XWord Muggles Forum

lbray53 wrote: ↑Tue Jun 14, 2022 6:44 am I solved as well. Maybe you are still reading my LONG private message.

Or my SHORT pm?

We have not solved... We think we have the first step but don't know what to do next. Looking forward to tomorrow's nudges.

We're off the couch pending confirmation. I didn't notice the key thing but my husband did.

DrTom wrote: ↑Mon Jun 13, 2022 11:09 pm
<snip> I am still being surprised by what people are seeing. I actually wish I had been clever enough to insert some of them as red herrings, but you know me, I WANT people to be able to solve. It gives me no pleasure to mislead.

Tom

Not red herrings. They are interesting side trips. Being misled can be a pleasure, and maybe also a path to meta-ideas of one's own.

Seeing something. Not quite clear what it is. Will wait for nudge.

Here are the nudges. I have an update to the leaderboard BUT the computer I have it on is acting up so I cannot post until it decided it wants to play nice. In the meantime...This puzzle seems to be one of those where you either immediately see the “Oh, so that is what he is doing!” or “What in the world…”?
OK so it is nudge time.

The title of the puzzle contains a good part of the mechanism, and the intro has another instance of the same thing along with yet another nudge

Looking at the clues are there any that seems to be overly forced? Clues worded WAY too heavily when a simpler clue would suffice – they are pointing things out to you!

There are 5 “things” you need and then, since this is a meta and leading you right to the answer would be WAY too easy, there is another step to get to the letters you need to solve.

Even when you get the letters you have one more step, but you have been doing it all along so it should be second nature.

Although they LOOK like they should, MOT, BAAS and SUNUP are NOT part of the solution. Those were inadvertent and missed by all except observant Muggles!”

Oh, and as an addendum, the original prompt on the file, which I thought too “instructive” was “What an observant accountant does to errors in tax filings”

Nudges helped me to get off the couch (I hope!)

OK. a few more joined the ranks today, and a lot of people are right on the edge. Hopefully the nudges will help you along.

19 Wendy Walker
20 BrennerTJ
21 ChrisKochmanski
22 Cindy
23 Bob cruise director
24 BarbaraK
25 benchen71

Pretty sure I’m off the couch thanks to the nudges!

I'm off the couch after being advised last night at the Tues Meet-Up that I'd caught an unintended red herring, which I had to toss back in. The replacement catch it turns out yielded an alternate solution to what Dr. Tom had in mind, but it got me off the couch.

Got it, with some direction from DrTom.

Off the couch with the spoilers. Even then it took me too long.

Pretty sure I'm off the couch!

Off the couch and awaiting confirmation.

Edit - confirmed

So the nudges seem to confirm we are on the right path... Just need to figure out the last steps.

nudged to submit...

Confirmed - great meta, Dr Tom!

Submitted and awaiting confirmation while hanging out on the couch. Think I’ll gnaw on the tassels for awhile….

Made it off the ! Thanks so much @DrTom for the great puzzle!

Off the couch! Intriguing puzzle by Dr. Tom! How does he come up with these?!

Nudged off the couch. Excellent grid and very creative meta. Thanks, Dr Tom