CROSSHARE
Print Puzzle
Download .puz File
Account / Settings
Construct a Puzzle
Profile

Tossed Noodle Surprise

■ · By Cory Calhoun · Published 2024-12-01T03:34:59.617Z

Meta Prompt
Hint: Find the first name of a classic American literary character.
Checking for previous play data...

Leaderboard (updated hourly)

  • Mr Tex solved 2024-12-01T05:38:39.831Z
  • whimsy solved 2024-12-01T07:15:20.172Z
  • Pair O Ducks solved 2024-12-01T15:47:10.618Z
  • Meg solved 2024-12-01T18:56:01.452Z
  • Cindy Weatherman solved 2024-12-01T18:56:27.024Z
  • Hector solved 2024-12-02T18:30:00.866Z
  • FrankieHeck solved 2024-12-02T22:22:26.472Z
  • DIS solved 2024-12-03T22:06:25.894Z

Comments

Sign in with google to leave a comment of your own:

  • benchen71 🤓6:07 · 2024-12-01T06:19:30.399Z
    I revealed the answer to this one... and still have no idea of the mechanism!
    • whimsy 🤓13:20 · 2024-12-01T07:29:53.624Z
      Put the letters that spell ICHABOD in front of the asterisked entries in order. But don't go any further even though all the new words have synonyms in the grid! (I probably solved the meta backwards! 😄) Thanks, Cory!
      • benchen71 🤓6:07 · 2024-12-01T09:52:26.938Z
        Aha!
        • Cory Calhoun constructor · 2024-12-01T17:17:30.429Z
          Thanks Whimsy--I'd actually meant to remove those asterisks (and I still may). This originally appeared in a print publication for an audience that included arguably more novice solvers than might be found on Crosshare (though that's just a guess, I'm still learning!) Though I've heard the mechanic for this one is on the trickier side, but I've seen other metas in major publications that use this kind of thing with no helpers like asterisks.
          In any case, cheers on solving it backwards ;)
        • Cory Calhoun constructor · 2024-12-01T07:33:59.892Z
          The meta answer is ICHABOD (Hint: Find the first name of a classic American literary character). Recall the puzzle's title: "Tossed Noodle Surprise." The climax of 1820's "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" involves teacher Ichabod Crane surprised by what he thinks is a head (or "noodle," slangily) tossed at him. If you guessed the hint based on that: great! The grid, of course, contains another avenue. 7 clues were relevant to finding the meta answer:
          15A. Bad-mouths: SLANDERS
          16A. "Stranger Things" sheriff: HOPPER
          29A. Retouches, as a photo: AIRBRUSHES
          39A. Invalidating a contract: VOIDING
          47A. Downpours: RAINSTORMS
          64A. Yearning: PINING
          67A. Union: ALLIANCE
          Perhaps you noticed how those looked like words missing a first letter. (Or rather, missing their "heads"?) In fact, there are 7 other answers in the grid whose clues could fit those 7 "headless" words if they had their "heads" reattached:
          1A. Expressing one's thoughts: STATING (...or [O]PINING)
          8A. Brief, casual relationship: FLING (...or [D]ALLIANCE)
          21A. Salon supply: GEL (...or [H]AIRBRUSHES)
          38A. Motorcycle, slangily: HOG (...or [C]HOPPER)
          46A. NHL team from a Great Lakes state: WILD (...or [I]SLANDERS)
          71A. Devises: PLANS (...or [B]RAINSTORMS)
          72A. Steering clearing of: DUCKING (...or [A]VOIDING)
          When you anagram those "lost heads" (or "tossed noodles," if you will), aka the letters ODHCIBA, you spell ICHABOD, which satisfies the puzzle's hint.
        • Cory Calhoun constructor · 2024-12-01T03:36:41.473Z
          The meta answer is ICHABOD (Hint: Find the first name of a classic American literary character). Recall the puzzle's title: "Tossed Noodle Surprise." The climax of 1820's "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" involves teacher Ichabod Crane surprised by what he thinks is a head (or "noodle," slangily) tossed at him. If you guessed the hint based on that: great! The grid, of course, contains another avenue. 7 clues were relevant to finding the meta answer:
          15A. Bad-mouths: SLANDERS
          16A. "Stranger Things" sheriff: HOPPER
          29A. Retouches, as a photo: AIRBRUSHES
          39A. Invalidating a contract: VOIDING
          47A. Downpours: RAINSTORMS
          64A. Yearning: PINING
          67A. Union: ALLIANCE
          Perhaps you noticed how those looked like words missing a first letter. (Or rather, missing their "heads"?) In fact, there are 7 other answers in the grid whose clues could fit those 7 "headless" words if they had their "heads" reattached:
          1A. Expressing one's thoughts: STATING (...or [O]PINING)
          8A. Brief, casual relationship: FLING (...or [D]ALLIANCE)
          21A. Salon supply: GEL (...or [H]AIRBRUSHES)
          38A. Motorcycle, slangily: HOG (...or [C]HOPPER)
          46A. NHL team from a Great Lakes state: WILD (...or [I]SLANDERS)
          71A. Devises: PLANS (...or [B]RAINSTORMS)
          72A. Steering clearing of: DUCKING (...or [A]VOIDING)
          When you anagram those "lost heads" (or "tossed noodles," if you will), aka the letters ODHCIBA, you spell ICHABOD, which satisfies the puzzle's hint.
          • Hector 🤓6:37 · 2024-12-02T18:32:40.014Z
            Good one. I had WHOPPER/LIE, but by then the answer was clear enough to correct.
            • Cory Calhoun constructor · 2024-12-02T21:47:38.561Z
              Hadn't noticed that as a possible red herring! I'm not one to add red herrings on purpose... though if one happens to end up in the puzzle, they just might stay in... :) Thanks!
            Play today's daily mini crossword
            1A
            Expressing one's thoughts
            1
            2
            3
            4
            5
            6
            7
            8
