To Really Foul Things Up Requires A Computer (Meta)

I could not get the PUZ file to work as intended on my Mac, but solved here on Crosshare.

Neat idea, Ben!

Ah! I always hate using check features. I finally decided I may not make progress on the meta if I don't do it, and was relieved to see it was almost certainly what I was supposed to do. Really interesting! Some unlucky perfectionist is going to spend a lot of time thinking about this puzzle.

Thanks, Ben. Here's some fun hammock reading for you: https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/origin-supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

Cute. Was a lot easier to see in Check mode than when I hit the reveal button. Thanks, Ben!

I’d like to see how auto-correct handles this word. Thanks, Ben!

Wow, anyone know how to quit Across Lite in this mode? Mac OS.

Um... I don't get it.

Was there anyway we were supposed to solve this without hitting reveal?

Haha! Very nice “aha” moment after getting over the initial panic over all the grid answers being wrong! Thanks, Ben!

That was fun, Ben. Thanks.

This was a fun one. I solved it by taking a screenshot of the revealed crosshare grid and drawing over it on the iPad. Otherwise I don’t I would have ever been able to get it!

I'm not sure this puzzle WURRX!

Ha, loved it! I did spend a couple minutes rechecking but thankfully not too long... I had a suspicion :-)

Able to submit after I rebooted my computer. Clever concept!

Wow! I'm speechless.

I'm not sure I proceeded correctly. I probably should have used the check feature to sort out between SCUD and LIKELY when I got the error message, but instead I hit the reveal puzzle button - and the answer immediately became popped out. I thus probably missed the discovery process you intended us to follow.

Well THAT was different! Needed the spoiler as that tactic would not have occurred to me, but makes sense now!

Also, since I always solve by screen-shotting the pdf and using Paint, I never would have solved this… only after reading the spoiler did I realize i would need to transcribe to crosshare site to get this!

Yes, from the OCD school of solving this was a bear. I solved on paper and saw nothing. "I must have something wrong", said I, and proceeded to go to Crosshare and hit Reveal. Well THAT didn't help, and of course once done it could not be undone. I assume from the discussion that if you went to Crosshare and filled the puzzle out the program would tell you that you were done but had some mistakes and when you went to check it would leave only the "matching" letters alone. CLEVER idea but the cleverness was lost on us "solve on paper first" folks (or maybe just me). Here is where MY deviousness paid off. Because of ROTTEN TRICK I thought, "maybe it is a ROT code. Of course that hope was deflated when the letters in the machine solve did not match the pattern in the paper solve. BUT, some letters were the same in both....I wonder. After I got SUPERCAL I knew what it had to be. Clever and particularly devious puzzle Ben, Congrats.

Very funny! Thanks, but I was totally flummoxed trying to solve it from the printed version.

Very different!! I needed the nudges. But only because I clicked "reveal solution" on Puz which revealed the answer. But I misinterpreted your first warning to mean that that was "cheating" and there was still some other metanism I should be able to figure out. Your nudges today clarified that.

Totally original, and it worked exactly as intended with me, without any need for nudges (I routinely solve in AcrossLite, and clicking on the Check button is my go-to move whenever I fail to get a Happy Pencil).

Awesome use of Crosshare! Very clever, Ben!

Today I went in and did this the RIGHT way with filling in the form online and then doing the check. MUCH easier than my 1) do on paper 2) go to Crosshare 3) hit reveal 4) stare in disbelief 5) finally catch on that some letters were NOT different in the two. INCREDIBLY clever idea and why I always am impressed by my "non-professional" colleagues (Oh, I'm impressed by the ones who do this for a living, but I EXPECT them to create lightning in a barrel) who come up with these really brilliant mechanisms.

Brilliant - me and my accomplices/pals had a great time,!