XWord Muggles Forum

Good morning Muggles!

This week’s meta is called “Close Calls,” and I’m giving it a week 2 difficulty rating. Please submit your answer on Crosshare, or PM me your solution by 10 PM on Saturday, and as has become the custom, I’ll post a couple snapshots of a leaderboard during the week. Feel free to PM me for nudges, but try to stick with it for a couple days first. If nothing else, there’s always Nudge Wednesday.

One correct solver will be chosen at random and will receive an item of his/her choice from my swag bag (a Blarney Rebel Band CD, a Utica Club keepsake, or a $15 donation to a charity of your choice).

"Close Calls" crosshare

"Close Calls" PUZ

"Close Calls" PDF

"Close Calls" spreadsheet




If you enjoy solving on Crosshare, help keep the site running by donating a few bucks.

Printed and just started. I can already feel @Wendy Walker trembling between the title, hint and 6D plus probably a few others.

LOL

The baseball knocked the cat off the couch! Thanks for a fun one, Al.

Nice one, Al. Tough-ish grid (for me).

(confirmed on crosshare.)

Off the couch. Enjoyable Monday meta. Thanks!

Fun one and very clever. Thanks, Al! I thought this would be beyond my 24A but I was able to get it.

Solved despite @Bob cruise director 's trepidation!

I knocked the kitten ball off the couch.

I used to play co-ed softball with a 16" ball, called a softball. No gloves were used and the ball actually got soft with play. Bats were limited to 26 inches. It was a fun game on a small field because you could not hit it very far.

NO CATS WERE HARMED!

OTC!

And still chuckling over many of Al’s clues.

Despite my misgivings when I saw the subject matter, I am off the couch. As usual with Al’s puzzles, there are so many layers, I won’t be surprised if I missed something, but the parts I found are quite elegant.

26 down gets me every time.

Al has pitched a perfect game as usual. Off the couch and feeling batty.

EDIT: I looked again at the meta and saw the inherent brilliance...Al, we are not worthy.

Off the couch! What fun Al! Thanks!

Off the bench after a striking meta.
Thanks Al!

Off the couch! Great puzzle, Al!

OTC. Crosshare confirmed I got the meta, but there seems to be more here than meets the eye. Looking forward to Al's reveal.

Off the couch.
Good one. Thanks for the puzzle!

Off the couch...thanks Al!

Allllllllmost asked for a nudge, but heeded Al's request to stick with it, and things finally revealed themselves. Vacating the couch with just 45m left in the work day

Like @Meg, appears more than meets the eye here, so interested in the post-game discussion... But very fun challenge, Al!

OTC - great clueing and mechanism, Al. I'm glad I did the grid on Crosshare - had to backspace/re-enter for many of the words.

Off now. (I just liked the scenario.)

I had a close enough call to get to the answer but initially missed some of the reasons why.

Regarding the somewhat challenging grid: Lots of entertaining clues, and while a couple other constructors may be the master of the punny clue, I believe Al is the master of the slightly misdirecting, somewhat ambiguous, but perfectly fair clue!

Thanks for the fun puzzle, Al!