#707 - “By the Numbers”

An excellent puzzle written by one of the innovators of the meta crossword format. It comes out every Friday at noon and increases in difficulty throughout the month. Available for modest subscription (worth every cent) here: www.xwordcontest.com
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mattythewsjpuzzler
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Joined: Sat Apr 11, 2020 11:47 am

#21

Post by mattythewsjpuzzler »

Beam me up!
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Katiedid
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Joined: Mon Aug 30, 2021 8:53 pm

#22

Post by Katiedid »

Beamed up. Another fun meta!
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rjy
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Joined: Fri Oct 08, 2021 12:52 pm
Location: Gaithersburg, MD

#23

Post by rjy »

Beamed up! Pretty solid click for the record…
Ray
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ChrisKochmanski
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Joined: Tue Apr 09, 2019 9:51 pm
Location: Saline, Michigan

#24

Post by ChrisKochmanski »

Beamed up!

With a nudge to the teleporter.
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MikeyG
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#25

Post by MikeyG »

Another one with a neat idea and execution. Again, I'm just an echo in the wind, but how does he do it???
Less cross words, more crosswords.

Solve my latest "Pun of a Kind" Meta!: 92. It's a Breeze
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Bob cruise director
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Joined: Thu Apr 11, 2019 2:38 pm
Location: Any golf course within 500 miles of Littleton MA

#26

Post by Bob cruise director »

I am happily beamed up between Woozy and Dannyvee. I can't think of better company to be in.
Bob Stevens
Cruise Director
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Bob cruise director
Cruise Director
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Joined: Thu Apr 11, 2019 2:38 pm
Location: Any golf course within 500 miles of Littleton MA

#27

Post by Bob cruise director »

burghman wrote: ↑Fri Dec 17, 2021 6:27 pm What an odd hobby we have. I had no clue about last week’s Week 2 puzzle, but this one took me a matter of seconds to figure out what was going on. Not tooting my own horn at all - hard to do that when I whiffed on last week’s! - just curious how the brain works. Last week’s “Take the first letter” is a pretty basic mechanism that’s been used before, and I never thought of it; this one is more complex and it fell right into place for me.
If you ever figure out why we get some that are hard and don't get others that are considered "easy", let us all know.

And if you ever don't think we have an odd hobby, look at the eye roll of someone who has to live with us.
Bob Stevens
Cruise Director
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HeadinHome
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Joined: Sun Apr 26, 2020 9:06 am
Location: Charlotte, NC

#28

Post by HeadinHome »

Had posted here about a group solve, but now I have it. Ne’ermind. Will submit and see. A 5-letter word has emerged that solves the prompt and is related to the theme, but it doesn’t feel all that “a HA”-ish. Maybe I’m missing something. But what I’ve found could not be a coincidence, so I will submit it.

Update: yep, had it. Will be interested to see if there’s more explanation (than I’m seeing) as to why this is a good word for the solution.
The other Wendy. :roll:
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ChrisKochmanski
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Location: Saline, Michigan

#29

Post by ChrisKochmanski »

HeadinHome wrote: ↑Sat Dec 18, 2021 5:15 pm Will be interested to see if there’s more explanation (than I’m seeing) as to why this is a good word for the solution.
I had a similar feeling at first, but when I thought about it more, the answer began to make perfect sense. I’m sure some here will post re: their thoughts on this after the deadline.
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HeadinHome
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Location: Charlotte, NC

#30

Post by HeadinHome »

ChrisKochmanski wrote: ↑Sat Dec 18, 2021 6:32 pm I had a similar feeling at first, but when I thought about it more, the answer began to make perfect sense. I’m sure some here will post re: their thoughts on this after the deadline.
I do have one idea, which works with all the significant entries and is kinda cute.
The other Wendy. :roll:
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woozy
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Joined: Mon Aug 10, 2020 12:40 am

#31

Post by woozy »

Kinda weird... I submitted and I've gotten response that I both got it right and wrong.

This is the second time I've submitted and I've unlocked *both* the Easy Threezy and the Great Minds achievement this week.
Funny story. I was all set to enter Par for the course for the CrossHare midi contest for April but I mistakenly thought midi meant 7x 7 and not 11 x 11. Oops. Well.... Here's a complex but **small** meta on the subject of golf.
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Wendy Walker
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Joined: Thu Apr 11, 2019 7:44 pm
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#32

Post by Wendy Walker »

After our annual viewing of "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" I got out my clipboard and explained to Mark one particular mechanism that I thought had a lot of merit but just hadn't panned out. Then ... in Mark's words ... "I saw you get really excited and start scribbling." Solved, I believe!
EDIT: Beamed up! "Muggling While Christmasing."
Good luck, fellow Muggles!
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TMart
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Location: Malvern, PA

#33

Post by TMart »

Got it after sleeping on it. The click was hard enough to go with it.
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Dannyvee
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Location: Jamaica Plain, MA

#34

Post by Dannyvee »

Bird Lives wrote: ↑Fri Dec 17, 2021 2:19 pm On the board -- 50 to the left of me, 50 to the right, there I am, stuck in the middle with who, I don't know.

I know Matt says that he doesn't put red herrings in his puzzles, but I see a couple of them swimming around in the grid, and one of them could have been de-herringed with a single change of letter.
Pretty sure I know the one you’re talking about and it was actually my in to the solve. Thought “Oh! That’s it!…Nope. But wait…”
I can be found in Sheridan, NY, veejaying. (8)
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Schmeel
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Joined: Sun Mar 29, 2020 2:38 pm

#35

Post by Schmeel »

Beamed up!
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hcbirker
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Joined: Thu Apr 11, 2019 7:24 pm
Location: Studio City, CA

#36

Post by hcbirker »

Well that took me way too long to see. Beam me up!
Heidi
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DrTom
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Joined: Sat Apr 20, 2019 6:46 pm
Location: Jacksonville, FL

#37

Post by DrTom »

I quite literally had to be dragged across the finish line. In retrospect it as simply a case of me not recognizing the obvious path, but then ain't that always the case! Thanks to those who did the dragging.
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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ajk
Posts: 966
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#38

Post by ajk »

Scrambling to get grades done before leaving town Tuesday, so not sure I'm going to have time for this one. Only have a few random nothings so far. Good news is that next week I probably won't have any time at all, so even if I had a streak longer than 3 it would break then anyway. :lol: :lol:
Check out this very cool project by many of your favorite muggles to raise money to fight cancer. You get a fun puzzle bundle and good causes get $. Win-win: Crosswords for Cancer
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patpatchica
Posts: 131
Joined: Sun Oct 03, 2021 9:58 am
Location: Memphis, TN

#39

Post by patpatchica »

Challenging grid for me, the meta even more so. I think my best streak is about to stop at 6. I’m definitely one of the red shirts this week. Nudge anyone?

Edit: Beamed up with patient nudging.
Last edited by patpatchica on Mon Dec 20, 2021 3:06 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Overthinking is my super power. 8-)
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sheeparenotgreen
Posts: 31
Joined: Mon Sep 27, 2021 5:09 pm

#40

Post by sheeparenotgreen »

Went down lots of rabbit holes, but getting nowhere. Anyone want to group solve?
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