I have a supersized puzzle for you this week, with this my first ever "weekend"-sized meta puzzle. There are a lot of words in this grid but that just means there are more opportunities for some fun cluing! It may also prove to be the only crossword puzzle in the history of crossword puzzles with "malfeasance" in the title. The answer to the meta is a noun. Answer & explanation: https://xword-muggles.com/viewtopic.php?p=159769#p159769
Check out "The MOAT Mini Pack of Marching Bands" here: https://www.ephesusscroll.com/about/interest4.html. US$5 gets you 7 Marching Bands which, hard enough on their own, now contain metas too. And once again there's a mega-meta!
Checking for previous play data...
Leaderboard (updated hourly)
Hector solved 2024-03-05T05:08:09.762Z
hoover solved 2024-03-05T05:50:50.744Z
Danny K Bernstein solved 2024-03-05T06:41:25.597Z
woozy solved 2024-03-05T07:04:08.237Z
markhr solved 2024-03-05T07:42:18.295Z
Dow Jones solved 2024-03-05T07:57:03.814Z
Tom Wilson solved 2024-03-05T09:33:23.461Z
Berto solved 2024-03-05T12:50:20.808Z
Pair O Ducks solved 2024-03-05T13:50:01.753Z
boharr solved 2024-03-05T14:03:40.876Z
LarsCaine solved 2024-03-05T14:15:41.512Z
Darth solved 2024-03-05T14:17:42.497Z
DCBilly solved 2024-03-05T14:26:42.348Z
kymike solved 2024-03-05T14:33:33.762Z
AxelPlays solved 2024-03-05T14:39:04.200Z
KayW solved 2024-03-05T15:03:04.953Z
MatthewL solved 2024-03-05T15:13:11.093Z
Cindy Heisler solved 2024-03-05T15:30:14.786Z
Carolyn solved 2024-03-05T15:53:15.246Z
dannyvee solved 2024-03-05T15:55:35.406Z
Bird Lives solved 2024-03-05T16:03:29.404Z
kurtalert solved 2024-03-05T16:15:17.584Z
ajk solved 2024-03-05T16:21:11.864Z
lbray53 solved 2024-03-05T16:41:11.883Z
Cindy Weatherman solved 2024-03-05T17:17:45.267Z
heidi solved 2024-03-05T17:18:39.460Z
DrTom solved 2024-03-05T17:51:52.077Z
DIS solved 2024-03-05T18:26:25.891Z
JM solved 2024-03-05T20:16:40.173Z
edestlin solved 2024-03-05T20:18:46.800Z
Laura M solved 2024-03-05T20:40:54.226Z
Johnny Luau solved 2024-03-05T21:43:22.939Z
DebbieC solved 2024-03-05T21:55:02.310Z
Dave C solved 2024-03-05T21:55:55.074Z
CPJohnson solved 2024-03-05T21:57:15.299Z
Tim solved 2024-03-05T22:39:42.830Z
Golem solved 2024-03-06T01:03:16.655Z
Ergcat solved 2024-03-06T01:06:48.293Z
Alvibu67 solved 2024-03-06T02:07:30.969Z
I K Snamhcok solved 2024-03-06T02:22:50.957Z
frostyjhammer solved 2024-03-06T02:26:04.653Z
Meg solved 2024-03-06T02:38:14.085Z
whimsy solved 2024-03-06T03:27:03.044Z
Qmark solved 2024-03-06T04:29:16.436Z
Tyrpmom solved 2024-03-06T04:41:47.585Z
HeadinHome solved 2024-03-06T14:28:31.058Z
Sara solved 2024-03-06T16:09:19.283Z
rjy solved 2024-03-06T16:33:17.911Z
Sharkicicles solved 2024-03-06T19:00:57.742Z
Gutman solved 2024-03-07T01:32:35.961Z
Spid4567 solved 2024-03-07T04:47:49.903Z
Alex Sisti solved 2024-03-07T14:27:23.866Z
noneuclidean solved 2024-03-07T22:57:00.125Z
Jaclyn solved 2024-03-08T02:56:10.717Z
SJMcK solved 2024-03-08T20:19:22.525Z
Mr Tex solved 2024-03-09T00:36:58.320Z
Rick solved 2024-03-10T21:50:49.339Z
Comments
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I was afraid it might be too much "weekend" for my Tuesday, but the meta was straightforward and made for a fast solve. Well done, Ben. =)
kymike 2s · 2024-03-05T14:33:58.395Z
Thanks for the large print. My eyes appreciated it.
