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Puzzle #88 answer: FORTE

Correct entries: 61, so we have a solid Level 2/2.5.



@BrennerTJ turns in another noteworthy performance!

Explanation: Aided by the alpha and omega entries, the musical scale appears from top to bottom in the grid (and those are the only instances of those in the puzzle). Per the title, we look at the letters on those notes, which spells LOWERCASE "F" IN MUSIC (parsed by many as "LOWERCASE FIN MUSIC," which made me smile, haha), which is FORTE, the meta answer - and what I hope crosswords are for you! (Note the original name of the piano was also the pianoforte, which I learned while making this puzzle!)

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This is the penultimate puzzle in the Winter Solvestice! Looking forward to college basketball on my break, as well as being (a little) constructive and catching up on some past metas!

It might be a bit overcompensating to put this at a Level 4, and your mileage may vary. Go forth and crack the conundrum in any case!

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89. That's Not Right

The answer to the meta is a 5-letter word.

Deadline is Saturday, March 30 at 1 pm ET.

Good luck, and may all your solves be beautiful!

Mikey G

Great puzzle, Mikey.

Very nice, Mikey!

Solved! I'm not sure I would rate this one as a level 4, but everyone's milage varies. Still, heaps of fun!

Solved! Nice and easy after some really tough ones. I guess it all averages out! Thanks MikeyG!

Very gneiss, Mr. G!

Much fun. Thanks Mikey.

Solo-stice solve. Don’t let the Week 4 tag scare you… this just requires a little thought process. Smooth as usual !

Delightful puzzle!! Saw it pretty quickly.. not sure why.

I finally got it right! Two aha moments! So fun.

Abide wrote: ↑Sat Mar 23, 2024 10:19 pm Solo-stice solve. Don’t let the Week 4 tag scare you… this just requires a little thought process. Smooth as usual !

Probably more a Level 3. I'll have to make next week's Level 5 a Level 6 then, I guess!

MikeyG wrote: ↑Sun Mar 24, 2024 10:18 am

Abide wrote: ↑Sat Mar 23, 2024 10:19 pm Solo-stice solve. Don’t let the Week 4 tag scare you… this just requires a little thought process. Smooth as usual !

Probably more a Level 3. I'll have to make next week's Level 5 a Level 6 then, I guess!

No!!!

We are likely going to have a nudgearino or two down the line this week, though I am happy that 28 got it to start!

Busy this weekend. Nice one Mikey!

Finally caught up to this one - blind squirrel got the nut this time, rare case of first thing I thought of worked. Clever, Mikey!

MikeyG wrote: ↑Sun Mar 24, 2024 11:10 pm We are likely going to have a nudgearino or two down the line this week, though I am happy that 28 got it to start!

We're up to 36 so far, so here's a few oblique nudges to start things off.

1. The title always matters, but it definitely matters here.

2. Per @Cap'n Rick guidelines, we do have five symmetrically placed "themers" (makes sense, with the 5-letter word).

3. Think about the last word of the title. How might that point to five themers?

4. What is the (an?) opposite of the last word of the title?

Let's see if that starts you off in the right direction! (Oh, "right." Pun actually unintended, I promise, haha.)

Oof. Still couldn't see it after those nudges, and thus needed a couple more to finally get there. Thanks for the puzzle, Mikey!

Okay.... I kind of assumed all the nudges but couldn't make anything out of them. Still can't.

Nudged to the answer. I shouldn’t have needed them. Probably would not have if only I’d done … something I usually do when I’m stuck.