MEOW #173 Crowded

A weekly meta crossword on the forum started by member Josh (aka madhatter5). These puzzles are often very creative with solving mechanisms out of the norm and skewing towards the more challenging. Puzzles are posted every Wednesday, and the solution appears the following Tuesday.
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DrTom
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#21

Post by DrTom »

benchen71 wrote: Wed Mar 20, 2024 1:50 am Cat's out! Nice one, DrTom!
The cat gets to run around Australia SIGNIFICANTLY earlier than his American cousins. Must have gotten released by an Emu or dingo while sitting on Ayers Rock in the outback,

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!
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DrTom
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#22

Post by DrTom »

hoover wrote: Wed Mar 20, 2024 8:36 am Cat's out! Can confirm kitten sighting.
Model for the meta:
cute litle kitten.jpg
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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DrTom
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#23

Post by DrTom »

rjy wrote: Wed Mar 20, 2024 11:11 am Bag no longer crowded. Fun one, with a baker's handful of devilish clues!
When, for a moment there I thought you said disheveled...which might also be true.
DISHEVELEDprint_800x.jpg
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!
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DrTom
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#24

Post by DrTom »

HeadinHome wrote: Wed Mar 20, 2024 12:00 pm Cat likes some easy escapes just to keep her confidence up. Thanks for obliging!
Oh yes, easy is comforting at times, particularly this week since I know I am adrift on a few...
take it easy.jpg
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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DrTom
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#25

Post by DrTom »

Jeremy Smith wrote: Wed Mar 20, 2024 1:30 pm Kitten's out! Thanks, DrTom!
Frolick, frolick, frolick
Frolicking kitten.jpg
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!
Dave C
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#26

Post by Dave C »

The kitten is out. I have been struggling with metas lately, so it was nice to solve one quickly.
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KayW
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#27

Post by KayW »

:crossed_swords: :rabbit: :cat:

Image

..as promised. Fun one - thanks Dr Tom!
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.
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ky-mike
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#28

Post by ky-mike »

Kitten for sure. Let the kitten out of the bag this morning, but forgot to post until now.

Thanks Dr Tom
Qmark
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#29

Post by Qmark »

Cat's out...thanks DrTom!
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DrTom
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#30

Post by DrTom »

KayW wrote: Wed Mar 20, 2024 6:30 pm :crossed_swords: :rabbit: :cat:

Image

..as promised. Fun one - thanks Dr Tom!
and another weasel loses his job to the non-union kitty shop...
Weasel Pop.jpg
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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DrTom
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#31

Post by DrTom »

Well, this is a GREAT first day for this meta:
1 Meg (T)
2 Cinny (T)
3 Benchen71
4 woozy
5 DebbieC
6 Laura M
7 Danny K Bernstein
8 Berto
9 Pair O Ducks
10 DCBilly
11 hoover
12 Cindy Weatherman
13 Mr Tex
14 boharr
15 Matthew L
16 Lars Caine
17 Bird Lives
18 CPJohnson
19 rjy
20 JM
21 ChrisKochmanski
22 Carolyn
23 hector
24 Sharkicicles
25 Mwoychick
26 ergcat
27 whinsy
28 markhr
29 HeadinHome
30 heidi
31 andeux
32 DIS
33 Jeremy Smith
34 ajk
35 DOritz
36 lbray52
37 Tom Wilson
38 Darth
39 Dave C
40 KayW
41 kymike
42 Jaclyn
43 Qmark
44 Tim
45 Tyrpmom
46 frostyjhammer

Apparently I hit the sweet spot on this one, and thanks to everyone who is crowding onto the solvers board! It appears the meta title may well be prophetic...well if we were headed for a beach that is. Instead there are just scads of kittens running all over the place.
Bunch of kittens.jpg
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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DrTom
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#32

Post by DrTom »

Hmmm, maybe I had better look at the WSJ puzzle. Solvers for the MEOW did an abrupt stop. Only two more since yesterday:

48 kurtalert
49 imontoo

Thanks to my two new solvers, come on everyone, lets break the half century mark!!!
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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DrTom
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#33

Post by DrTom »

It's Friday!

NUDGES:

The meta answer is 6 letters long. Don't miss a letter or you will find yourself in something else you might feel uncomfortable in.

Symmetry, you know how we love symmetry!

The "dead center" in itself is not much of a help, but taken with its "qualifier"...

What you need to see is not uncommon in puzzles, but it is uncommon here in that it is ONLY in theme words.
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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DrTom
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#34

Post by DrTom »

Friday solvers:

50 Dow Jones
51 SJMcK

YEA, past the 50 mark. It's starting to get crowded....
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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DrTom
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#35

Post by DrTom »

So probably the last new solver, unless once the WSJ is done people circle back:

52 Phillip Chow
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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DrTom
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#36

Post by DrTom »

The REVEAL

OK, so this one was indeed a kitten, FINALLY I got one right.

The puzzle occurred to me after trying for probably the 40th time to solve a meta by looking at repeated letters. "Gosh you would think someone would do that!", I said to myself and promptly answered, "why not you!". THe hardest part was avoiding other world with a triplet, and surprisingly it happens a lot. But one that was done it was smooth sailing. There were 6 words, symmetrically placed that all had a "triplet" letter. I pushed solvers to realize that was key (I hope) by making one of the clues (52A) refer to company (wth an answer of two) and then having a dead center clue that said "One more than 52A", so if two was company then...

Crowded Graphic solve.jpg
There was a whole deck of solvers (52) and a lot of nice comments. I want to thank all of those who solved and let you know how much constructors like it when you really like their puzzle. SInce we do this for no other reason than your entertainment, our reward is if you are actually entertained.

I'll be absent for several weeks as I do a little traveling and have some guest contributors. I've seen all the puzzles and they are fun, heck you might not even want me back! So until some time in late May 1st I will wish all of you nothing but joyful "AHA" moments.

P.S. As if there were ANY doubt, I had completely hoped that some of you might get to THONG before THRONG. I have been in both (only one in public of course) and BOTH are VERY uncomfortable. Now granted I had it on backwards but.....

Thong Guy.jpg
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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