XWord Muggles Forum

Abide wrote: ↑Wed Apr 28, 2021 11:33 am Guest Nudge from hcbirker

Using highlighters is a good idea!

Real Nudge 1

You should already have the first step. Now look in another area of the grid. May not hurt to look over the clues as well

Spoiler #1 (from @hcbirker) - hugely improved my meta solving abilities when I started doing it. A+++++ would recommend again.

OTC. Great puzzle and construction!

Awaiting confirmation but I do believe I'm off the couch. I'm embarrassed by how much Googling I need to do. A really fun meta with a good a-ha moment even after the nudges! Well done Peter and anyone else that helped out with this one!

This pizza-loving crime-fighter is finally off the couch.

Friday morning additions:

47. @jhseeman
48. @AnswerPfinder
49. @mkmf
50. @Andrew Bradburn
51. @whimsy
52. @cbarbee002

Off the couch FINALLY. I truthfully could not have made that any more convoluted had I been TRYING to make it convoluted. My forays were not even in the realm of reality, probably could call them more Lorax holes than rabbit holes. I was almost trying to come up with Mr Mxyzptlk (not a spoiler cause that isn't the answer or even close) and had there been a Z anywhere in that grid I might still be looking!!!

Oh, and I forgot to say that when I finally got the mechanism I had to chuckle at Peter's final twist of fate - how ironic (or perhaps twist of eight - how oronic)

Great puzzle, even if I had to rely on Mr. G a LOT (Al Yankovik REALLY Peter and TNMT). But I liked oronym, never knew what it was called but have enjoyed it in jokes for year (think EATS, SHOOTS and LEAVES).

Oh, and for those who though there were too many "Southern" references, sure there was SEC but he had SCROD in there for heaven's sake (also the subject of one of my favorite jokes),

T

Saturday afternoon update:

53. @Cindy N
54. @DrTom

And DrTom, Weird Al and I share a close connection (exact 4-Down). I had an alternate clue dealing with MC Hawking and Optimus Rhyme, but most of their lyrics are NSFW.

Abide wrote: ↑Sat May 01, 2021 5:25 pm Saturday afternoon update:

53. @Cindy N
54. @DrTom

And DrTom, Weird Al and I share a close connection (exact 4-Down). I had an alternate clue dealing with MC Hawking and Optimus Rhyme, but most of their lyrics are NSFW.

I can totally understand that, even if it has nothing to do with song or odd lyrics....

55. @ricky (post deadline)

Reveal is coming within the hour, but I would like to give a special thanks to @KayW for coming off the Excel bench to help generate the solution grid when @Joe Ross was lodged between the sofa cushions.

Super Secret reveal:
Credit: KayW

In connection with National Superhero Day, April 28, we were looking for a ten-letter fictional character. For an explanation of the mechanism, here's @BrennerTJ (Tamara) via PM

Hi Peter,

Took me a couple of looks, but I think I have it now.
First, add 'man' to AQUA, SPIDER, IRON, BAT, and PLASTIC - that makes a bunch o' Superheroes.
Then list out the Super Secret ALTER EGO of each, focus on LAST name (Curry, Parker, Stark, Wayne, Obrian).
Then use the number in parentheses to extract the appropriate letter (1 or 2) from each of the alter ego last names, which produces CATWO.
Then add 'man', which gets us to CATWOMAN - which is only 7 letters long so can't be the final answer.
Then find out Catwoman's alter ego, which is SELINA KYLE - this fits as a 10-letter fictional character and is therefore my answer.


Sounds so simple, but a number of red herrings (most unintentional), the dreaded parentheses, and a tougher grid required feats of strength (and Google) for several experienced solvers. I heard from Gorilla-Man, Jack Aubrey, Crab Rangoon, and others. Maybe some of them will share their rabbit holes.

When the dust settled, Meta-Woman @FrankieHeck took home the prize. Thanks to all for solving!

Abide wrote: ↑Sun May 02, 2021 12:08 am When the dust settled, Meta-Woman @FrankieHeck took home the prize. Thanks to all for solving!

