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A Noteworthy Summer

· By Mikey G · Published 2023-06-17T17:00:22.625Z

Meta Prompt
[Level 3.5] The answer to the meta is an 8-letter word.
Checking for previous play data...

Leaderboard (updated hourly)

  • oldjudge solved 2023-06-17T17:05:50.875Z
  • BrennerTJ solved 2023-06-17T17:35:57.852Z
  • Hector solved 2023-06-17T17:45:25.091Z
  • Meg solved 2023-06-17T18:34:40.044Z
  • Cindy Weatherman solved 2023-06-17T19:10:33.931Z
  • I K Snamhcok solved 2023-06-17T20:05:31.809Z
  • spotter solved 2023-06-17T20:30:25.816Z
  • KayW solved 2023-06-17T20:33:55.751Z
  • boharr solved 2023-06-17T22:17:48.117Z
  • markhr solved 2023-06-17T22:37:27.810Z
  • FrankieHeck solved 2023-06-17T23:44:58.015Z
  • Golem solved 2023-06-18T00:32:02.802Z
  • Alex Sisti solved 2023-06-18T01:15:10.361Z
  • woozy solved 2023-06-18T06:08:41.764Z
  • DJB solved 2023-06-18T06:16:16.872Z
  • Bbaack solved 2023-06-18T18:44:03.148Z
  • Gutman solved 2023-06-18T19:42:20.551Z
  • Bob J solved 2023-06-18T21:23:46.259Z
  • lbray53 solved 2023-06-18T22:42:42.630Z
  • Pair O Ducks solved 2023-06-19T00:19:54.396Z
  • merlinnimue solved 2023-06-19T00:56:24.019Z
  • DrTom solved 2023-06-19T02:23:07.661Z
  • MatthewL solved 2023-06-19T03:38:18.960Z
  • Berto solved 2023-06-19T04:00:39.955Z
  • benchen71 solved 2023-06-19T09:27:22.967Z
  • whimsy solved 2023-06-19T12:33:03.012Z
  • Abide solved 2023-06-19T16:14:49.813Z
  • Schmeel solved 2023-06-19T19:54:19.627Z
  • Tyrpmom solved 2023-06-20T17:17:02.098Z
  • heidi solved 2023-06-20T22:27:52.439Z
  • rjy solved 2023-06-21T03:31:23.859Z
  • BarbaraK solved 2023-06-21T22:20:06.569Z
  • JR solved 2023-06-22T13:46:57.813Z
  • Joe solved 2023-06-22T14:01:28.690Z
  • Cindy Heisler solved 2023-06-22T16:04:09.012Z
  • hoover solved 2023-06-22T18:37:36.624Z
  • Carolyn solved 2023-06-22T19:32:20.478Z
  • andeux solved 2023-06-22T21:12:32.978Z
  • Darrell solved 2023-06-22T22:29:09.314Z
  • PuzNewbie solved 2023-06-22T23:09:38.437Z
  • CPJohnson solved 2023-06-22T23:57:27.842Z
  • ReB solved 2023-06-23T02:10:53.759Z
  • Toast solved 2023-06-23T03:20:25.296Z
  • Katiedid solved 2023-06-23T13:35:16.507Z
  • Tom Wilson solved 2023-06-23T13:56:31.566Z
  • kurtalert solved 2023-06-23T19:32:15.897Z
  • JM solved 2023-06-24T14:59:12.087Z
  • Matt A solved 2023-06-24T16:59:43.193Z
  • Laura M solved 2023-06-27T04:09:30.873Z
  • Tane solved 2023-07-01T04:15:39.791Z
  • DIS solved 2023-07-06T18:50:12.274Z

Comments

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  • Mikey G constructor · 2023-06-17T17:00:22.625Z
    Solution: SOLSTICE
    Metanism: Five entries' clues contain the word "summer." The answers to these clues can be preceded by the first two letters of the clue, also a musical note, to give a new word (for example: Do + UGH = DOUGH). Play "alternate clues" with those five entries (i.e., DOUGH = "Moolah" = CASH). The initial letters of those five entries, in standard order, spell STICE. Well...that's not anything, nor is it an 8-letter word! However, with one of the two notes not yet used in the clues (and the only 3-letter one!), we can apply the earlier metanism once again: SOL + STICE = SOLSTICE, the apt answer to the meta! (Sorry, fa, we'll get you next time.)
