Loved the PBWMC easter eggs at 10A, 28A, and 42D! For a minute I thought we might need to cross-reference past puzzles, but this puzzle had all the flair it needed right here!
Bird Lives 4s · 2024-02-11T22:47:46.376Z
I missed those entirely. How quickly one forgets (or at least this one does.)
FrankieHeck 🤓16:53 · 2024-02-11T15:48:12.028Z
What a puzzle! I loved that filling the grid was smooth despite the enormous size. I do enjoy puzzles that take all day, but I still have two unsolved metas, so I'm kind of glad this one fell into place quickly for me. Lots of fun. Thanks!
Meg 3s · 2024-02-11T15:48:25.549Z
That was a biiiiiiiiig grid! But a fun meta. Thanks, Will.
AaronT 2s · 2024-02-11T16:12:05.992Z
Fantastic! Really really enjoyed this one.
boharr 3s · 2024-02-11T17:28:14.854Z
Tough workout pre Super Bowl. Thanks, Will.
Gutman 2s · 2024-02-11T17:10:13.848Z
Wow
KayW 🤓21:16 · 2024-02-11T17:23:42.486Z
Wowza Will, it does indeed! VERY clever and elegant and fun to solve!
Byron 🤓47:53 · 2024-02-11T17:08:26.380Z
Lovely! I like larger puzzles.
Dave C 4s · 2024-02-11T17:56:05.377Z
Very clever.
JM 🤓26:09 · 2024-02-11T17:38:53.510Z
Yeah—like a big ol’ seven layer dip for the Super Bowl!
Well, that was a lot of work. But very satisfying. I can't imagine the work it took to construct, including the last-minute rewrite of the CARROLL clue. I don't think I could have solved it without MechaPuzzle. Well, I could have, but it would have taken a much longer time to find everything.
Great puzzle, much flair (and no pieces of flair) - thanks, Will!
LB800 3s · 2024-02-12T02:44:56.258Z
Unbelievable!! SO much fun!
Berto 5s · 2024-02-12T04:46:12.055Z
“People can get a meta anywhere, okay? They come to Crosshare for the atmosphere and the attitude. Okay? That's what the flair's about. It's about fun.”
Loved it!!
WOW that was an all-day-sucker as my Dad used to say. Lost of grid (and great fill!), and multiple steps to figure out and then execute. After figuring out the first step (that it was kind of crypto-esque, and locating the bits inside of words), I was SURE you were going to take the inside bits (such as TRI from laTRIne, and make it be the outside (so, a word such as “Tripoli” — then use THAT one’s stuffing —POL—to do something with. ANYhoo, excellent puzzle!
Maybe my favorite ever solo solve. Definitely in the top handful. Fantastic stuff. Saw step 1 instantly, but then was stuck for quite a while. Tried many tortured things with those internal letters that went nowhere, and was on the verge of asking for a nudge. Then finally this morning my eyes just happened to land on HANDREST and I was like, no way that's an accident. Rest fell in a couple of minutes, helped by the fact that CHAR rang an immediate bell. Thanks again!
I applaud any who solved solo. I needed a nudge because of all the methods I tried based on the title and what I got this would never have been one of them. I still cannot get the I word but I figured with the FLAR and prompt that FLAIR was what the puzzle had to have.
When I do crosswords on hard-copy I use a Sharpie because I haven't seen (meta answer) felt tip pens for a long time. Turns out they're still a thing, though! Gonna get some. Thank you!
Qmark 3s · 2024-02-17T15:46:05.648Z
Super meta, Will! What great construction! Took my time filling in the grid over a couple of days...had an idea for the first step but let it simmer for a while...came back to it today, found the steps, and eventually...bingo!
ReB 4s · 2024-02-17T22:00:40.403Z
Wow! Glad I stuck with this meta despite the intimidating size - and without having to ask for a lifeline. But thankfully you gave directions. Remarkable effort there.
Meta World Peace 3s · 2024-02-17T23:24:41.715Z
You should take a bow--and a week off--after that extravaganza, Will!