I'm so excited! I really enjoyed the puzzle, and was very happy to have quickly figured out the scary parenthetical numbers...even without noticing that great prompt in the last row of the grid! Not my area of expertise, but few things are... I always google shamelessly for metas.

Thanks, Peter!

Abide wrote: ↑Sat May 01, 2021 11:17 pm 55. @ricky (post deadline)

Reveal is coming within the hour, but I would like to give a special thanks to @KayW for coming off the Excel bench to help generate the solution grid when @Joe Ross was lodged between the sofa cushions.

EXCELLENT graphic, @KayW & @Abide!

My previous *SITCh:


*Stuck In The Cushions ©®™@Abide

Well I was killed trying to make the LAST part of the theme entry an ALTER EGO. CRAB RANGOON seemed FAR too evident to be a coincidence so....crab Rangoon, wanton: ORONYM One Ton and off to the superhero strength scale I went (there is such a scale, unfortunately there are a LOT Of 1 ton people, none have crab in their name or are of Asian descent. Then there were the other rabbit holes: EAGLE, with the FLYERS AIRPORT in the puzzle...AMERICAN (airlines) EAGLE - JASON STRONGBOW; ALFRE so close to BATCLEANUP (who cleans up after Batman - ALFRED). So yes I tried to make it much more difficult than I had to, but then talk to Joe Ross, he will tell you I have a tendency to go in odd directions.

The final piece, that the superheroes that had all ended in man would lead to a woman, nice final pivot Peter. Now the question is, if she used Catwoman when getting married would that be her ALTAR ego, no wouldn't that be oronic!

No disrespect to @Joe Ross , but that graphic by @KayW is amazing and beautiful!

Abide wrote: ↑Sun May 02, 2021 12:08 am Super Secret reveal:

SuperSecretImage14.PNG
Credit: KayW

In connection with National Superhero Day, April 28, we were looking for a ten-letter fictional character. For an explanation of the mechanism, here's @BrennerTJ (Tamara) via PM

Hi Peter,

Took me a couple of looks, but I think I have it now.
First, add 'man' to AQUA, SPIDER, IRON, BAT, and PLASTIC - that makes a bunch o' Superheroes.
Then list out the Super Secret ALTER EGO of each, focus on LAST name (Curry, Parker, Stark, Wayne, Obrian).
Then use the number in parentheses to extract the appropriate letter (1 or 2) from each of the alter ego last names, which produces CATWO.
Then add 'man', which gets us to CATWOMAN - which is only 7 letters long so can't be the final answer.
Then find out Catwoman's alter ego, which is SELINA KYLE - this fits as a 10-letter fictional character and is therefore my answer.


Sounds so simple, but a number of red herrings (most unintentional), the dreaded parentheses, and a tougher grid required feats of strength (and Google) for several experienced solvers. I heard from Gorilla-Man, Jack Aubrey, Crab Rangoon, and others. Maybe some of them will share their rabbit holes.

When the dust settled, Meta-Woman @FrankieHeck took home the prize. Thanks to all for solving!

Google really helped me! I had no idea that Aquaman or Plassticman (sic) had real names!

Fun puzzle, and @KayW,

Not all the pieces of the puzzle came together to me, and I kind of doubt if I would've been off the couch. But a fun meta and a nice mechanism!

This was my false scent:
The "LAST ALTER EGO" in the list of the superheroes is Patrick O'Brian, who as well as being Plastic Man's alter ego is also the
"Master and Commander" novelist. I immediately thought of his hero JACK AUBREY, who is a 10-letter fictional character, but my hopes came crashing down when I realized I had those vexing (1) and (2) parentheses to deal with. Thank goodness Bob set me straight!
Oh, and I also recently cut a check for BAT CLEANUP in the attic of the house museum I help to run.

Meg wrote: ↑Sun May 02, 2021 9:35 am No disrespect to @Joe Ross , but that graphic by @KayW is amazing and beautiful!

Thanks @Meg - but the design was all Peter's. I just pushed the buttons to make it happen.