    • oldjudge 3s · 2023-06-17T17:06:53.107Z
      Fantastic job Mikey! Very innovative.
      • Hector 5s · 2023-06-17T18:18:24.138Z
        Maybe you can use FA Thursday. Nice meta!
        • Meg 3s · 2023-06-17T20:01:23.897Z
          Nothing like some practice in delayed gratification. How is he gonna get from 5 to 8? And he did, eventually.
          • KayW 🤓11:54 · 2023-06-17T20:35:43.430Z
            Bravo, Mikey! A great "aha" at every step of the solve. Encore!
            • boharr 5s · 2023-06-17T22:18:31.457Z
              Nice one. Thanks Mikey
              • Alex Sisti 3s · 2023-06-18T01:16:03.530Z
                This is easily my favorite puzzle of yours... genius construction!
                • DJB 2s · 2023-06-18T06:17:19.428Z
                  Loved the incremental layers on this one!
                  • woozy 🤓7:06 · 2023-06-18T17:36:24.313Z
                    Fun! Took me way too long and I kept trying to tie everything I saw in the exact wrong way. Can't tell you how long I tried thinking 15A and 54A have multiple notes expressed in the clue and so, um, I look for clues with lots of notes? and, uh?, look at the notes they don't have? and... cross-reference them. I notice some clues seemed to be more about summer (didn't occur to me they had the word "summer") but somehow was convinced they couldn't be consistent enough to be analyzed. Do'ugh!
                    • Bbaack 23:20 · 2023-06-18T18:46:52.442Z
                      Wow, a great twist on an oft-used solfege mechanism. This was a lot of fun, thanks!
                      • Gutman 2s · 2023-06-18T19:43:46.726Z
                        I really wanted it to be a math (addition) problem. Well done, Mikey
                        • merlinnimue 🤓11:46 · 2023-06-19T01:06:47.407Z
                          this was a fantastic meta, congratulations. i spotted the solfege early on, but i didn't know what to do with it. i usually try doing these puzzles in my head, so it took me all day until i finally decided to write the clues down when the aha just popped out. i never cease to be amazed by you genius puzzle creators, thank you for sharing your gift with a dumdum like me and the rest of the world (i hope against hope that one day i'll be able to reach a fraction of the level of you smarties, but it has become clear to me that i have yet a long long way to run)
                          • DrTom 6s · 2023-06-19T02:24:07.415Z
                            This was so much fun, even though I saw it as a tester I had tor do it again. Nice job and novel mechanism Mike!
                            • Berto 🤓3:29 · 2023-06-19T04:10:12.929Z
                              SOL-o SOLve! 1down was ‘instrumental’, led me to less of an ‘aha’ moment, more of a DOugH! Happy FA-ther’s Day, Mike (and all others!!)
                              • benchen71 9s · 2023-06-19T09:30:02.455Z
                                I found the 5 "summer" clues days ago, but didn't see the solfege notes starting those clues until just now. I was still puzzled how to get from 5 entries to an 8-letter word, until quite suddenly I wasn't!
                                • whimsy 27:35 · 2023-06-19T12:38:55.279Z
                                  Whew! Yup, that was a toughie! I found some interesting incorrect answers along the way. Masterpiece, Mikey! Thanks!
                                  • Tyrpmom 2s · 2023-06-20T17:19:15.679Z
                                    Awesome meta! Thanks.
                                    • Joe 🤓19:39 · 2023-06-22T14:04:17.498Z
                                      Oof. I needed 5 of the hints! I got trapped by noticing all the three letter words. Two of them (GNP and SIR) anagram to Spring. And Spring is the only season not mentioned in one of the clues! This was a great meta! I only wish I could have tackled it solo.
