XWord Muggles Forum

The answer is “In like a lion, out like a lamb.” Many people, perhaps a record number for the MMM, got the answer. There were three sets of entries leading to the answer

1. Eight symmetrically located entries appear to be wrong. They don’t match their clues. In four cases, a LION has come in. In four others, a LAMB has gone out. Many solvers needed only a LION or two to suss out the answer.

2. Two entries confirmed these additions and removals:
27D “Sign for those added to the gird”: LEO.
30A “Sounds from those taken off the grid”: BAAS.

3. The two 11-letter entries signal the march theme – Little Women is about the March sisters; John Philip Sousa was the March King.
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There was only one possible wrong answer, and someone did submit it: “The lion shall lie down with the lamb” which has the right animals and the right number of words but does not fit with the mechanism of the puzzle. Still, it did remind me of Woody Allen’s line: “The lion shall lie down with the lamb, but the lamb won’t get much sleep.”

Here are solvers:
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An intricate and enjoyable puzzle. Thank you.

Was 54D ELIA just a coincidence? Elia was the pseudonym Charle Lamb used on his essays.

boharr wrote: ↑Sun Mar 07, 2021 9:51 am An intricate and enjoyable puzzle. Thank you.

Was 54D ELIA just a coincidence? Elia was the pseudonym Charle Lamb used on his essays.

It was a coincidence, sort of. I considered other possibilities for that corner and decided go with this one. I knew the Lamb connection but couldn't come up with a clue that didn't give the game away. "Pen name of an essayist whose real name is related to the meta" seemed a bit awkward.

And I liked ROI near the middle, going along with the King of France clue .... another "King of the Beasts" tribute.
Wonderful puzzle!