MEOW #108 Christmas Grieve

A weekly meta crossword on the forum started by member Josh (aka madhatter5). These puzzles are often very creative with solving mechanisms out of the norm and skewing towards the more challenging. Puzzles are posted every Wednesday, and the solution appears the following Tuesday.
Post Reply
User avatar
DrTom
Posts: 3920
Joined: Sat Apr 20, 2019 6:46 pm
Location: Jacksonville, FL

MEOW #108 Christmas Grieve

#1

Post by DrTom »

OK, now you all have to remember you asked for this! When I polled the audience about a Meta on the 21st there was a resounding yes. Just so happens I had a prime DrTom candidate for the job. It is not very difficult (or so my testers have said), it has a few signature clues in it and I am hoping it will bring a chuckle.

Let me just say that this year has had some real ups and downs for me. I will add that many of those ups were experienced right here. This group of fast friends, most of us who have never met, continues to amaze and delight me with their equilateral displays of caring and humor. Additionally, the scope of your eclectic amusements and hobbies provides endless entertainment and education. I swear if we could harness the collective brainpower of the participants in these forums we would have had that fusion thing solved LONG ago. Ignition nothing, we'd already be building huts on Mars!

That said, here is your Christmas Week MEOW.

The meta answers the question, "What can dampen your Christmas?" and I'd say it is about a mild Calico

Kitten
Calico
Persian
Puma
Lion


"Christmas Grieve" - Crosshare
(NOTE: If you enjoy solving on Crosshare, help keep the site running by donating a few bucks).

Christmas Grieve PUZ

Christmas Grieve PDF

Christmas Grieve spreadsheet


Image

Nudges on Friday
Reveal on Tuesday

Help via PM available anytime
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!
Top
Dave C
Posts: 316
Joined: Fri Apr 26, 2019 2:30 pm
Location: Round Rock, TX

#2

Post by Dave C »

The cat is out of the bag.
Top
User avatar
boharr
Moderator
Posts: 3249
Joined: Fri Sep 06, 2019 8:57 am
Location: Westchester, NY

#3

Post by boharr »

The cat is out shopping for Christmas. Thanks, Dr. Tom,
Top
User avatar
Cindy
Posts: 1260
Joined: Tue Apr 09, 2019 5:39 pm
Location: Matthews

#4

Post by Cindy »

Solved.
Top
User avatar
Darth
Posts: 777
Joined: Sat May 15, 2021 6:51 pm
Location: Champaign, IL

#5

Post by Darth »

That darn cat! :evil: [Way to go, DrTom!]
download (11).jpg
Top
User avatar
KayW
Moderator
Posts: 3474
Joined: Wed Apr 10, 2019 12:10 am
Location: Chicago

#6

Post by KayW »

The aggrieved cat is out. Thanks and happy holidays DrTom!
Image
Contest Crosswords Combating Cancer (CCCC) is a bundle of 16 metapuzzles created to help raise money for cancer-related charities. It is available at CrosswordsForCancer.com.
Top
User avatar
woozy
Posts: 2282
Joined: Mon Aug 10, 2020 12:40 am

#7

Post by woozy »

Cat is deeply in the box. State, like any aspect of the Meta, completely unknown. (Grid was fun though)
Stinky Pinkies!

My Entry to the May 2024 CrossHare Midi Contest

Not a meta, but, yeesh!, that was tough to create.
Top
User avatar
hcbirker
Posts: 2074
Joined: Thu Apr 11, 2019 7:24 pm
Location: Studio City, CA

#8

Post by hcbirker »

Thanks Dr. Tom for the fun puzzle!
Heidi
Top
User avatar
Bird Lives
Posts: 2799
Joined: Tue Apr 09, 2019 6:43 pm
Location: NYC
Contact:
Contact Bird Lives

#9

Post by Bird Lives »

The cat is out, singing carols and decking halls.
Jay
Top
User avatar
Cinny
Posts: 836
Joined: Mon Sep 21, 2020 2:53 pm
Location: Minoa, NY
Contact:
Contact Cinny

#10

Post by Cinny »

The cat is out of Santa's bag!
Cindy Heisler
Top
User avatar
rjy
Posts: 1070
Joined: Fri Oct 08, 2021 12:52 pm
Location: Gaithersburg, MD

