MEOW #64: Familiarity Counts

[HeadinHome]

Grid done with just a few googles, and I know what the thing is that it would be helpful for me to be familiar with (have found 7 — MAKE THAT 8 — entries that google shows to be related to that) — but alas i have only dipped my toe into this particular pursuit/universe/topic. I don’t have a clue what to do with these, and don’t know if I need the stated familiarity to figure it out. Will probably move on … unless someone wants to throw me a clever nudge that would make the un-initiated see the light without too much more googling?

Okay i have several nudges but now I have too many ideas. I could be completely on the wrong path, or maybe two very viable paths overlap?? of my 8 things, 5 of them have overlap with another thing. But what to do with this… ?

[hcbirker]

Had time to do this today. My cat has left the building! Thanks Whimsy!

[MarkWoychick]

I am shocked - shocked! - to say that the cat is out of the bag. I didn’t think I was going to solve this one, but somehow I was able to loosen the drawstring enough to allow for the escape. Thanks for the puzzle @whimsy

[whimsy]

Alrighty --
Non-competitive me is caving to peer pressure and coming up with a leader board.

madhatter (TS)
DrTom (TS)
1. oldjudge
2. Laura M
3. benchen71
4. cwillmore
5. Schmeel
6. Carolyn
7. Ergcat
8. boharr
9. Cindy
10. Meg
11. Trypmom
12. BarbaraK
13. Tmart
14. Cap'n Rick
15. Dow Jones
16. I K Snamhcok (Hi Chris)
17. Gutman
18. Darth
19. KayW
20. Johnny Luau
21. libray53
22. Heidi
23.Mark Woychick

Everyone reach in and help yourself!

Serial nudges beginning later tomorrow --

[vandono]

I really enjoyed filling out this whimsical grid but I'm with HeadinHome (the other Wendy) on solving the meta. I see things that call to mind something with which my wife and kids are familiar but so far no aha moment for old vandono. I'll let it keep simmering on the back burner and we'll see what happens.

[whimsy]

A couple more for the leader board --

24. markhr
25. HeadinHome

And some nudges so a few others can sign up for the Lollipop Guild --

6 clues have a distinctive component.
OK - you saw that already

Their corresponding grid entries have something in common.
Yup, you knew that too.

The 6 numbers you've noted are pointers, but to a concept rather than to a specific (ahem, ahem) grid square.

We're counting on you James/Jimmy!

Now do you see why I needed 56D? DrTom called it my "hanging CHAD" but I hope it puts the finishing touches on a different name that you've arrived at!

[woozy]

Wow.... everything in the nudges were things I wondered about but could not make any sense out of. Seeing them as nudges I'm still wondering about them and still unable to make any sense out of them.

I'm utterly stuck.

Anyone want to discuss what they have thought of so far?

[rjy]

So the nudges confirmed what I already knew, but in enumerating that in responding to @woozy I stumbled into the answer... phew! Really great puzzle @whimsy! Thoroughly enjoyed my repeated visits over the week to finally get it… looking forward to what twisted mechanism you come up with next!

[MaineMarge]

The cat is out of the bag without nudges and already in position for the MMM!

Great meta Whimsy.
Your brains are showing- you go, girl

[HeadinHome]

Forgot to report that I finally saw the light, due to the kindness of @Whimsy giving me private tutoring! I was distracted by a completely different commonality than the one that matters. AND, I was working with only page 1 of the 2-page PDF printout (too cheap to print page 2 which had only a few clues, so I totally forgot about looking at those… oops.)

Kitty coaxed out of the bag.

[whimsy]

A few more for the lollipop list!

26. MaineMarge
27. Bob cruise director
28. rjy
29. woozy

And another nudge or two --

How many presidents had the most common name for a U S president?
In what order did they serve?

[DrTom]

What, a Floridian bringing up hanging chads....IMPOSSIBLE!

[Joe Ross]

Delicious puzzle, Claudia!

[lbray53]

I had everything I needed to solve the meta in my notes prior to looking at the nudges, but did not apply the information written in the last nudge, even though I had tried that method with the first six people. The cat is sitting amongst the shredded bag looking at me in disbelief.

By the way, I ended up with lollipop early because I gave up and revealed the answer on Crosshare. When I went back into Crosshare to check on something, I was given the chance to submit an answer again. I did so because I could not believe that the answer revealed was correct.

[MikeyG]

Still working on this, but currently I'm amazed by how many 7-letter topics Sam Cooke didn't know about.

[MikeyG]

Life's imponderables: I looked at the first two nudges, both of which I realized already, then went back to the grid with no nudges giving new information, realized something, and got the meta. I'll call this a solo solve, by golly!

Fun puzzle! Well done!

[Wendy Walker]

Yay, I finally got it!

[whimsy]

Getting in the lollipop line --

30. RPardoe
31. Cindy Heisler
32. MikeyG
33. BrennerTJ
34. Wendy Walker

[CPJohnson]

Finally got the answer, after all the nudges. Thanks, whimsy!

[vandono]

Oh my goodness. The reluctant tiger has finally ambled clumsily out of the bag. While I had figured out part of it, it took a bit of rolling around that last nudge to pull me across the finish line. Enjoyable grid and a grand old time overall. Thanks, Whimsy!