            9
            10
            11
            12
            13
            14
            15
            16
            17
            18
            19
            20
            21
            22
            23
            24
            25
            26
            27
            28
            29
            30
            31
            32
            33
            34
            35
            36
            37
            38
            39
            40
            41
            42
            43
            44
            45
            46
            47
            48
            49
            50
            51
            52
            53
            54
            55
            56
            57
            58
            59
            60
            61
            62
            63
            64
            65
            66
            67
            68
            69
            70
            71
            72
            Across
            1. 1A
              Expressing one's thoughts
            2. 8A
              Brief, casual relationship
            3. 13A
              Like some confrontations
            4. 14A
              Oscar the Grouch's pet worm
            5. 15A
              * Bad-mouths
            6. 16A
              * "Stranger Things" sheriff
            7. 17A
              Computer character code
            8. 18A
              Remote button
            9. 20A
              Venue capacity acronym
            10. 21A
              Salon supply
            11. 23A
              Flying start?
            12. 26A
              "I hate this!"
            13. 29A
              * Retouches, as a photo
            14. 35A
              Gambler's marker
            15. 36A
              2018 Super Bowl number
            16. 37A
              Nine, in Nicaragua
            17. 38A
              Motorcycle, slangily
            18. 39A
              * Invalidating a check or contract
            19. 42A
              Fabrication
            20. 43A
              China's Chou ___, 1972 host to Nixon namechecked in "We Didn't Start the Fire"
            21. 45A
              That, in Tijuana
            22. 46A
              NHL team from a Great Lakes state
            23. 47A
              * Downpours
            24. 50A
              Dan Blocker's "Bonanza" role
            25. 51A
              So-so
            26. 52A
              Battery size
            27. 54A
              Near Eastern honorific
            28. 57A
              Received shots of Novocain
            29. 60A
              Brown ermine
            30. 64A
              * Yearning
            31. 67A
              * Union
            32. 69A
              Showily decorated
            33. 70A
              "Let's play some cards!"
            34. 71A
              Devises
            35. 72A
              Steering clear of
            Down
            1. 1D
              Notes between "fa"s and "la"s (despite what that "Sound of Music" song says)
            2. 2D
              High-end audio equipment maker that sounds like a type of wood
            3. 3D
              When vampires and raccoons are active
            4. 4D
              "It's ___ for!" ("I love it!")
            5. 5D
              Suffix with "meteor"
            6. 6D
              Standard
            7. 7D
              Christianity's savior, to an Italian
            8. 8D
              Rapper ___ Rida born in Miami Gardens
            9. 9D
              Piercing target, often
            10. 10D
              Little devils
            11. 11D
              ___-do-well
            12. 12D
              Greek sandwich
            13. 13D
              Airport screening org.
            14. 14D
              Like some lingerie
            15. 19D
              Bar bill
            16. 22D
              One of "Better Call Saul"'s Salamanca brothers
            17. 24D
              Ladder part
            18. 25D
              Corvallis-based home of the Beavers, briefly
            19. 26D
              Belly-___ (complainer)
            20. 27D
              Actress Mitra whom "Tomb Raider"'s Lara Croft was modeled after
            21. 28D
              2003 Affleck/Lopez flop
            22. 30D
              It's on the right of many a clock face
            23. 31D
              Bull ___ (rodeo contestant)
            24. 32D
              Prefix meaning "sun"
            25. 33D
              Contents of Pandora's box
            26. 34D
              Gardener's purchase
            27. 39D
              MasterCard alternative
            28. 40D
              Belief system
            29. 41D
              Astronaut's org.
            30. 44D
              Get ___ (flunk)
            31. 46D
              Question ending many a riddle
            32. 48D
              Bit of color
            33. 49D
              Tulsa sch. named for a televangelist
            34. 53D
              "You can't make ___ purse out of..."
            35. 54D
              Each
            36. 55D
              ___ Scout cookies
            37. 56D
              "Pitch Perfect" actress Kendrick
            38. 58D
              Org. promoting sobriety behind the wheel
            39. 59D
              Salad-dressing cheese
            40. 61D
              What oranges and lemons each have that limes and grapefruit don't?
            41. 62D
              "Can I bum ___ off of you?" (smoker's slangy request)
            42. 63D
              Perfect score, often
            43. 65D
              Gandalf portrayer McKellen
            44. 66D
              "Personal reminder," in texting shorthand
            45. 68D
              Fond du ___, Wisconsin
            Loading...