MatthewL 🤓14:24 · 2024-03-05T15:15:34.164Z
Fun one! Had to backsolve for KINA, but that was it. Got a chuckle out of 103A -- you were bound and determined to use that clue, weren't you? Thanks for the puzzle, Ben!
Actually, this is one of my older puzzles (which might explain some of the more difficult fill!) so I'd completely forgotten that entry/clue was in this one. :D
KayW 🤓7:42 · 2024-03-05T15:03:56.151Z
Very well done, Ben! And thanks SO MUCH for those extra tips on the more obscure currencies
When I realized how large the grid was, I'd already started. Oh well, as the saying goes, in for a pula in for a kina. Good decision. I learned a lot, and I got the answer. But I still don't understand the clue for 35A.
lol missed the clues in the 24A/110A clues (don't think I'd have translated PNG properly anyway), so had to backsolve those, obviously. Got Naticked in a couple of places in the grid (71A/68D -- not a GoG fan, 70A and 83A / 66D), but overall the crunchy bits were workable. Missed WON for a while because I was thinking NOTE(S) might be included. Overall though, pretty straightforward. Fun idea, thanks.
I'll forgive you the crunchy fill because the path was fun...besides now if I ever need a low level order picker I'll know what to ask for!. Once I went back and read the middle clue it was a pretty straight shot (and I see why the grid had to be that big). However, I did go down a brief path when I saw SKI in three places, RAN in three places, POP in three places and clue30D but that obviously went nowhere. Thanks for the entertainment Ben!
P.S. Like Jay, I do not understand 35A. Is that an Aussie term?
P.P.S. I looked it up on Quora (now granted Quora is the same site that told me the 2 ball was yellow so...) and they said:
"In today’s slang, to ship is to support or believe in a romantic relationship between the members of a couple"
Dang Ben, must be the benefit of teaching the younger crowd you hipster you!
It would have been trickier if not for the help for pula and kina, the two that I wasn't previously familiar with.
DebbieC 26:34 · 2024-03-05T22:10:35.150Z
Very nice. Reminds me of one the first WSJ metas I solved - aptly titled FOLLOW THE MONEY, it has the same metanism with an adverb (TENDERLY) as the meta answer.
Ergcat 33:48 · 2024-03-06T01:07:22.221Z
Very nice puzzle . Clever construction! Thanks, Ben!
whimsy 26:57 · 2024-03-06T03:35:08.874Z
Was able to solve in just minutes --- but not until after I got past looking at the names of the countries' capitals, because, you know, capital. Silly me! FOLLOW directions. :-) Jumbo thanks, Ben!
HeadinHome 🤓3:05 · 2024-03-06T14:32:45.644Z
That’s actually a genius idea… capital’s double meaning. Hmm…
whimsy 26:57 · 2024-03-07T02:22:54.212Z
Your first meta construction? :-) Go for it!
Qmark 3s · 2024-03-06T04:31:40.038Z
Great construction Ben...thanks!
HeadinHome 🤓3:05 · 2024-03-06T14:39:46.393Z
Definitely needed the googs for some areas, but understandable give what you had to pull off here! (The symmetry is impressive.). The odd clues to 24A and 110A were the giveaway/entry points for me, and eventually got 30A tWONotes just as a backsolve as the last piece (I also had highlighted NOTE, but didn’t love it because it was generic). Nice work!