"Well, actually, I got a little sick ... Yeah, 'Bullets over Broadway' was on TV. I came down with a big old ___ Wiest infection" (quote from Boyle on "Brooklyn Nine-Nine")
129A
Loo
130A
Judge's decision after new evidence is brought to light
133A
Least brilliant
134A
Letters on some blue uniforms
135A
Hat trick setting
136A
Without so much as a scratch
139A
Canada ___ (migrating birds)
142A
Atypical
145A
2020 #1 hit by Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion
146A
Big initials in car repair
151A
Far, far behind*
153A
Not safe
154A
Close enough to shout to*
156A
I wouldn't do it
157A
Sketched
158A
Sts. with cul-de-sacs
159A
Currently broadcasting
160A
March Madness org.
161A
"Stat!"
162A
Healthy, in Seville
163A
Falcons kicker Younghoe
164A
Watering holes?
165A
Best Breakthrough Athlete, for one
Down
1D
Yard sale assumption
2D
Desire
3D
Otherwise
4D
Epidermis
5D
Brewer's product
6D
"Some pig"
7D
Approves
8D
Actress Zellweger of "Chicago"
9D
President before JFK
10D
Cheer loudly, as a crowd
11D
Obi-Wan portrayer
12D
Sasquatch, but snowier
13D
Preventative vaccines for many veterinarians
14D
Shout in an operating room
15D
Memo abbr.
16D
Plant
17D
Antennae
18D
"___ expert, but ..."
19D
Explicit stuff
20D
Sling ___ (serve food at a diner)
27D
Question
30D
Letters that don't need postage
33D
Thing that only comes out once every seven years in "All Summer in a Day"
34D
Found's opposite
37D
Formerly
38D
Back, as with money
40D
Politician's event
41D
AP subject with AB and BC options
42D
"Do you ___ what I ___?"
43D
Wrongly seize
44D
En ___ (all together)
46D
"Schitt's Creek" surname
47D
Consume
48D
50-Downs and others
49D
"Just what we needed!"
50D
Canadian one-dollar piece which is named for the bird on its face
51D
Crowbars, to physicists
53D
Hairless
54D
It's needed for a tat
58D
Jim's last name in "The Office"
59D
Pop star Ora
60D
Cars that need chargers, for short
62D
Create a film like "Coco" or "Finding Nemo"
65D
Depot: Abbr.
66D
Head honchos
68D
Certain crisp legume
69D
Therefore
71D
Gives, as a license
72D
Like two peas in ___
73D
You're reading one
74D
Strip between North and South Korea, for short
75D
"The Matrix" protagonist
77D
Non-amateur
78D
"___ Always a Woman" (Billy Joel song)
79D
Stately sight on a suburban street
82D
Thank you, in Tokyo
83D
Lazily
85D
Image
87D
___-CoV-2 (virus that causes Covid-19)
88D
Loch ___ monster
89D
There are ten in a decade: Abbr.
90D
"Crazy Train" singer Ozzy
91D
"Sweet" character on "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia"
92D
Father
93D
Police officers
97D
Real
98D
Cuban ballroom dance that sounds like a certain vacuum brand
99D
Actor Humphrey of "Casablanca"
101D
Vice President's plane, often
102D
Minimum ___
104D
Ambulance destinations, for short
107D
Small garden statue
108D
"The Bell ___" (Sylvia Plath novel)
109D
Arrive
110D
Start of many units in language classes, for short
112D
Producer Glazer of "A Strange Loop"
113D
Group within rankings
114D
On behalf of
115D
Sisters
116D
Spec
118D
"Oh, that makes sense"
119D
Tater ___
120D
Corn storage spot
123D
Brick and mortar version of an Etsy site, perhaps
125D
Brewski
127D
Needing to be returned, as a library book
128D
"That is to say ..."
131D
"Say it ___!" ("Don't tell me that!")
132D
Put on a show
133D
TV psychologist
135D
"Hedda Gabler" playwright Henrik
137D
Strong string
138D
Deadly
139D
Actress Gershon of "Cocktail"
140D
"On their way to Galilee, Jesus met ___ and Barak and their wives, Kylie and Lauren": John Mulaney