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The Bitter End (Meta)

· By Abide · Published 4 months ago

Meta Prompt
The meta answer is a 1971 movie, appropriate for this week.
See also the puzzle discussion thread, Wednesday nudges, and reveal at https://www.xword-muggles.com/viewtopic.php?p=113129#p113129
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Comments

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  • Tom Wilson 🤓7:42 · 4 months ago
    I was 14 when I saw this movie at a mall near Elmira, N.Y., and I thought it was one of the funniest things I'd ever seen. As with many of the cinematic experiences of my adolescence, I wonder if it would hold up when viewed by a 65-year-old.
    • Abide 5s · 4 months ago
      The trailer holds up. All star cast directed by Norman Lear.
      • Tom Wilson 🤓7:42 · 4 months ago
        And it was Randy Newman's first score, I believe.
    • Hector 4s · 4 months ago
      Google to the rescue
      • dplass 🤓8:30 · 4 months ago
        Indeed. Is there a metanism other than either "you just know it" or "Google it"?
        • Eric Porter 9:31 · 4 months ago
          I doubt it. I went through 1971 movies on IMDB and knew it when I saw it.
          • dplass 🤓7:51 · 4 months ago
            Heh. Glad I wasn't the only one. It does match the pattern of (description of a cold thing) (animal name)
            • woozy 🤓13:41 · 4 months ago
              I googled "1971 movie cold animal" I guess I was lucky for one of the words. I actually have seen this movie but it's not on the tip of my tongues of names. In fact I'm pretty sure I had forgotten the title.
        • Darth 🤓5:36 · 4 months ago
          Fun puz! Thanks, Abide.
          • Capn Rick 🤓7:31 · 4 months ago
            Nice one, Peter!
            • boharr 3s · 4 months ago
              Thanks, Peter
              • Cindy Heisler 2s · 4 months ago
                Very nice and appropriate. I did need Google, though. Thanks!
                • KayW 🤓7:01 · 4 months ago
                  Cool beans! Thanks Peter
                  • Alex Sisti 4s · 4 months ago
                    (Test Solver)... as with most test solves, I forgot the answer and so had to solve again. I liked it as much the second time around (leftovers?).
                    • Bbaack 18:53 · 4 months ago
                      Fun one, I'm ready now for a leftover turkey sandwich!
                      • Mikey G 🤓7:10 · 4 months ago
                        Giving thanks for this puzzle! (And if I didn't like it, that'd be wattle under the bridge.)
                        • Laura M 🤓11:49 · 4 months ago
                          Nice! I don't remember being aware of this movie before, I'll have to look for it.
                          • whimsy 🤓12:46 · 4 months ago
                            Some nice signposts along the way. Thanks, Peter!
                            • michaelm 🤓4:38 · 4 months ago
                              Google comes to the Double Rescue. First thought was "Winter Comes Early" - a hockey movie also released in 1971. Thanks Peter!
                              • DrTom 4s · 4 months ago
                                As I sat there munching on a sandwich of leftovers I wondered, “hmmm whatever can he mean?” When I figured it out I just stopped eating immediately 😀
                                • Tyrpmom 2s · 4 months ago
                                  Very fitting answer.
                                  • imontoo 6s · 4 months ago
                                    Fun start to the week! Thanks.
                                    • I K Snamhcok 1s · 4 months ago
                                      The hint could also have been: “The meta answer is a John Lennon song from 1969.”
                                      • Teamdoubletow 2s · 4 months ago
                                        Fun one! Neither of us had heard of this movie but Alex was able to guess that such a movie probably existed. Thanks for the great way to start the week!
                                        • Schmeel 3s · 4 months ago
                                          My initial thought was 'Ice Station Zebra', even though it's not an adjective and there's no connection to this week (is there an International Zebra Day nobody told me about?), but it was a late 60's movie. So I found 'Cold Turkey' on google. Thanks for the puzzle!
                                          • woozy 🤓13:41 · 4 months ago
                                            Had to google but.... I've seen that movie. I was thinking about it just a week and a half ago.
                                            • hoover 2s · 4 months ago
                                              After a day spent looking through lists of 1971 movies, I finally found the right one. Was searching for anything related to November, December, winter, World AIDS Day, (inter)national whatever week; trying to find the significance of owl fox tiger bear dog (not Chinese Zodiac, not Winnie the Pooh characters, not all white animals); ... I still have no idea what the metanism really is, but I'm sure it'll be impressive when revealed.
                                              • Abide 5s · 4 months ago
                                                Simple metanism. See dplass posts above. Symmetry was the hard part.
                                              • Carolyn 3s · 4 months ago
                                                Lots of fun! Also needed Google but saw it at once. Thanks
                                                • Mwoychick 🤓13:20 · 4 months ago
                                                  Thanks, Peter. I was thinking White Rabbit or White Elephant at first but couldn't find a corresponding 1971 movie
                                                  • aldente 🤓12:30 · 4 months ago
                                                    Clever. Thanks for the memory.
                                                    • ReB 4s · 4 months ago
                                                      Well, I took a fresh look at the grid before peeking at the nudges, and thought about "appropriate for this week" - and the COLD TURKEY popped into my mind as an appropriate answer for the hint and one which fit the theme. Had to check with google to confirm that this really was the title of a 1971 movie.
                                                      I suspect the movie has nothing to do with Thanksgiving leftovers...Yup.
                                                      • BethA 4s · 4 months ago
                                                        Enjoyed it!
                                                        I thought it should be screaming the answer at me — something cold at least. Checked “The Thing”, wrong year, and “The Eiger Sanction”, wrong year. Was thinking both of those included lots of bitter ends. Googled 1971 movie cold, and laughed when it came right up. I’m sure I saw it! My mind was in a darker place with bitter end though…
                                                        (I just got around to downloading tonight. Did not look at the board other than post 1).
                                                        • Charles Montpetit 🤓1:24 · 4 months ago
                                                          Ditto for the googling and the ensuing laugh. What a well-executed punchline!
                                                        1A
                                                        Neruda wrote them to scissors, his socks, and a bar of soap
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                                                        Across
                                                        1. 1A
                                                          Neruda wrote them to scissors, his socks, and a bar of soap
                                                        2. 5A
                                                          Non-binary singer Smith
                                                        3. 8A
                                                          Lemon garnishes
                                                        4. 14A
                                                          Roll call response
                                                        5. 15A
                                                          MPG info abbr.
                                                        6. 16A
                                                          Greek god of the sun
                                                        7. 17A
                                                          Avian symbol of Quebec
                                                        8. 19A
                                                          Introspection question
                                                        9. 20A
                                                          "___ Son" (Richard Wright novel)
                                                        10. 21A
                                                          Way to a man's heart?
                                                        11. 23A
                                                          Skirt shaped like a letter
                                                        12. 24A
                                                          Furry tundra hunter
                                                        13. 28A
                                                          Insta upload
                                                        14. 29A
