XWord Muggles Forum

DrTom wrote: ↑Mon Apr 12, 2021 11:58 pm OK everyone STOP!!!

I am embarrassed to say that during the creation of the original puzzle I had one of the ultimate "No No's" in a US crossword, unchecked squares. So I reworked the puzzle to eliminate the squares and had to come up with new words and clues. I even ended up having to change one of my addictive substances.

Well of course I was doing this well into the night and after about 20 or thirty iterations of trying to come up with a suitable fill I finally got one BUT what i did not take into account is that this process changed my numbering completely so that squares that were to hold letters to the meta answer were now different numbers. In short the meta cannot be solved.

Several of you were knocking on the door, the mechanism was that the substances, if you were to sum up their values based on their place in the alphabet, would give you a number (i.e. what the WORDS WORTH) and that number gave you one of 5 letters that eventually spelled SUGAR. Great idea, but a total novice mistake and I apologize for the work you all put into it and the lack of a good MMM. I think it may be a while before I try this again because I am frankly so ashamed of making this glaring an error. Forgive me.

For those of you who came up with ULTRA (which as I redid the solve is what the letters appear to be) you solved it and, interestingly, revealed the ULTRA sin in creating a puzzle....not re-solving after you make massive changes. DANG!!!

MamaE wrote: ↑Tue Apr 13, 2021 12:32 am Whew - grid finished, found some stuff in puzzle than I’m sure has something to do with the meta, but clueless what to do next.....maybe sleep will help.

oldjudge wrote: ↑Tue Apr 13, 2021 12:27 am Tom— Better a mistake here than at the hospital. We still love you!

Al Sisti wrote: ↑Tue Apr 13, 2021 12:39 am Aw man... maybe you could have posted a different prompt? And bottom line, don't be ashamed. Maybe you should blame your test solvers for not catching it until this morning... slugabeds.

Signed --

One of your test solvers.

Bird Lives wrote: ↑Mon Apr 12, 2021 11:02 pm

ChrisKochmanski wrote: ↑Mon Apr 12, 2021 8:11 pm
Ditto. I'll occasionally re-visit the puzzle, and check in here, but chances are I'll need the hints to come on Wednesday.

Congratulations on the new, um. profile picture.

DrTom wrote: ↑Tue Apr 13, 2021 12:47 am

Al Sisti wrote: ↑Tue Apr 13, 2021 12:39 am Aw man... maybe you could have posted a different prompt? And bottom line, don't be ashamed. Maybe you should blame your test solvers for not catching it until this morning... slugabeds.

Signed --

One of your test solvers.

Thanks Al, but this one is all on me - rookie mistake. I thought about going back and changing the meta prompt for one quick minute, hoping there was a sugar substitute named ULTRA, but no, time to take my lumps. The one thing you can be sure of, it will never happen again because, assuming I get back on that META horse you can be certain that I will check it and recheck it then have someone else check it.

madhatter5 wrote: ↑Tue Apr 13, 2021 12:54 am Dont worry I've messed up on a similar level - twice

P.S. I can fill in with a backup puzzle at some point later today if people want?

Abide wrote: ↑Tue Apr 13, 2021 12:58 am This was the April 1 puzzle we were looking for two weeks ago!

The problem with "They are all clued with a kind of double meaning to make them stand out" is that describes all Dr. Tom posts. So I enjoyed the clues hearing them in Dr. Tom's voice but did not consider them in the meta.

If the letters spelled ULTRA, that is an appropriate alcohol substitute, being about 98% water.