Are The Stars Out Tonight
◆ · By DrTom · Published 2024-05-01T11:30:40.581Z
Meta Prompt
The answer is the nickname of a Hollywood A-Lister
Well, I'm back. I hope this title and prompt are clear enough. I don't know if they're cloudy or right, but if you PM me with questions on what you think you should do hopefully I will only have ayes for you dear.
Sorry I could NOT resist that opening with this title. Some of you will go "What?" but a bunch will chuckle or at least groan.
This is one of those that came to me while walking (one of the few times my mind is not focused on other things) and will either play VERY hard or VERY easy depending on how you look at it and interpret things. I am hoping, as always, for a big turnout, some great AHA's and a lot of chuckles.
Based on my esteemed test solvers; MikeyG, Meg, rjy and Phillip Chow (who were really all over the place when it came to catching the "trick") I'd have to rate this a:
Kitten
Calico
PERSIAN+ (though I think lots of you will see this as a Lion)
Puma
Lion
The first part should be pretty clear, the next step is quite a departure from my usual style. It is an inferred answer, but the inference comes from a rather more subtle, but very visible, source.
Friday (or perhaps earlier) nudges, Tuesday reveal...my mailbox is always open!
I may have to start early on nudges, this has been up 5 hours, I have 9 solvers and 4 of them are people who test solved. I was afraid this would happen just because it was such a departure. So, here is a nudge:
Early Nudge In the constellation of possible methods of hiding a mechanism, what might one use in a puzzle named "Are the Stars Out Tonight"
Well, end of the first day and there are still only 13 solves if I take out the test solvers. I know that is not a function of all your ability, it is a function of an unclear puzzle. I am afraid I have made this one too difficult and for that I am sorry. As you know, my desire is to have LOTS of solvers. To that end I am posting my nudges early, and depending on what that does to the solver total I may post more.
Nudge 1] So, the title is "Are the Stars out tonight" and there are a bunch of stars named in the puzzle
Nudge 2] Note that the stars are not only NOT symmetrical but look almost ramdomly, or at least haphazardly placed
Nudge 3] The stars are NOT haphazardly placed, matter of fact they are placed VERY carefully
Nudge 4] Clues 40A and 62D both nudge toward what you are supposed to notice
I know I am competing with the MG and WSJ, but one more nudge:
Nudge 7] There is a hint in the graphic and even the difficulty rating!!!
THE REVEAL:
Nine stars named and carefully placed in the grid.
If those nine stars are connected by lines they form the constellation Leo.
Leo is the nickname of Leonardo DiCaprio.
The answers of Leo and Leo DiCaprio were accepted, as was LDC (which is anohter of his nicknames). Leonardo DiCaprio was not because it is not, as the prompt asks for, a nickname.
For a more complete discussion and a graphic of the reveal, go to the Muggles website:
Checking for previous play data...
Thanks for solving Kay.1A
Capt's deck chief
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Across
- 1ACapt's deck chief
- 5ACourt tactic
- 8AIditarod terminus
- 12ASea eagle
- 13A"Smooth Operator" singer
- 14ALay down the law
- 16AGet warm when playing games
- 17ABooth's doctor
- 18AJetson pet
- 19ANourishment for 18A
- 21AStar of "Paper Moon", O'Neal
- 22A___ Fox (Song of the South)
- 24AName for your sun
- 25ATampa's twin city, for short
- 29AFuss
- 31ACornerstone abbr.
- 35APerformer seen in black and white on TV
- 36AAmong for a bard
- 38AFocus on the highway, e.g.
- 39ASouthern breakfast staple
- 40ALines of tribute to Bille Joe, a Grecian Urn or the Night Sky
- 41APeyton Manning's favorite place to call (and the feeling may be Mutual)
- 43APerfection for some athletes
- 44A"Snowy" bird
- 46ADelta worker
- 47AAdjusts, as a clock
- 49AStar of "Knives Out" de Armas
- 50ASunglasses
- 51ASix-pointers, for short
- 53ALike some wolves
- 55ABone: Prefix
- 58ARecount
- 63AEccentric (and yes, I've been called this)
- 64AStar of "The Shining" Nicholson
- 66A"That hurts!"
- 67AStar of "The Adventures of Robin Hood" Flynn
- 68AWhodunit game
- 69ACommedia dell'___
- 70AShock your friends
- 71AAthletic supporter?
- 72AJordan's Queen ___
Down
- 1DCurve
- 2DThat cookie
- 3DCatch
- 4DSoft ball
- 5DTerm written on sheepskin
- 6DNumber on a recto
- 7DRose's place
- 8D"Cool!"
- 9DAvailable for a reduced price
- 10DStar of "The Bourne Supremacy" Damon
- 11DEggshell relative
- 13DCampfire treat
- 15DStar of "Top Gun" Cruise
- 20DWhat you call it when the report says it is more than 90 degrees
- 23DInjustice
- 24DThey can be red or white
- 25DE-6s in USA and USMC
- 26DGetting ready number
- 27DSherwin-Williams buy
- 28DLife saver: Abbr.
- 30DLosing proposition
- 32DInjure with water
- 33DCalifornia lake resort
- 34DMild oaths
- 36DConflicted
- 37DStar of "In Good Company" (and the 70's show) Grace
- 42DStar of "Rosemary's Baby" Farrow
- 45DPricey car accessory
- 48DHearing aids?
- 50DApple offerer
- 52DHolmes's creator
- 54DAt the right time
- 55DCheer at a bullfight
- 56DType
- 57DWhen said three times, a W.W. II film
- 59DStar of "Love Story", O'Neal
- 60DSleek, for short
- 61DBaum barker
- 62DJar in the constellation Aquarius
- 64DHighway sign abbr.
- 65DPint-sized refreshment