                                                          Plays a prank with Charmin, briefly
                                                        15. 31A
                                                          Needle hole
                                                        16. 32A
                                                          Suffix for orange or lime
                                                        17. 33A
                                                          Lake where the Mississippi starts
                                                        18. 35A
                                                          Caesar's love
                                                        19. 36A
                                                          Largest of the big cats
                                                        20. 40A
                                                          Internet mag
                                                        21. 41A
                                                          McDowell who won the 2010 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach (sounds like a cracker)
                                                        22. 42A
                                                          Key west of the space bar
                                                        23. 43A
                                                          Pull a fast one
                                                        24. 45A
                                                          Fortune rival
                                                        25. 46A
                                                          Drink from a half-pint
                                                        26. 49A
                                                          Image on a Klondike bar
                                                        27. 52A
                                                          Maria Tallchief, for one
                                                        28. 54A
                                                          Candy in two-compartment boxes
                                                        29. 55A
                                                          "NIMBY" concern
                                                        30. 56A
                                                          Cabana boy offering
                                                        31. 59A
                                                          Dangerous thing to eat with a white shirt (yeah, it's a little off, but...symmetry)
                                                        32. 61A
                                                          Web page full of pop-ups
                                                        33. 62A
                                                          Alley ___
                                                        34. 63A
                                                          Make cutbacks in
                                                        35. 64A
                                                          Turn a wrench left
                                                        36. 65A
                                                          Best Buy buys
                                                        37. 66A
                                                          Quit, as a bad habit
                                                        Down
                                                        1. 1D
                                                          Comment after a zinger (last heard in 2006)
                                                        2. 2D
                                                          GMC SUV line named after a mountain
                                                        3. 3D
                                                          Steamy
                                                        4. 4D
                                                          Attach, as a jacket lining
                                                        5. 5D
                                                          Croc or moc
                                                        6. 6D
                                                          Reaction to almost any baby animal
                                                        7. 7D
                                                          Shiny balloon material
                                                        8. 8D
                                                          Six, for the big hand
                                                        9. 9D
                                                          Certain terrier, informally
                                                        10. 10D
                                                          Part of SI joint
                                                        11. 11D
                                                          Command to a 9-Down
                                                          9DCertain terrier, informally[------]
                                                        12. 12D
                                                          "Venom" actor Hardy (boomer clue: "Big" actor Hanks)
                                                        13. 13D
                                                          Flagstaff-to-Tucson dir.
                                                        14. 18D
                                                          "Community" castmate ___ Nicole Brown
                                                        15. 22D
                                                          Something to take in on the boardwalk
                                                        16. 24D
                                                          Like some seating
                                                        17. 25D
                                                          Star quality
                                                        18. 26D
                                                          Secret target?
                                                        19. 27D
                                                          Gen ___
                                                        20. 30D
                                                          Something to save
                                                        21. 33D
                                                          "May ___ frank?" ("Okay, you're Frank")
                                                        22. 34D
                                                          Tucson, but not Flagstaff
                                                        23. 35D
                                                          Number on a big candle, perhaps
                                                        24. 36D
                                                          Soybean holder
                                                        25. 37D
                                                          IHOP starter?
                                                        26. 38D
                                                          Where to see Hamilton
                                                        27. 39D
                                                          "It's all good, man"
                                                        28. 40D
                                                          Microwave
                                                        29. 43D
                                                          Make, like a meta
                                                        30. 44D
                                                          New Orleans bar owner Pat who invented the Hurricane cocktail
                                                        31. 46D
                                                          Responded to a tongue depressor
                                                        32. 47D
                                                          Pay no mind
                                                        33. 48D
                                                          Fixed, as an exchange rate
                                                        34. 50D
                                                          They're no pros
                                                        35. 51D
                                                          Tie worn with a cutaway morning coat
                                                        36. 53D
                                                          Salon sounds
                                                        37. 55D
                                                          Moves like Speedy Gonzales
                                                        38. 56D
                                                          It's bad for the French
                                                        39. 57D
                                                          Hubbub
                                                        40. 58D
                                                          Prefix with metric
                                                        41. 60D
                                                          Carpool lane letters
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