Pieces of Eight
◆ · By Wendy Walker · Published 2024-12-02T05:02:06.412Z
Meta Prompt
What geographic location completes the set?
This puzzle had its genesis on Saturday afternoon, Nov. 9, when Peter Abide and I were on Discord, trying to co-solve a Fireball meta. Peter had come up with what we both thought was 100% for sure the correct metanism; alas, it wasn't . . . nor was the answer we finally submitted, truth be told. I liked Peter's idea so much, though, that (with his imprimatur, of course!) I created a meta using it. Here's hoping you enjoy this puzzle as much as I did composing it. Thanks to Peter for all his help with this one, and to Joe Ross, as always, for his formatting know-how.
NUDGE: An alternate prompt for this puzzle might be "What U.S. state completes the set?"
Checking for previous play data...
1A
Sicilian volcano
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Across
- 1ASicilian volcano
- 5AOne of the ABC islands, along with Bonaire and Curaçao
- 10ADisapproving sounds
- 14ALow in fat
- 15APut down new grass
- 16A___ in the Pod (maternity store)
- 17AHeadline about Zuckerberg's unpleasant encounter with soy soup?
- 20AFirst U.S. space station
- 21APaw warmers for kittens?
- 22AFlee to wed
- 25ASteel-___ boots
- 26AInsult
- 29A"Zip, zilch, ___"
- 31AUnion elections agcy.
- 33AStat
- 35ASportscaster Andrews
- 36A“Still Crazy After All These ___”
- 38AClippy, infamously
- 41ATraditional Indian gowns
- 42APerfumer who peddles Poison
- 43AHe starred as James long before Roger, Timothy, Pierce, and Daniel did
- 44ASoccer star Mia
- 45ALongings
- 46AGPS lines
- 47AGIs' rations
- 49AVertebrae sandwich them
- 52ASUNY campus
- 55ALilingwe is its capital
- 59AVoyager parked outside a vampire's lair?
- 62AWhat the A in A.M. stands for
- 63AScore higher than a B
- 64ASea bird
- 65A___ Dress for Less
- 66AIt comprises anywhere from 28 to 31 days
- 67AIDs used by the IRS
Down
- 1DStately shade trees
- 2DFavorite wood for ships and patio furniture
- 3D___ a soul
- 4DIt's just over a foot
- 5DUlna, radius, and humerus
- 6DOutdoor gear store
- 7D___ Enterprise
- 8DExplosion noise
- 9D'Fess up
- 10DBland
- 11DPal of Chim-Chim and Trixie in cartoons
- 12D"Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" composer
- 13D"Simon ___" (kids' game)
- 18D"On the Road" narrator
- 19D2017 biopic about skater Harding
- 23DLampoon
- 24DEnlightened
- 26DHoover and Three Gorges, for two
- 27DDetroit Pistons baller Thomas
- 28DReligious ceremonies
- 30DPorowski of "Queer Eye"
- 32DAll-encompassing
- 34DSpring bloomers along a path?
- 37DRR stops
- 39D"The Sixth Sense" star Haley Joel ___
- 40DShe makes frozen pies
- 48DCook, as clams
- 50DIs able to
- 51DNarrow openings
- 52DSharif who played Zhivago
- 53DTaboo
- 54DSacramento's ___ Arena
- 56DThey cross sts. in NYC
- 57DAlert
- 58DQuaint hostelries
- 60DCapitol Hill VIP
- 61DBen Bernanke is an alum