#571 - "Chemical Change" - May 10, 2019

An excellent puzzle written by one of the innovators of the meta crossword format. It comes out every Friday at noon and increases in difficulty throughout the month. Available for modest subscription (worth every cent) here: www.xwordcontest.com
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Icdogg
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Joined: Thu Apr 11, 2019 6:54 pm

#21

Post by Icdogg »

I would say that although it was very easy there is a potential rabbit hole or two that could take you in the wrong direction.
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JJD
Posts: 143
Joined: Fri Apr 19, 2019 9:13 am

#22

Post by JJD »

I know I’m new to these puzzles, but does anyone else feel like they’ve discover great new meta mechanics after hitting the bottom of another rabbit hole? Like, “I’m so clever in the wrong way!”
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Al Sisti
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Joined: Thu Apr 11, 2019 1:28 pm
Location: Whitesboro NY

#23

Post by Al Sisti »

JJD wrote: ↑Mon May 13, 2019 8:30 am I know I’m new to these puzzles, but does anyone else feel like they’ve discover great new meta mechanics after hitting the bottom of another rabbit hole? Like, “I’m so clever in the wrong way!”
I've definitely done that!
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BarbaraK
Posts: 2636
Joined: Tue Apr 09, 2019 2:37 pm
Location: Virginia

#24

Post by BarbaraK »

JJD wrote: ↑Mon May 13, 2019 8:30 am I know I’m new to these puzzles, but does anyone else feel like they’ve discover great new meta mechanics after hitting the bottom of another rabbit hole? Like, “I’m so clever in the wrong way!”
Absolutely! And sometimes, a few weeks later it turns out to be the actual method. That's one reason I love reading about everyone else's empty rabbit holes - you never know when one will turn out to be useful.
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markhr
Posts: 358
Joined: Thu Apr 18, 2019 7:56 pm

#25

Post by markhr »

This took me way, way longer than it should have. I seemed to be looking in all the wrong places. I finally got an insight today and everything clicked. It may be a week 2, but it played much harder than that to me.
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JJD
Posts: 143
Joined: Fri Apr 19, 2019 9:13 am

#26

Post by JJD »

Bleagh. I really like my method but I don’t like my answer.
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BarbaraK
Posts: 2636
Joined: Tue Apr 09, 2019 2:37 pm
Location: Virginia

#27

Post by BarbaraK »

I think I actually befitted from being busy last weekend - no time to overthink. I did the grid late Friday night, wondered about changing the KINC in MAKINCOPIES to zinc and GOLF to gold but didn't see anything else along that line so put it away and went to sleep. Sometime Saturday, I remembered the COPIES and wondered if carbon could be the answer. Maybe the other themes included paper, dating, etc. When I got another chance to look at the puzzle, that didn't work but with that in mind, lead pencil and tin soldier popped right out.
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JJD
Posts: 143
Joined: Fri Apr 19, 2019 9:13 am

#28

Post by JJD »

Yeah, I subtracted all the chemical elements’ symbols from all the theme answers and that anagrams to LEAD METAL twice with a few letters to spare. Coincidence? Apparently.
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FrankieHeck
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Joined: Tue Apr 09, 2019 8:57 pm
Location: West Virginia

#29

Post by FrankieHeck »

I started by trying to subtract out the elements, as well. (While trying not to bleed all over the puzzle, after I sliced my finger on my nice shiny copy of "The Elements" that I grabbed off the bookshelf.)

Eventually I started thinking "tin," because I could see tin soldier, coffee tin, something golf-related about Tin Cup...but then that was about it. But it got me thinking in the right direction to find the answer shortly after. Very fun puzzle, aside from the paper cut!
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