Urban Familiarity

[woozy]

So my third serious attempt (I haven't published my second yet). The grids are a little (very) weird but I think the meta is clever, solid, and original.

These two puzzles have the exact same meta answer and mechanism. I felt to fit it all in I needed a 21x21 grid but then it seemed the meta rattled around in empty space. To fit it into a 15x15 grid I had to really hammer things in thickly with no wiggle room and as a result the grid has a lot of absurdly contrived entries.

Well, try and compare.

The answer to the metas is the theme of the puzzle(s).

First: 21x21 https://crosshare.org/crosswords/lc5Fgn ... amiliarity

Second: 15x15 https://crosshare.org/crosswords/f0kb90 ... amiliarity

[MikeyG]

I look forward to solving this and your previous ones (without peeking at the answer)! I sometimes also have that question - I always try to start with a 15-by-15 if possible, but sometimes, it becomes hard to put all in that's necessary sometimes. So striking a balance can be hard.

Super excited to see you getting into constructing! Look forward to this!

Mikey G

[woozy]

Edit: for 39D of the 15x15 I just realized there are well of 60 different plants called Ironwood and the one I had in mind (from Sri Lanka) isn't even in the top 40. I had hoped to have a single word clue (I have my reasons) but I figure I need something more specific. So edited it.

[whimsy]

Well, I've managed to complete the 15x15, ... well, with a couple of "Reveal Squares." (Ya know, SHEOLSERF. )
On to big brother, with hopes for double the enlightenment!

[woozy]

If you liked SHEOL SERF just wait til you get to 58D of the big brother!

[whimsy]

Just met up with her --
Only able to complete that one by remembering certain things from the first!
Next step...

[whimsy]

Yippee! Got it!
Whew! De-woozied in a big way!

Very interesting, @woozy. And to think that you did that to yourself twice! After all that effort on your part, I just had to commit to solving.

[woozy]

Wow... I didn't expect it to be that hard!

Okay... nudges.

Obviously 61 A of the big one and 27D of the small one are the key

The entry for those is META ANSWER so if you can decode that string of cities in a proper way it will spell out the meta answer

Are you familiar with those cities?

Are there anything in the puzzle that might point to those cities?

What are other ways to refer to those cities?

Anything in the clues?

In the one word clues?

One word clues that refer to other ways to refer to those cities

The only thing those two puzzles have in common are the meta so if the have any of the same clues or entries those are the meta

You know, Mr. Simpson, if you ask me, the city of brotherly love is not Philadelphia. It is... Detroit

Ever been to the Big Apple? How about the Big Easy? The Chuck?...

The city of brotherly love? The Chuck? The Big Apple? America's Playground? The Big Easy? The city of Angels?

[hoover]

If you liked SHEOL SERF just wait til you get to 58D of the big brother!

I actually got 58D of the big brother. 34A and 45D, on the other hand... and the meta, oh the meta... :/

[woozy]

If you liked SHEOL SERF just wait til you get to 58D of the big brother!

I actually got 58D of the big brother. 34A and 45D, on the other hand... and the meta, oh the meta... :/

34A is a legitimate word... Albeit it thechnical... I get to the point where if I'm trying something "Is that a word? No? Is that a word? It is?!!? It's a tiny villlage in Northern Turkmenistan with a population of 200? Great! I'll use it!" Although to be fair my wife knew that word.

45D was a paint myself into a corner and make up a joke out of two unrelated words. I guess in hindsight it's not apparent that it is a joke. If you've never heard of the island chain I guess there is not reason to know that the *don't* have any species of large flightless birds.

[woozy]

Anyhoo.... off the Merry-go-round: whimsey, Gutman.

[hoover]

Wow, well done! It's actually helpful to work both grids !

[woozy]

Answer:

By 27D (Big Brother) or 61A (Big Brother) we have PHILADELPHIA, CHARLESTON SOUTH CAROLINA, NEW YORK CITY, ATLANTIC CITY, NEW ORLEANS, LOS ANGELES = Meta Answer

And by Urban Familiarity (the title) we know

PHILADELPHIA = The City of Brotherly Love
CHARLESTON = Chucktown or The Chuck
NEW YORK = The Big Apple
ATLANTIC CITY = America's Playground
NEW ORLEANS = The Big Easy
LOS ANGELES = The City of Angels

Looking at clues and entries we have

CITY = Metropolis
OF = Environed
BROTHERLY = Trusting
LOVE = Romance
CHUCK = Oust
BIG = Notable
APPLE = Idared
AMERICA'S = Country's
PLAYGROUND = Kiddy park/Kindergarten
BIG = Notable
EASY =Apparent
CITY = Metropolis
OF = Environed
ANGELS = Seraphim

The the meta answer is METRO NICKNAMES which is the theme of the puzzle.

[benchen71]

Welp, I didn't have a hope! But it's an impressive construction. I also enjoyed the smaller grid with the strange grid entries. It reminded me of some of the harder themeless crosswords that some people really love.

[woozy]

Thanks. I feel like when you construct grids ... sometimes the entries play you.