#11

Post by rjy »

Cat’s out… Thanks, DrTom!
Ray
Top
MatthewL
Posts: 800
Joined: Thu Dec 31, 2020 11:57 am
Location: Atlanta, GA

#12

Post by MatthewL »

I believe the cat is out. Thanks Tom!
Matthew
Top
User avatar
lbray53
Posts: 1260
Joined: Fri May 08, 2020 8:34 am
Location: Elkhorn, WI

#13

Post by lbray53 »

The cat is out of the gift bag! Thanks Dr. Tom.
My avatar proves that it is sometimes better to be lucky than good!
Top
Dplass
Posts: 1739
Joined: Sat Dec 28, 2019 10:09 am

#14

Post by Dplass »

Cat Debugged. TFTP!
Top
User avatar
whimsy
Posts: 2857
Joined: Sun Jun 21, 2020 9:51 am
Location: Hopkinton MA

#15

Post by whimsy »

Untitledsleighcat.png

Out of the bag and earning her keep.
Thanks, DrTom!
Top
User avatar
DrTom
Posts: 3920
Joined: Sat Apr 20, 2019 6:46 pm
Location: Jacksonville, FL

#16

Post by DrTom »

Woo Hoo - 25 of you have already tried and solved. Thanks for all the solves, I'll post a board later, right now I am basking in the delight of seeing so many people try.

Tom
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!
Top
User avatar
MarkWoychick
Site Admin
Posts: 627
Joined: Sun Jun 13, 2021 6:15 pm
Location: Boise, ID

#17

Post by MarkWoychick »

Cat is out of the bag - thanks for the puzzle, Dr. Tom :D
Contest Crosswords Combating Cancer (CCCC) is a bundle of 16 contest-style (meta) crosswords that we've created to help raise money for cancer-related organizations - get the bundle at http://crosswordsforcancer.com
Top
User avatar
benchen71
Posts: 2538
Joined: Thu Jul 22, 2021 8:50 pm
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Contact:
Contact benchen71

#18

Post by benchen71 »

DrTom wrote: ↑Wed Dec 21, 2022 5:14 pm Woo Hoo - 25 of you have already tried and solved. Thanks for all the solves, I'll post a board later, right now I am basking in the delight of seeing so many people try.

Tom
Some of us have tried and failed! Altogether now: "All I want for Christmas is a nudge of two..."
Check out "The MOAT MEOW Mashup Pack" here. US$10 for 14 metas that don't always abide by the "rules" of the game: asymmetry, 2-letter words, uncrossed letters, who knows. And this time there's a mega-meta! :shock:
Top
User avatar
HeadinHome
Posts: 1131
Joined: Sun Apr 26, 2020 9:06 am
Location: Charlotte, NC

#19

Post by HeadinHome »

Dawww… so droll, just like the constructor. Always a pleasure. There went the cat.
The other Wendy. :roll:
Top
User avatar
DrTom
Posts: 3920
Joined: Sat Apr 20, 2019 6:46 pm
Location: Jacksonville, FL

#20

Post by DrTom »

Well now, I believe this may be some kind of record for me for the first day:

1 Tom Wilson
2 Mr. Tex
3 Cindy Weatherman
4 Dave C
5 boharr
6 Meg
7 DIS
8 Al Sisti
9 Darth
10 KayW
11 Bird Lives
12 Schmeel
13 Hector
14 Heidi
15 rjy
16 Cindy Heisler
17 MatthewL
18 woozy
19 Jaclyn
20 lbray
21 JM
22 dplass
23 markhr
24 whimsy
25 Laura M
26 Mwoychick
27 DebbieC
28 SJMcK
29 HeadinHome
30 Ckochmanski
31 BarbaraK

Thirty one of you have allowed the cat to run free, probably to do Christmas (or Xmas as the case may be) shopping. Thanks to you all.

Mr. Grumpy says "All of you still waiting to unbag the cat...I'm making a list and checking it twice. No coal in your stocking, but definitely a hairball in your shoe!"
Grumpy Cat.jpg
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!
Top
Post Reply

Return to “Madhatter's Enigma on Wednesdays (MEOW)”