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◆◆ · By DrTom · Published 2024-09-04T11:30:33.721Z

Meta Prompt
The meta answer is an apt 10 letter phrase
A puzzle that, like several before, have come to me on a "road trip". It was considerably harder to construct that I thought it might be and therefore may have some crunchy fill. It might also require a little Mr. G depending on your familiarity with the subject, but everything should fall into place.
I had some expert help from three testers; Al Sisti, whimsy and rjy without these individuals who suffer through the early editions of sometimes REALLY flawed puzzles this whole thing would not be possible.
If forced to rate it I would say:
Kitten
Calico
*PERSIAN
Puma
Lion
Nudges will be Saturday or of course earlier by PM if needed.
Apparently "earlier" is the operative word, this is playing much harder than I thought it would (of course):
NUDGES:
Nudge 1] Quick, sing the first line of almost any of the themers
Nudge 2] Given the Title of the meta what part of that do you think is important
Nudge 3] Now you have some bits of information that point you to something
Nudge 4] How do you usually resolve that conundrum
Nudge 5] I know, I know the earworms abound, but you are unlikely to forget what day it was in the park or the day you heard about Billie Joe McAlister and his leap. I mean it was, after all, a sleepy, dusty delta day...
Well unless there is a massive rush to complete tomorrow, it looks like 40 will be the count for this one. I'll toss out one more nudge, well actually more of a "Here's how you solve" for those on the verge:
BLATANT PUSH "September"has the line "Do you remember the 21st night of September" and "Ode to Billie Joe" has "It was the third of June another dusty, sleepy delata day". With the 3 other songs can you see how you might get 10 letters out of those?
The Reveal:
5 clues were for "Numbers" that were actually quite popular (and here everyone adds, "in their time") and as it turns out CONTAIN numbers.
16.A The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down - May tenth or 5-10
18.A Saturday in the Park - fourth of July or 7-4
38.A Sweet Baby James - 1st of December or 12-1
60.A September - 21st night of September or 9-21
64.A Ode to Billie Joe - 3rd of June or 6-3
In squares 5,10,7,4,12,1,9,21,6,3 you will find the letters DATED MUSIC the meta answer which describes both their characteristic and their age
For a graphic representation of the solve go to:
Checking for previous play data...

Leaderboard (updated hourly)

  • rjy solved 2024-09-04T04:44:10.243Z
  • JM solved 2024-09-04T13:42:03.594Z
  • Hector solved 2024-09-04T14:59:25.602Z
  • Cindy Weatherman solved 2024-09-04T15:02:00.532Z
  • Meg solved 2024-09-04T15:03:05.823Z
  • boharr solved 2024-09-04T15:45:34.331Z
  • woozy solved 2024-09-04T16:12:36.416Z
  • I K Snamhcok solved 2024-09-04T16:14:59.846Z
  • whimsy solved 2024-09-04T18:26:33.620Z
  • omnilynx solved 2024-09-04T18:32:25.108Z
  • MatthewL solved 2024-09-04T20:13:41.396Z
  • Darth solved 2024-09-04T21:56:57.025Z
  • markhr solved 2024-09-04T22:33:32.144Z
  • andeux solved 2024-09-04T22:52:58.000Z
  • kurtalert solved 2024-09-04T22:53:27.351Z
  • JakeDaSnake solved 2024-09-05T00:31:44.414Z
  • Tim solved 2024-09-05T01:00:05.122Z
  • Avlan solved 2024-09-05T01:49:22.263Z
  • Mwoychick solved 2024-09-05T02:15:53.936Z
  • Berto solved 2024-09-05T02:21:23.944Z
  • HeadinHome solved 2024-09-05T05:23:26.901Z
  • lbray53 solved 2024-09-05T11:49:36.741Z
  • SJ solved 2024-09-05T14:03:36.692Z
  • Anonymous Crossharer solved 2024-09-05T16:19:36.543Z
  • VivienJustJ solved 2024-09-05T16:32:45.314Z
  • LarsCaine solved 2024-09-05T19:58:46.492Z
  • KayW solved 2024-09-06T01:49:19.541Z
  • DCBilly solved 2024-09-06T14:49:45.392Z
  • Johnny Luau solved 2024-09-06T16:12:40.517Z
  • Carolyn solved 2024-09-06T17:32:57.011Z
  • edestlin solved 2024-09-06T18:05:17.893Z
  • hoover solved 2024-09-06T19:05:23.241Z
  • LB800 solved 2024-09-06T19:22:44.881Z
  • CPJohnson solved 2024-09-06T20:27:56.701Z
  • lukadisgre solved 2024-09-06T22:47:54.810Z
  • Mr Tex solved 2024-09-07T08:07:55.373Z
  • Mikey G solved 2024-09-08T06:25:19.264Z
  • Morendil solved 2024-09-08T16:37:46.180Z
  • Sharkicicles solved 2024-09-08T23:24:16.756Z
  • Laura M solved 2024-09-11T19:55:29.561Z

