XWord Muggles Forum

I know this looks like a Benchen71 take-over. But don't worry: MEOW programming from other contributors will continue next week! Until then...

I remember as a child enjoying those "spot the difference" cartoons that would appear on the comics and crossword pages of some newspapers. This meta is the exact opposite of those cartoons. The answer to the meta is an 8-letter word.

The easiest way to submit is on Crosshare (and you get instant feedback and unlimited attempts!) But you can also PM me with your submission. Either way, I'll compile a list of those who successfully solve the meta.

The Opposite Of "Spot The Difference" - Crosshare
The Opposite Of "Spot The Difference" - PUZ
The Opposite Of "Spot The Difference" - PDF

The Opposite Of "Spot The Difference" - spreadsheet
Trust the document. Enable content. Save As to your drive.

Kitten
Calico
Persian
Puma
Lion

Nudges are here.
The solution will be posted Tuesday.

Cat freed, maybe he’ll help me over the moat!

The cat has been freed! Thanks, Ben!

rjy wrote: ↑Wed Oct 18, 2023 7:21 am Cat freed, maybe he’ll help me over the moat!

Actually, that has been my strategy of the MOAT.

But cats freed and MOAT had the teensiest of toes dipped in.
(Evil twins...)

Cat is gone. Thanks.

Nice one, Ben. The cat has fled the suitcase.

Bags sans cat!

Awaiting nudges.

Yes. Not spotting what to do!

The end of the first 24 hours brings us 17 solvers who managed to extricate the cat from the bag!

SeamusOL
Laura M
markhr
Pair O Ducks
rjy
Hector
SamKat9
merlinnimue
kurtalert
woozy
DIS
Tyrpmom
boharr
Meg
Cindy Weatherman
I K Snamhcok
Johnny Luau

I'm planning to release the nudges tomorrow morning, Australia time.

Right church, wrong pew. I was SURE I had the mechanism but it was another brand of the same thing...silly me. Ben has thrown us some pretty interesting mechanisms. Now I need to see if I have anything even remotely as good for next week. So, the cat is out of the bag and wondering, "OK, what do I do next?"

Just one additional solver:

DrTom

So we're at 18, and it's time for the nudges!

Nudges, in order of increasing blatancy:

1. No hints in the grid, but the puzzle title should help.

2. The grid is separated into 9 4x4 sections. You're looking for an 8-letter answer. You do the math!

3. The opposite of "spot the difference" is "spot the same".

4. Take each pair of 4x4 sections in order and look for one letter that's the same in each pair.

Yep, that last one did the trick. Had been doing something similar a different (unsuccessful) way. Can’t really say “stormed,” but concealed myself in a barrow of cabbages and snuck in a side door. Tnx!

The cat is out with the help of the nudges. Thanks, Ben!

Nudge 4 did it for me, too. Thanks, Ben!

DeMOATed or DeMEOWed? Crept out of the castle... I'm so confused. Love, Darth

Cat has been de-bagged, but only because of the nudges and then a redirect from a friendly muggle. Thanks for the puzzle, Ben!

Nudges didn't help. I was already doing nudge #4, and in two different ways (interpretations). In one way I don't get enough pieces, and in another way I get too many, and in both cases the pieces don't spell anything or even anagram to anything.

Hang on, I found a THIRD way to do what I was trying to do, and this one worked. Wow, that is the least obvious of the three mechanisms (IMHO). I'll explain after the reveal.

Had the right idea from the start, but needed the last nudge to define the process, as there were multiple mechanisms that were all plausible - and the correct one was not one I had considered.