                                      • hoover 3s · 2023-06-22T18:38:17.513Z
                                        A day late and a dollar short!
                                        • Carolyn 3s · 2023-06-22T19:34:48.560Z
                                          Looked for the notes in the grid and totally ignored the clues! Needed several of the nudges. Cool construction!
                                          • PuzNewbie 57:17 · 2023-06-22T23:10:36.746Z
                                            What a great puzzle! Well done!!
                                            • ReB 13s · 2023-06-23T02:14:13.530Z
                                              Needed all the nudges. I saw the solfege syllables in the clues after nudge two, but otherwise had to be led step by step. Quite an intricate design there.
                                              • Tom Wilson 🤓10:57 · 2023-06-23T13:58:43.818Z
                                                I needed every one of the nudges, but am still overjoyed to reach the finish. (After tripping multiple times over my missteps.) What a piece of work, Mikey. Beautifully done!
                                                • kurtalert 🤓12:36 · 2023-06-23T19:40:02.793Z
                                                  Man, this was great! Even with the nudges, I struggled. I somehow never went down the "STICE" path, instead getting stuck on ICETS, as in ICE Ts, and I was off looking for other refreshing summer drinks to play with. Eventually worked on some anagrams involving ICETS, with all of the possible notes as prefixes. But, my dumb head always thinks of the notes as it's DO RE MI FA SO LA TI DO... I always hear it as the L sound belonging only to LA, not both to SOL and LA... so I had a lot more anagrams to work with, as I had a wild in there with each of the notes, not just the notes. Once I saw the answer in my list, though, it finally clicked... perfect answer to a summer puzzle.
                                                  • Laura M 🤓6:27 · 2023-06-27T04:12:08.601Z
                                                    This is really a great meta! Wish I'd managed to solve it without hints and before the deadline!
                                                    1A
                                                    Give an overview
                                                    1
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                                                    Across
                                                    1. 1A
                                                      Give an overview
                                                    2. 6A
                                                      I can make this bird sound pretty well, not to crow or anything
                                                    3. 9A
                                                      Play area?
                                                    4. 14A
                                                      "The Open Boat" author Stephen
                                                    5. 15A
                                                      "Do you know how much this summer beach house cost me to rent? And now you're not even coming???"
                                                    6. 16A
                                                      Member of the AFC South
                                                    7. 17A
                                                      "If I can't find a stagehand, then my entire production is going to be ruined!!!!!" "Oh, get ___!"
                                                    8. 18A
                                                      "Hey, the burglars stole my sofa!" "Looks like they ___!"
                                                    9. 20A
                                                      3-Down was featured in one in 2014
                                                    10. 22A
                                                      Yours truly (like, my name)
                                                    11. 23A
                                                      Last word in the title of Steinbeck's 1952 novel
                                                    12. 24A
                                                      Polite title
                                                    13. 26A
                                                      End
                                                    14. 30A
                                                      Guide to surfing?
                                                    15. 33A
                                                      Yemen's capital
                                                    16. 34A
                                                      Next-largest Balearic Island after Mallorca and Menorca
                                                    17. 36A
                                                      Slugger Slaughter
                                                    18. 38A
                                                      Hey, what's shaking?
                                                    19. 39A
                                                      To wit
                                                    20. 41A
                                                      Type of cut
                                                    21. 43A
                                                      Winter hrs. in the Windy City
                                                    22. 44A
                                                      Econ. yardstick
                                                    23. 45A
                                                      Moolah
                                                    24. 47A
                                                      Mathematician who Blaised a trail
                                                    25. 49A
                                                      ___ harina (corn flour used for tortillas)
                                                    26. 51A
                                                      They oversee the Muggles forum, briefly
                                                    27. 53A
                                                      Occupied
                                                    28. 54A
                                                      "Just ___-Fashioned Love Song" (Three Dog Night song)
                                                    29. 56A
                                                      Poses
                                                    30. 58A
                                                      Needed a refuel
                                                    31. 60A
                                                      Lab, for one, or any doggo who loves rolling around in the summer sun!