Comments

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  • boharr 4s · 2024-09-04T15:46:14.886Z
    Very clever, DrTom. And thanks for not making me actually sing!
    • woozy 20:32 · 2024-09-04T16:14:46.681Z
      My first thought was correct but I had to work (didn't want the months to count). Great idea and great fun and nicely executed.
      • MatthewL 🤓6:56 · 2024-09-04T20:14:37.427Z
        Took a second (or even third look), before I decided to Google the lyrics. Very clever indeed. Thanks for the puzzle, Dr. Tom!
        • Darth 16:27 · 2024-09-04T21:58:11.625Z
          Well, I knew I'd need to Google some lyrics... Very clever construction! :D
          • andeux 🤓6:48 · 2024-09-04T22:59:17.781Z
            Neat mechanism. I knew all those songs well enough to (eventually) realize that they all mentioned dates somewhat prominently, though I could only remember what that exact date was in 2 of the 5.
            • kurtalert 🤓10:21 · 2024-09-04T22:55:25.290Z
              Very nice! I should have Googled the lyrics for the rest of the songs right away... I had "Saturdayyyyyyyyy, iiiin the park... thinkin bout the 4th of Julyyyyyyyy" earworming me all afternoon, the numbers jump right out!
              • DrTom constructor · 2024-09-06T01:51:46.210Z
                That was my hope. Who can listen to the opening notes of Ode to Billie Joe and not think of June 3rd. I tried to include songs that spanned generations though obviously the meta was informed by my experience.
              • Berto 1s · 2024-09-05T02:22:13.072Z
                Woohoo! I was just about to PM DrTom when inspiration struck. I might PM anyway but no longer for a nudge lol
                • HeadinHome 4:42 · 2024-09-05T05:25:44.124Z
                  This was brilliant! GREAT idea, well executed, and fun to solve. I remembered the date from the Chicago and the JT tune… could do a few bars of the others but couldn’t remember exact dates.
                  • DrTom constructor · 2024-09-05T17:16:15.263Z
                    Undoubtedly generational. I will always have “ it was the 3rd of June another sleepy, dusty delta day…” and “Do you remember, the 21st night of September…” stuck in my head. It was actually those two tunes whilst traveling that gave me the idea (I listen to my music, what some might call “oldies”.
                  • KayW 🤓4:18 · 2024-09-06T02:25:34.244Z
                    Great metanism and puzzle - well done. Thanks!
                    • Carolyn 3s · 2024-09-06T17:33:35.664Z
                      Needed nudges! Thanks
                      • LB800 3s · 2024-09-06T19:27:00.380Z
                        LOVE these songs. I was just singing Ode to Billie Joe in a van in Ireland a couple of weeks ago! The lyrics are as heartbreaking now as they were all those years ago.
                        • lukadisgre 🤓8:18 · 2024-09-06T22:51:43.296Z
                          First of your puzzles I've played, amazing! As a zoomer, September was the only song I knew the line for, but once I read the lyrics for The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down I figured it out. Sadly I looked at the nudges, unfortunate because I was on the right track without them. Very fun!
                          • DrTom constructor · 2024-09-07T11:31:07.142Z
                            Thank you so much! Hopefully you will like others as well. I have a bunch on Crosshare. I figured that there may be an edge to solvers of my generation (Boomer) because we knew all these songs but you are also correct that a quick look reveals the "trick".
                          • Sharkicicles 2s · 2024-09-08T23:27:17.905Z
                            No nudges needed… I was familiar enough with the EWF and Chicago songs I figured it had to be date based. Amazing idea of a mechanism and really well executed.
                            1A
                            Weapon or spice
                            1
                            2
                            3
                            4
                            5
                            6
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                            8
                            9
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                            34
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                            39
                            40
                            41
                            42
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                            59
                            60
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                            62
                            63
                            64
                            65
                            66
                            67
                            68
                            69
                            70
                            Across
                            1. 1A
                              Weapon or spice
                            2. 5A
                              Code word
                            3. 8A
                              Someone to watch over me
                            4. 13A
                              Go ___ some length
                            5. 14A
                              Letter before omega
                            6. 15A
                              Sydney who knew all the stars and their stars
                            7. 16A
                              Number by the Band, "The ___ They Drove Old Dixie Down"
                            8. 18A
                              Number by Chicago, "Saturday ____"
                            9. 20A
                              "I'm not sure what I want, bring me ___"
                            10. 21A
                              Dumps
                            11. 22A
                              "Gee!" in Scotland
                            12. 24A
