XWord Muggles Forum

Tom Wilson wrote: ↑Tue Feb 08, 2022 12:20 pm That was fun! (Though perhaps not as much fun as hearing me string together random entries before I landed on "the one.")

I wish I could have heard that!

benchen71 wrote: ↑Tue Feb 08, 2022 4:46 pm

Bird Lives wrote: ↑Tue Feb 08, 2022 10:55 am The comments at Crosshare mentioned Naticks, but I thought the fill was fairly straightforward, especially by comparison. But that "POS machine" at 75A had me doing a double take as I have often used those same three letters to describe machines (currently, my Fios remote, which can change the TV channels but not the volume).

"POS" can mean "point of sale". Is this just an Australian thing, perhaps?

POS can also mean point of sale here the US. Bird’s usage is more colorful however.

Wendy Walker wrote: ↑Tue Feb 08, 2022 12:34 pm Fun puzzle!
N.B. The show referenced in 63A has been in the news a lot this past week -- apparently it's being cancelled after many years and loyal viewers are not happy to say the least.

What? No! I hadn't heard anything about this.
(Actually, I don't think I've ever watched an episode in my life - although I have driven past the street used for external shoots. It's in Melbourne, not far from where I once worked.)

lbray53 wrote: ↑Tue Feb 08, 2022 3:10 pm Storming the castle.

Submission was the difficult part.

Sorry about that. I'm hoping the updated meta prompt helps. But it was hard to know what to say without giving the game away!

Across the MOAT and in the CASTLE. It's nice in here. Benchen is that Special Person!

SewYoung wrote: ↑Tue Feb 08, 2022 5:02 pm Across the MOAT and in the CASTLE. It's nice in here. Benchen is that Special Person!

Aw shucks! You are too kind.

benchen71 wrote: ↑Tue Feb 08, 2022 4:52 pm

lbray53 wrote: ↑Tue Feb 08, 2022 3:10 pm Storming the castle.

Submission was the difficult part.

Sorry about that. I'm hoping the updated meta prompt helps. But it was hard to know what to say without giving the game away!

No apology necessary. A little more fun on the meta that’s all.

I've crossed the moat without a boat
I've climbed the castle wall
And there I wrote this simple note:
"May Fortune find you all!"

End of the first day and we have lots of happy solvers:

Darth
ChrisKochmanski
Woozy
Dow Jones
Laura M
Cindy Heisler
Capn Rick
Meg
Hector
dplass
DIS
LuckyGuest
boharr
Bird Lives
Tyrpmom
whimsy
Chaddog
Tom Wilson
Sharkicicles
wendy walker
DrTom
kymike
lbray53
rjy
oldjudge
LB800
carter
markhr
Sommersmith
Julia
vandono
grandperoxide
Gutman
Bbaack

Well done everyone!

🌪⛈ Very nice!

Pretty sure I’ve crossed the moat. Thanks, Cinny! And thanks, Ben. Keep ‘em coming.

Third submission’s the charm! I must not speak Aussie phonetics

CPJohnson wrote: ↑Thu Feb 10, 2022 8:48 pm Pretty sure I’ve crossed the moat. Thanks, Cinny! And thanks, Ben. Keep ‘em coming.

Lots more to come! I just completed one that will come out in November, with puzzles all ready to go for every Tuesday between now and then. If I can think of a mechanism I'll keep making puzzles!

It's Saturday morning here in Australia, so that means nudges! But first, here are some more successful meta solvers:

Carolyn
kieranjboyd
KayW
kiplet
hashbrown
schmidzy
K7
gee
Abide
CPJohnson
Matt A

Nudges, in order of increasing blatancy:

1. The four gift entries are the only clues you're getting.

2. Actually, that's not true: there is a vague shape in the grid that is also a clue.

Crossed the moat via PM.

Didn’t need nudges, just didn’t get to it til now.

The 63A/65D intersection was the only letter I had no idea about and let puzzazz fill in for me.

benchen71 wrote: ↑Tue Feb 08, 2022 4:46 pm

Bird Lives wrote: ↑Tue Feb 08, 2022 10:55 am The comments at Crosshare mentioned Naticks, but I thought the fill was fairly straightforward, especially by comparison. But that "POS machine" at 75A had me doing a double take as I have often used those same three letters to describe machines (currently, my Fios remote, which can change the TV channels but not the volume).

"POS" can mean "point of sale". Is this just an Australian thing, perhaps?

No, POS can mean "point of sale" in AmE as well.

Last solvers before the answer reveal...

Golem
frostyjhammer
BobJas
Hidden in 3D
Philip Chow
SewYoung

... for a total of 52 successful solvers.

And the answer to "For That Special Someone" is...


Not completely surprising, given what the day is today!

After some initial confusion stemming from the meta prompt, I made a small change to the wording. Then, later in the week, I also made a change on Crosshare to accept "val lent eins dei".

A new MOAT challenge coming your way tomorrow...