Nice Game

A weekly meta crossword created by members of the forum. Difficulty levels will vary. Hints are usually available starting Wednesday, and solutions are posted on Sunday.
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michaelm
Posts: 493
Joined: Fri Jan 24, 2020 3:21 pm

Nice Game

#1

Post by michaelm »

Hello MMM’ers:

Long-time puzzler, first-time constructor here. It is an honor for sure.

I live outside Philadelphia, in Bucks County, PA, and have been a Muggle since January of 2020. WSJCC solved or not, when I pick up the iPad between Thursday and Sunday, the first thing I do is check in on the forum. My non-Muggle wife nods her head knowingly. Thank you all for the wonderful community.

Are you sick and tired of being cooped up in the cold and dark? Is your body finally feeling better after that St. Patty’s Day revelry? Have you finally exhausted all of your Oscar-related knowledge?

You could welcome Spring's arrival today by going outside, stretching and working up a sweat. Or... you could stay inside and solve an MMM with some athletics-related fill and a Meta Answer that is a Sport. The theme may not be everyone’s gym bag, but in terms of workout intensity, however, I predict this particular exercise should get your heart pumping in about the Zone 1 -2 area. Will this be the equivalent of a stroll in the park? We shall see...

Zone 1 Intensity: Very Light; 50-60% of Maximum Heart Rate
Zone 2 Intensity: Light ; 60-70% of Maximum Heart Rate
Zone 3 Intensity: Moderate; 70-80% of Maximum Heart Rate
Zone 4 Intensity: Hard ; 80-90% of Maximum Heart Rate
Zone 5 Intensity: Maximum; 90-100% of Maximum Heart Rate

Nudges beginning on Wednesday and solution on Sunday.

A huge thank you to Peter Abide, Al Sisti and Cap’n Rick Kennedy, whose generosity of spirit, patience and knowledge amazed me throughout a steep learning curve. Thanks also to Joe Ross for performing all of this techno-wizardry. Any errors, of course, is [sic] mine.

Feel free to contact me via PM.
Mike Marek

Nice Game crosshare

Nice Game PUZ

Nice Game PDF

Nice Game spreadsheet


Image


(If you enjoy solving on Crosshare, help keep the site running by donating a few bucks.)
Last edited by michaelm on Mon Mar 20, 2023 10:52 am, edited 2 times in total.
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benchen71
Posts: 2449
Joined: Thu Jul 22, 2021 8:50 pm
Location: Melbourne, Australia
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#2

Post by benchen71 »

Off the couch, and only just in time...
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:
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rjy
Posts: 1032
Joined: Fri Oct 08, 2021 12:52 pm
Location: Gaithersburg, MD

#3

Post by rjy »

Off the couch … after having been on it w hoops all weekend. Enjoyed the puzzle, Mike, looking forward to your next MMMMM!
Ray
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boharr
Moderator
Posts: 3209
Joined: Fri Sep 06, 2019 8:57 am
Location: Westchester, NY

#4

Post by boharr »

Couch vacated. Fun debut. Thanks, Mike.
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Schmeel
Posts: 1690
Joined: Sun Mar 29, 2020 2:38 pm

#5

Post by Schmeel »

Off the couch.
Great debut, hope to see more.
Thanks for the puzzle!
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Meg
Posts: 2166
Joined: Tue Apr 09, 2019 1:41 pm
Location: St. Petersburg, FL

#6

Post by Meg »

OTC. Sometimes the voice in your head has the answer.
Check out and support http://CrosswordsForCancer.com.
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ky-mike
Posts: 1987
Joined: Thu Apr 11, 2019 4:22 pm
Location: Near Louisville Ky

#7

Post by ky-mike »

Off the couch. Great first meta.
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MatthewL
Posts: 766
Joined: Thu Dec 31, 2020 11:57 am
Location: Atlanta, GA

#8

Post by MatthewL »

Off the couch. Very nice job, Mike!
Matthew
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Dplass
Posts: 1739
Joined: Sat Dec 28, 2019 10:09 am

#9

Post by Dplass »

Talk about rabbit holes... Thanks for the puzzle!
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ChrisKochmanski
Posts: 2199
Joined: Tue Apr 09, 2019 9:51 pm
Location: Saline, Michigan

#10

Post by ChrisKochmanski »

OTC — and out to walk on a lovely spring day!

Congrats, Mike!
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lbray53
Posts: 1223
Joined: Fri May 08, 2020 8:34 am
Location: Elkhorn, WI

#11

Post by lbray53 »

OFF THE COUCH! Nice game indeed. Well done.

I had to redo this reponse three times because I noticed I was putting unintended spoilers in it.
My avatar proves that it is sometimes better to be lucky than good!
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hcbirker
Posts: 2019
Joined: Thu Apr 11, 2019 7:24 pm
Location: Studio City, CA

#12

Post by hcbirker »

Very clever Michael, though I did groan a bit after I figured it out!
Heidi
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ajk
Posts: 965
Joined: Mon Dec 21, 2020 4:22 pm
Location: Colorado

#13

Post by ajk »

Got it. Took a few more beats than it should have. Good work, thanks.
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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MarkWoychick
Site Admin
Posts: 612
Joined: Sun Jun 13, 2021 6:15 pm
Location: Boise, ID

#14

Post by MarkWoychick »

Off the couch - fun puzzle, @michaelm - you got game! Congrats on a great debut!
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
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MikeyG
Posts: 1403
Joined: Wed Dec 30, 2020 2:52 pm
Location: Chicago
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#15

Post by MikeyG »

Clever, clever, clever! Lots of great cluing (loved 33-D), and a lot of little rabbit holes you could go down if you're not careful.

Somewhat of a spoiler: The answer is not "competitive crossword solving" (but that's a sport in my book!).

Keep on constructing!!
Less cross words, more crosswords.

Solve my latest "Pun of a Kind" Meta!: 92. It's a Breeze
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Richard
Posts: 351
Joined: Thu Apr 11, 2019 7:06 pm

#16

Post by Richard »

Off the couch. Finding time for metas after too much basketball watching.
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DrTom
Posts: 3782
Joined: Sat Apr 20, 2019 6:46 pm
Location: Jacksonville, FL

#17

Post by DrTom »

MikeyG wrote: ↑Mon Mar 20, 2023 2:21 pm Clever, clever, clever! Lots of great cluing (loved 33-D), and a lot of little rabbit holes you could go down if you're not careful.

Somewhat of a spoiler: The answer is not "competitive crossword solving" (but that's a sport in my book!).

Keep on constructing!!
I just KNEW you'd love that one. It was one of my favorites on Mike's puzzle as well.
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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BarbaraK
Posts: 2615
Joined: Tue Apr 09, 2019 2:37 pm
Location: Virginia

#18

Post by BarbaraK »

I'm always a bit concerned when the subject is sports, but I made it off the couch! Great puzzle, Mike!
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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DrTom
Posts: 3782
Joined: Sat Apr 20, 2019 6:46 pm
Location: Jacksonville, FL

#19

Post by DrTom »

Great inaugural puzzle Mike everything held together very well and there were some GREAT clues. Looking forward to many more.
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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Wendy Walker
Posts: 1720
Joined: Thu Apr 11, 2019 7:44 pm
Location: Unionville, PA

#20

Post by Wendy Walker »

Terrific debut, Mike! Thanks!
Good luck, fellow Muggles!
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