                              Old coin of Cairo, that looks like a cast from Paris
                            13. 29A
                              Streaker running behind David Niven in 1974, for example
                            14. 32A
                              Ground cover
                            15. 34A
                              Result of electrical activity in the brain
                            16. 35A
                              Tour de France stage
                            17. 36A
                              Buffalo's relative
                            18. 38A
                              Number from a Taylor about his nephew, "Sweet Baby ___"
                            19. 41A
                              Benzene derivative
                            20. 42A
                              Barbara Streisand title role
                            21. 44A
                              Back talk
                            22. 46A
                              Facepalm inducing individual
                            23. 47A
                              Bashes in bubbles
                            24. 51A
                              Cell component
                            25. 52A
                              Encryption protocol on the internet: Abbr.
                            26. 53A
                              Greeting in the dark, ___ sera
                            27. 56A
                              Jewish noodle casserole
                            28. 60A
                              Number by Earth, Wind and Fire that asks you to remember a Fall month
                            29. 64A
                              Number for Bobby Gentry, " ___ Billie Joe"
                            30. 65A
                              "___ de lune" (Debussy)
                            31. 66A
                              Timely reference in a famous palindrome
                            32. 67A
                              Cupid's aka
                            33. 68A
                              Dots in the ocean
                            34. 69A
                              Old way to address a farmer; Abbr.
                            35. 70A
                              Option to buy
                            Down
                            1. 1D
                              First name in famous models
                            2. 2D
                              Stop-motion art; Abbr.
                            3. 3D
                              Actor who is a "National Treasure"
                            4. 4D
                              Group sharing a common culture
                            5. 5D
                              Measures of resolution
                            6. 6D
                              Ain't correct?
                            7. 7D
                              Town of the "Mikado"
                            8. 8D
                              Loses it
                            9. 9D
                              Person in a mask
                            10. 10D
                              Battery size
                            11. 11D
                              Education fundamentals, in short
                            12. 12D
                              Nickname for strikeout master Dwight Gooden
                            13. 17D
                              Stanley who eats in Italy
                            14. 19D
                              Most likely to succeed
                            15. 23D
                              Muslim pilgrimage
                            16. 25D
                              Mex. title
                            17. 26D
                              Princess toppers
                            18. 27D
                              Oscars of sports
                            19. 28D
                              Can't walk the line
                            20. 29D
                              Front part for a tooth?
                            21. 30D
                              Star of "The Crying Game"
                            22. 31D
                              Gregor, who Kafka chose to change
                            23. 32D
                              Stop in for a sec
                            24. 33D
                              "It's either ___ the other"
                            25. 37D
                              Abbr. on an envelope
                            26. 39D
                              Ring bearer, maybe
                            27. 40D
                              Jet-setters' jets, once
                            28. 43D
                              Sea averse individuals, land ___
                            29. 45D
                              Kirk : "Star Trek" :: ___ : "Deep Space Nine"
                            30. 48D
                              Emerald City's creator
                            31. 49D
                              Alien abductor, abductees say
                            32. 50D
                              Dodger
                            33. 54D
                              Soft ball component
                            34. 55D
                              Run ___ light
                            35. 57D
                              Man who defined what it was to be an "American Gigolo"
                            36. 58D
                              English institution known to collar people
                            37. 59D
                              Confused over a number of things
                            38. 60D
                              Biol., e.g.
                            39. 61D
                              1997 U.S. Open champ
                            40. 62D
                              Bud
                            41. 63D
                              Often presented to fathers
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