I realise the puzzle title is a bit obscure; but jump into the puzzle and you will quickly see where I'm going with this one. Best of luck as you seek the answer to the meta, which is a form of poetry. Answer & explanation: https://www.xword-muggles.com/viewtopic.php?p=170656#p170656
Check out "The MOAT MEOW Mashup Pack" here: https://www.ephesusscroll.com/about/interest4.html. US$10 gives you access to 14 metas that don't always abide by the "rules" of the game. You won't quite know what to expect: asymmetry, 2-letter words, uncrossed letters, sometimes all of those, and sometimes none! One thing is for sure, these are some of the more creative metas my brain has been able to come up with. And there's more: this time there's a mega-meta!
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BMW solved 2024-06-18T07:17:04.599Z
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Comments
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After trying Ode to Spooner and Ode and Spoonerism and Nursery Rhyme, for some reason I typed the correct thing in the box and now I don't know how I got here. Not sure how Pocket Full of Rye (Sing a Song of Sixpence), Light of the Moon, and Road Less Traveled (The Road Not Taken) lead to the answer.
Oooh---love the title and the image. Let's try the grid.
Later:
27A. Nursery rhymes of cours.
30A. Ah, I get it! You're going for Reason down the Ode...
Later: 33A. Ooh, I really liked that novel. I joked to the librarian when I first read it "I can't wait for the sequel". Joke was on me as latter there were at least six sequels, or parallequels.
29A. I assumed a math nerd answer here... oh 30D there we go...
59A Gold Brick. Yay! Another "Yellow Brick Road" reference.
Grid finished: Excellent spoonerisms! Okay, Light of Moon is Nova and the Road less traveled is Ease and Pocket for of rye is not Dell but Oat. And that spells O-N-E so 60A..... Okay, maybe I should try other words.
Nice. Castle stormed and the journey was as enjoyable as the destination.
HeadinHome 🤓1:43 · 2024-06-18T23:04:55.352Z
Finally. Ode. Spoonerism poem. Spoonerism ode. No??? Ah… well TRAVELED and TOURED are right there together, and … Ohhhh.. This was rewarding to finally solve!
DIS 🤓9:42 · 2024-06-19T01:50:28.133Z
Clues like 30A should be bard from these puzzles. Even so it was terrific.
I was quite pleased with that clue... and it functions as a not-so-subtle meta hint! :-)
Laura M 🤓8:34 · 2024-06-19T05:27:23.803Z
Oops, jumped the gun (gumped the jun?) with my first submission Nice one!
Berto 2s · 2024-06-19T10:47:15.841Z
Oh yes of course! Amazing what a good night’s sleep can do for seeing the wood for the trees.
My only slight, weeny nitpick with this is the third spoonerism, seems it would give you “taveled” but it’s obvious what you want it to be. Very clever, again, Ben!!!
I thought I could get away with it since it's the third themer! ;-)
rjy 2s · 2024-06-20T02:18:23.873Z
Could not get past your 30A clue - it had to be pointing to REASON DOWN THE ODE, no???? Needed just the 3rd nudge to slap me silly to get back into normal meta hijinks… phew!
Carolyn 2s · 2024-06-20T04:48:05.934Z
Got step one but took a bit to find the next one. Thanks for the fun!
MatthewL 🤓6:29 · 2024-06-20T14:08:45.151Z
Well, I knew to undo the spoonerisms but didn't think to look for alternative words. Was trying to make something out of the new words inserting Es in places (I thought 30A was a sounds like clue). Needed nudge 3 to set me straight. Thanks for the puzzle, Ben!
Well there is spooner poetry so that was my first (and variations thereof), then Ode (Because of the title) then finally to the nudge that suggested alternates. I got the OAT/RYE, MOON/NOVA, TRAVELED/TOURED right off and with those three knew what it had to be.
Dave C 3s · 2024-06-21T16:05:36.474Z
It should not have taken the nudges, but we needed the third one...
4-letter word at one end of the title of a Diana Ross / Michael Jackson single from the musical "The Wiz" (there better be a good reason for this tortuous clue!)
31A
Change the title of
33A
Historical novel by Edward Rutherford about the building of Stonehenge and Salisbury Cathedral
35A
Parasite that only affects a specific Canadian bird?
39A
More rational
40A
Wish granters (once released)
42A
Countenance
44A
Twangy Indian instrument
46A
Bud's buddy
47A
Bright night sight
48A
Wide tie
49A
Skin condition arising from clogged hair follicles
50A
Object in a coronation, probably
51A
Sporting week-off
52A
"In ___" (Nirvana album)
54A
Amphibian that's more wound up?
59A
Gold brick
60A
French one
61A
___ Holmes (Millie Bobby Brown character)
62A
Boxer's weapons
63A
Group of whales
64A
___ to go (eager)
Down
1D
Paper size (abbr.)
2D
Internal Revenue Officer (abbr.)
3D
Ratatouille ingredient
4D
Egyptian crosses
5D
___-Ball (arcade game)
6D
Doing amazingly well
7D
Aladdin's monkey sidekick
8D
Rumer Willis' younger sister
9D
Glaswegian, for example
10D
Sound of discomfort
11D
Coins of India
12D
Extra-large drink
13D
Purloin, slyly
18D
Take advantage of
19D
Fib
23D
Follower of Mar.
24D
Sound that implies "I would like to say something..."
26D
Of the stomach, like certain juices
27D
Affleck's occasional co-writer
29D
"That is to say..."
30D
Founder of graph theory and topology
32D
Nowhere near solving the meta
34D
Yachting event
36D
Admits to wrongdoing, slangily
37D
Artist's purchase (in the US)
38D
Photon source
41D
Take to court
42D
Capital city of the Comoros archipelago
43D
Saline solution fills 'em
45D
Took a trip
47D
"___ I can help it!"
48D
Yes, 32 down
49D
Australian singer-songwriter Tina ___ ("Don't Ask" is a killer album!)