Central Casting
- Bird Lives
- Posts: 2762
- Joined: Tue Apr 09, 2019 6:43 pm
- Location: NYC
- Contact:
Central Casting
The first Month of March Muggle Meta Monday is also the last MMM before daylight savings, and a special day it is. Today’s puzzle is right on schedule, though I composed it back in 2023. I’m not even sure I remember how to solve it, which is to say that this is not an easy one. It’s at least a 3, some say a 4. Without asterisks to mark the themers, it might be more like a 5. But with the stars to guide you, plus tenacity, imagination, and perhaps the Internet, and with our MMM drum and bugle corps keeping the beat, you should march forth to the solution. If not, there will be nudges.
Editorial advice and encouragement came from @Abide and @Al Sisti (the latter came up with the title); Joe Ross made it all visible and downloadable. No spreadsheet format for this one since the constructor chose to use a non-square (15 x 17) grid.
The answer is an actor whose name sounds like a middle school subject.
Central Casting
crosshare
PUZ
PDF
Editorial advice and encouragement came from @Abide and @Al Sisti (the latter came up with the title); Joe Ross made it all visible and downloadable. No spreadsheet format for this one since the constructor chose to use a non-square (15 x 17) grid.
The answer is an actor whose name sounds like a middle school subject.
Central Casting
crosshare
PUZ
Jay
-
- Posts: 1500
- Joined: Mon Mar 29, 2021 7:26 pm
OTC! Thanks for the Monday morning jolt to the brain (in case the caffeine doesn't work)!
- schmidzy
- Posts: 315
- Joined: Mon Oct 11, 2021 8:56 am
- Contact:
- whimsy
- Posts: 2835
- Joined: Sun Jun 21, 2020 9:51 am
- Location: Hopkinton MA
[About an hour later...]
Oh my! Just realized what was what! Fabulous!
- ajk
- Posts: 988
- Joined: Mon Dec 21, 2020 4:22 pm
- Location: Colorado
Fun stuff indeed, thanks. Played easy for me just because I got lucky.
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
- boharr
- Moderator
- Posts: 3238
- Joined: Fri Sep 06, 2019 8:57 am
- Location: Westchester, NY
- DrTom
- Posts: 3873
- Joined: Sat Apr 20, 2019 6:46 pm
- Location: Jacksonville, FL
Ohhh, very nice Monday start. Great puzzle Jay! I was luckily unlucky in that an error on my part revealed the path. I am off the couch which makes me UNCOUCH but hopefully not UNCOUTH.
T
T
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!
- HeadinHome
- Posts: 1115
- Joined: Sun Apr 26, 2020 9:06 am
- Location: Charlotte, NC
Thoroughly enjoyable! Challenging but doable, for sure… just have to stick with it, and it rewards you. Loved the couch, and fun to fall off it too.
The other Wendy.
- Meg
- Posts: 2187
- Joined: Tue Apr 09, 2019 1:41 pm
- Location: St. Petersburg, FL
OTC. That was a thoroughly enjoyable solving experience. No anxiety at all. Thanks, Jay!
Check out and support http://CrosswordsForCancer.com.
- Jeremy Smith
- Posts: 1012
- Joined: Thu Apr 11, 2019 5:45 pm
- Location: Tampa Bay area
-
- Posts: 314
- Joined: Thu Aug 25, 2022 4:33 pm
- Location: Ottawa, Canada
- HeadinHome
- Posts: 1115
- Joined: Sun Apr 26, 2020 9:06 am
- Location: Charlotte, NC
I see what you did there, in view of the title. Brilliant! (Well, and sad and infuriatingly true…).Jeremy Smith wrote: ↑Mon Mar 04, 2024 3:17 pm OTC. Very clever and a lot of fun! Thanks, Jay!
IMG_1935.jpeg
The other Wendy.
- Anita
- Posts: 447
- Joined: Fri Apr 12, 2019 1:55 am
- Wendy Walker
- Posts: 1744
- Joined: Thu Apr 11, 2019 7:44 pm
- Location: Unionville, PA
Terrific puzzle, Jay! Really enjoyed it! And a chef's kiss for proper use of "comprises" in the 49D clue.
Good luck, fellow Muggles!
- Bird Lives
- Posts: 2762
- Joined: Tue Apr 09, 2019 6:43 pm
- Location: NYC
- Contact:
The clue for 52 Across should be "Tolkien creation." Not Tolkein. The inversion of the i and e was a spelling error on my part; I can't even dismiss it as a typo. You'll have to look elsewhere for spelling champions. In any case, the spelling has nothing to do with the solution.
Thanks to Bob cruise director (Bob copy editor?) for catching this one.
Thanks to Bob cruise director (Bob copy editor?) for catching this one.
Jay
- hcbirker
- Posts: 2055
- Joined: Thu Apr 11, 2019 7:24 pm
- Location: Studio City, CA
-
- Posts: 787
- Joined: Thu Dec 31, 2020 11:57 am
- Location: Atlanta, GA
Off the couch! Finally. Went down a deep rabbit hole but finally managed to pull myself out. Thanks Jay!
Matthew
- benchen71
- Posts: 2505
- Joined: Thu Jul 22, 2021 8:50 pm
- Location: Melbourne, Australia
- Contact:
Off the (casting) couch! Excellent puzzle, Jay!
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!
- lbray53
- Posts: 1247
- Joined: Fri May 08, 2020 8:34 am
- Location: Elkhorn, WI
OTC! Great meta. Just had to stick with it and keep grinding. Three levels of aha moments for me.
My avatar proves that it is sometimes better to be lucky than good!
- sharkicicles
- Posts: 920
- Joined: Fri May 10, 2019 12:03 pm
- Location: Chicago
So some Hollywood stars needed a lot of psychiatric therapy to become successful?Jeremy Smith wrote: ↑Mon Mar 04, 2024 3:17 pm OTC. Very clever and a lot of fun! Thanks, Jay!
IMG_1935.jpeg
Still working on the meta but great grid!