Table Setting by Evan Birnholz

STARTING APRIL 30, 2023

Contest Crosswords Combating Cancer (CCCC) is a bundle of 16 meta puzzles created to help raise money for cancer-related organizations. Many of the constructors and test solvers involved with the project are members of the Muggle community. The bundle is available in exchange for a donation to any cancer-related charity. For more information, visit CrosswordsForCancer.com or email CrosswordsForCancer@gmail.com.
Post Reply
User avatar
AnswerPfinder
Posts: 122
Joined: Sat Aug 08, 2020 9:49 pm
Location: Hadley, MA

Table Setting by Evan Birnholz

#1

Post by AnswerPfinder »

Table Setting by Evan Birnholz.

One of this puzzle's theme answers is the wrong one. The answer to this meta is the theme answer that should replace it, formed by combining two entries in the completed grid.


ribbonrow.png

This puzzle is part of the CCCC bundle. To access the bundle and for more information, see this post.
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.
User avatar
edestlin
Posts: 238
Joined: Sun Apr 10, 2022 9:22 am
Location: Michigan
Contact:

#2

Post by edestlin »

My first solve of the batch and it was smooth, fun sailing. Thanks for the meta!
User avatar
BarbaraK
Posts: 2592
Joined: Tue Apr 09, 2019 2:37 pm
Location: Virginia

#3

Post by BarbaraK »

I'm generally leery of metas where you have to find grid entries; that last step can be a slog. But not this time. It was obvious enough what I was looking for so just a quick scan of the grid was enough to find it. Very clever meta!
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.)
User avatar
Al Sisti
Posts: 2037
Joined: Thu Apr 11, 2019 1:28 pm
Location: Whitesboro NY

#4

Post by Al Sisti »

Such a nice, tight and clever meta!
User avatar
Conrad
Posts: 125
Joined: Mon Apr 15, 2019 2:16 pm
Location: Peaks Island, ME
Contact:

#5

Post by Conrad »

Wow, another one of my favorites. It's deeper than it appeared (to me) on first sight.
Check out my meta crossword writeups on Crossword Fiend: https://crosswordfiend.com/author/conrad/
User avatar
benchen71
Posts: 2378
Joined: Thu Jul 22, 2021 8:50 pm
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Contact:

#6

Post by benchen71 »

The meta prompt looked a bit forbidding upon starting out, but it turned out to be quite straightforward. And fun!
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:
User avatar
Cindy
Posts: 1247
Joined: Tue Apr 09, 2019 5:39 pm
Location: Matthews

#7

Post by Cindy »

Solved. Fun one.
User avatar
ChrisKochmanski
Posts: 2157
Joined: Tue Apr 09, 2019 9:51 pm
Location: Saline, Michigan

#8

Post by ChrisKochmanski »

Fun!
User avatar
Bird Lives
Posts: 2607
Joined: Tue Apr 09, 2019 6:43 pm
Location: NYC
Contact:

#9

Post by Bird Lives »

I think it's just the right level for the CCCC, but I wonder what the response would be if it were a WaPo puzzle.
Jay
User avatar
rjy
Posts: 1007
Joined: Fri Oct 08, 2021 12:52 pm
Location: Gaithersburg, MD

#10

Post by rjy »

Nice construction, Evan… I missed a crucial piece of info and ended up in some fruitless rabbit holes, but really nice aha! when the lightbulb flipped on
Ray
User avatar
ajk
Posts: 925
Joined: Mon Dec 21, 2020 4:22 pm
Location: Colorado

#11

Post by ajk »

Very fun, thanks (though I might be a bit biased by my day job :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
User avatar
Bob cruise director
Cruise Director
Posts: 4511
Joined: Thu Apr 11, 2019 2:38 pm
Location: Any golf course within 500 miles of Littleton MA

#12

Post by Bob cruise director »

Brilliant - excellent construction. And I like the easter egg even though I did not need it.

Thanks
Bob Stevens
Cruise Director
User avatar
jhseeman
Posts: 487
Joined: Sun Dec 13, 2020 3:33 pm
Location: Charleston, SC

#13

Post by jhseeman »

Great fun, and right up my alley as a geek.

Did appreciate the egg, but had the idea before the recognition of that.
User avatar
whimsy
Posts: 2718
Joined: Sun Jun 21, 2020 9:51 am
Location: Hopkinton MA

#14

Post by whimsy »

Yikes -- just realized I'd forgotten to post my success with this very successful and enjoyable puzzle.
I think it was because I got confused/distracted picking out what "Casual Shorts" (Evan's WaPo) to wear to dinner...
Untitledcasualdownton.png
Thanks, Evan!
User avatar
DrTom
Posts: 3765
Joined: Sat Apr 20, 2019 6:46 pm
Location: Jacksonville, FL

#15

Post by DrTom »

Loved it but (shame on me) blew it!

I got on to a very odd rabbit trail that ked me an answer but a wrong one. I should have known that with an Evan Birnholz it would be a locked tight GRID, answer and mechanism. Such a dodo...

But, my ineptitude should not reflect one whit upon this fine puzzle.
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!
User avatar
KayW
Moderator
Posts: 3124
Joined: Wed Apr 10, 2019 12:10 am
Location: Chicago

#16

Post by KayW »

An excellent and well-crafted meta. This is definitely NOT my area of expertise, so it took me a while to figure out "what's wrong with this picture". Thanks!
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.
User avatar
ReB
Posts: 667
Joined: Sun Mar 29, 2020 9:34 pm
Location: East Tennessee

#17

Post by ReB »

Almost botched this, but then took another look and spotted the critical connection I had overlooked before, and then it was a straight shot. Another excellent construction by Evan.
User avatar
MarkWoychick
Site Admin
Posts: 599
Joined: Sun Jun 13, 2021 6:15 pm
Location: Boise, ID

#18

Post by MarkWoychick »

Got it! Thanks for the puzzle, Evan - always a pleasure!
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
Berto
Posts: 330
Joined: Sat Feb 05, 2022 4:10 pm

#19

Post by Berto »

I know I’m sooooooo late to the party with these, but LOVED this puzzle, saw the first step, had my 7 year-old bring up an image on his iPad and we figured it out together. Fun!
User avatar
TeamDoubleTow
Posts: 435
Joined: Fri Jan 01, 2021 1:58 pm

#20

Post by TeamDoubleTow »

We had fun working on this! Thanks so much for this delightful puzzle Evan!
Team DoubleTow=Ali who posts here, Alex & Maya the hound(with occasional assistance from son)
Post Reply