XWord Muggles Forum

No worries, Dr. Tom! It was a fun puzzle anyway and, hey, I got to catch up on current drug slang while Googling.
Given Dr. Tom's profession it was no surprise that there were a LOT of drug references in addition to BARBS, COKE, ALCOHOL, POT, and SPEED -- how about DMA, WATER, PASTE, TRIP, and ODIE ("OD")!
Like TMart, I actually thought of SUGAR as an answer ("brown sugar" = heroin), but I couldn't find a way to support it.
One avenue I explored was that if you took part of ST-AMPMET-ER, changed one letter (AMPHET) and then jumped up 2 rows, you'd get AMPHETAMINE. Hey, I didn't say it was a GOOD avenue!

Well, I was routing/rooting for CHOCOLATE. Yeah, I know, not the 5 letter word that the long word themers (which weren't anyway) would have called for. But I would rather go with a fun "gestalt" answer than deal with math operations any day! I saw CACAO, ACIDS, ESTERS, AMINES in lots of them. (And I definitely don't regret spending time on the puzzle because I found out some of the chemical processing involved in making chocolate.) I thought perhaps that we should use every single letter of the 5 longs in our anagramming (WORDSWORTH) and that would give us the more explicit names of chemicals -- but when in my research, I started seeing the too many Ys, and Ks and Zs I would need, I fortunately withdrew.
There was also Milky Way in the poem, and earlier I also tried making Peter Paul Mounds out of STAMPMETER; and of course with a New England accent, I could make Clark Bar out of ALARMCLOCK.
So as far as I'm concerned, this puzzle was just fine, since everyone knows that chocolate is always the answer! Now to get the shrink off the couch.......

DrTom,

At least you spotted your unchecked letter. I did a MMM that had one, and neither I nor the editors caught it. (It probably happened in the same way as yours -- revising theme entries.) It was published here, people solved it, and I wouldn't have even known about it had not eagle-eyed Abide not mentioned it on a Tuesday evening chat.

I briefly toyed with the idea that was the basis of the mechanism, then rejected it as not the sort of thing DrTom would do. He's a word guy, not a numbers guy, right? I also saw TRIP and AMINE, noted that the puzzle title's added letter (C) and also the DMA entry, which is almost DMT.

Don't beat yourself up about it Dr. Tom! I enjoyed the grid and the meta hunt, and am relieved that my meta mojo is still somewhat intact. Keep doing puzzles if you enjoy it! That's what this forum is all about! The occasional miss is no big deal.

How many digits were you tweaking, Tom?

(What Tom was actually pulling on us...)

Just as I swoon at a Van Gogh brushstroke or genuflect at John Prine's ability to turn a phrase, I'm in awe of anyone talented enough to construct a meta ... and brave enough to put it out there for us mere mortal Muggles. ("Mortal" is no longer a spoiler, I trust.) So take it from this lesser Tom, my good doctor: You are forgiven and absolved. And encouraged to get back on that horse ASAP.

Joe Ross wrote: ↑Tue Apr 13, 2021 12:14 pm How many digits were you tweaking, Tom?

Well actually I started at 30.3N, 81.7W but eventually went to
30.382459183260923629 N
81.753928764270148765 W

because I'm a quarky kind of guy.

Thanks for allowing me a chance to have fun in all of this.

T

Joe Ross wrote: ↑Tue Apr 13, 2021 12:18 pm (What Tom was actually pulling on us...)

Ooh, ooh - is the answer ULTRA?

I am steeling myself for tonight's Muggle Zoom where I am sure I will be roasted (albeit good naturedly). If I am not then I will sign off immediately because I will know I have entered a Muggle Zoom in an alternate universe.
When asked for a comment:

These are my friends and I welcome the "tribute", Tom said warmly.

DrTom wrote: ↑Tue Apr 13, 2021 2:33 pm I am steeling myself for tonight's Muggle Zoom where I am sure I will be roasted (albeit good naturedly). If I am not then I will sign off immediately because I will know I have entered a Muggle Zoom in an alternate universe.



When asked for a comment:

These are my friends and I welcome the "tribute", Tom said warmly.

"You'll have your turn at tribute," Joe said, crankily.

Joe Ross wrote: ↑Tue Apr 13, 2021 2:46 pm

DrTom wrote: ↑Tue Apr 13, 2021 2:33 pm I am steeling myself for tonight's Muggle Zoom where I am sure I will be roasted (albeit good naturedly). If I am not then I will sign off immediately because I will know I have entered a Muggle Zoom in an alternate universe.



When asked for a comment:

These are my friends and I welcome the "tribute", Tom said warmly.

"You'll have your turn at tribute," Joe said, crankily.

"Nice parry", Tom thrust in to the conversation.

DrTom wrote: ↑Tue Apr 13, 2021 3:14 pm

Joe Ross wrote: ↑Tue Apr 13, 2021 2:46 pm

DrTom wrote: ↑Tue Apr 13, 2021 2:33 pm I am steeling myself for tonight's Muggle Zoom where I am sure I will be roasted (albeit good naturedly). If I am not then I will sign off immediately because I will know I have entered a Muggle Zoom in an alternate universe.



When asked for a comment:

These are my friends and I welcome the "tribute", Tom said warmly.

"You'll have your turn at tribute," Joe said, crankily.

"Nice parry", Tom thrust in to the conversation.

"I admire your riposte," Joe said, with clôture.

Don't sweat it DrTom. Luckily the stakes are not too high here!

Now I can ask my friends from the south. As in 48A, does anyone use the word GYP?

Bob cruise director wrote: ↑Tue Apr 13, 2021 3:42 pm Now I can ask my friends from the south. As in 48A, does anyone use the word GYP?

"Sum times," Joe added.

DrTom wrote: ↑Tue Apr 13, 2021 2:33 pm I am steeling myself for tonight's Muggle Zoom where I am sure I will be roasted (albeit good naturedly). If I am not then I will sign off immediately because I will know I have entered a Muggle Zoom in an alternate universe.

Spit.jpg

When asked for a comment:

These are my friends and I welcome the "tribute", Tom said warmly.

I'm not gonna say a word. Just gonna sit there enjoying a nice cold Michelob Ultra.

Al Sisti wrote: ↑Tue Apr 13, 2021 4:51 pm

DrTom wrote: ↑Tue Apr 13, 2021 2:33 pm I am steeling myself for tonight's Muggle Zoom where I am sure I will be roasted (albeit good naturedly). If I am not then I will sign off immediately because I will know I have entered a Muggle Zoom in an alternate universe.

Spit.jpg

When asked for a comment:

These are my friends and I welcome the "tribute", Tom said warmly.

I'm not gonna say a word. Just gonna sit there enjoying a nice cold Michelob Ultra.

Well there is no sugar in that....hmm that seems to be a theme lately!

Bob cruise director wrote: ↑Tue Apr 13, 2021 3:42 pm Now I can ask my friends from the south. As in 48A, does anyone use the word GYP?

No, now GIT!