hopkinton MA
Others of you must have been like myself and seen Al everywhere -- especially in the SCADS/ITALICS area of the NE and certainly sitting on the LAILA/PISTOLS bench under the "escalator" --- He looked a little broken up so I was glad to see Zsa Zsa next to him cheering him up.
Thanks muchly, Al -- lots of fun!
Thanks muchly, Al -- lots of fun!
- BrennerTJ
- Posts: 440
- Joined: Sun Jan 31, 2021 2:54 pm
- Location: Chicago suburbs
Me too! Not even close... --> even though I use arrow characters in text all the time. Nice puzzle!
-Tamara
- sharkicicles
- Posts: 848
- Joined: Fri May 10, 2019 12:03 pm
- Location: Chicago
Doh, I stopped at "ROOFTOP" as it was under the first IV I saw. Just saying, more malls have rooftops than foyers.
Nice puzzle, and like others said I enjoyed the cluing. Had to google to figure out what 39A meant, though.
Nice puzzle, and like others said I enjoyed the cluing. Had to google to figure out what 39A meant, though.
- Tripod
- Posts: 55
- Joined: Fri May 08, 2020 10:19 pm
- Location: Massachusetts
This is where using Capital "I" with a an I-Beam shape hurt me...nice puzzle.
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