                                                    32. 61A
                                                      When Cinderella's carriage didn't arrive on time, she had a ___
                                                    33. 64A
                                                      Island I'm able to row in reverse to
                                                    34. 66A
                                                      Verve
                                                    35. 68A
                                                      Perfunctorily
                                                    36. 72A
                                                      The Great Gazoo, for one
                                                    37. 73A
                                                      Key group
                                                    38. 74A
                                                      Lummox
                                                    39. 75A
                                                      Supplicate
                                                    40. 76A
                                                      Savor thoroughly
                                                    41. 77A
                                                      Snoop
                                                    42. 78A
                                                      Seconds, in a way, for short
                                                    Down
                                                    1. 1D
                                                      Set of notes, not all of which are used in every song
                                                    2. 2D
                                                      Exhorted
                                                    3. 3D
                                                      She said to the local bartender, "I hope you understand I’m too tense to pretend I like you"
                                                    4. 4D
                                                      What Amazon workers did on Staten Island in 2022
                                                    5. 5D
                                                      Invigorates, with "up"
                                                    6. 6D
                                                      2/2, musically
                                                    7. 7D
                                                      Back
                                                    8. 8D
                                                      Preposition in a 1940 Hemingway title
                                                    9. 9D
                                                      Mikey uses these when he goes camping in the summer and things get in tents LOL
                                                    10. 10D
                                                      Mother and others
                                                    11. 11D
                                                      When Paul Bunyan was failing at his job, we had to give him the ___
                                                    12. 12D
                                                      One of the states at the triple point
                                                    13. 13D
                                                      Otorhinolaryngologist, briefly
                                                    14. 19D
                                                      "I turned into a goat the other day! But I ___!"
                                                    15. 21D
                                                      The end of a crossword?
                                                    16. 25D
                                                      What I have used as a pizza condiment at least once in my life
                                                    17. 27D
                                                      Gaffes
                                                    18. 28D
                                                      Dances toward the dip
                                                    19. 29D
                                                      Tell
                                                    20. 31D
                                                      10 : diamond :: 1 : ___ (Mohs scale of hardness)
                                                    21. 32D
                                                      What comes before a favor?
                                                    22. 34D
                                                      Auteur Bergman
                                                    23. 35D
                                                      Let me eat this fruit and split!
                                                    24. 37D
                                                      9th of 12, briefly
                                                    25. 40D
                                                      Crop central to Achebe's "Things Fall Apart"
                                                    26. 42D
                                                      Ragamuffin
                                                    27. 46D
                                                      "Help! I need somebody! Help! Honestly, anybody is fine!"
                                                    28. 48D
                                                      Hostess snack whose webpage asks, "Who knew marshmallow would look so pretty in pink?"
                                                    29. 50D
                                                      Briskly, to Beethoven
                                                    30. 52D
                                                      Gobsmack
                                                    31. 55D
                                                      Completes the sequence: Martha, Abigail, Martha, ___
                                                    32. 57D
                                                      Hot spot
                                                    33. 59D
                                                      Pugilistic org.
                                                    34. 62D
                                                      "___ pennies" (common term for Lincoln pennies of the early 20th century)
                                                    35. 63D
                                                      Furnishes
                                                    36. 65D
                                                      "¿Cuántos ___ tienes?" (Spanish for "How old are you?")
                                                    37. 67D
                                                      Viticultural valley
                                                    38. 68D
                                                      One or eleven, often
                                                    39. 69D
                                                      Tint that you might get from lounging around on the summer deck (or from dividing sine by cosine)
                                                    40. 70D
                                                      Modifying wd.
                                                    41. 71D
                                                      Restrict, like how many times you're allowed to go to the pool this summer ("But I've got a pass!")
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