MGWCC #763 - "Not for Nothing"

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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Cinny
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#41

Post by Cinny »

Beamed up. I was on the correct path and then took a detour through a few rabbit holes. A kindly muggle sent me in the right direction.
Cindy Heisler
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three
Posts: 23
Joined: Mon Sep 27, 2021 9:01 pm

#42

Post by three »

Joe wrote: ↑Sat Jan 14, 2023 1:33 pm What is step 2???????? Aargh
I think I'm in agreement? Otherwise my first step is a pretty large coincidence, but I have no idea how to get around the gibberish that is the second step. Looking for a kind-souled nudger :)

Edit: thanks to @Wendy Walker once again!
Last edited by three on Mon Jan 16, 2023 2:47 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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TMart
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Location: Malvern, PA

#43

Post by TMart »

Beam me up - pretty sure I got it. Two for two today multitasking Gaffney puzzles and watching football, while waiting for my Eagles to play next week. 🦅
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TeamDoubleTow
Posts: 437
Joined: Fri Jan 01, 2021 1:58 pm

#44

Post by TeamDoubleTow »

Waiting to beam up (hopefully) thanks entirely to last call tonight! Very fun way to tackle this one!
Team DoubleTow=Ali who posts here, Alex & Maya the hound(with occasional assistance from son)
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BarbaraK
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#45

Post by BarbaraK »

One of those times when I say, "I tried such and such but it didn't work" and someone says, basically, "try harder".

Another last call zoom beam up!
If you want help with a meta, feel free to PM me. The more specific you are about what you have and what you want, the more likely I can help without spoiling.

(And if I help you win a mug, I’ll be especially delighted.)
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jbird
Posts: 63
Joined: Fri Oct 08, 2021 1:53 pm
Location: Maryland

#46

Post by jbird »

Like a lot of others, I believe I have step one but nothing to show after going down some rabbit holes for the next step(s). Anyone up for providing a nudge or at least let me confirm I'm on the right path?

Thanks
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rjy
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Location: Gaithersburg, MD

#47

Post by rjy »

Tricky one, but man! Matt’s brain continues to challenge in new and different ways… awaiting tractor beam
Ray
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MikeM000
Posts: 579
Joined: Mon Aug 24, 2020 11:31 am
Location: Metro Detroit

#48

Post by MikeM000 »

HoldThatThought wrote: ↑Sat Jan 14, 2023 10:47 pm
(I also made a sloppy scrivener's error that sent me to uh..the wrong place altogether. Nothing more needs to be said about that).
Hmmm.. I learned something new. The only Scrivener's errors I was aware of until now were made by this guy when I was a kid.
61vQ34d0OBL.jpg
Perhaps this is why my grid in Alphacross didn't turn green when I finished filling it in... Hmmmm.....
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rayyandroid
Posts: 4
Joined: Mon Jan 09, 2023 1:06 pm

#49

Post by rayyandroid »

Hi everyone, long-time lurker who finally took the plunge and joined the forum. While I love crosswords, I am horribly bad at metas and nowhere near as intuitive as most of the people on this forum (since I can't figure out this meta at all). Regardless, I still enjoy it and wanted to introduce myself. Hoping to learn some tricks of the trade from everyone!
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BarbaraK
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Joined: Tue Apr 09, 2019 2:37 pm
Location: Virginia

#50

Post by BarbaraK »

Hello and welcome!

If you haven't already seen it, be sure to check out the "Hints for Solving Meta Contests" topic. It is chock full of tricks of the trade.

viewtopic.php?t=49
If you want help with a meta, feel free to PM me. The more specific you are about what you have and what you want, the more likely I can help without spoiling.

(And if I help you win a mug, I’ll be especially delighted.)
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dsxwa
Posts: 7
Joined: Mon Feb 22, 2021 3:42 pm

#51

Post by dsxwa »

Hi solvers! Are there any nudge-givers around that can give me a push? I believe I too am in a similar position as some other solvers who posted before. Cheers!
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Joe
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Joined: Sat May 11, 2019 12:45 pm
Location: New Hampshire

#52

Post by Joe »

If I have the correct answer (with a LOT of help), that was a week 7.

EDIT: Confirmed by my nudger but not yet beamed aboard. Man, was that hard. WSJ a cakewalk in comparison. And I needed a nudge on that one too!
Happy to give nudges. If you notice I've solved, please tell me about avenues you've explored so I can nudge you in the right direction and not off a cliff.
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minimuggle
Posts: 564
Joined: Wed Nov 04, 2020 7:33 am

#53

Post by minimuggle »

OK, With a lot of helpful nudges I think I'm beamed up. I've submitted an answer but now I have some doubts....:). Happy day everyone
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hcbirker
Posts: 2017
Joined: Thu Apr 11, 2019 7:24 pm
Location: Studio City, CA

#54

Post by hcbirker »

Waiting for beam up, thanks to last night's Zoom. Thanks everyone!
Heidi
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sheeparenotgreen
Posts: 31
Joined: Mon Sep 27, 2021 5:09 pm

#55

Post by sheeparenotgreen »

Managed to figure this out solo this morning. Maybe I'm jetlagged, this felt more like a week 3.5.
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MikeM000
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Joined: Mon Aug 24, 2020 11:31 am
Location: Metro Detroit

#56

Post by MikeM000 »

This was definitely payback for solving the WSJ in a couple minutes on Thursday...I had no idea what sorts of rabbit holes people were finding in that one all weekend, but I certainly found MANY in this one...beamed with a nudge at a nice round 250....
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Leslie
Posts: 238
Joined: Wed Apr 10, 2019 2:18 pm

#57

Post by Leslie »

Solo solve for me, but I really did it the hard way! Like others, I saw step one quickly but visited many rabbit holes while vainly trying to find step two. I put the puzzle aside for two days, came back today, and suddenly noticed something that eventually led me to the solution. I submitted the answer despite knowing I must have missed a connection somewhere. Then, shortly after submitting, I finally figured out step two!
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burak
Posts: 246
Joined: Thu Apr 18, 2019 8:15 pm

#58

Post by burak »

"This is a Week 2, I can do it on Tuesday" I said. "I'll wait until I have printer access" I said. Haha, the joke is on me.

Obvious Step 1, and the next thing I know I ran out of empty spaces on that paper. I should've printed at least two copies.

EDIT: Done! That was harder than a Week 2, in the end it came to me just a tad easier than WSJCC. Both puzzles are very impressive.

Also, this is the third time I solved a meta while brushing my teeth, I might be onto something here.
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Cow
Posts: 11
Joined: Tue Jul 20, 2021 9:11 pm

#59

Post by Cow »

After struggling all weekend to see the "obvious step 1" that everybody was talking about, I took one last look this morning, and the correct path jumped out at me. This is the kind of thing that only happens to other people, whose posts I read with envy - I can't believe it finally happened to me! :D
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Joe Ross
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#60

Post by Joe Ross »

Beam me to death.

oof

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