Celebrate Xmas (Meta)
◆ · By benchen71 · Published 3 months ago
Meta Prompt
The answer to the meta is what X replaces
Happy holidays, everyone! Here's a puzzle that will, I trust, help you focus on the reason for the season. The answer to the meta is what X replaces.
The following note may help after you've started completing the grid: The tricksy squares can be filled with Xs, following the Xmas theme. Answer & explanation: https://www.xword-muggles.com/viewtopic.php?p=115634#p115634
Check out the "Rejected (Non-meta) MOAT Pack" here: https://www.ephesusscroll.com/about/interest4.html. US$5 gets you 10 themed crosswords, most of which were rejected by one crossword publisher or another. Were those editors right to reject them? You be the judge!
Checking for previous play data...
Leaderboard (updated hourly)
- kieranjboyd solved at 5:11 on 12/20/2022
- SeamusOL solved at 5:13 on 12/20/2022
- Dow Jones solved at 6:50 on 12/20/2022
- woozy solved at 6:58 on 12/20/2022
- markhr solved at 8:38 on 12/20/2022
- Hector solved at 11:33 on 12/20/2022
- edestlin solved at 12:22 on 12/20/2022
- rjy solved at 12:42 on 12/20/2022
- Ergcat solved at 13:32 on 12/20/2022
- Capn Rick solved at 13:33 on 12/20/2022
- MrTheHan solved at 13:53 on 12/20/2022
- Cindy Heisler solved at 13:54 on 12/20/2022
- Dave C solved at 14:05 on 12/20/2022
- Cindy Weatherman solved at 14:31 on 12/20/2022
- boharr solved at 14:35 on 12/20/2022
- dplass solved at 15:38 on 12/20/2022
- Darth solved at 15:51 on 12/20/2022
- Bird Lives solved at 16:01 on 12/20/2022
- Meg solved at 16:15 on 12/20/2022
- DIS solved at 16:30 on 12/20/2022
- Tyrpmom solved at 16:42 on 12/20/2022
- spotter solved at 16:53 on 12/20/2022
- Carolyn solved at 16:59 on 12/20/2022
- CPJohnson solved at 16:59 on 12/20/2022
- heidi solved at 17:51 on 12/20/2022
- DrTom solved at 17:54 on 12/20/2022
- kymike solved at 18:11 on 12/20/2022
- hoover solved at 18:42 on 12/20/2022
- Gutman solved at 19:14 on 12/20/2022
- HeadinHome solved at 19:24 on 12/20/2022
- KayW solved at 19:47 on 12/20/2022
- imontoo solved at 20:30 on 12/20/2022
- Jaclyn solved at 20:40 on 12/20/2022
- ajk solved at 20:55 on 12/20/2022
- jbird solved at 20:59 on 12/20/2022
- lbray53 solved at 21:11 on 12/20/2022
- Laura M solved at 21:16 on 12/20/2022
- DebbieC solved at 21:30 on 12/20/2022
- ReB solved at 21:49 on 12/20/2022
- Darrell solved at 23:25 on 12/20/2022
- BarbaraK solved at 23:26 on 12/20/2022
- SJMcK solved at 23:31 on 12/20/2022
- Mikey G solved at 2:07 on 12/21/2022
- I K Snamhcok solved at 4:28 on 12/21/2022
- Abide solved at 4:45 on 12/21/2022
- whimsy solved at 5:06 on 12/21/2022
- Alex Sisti solved at 15:16 on 12/21/2022
- Johnny Luau solved at 19:01 on 12/21/2022
- Charles Montpetit solved at 20:09 on 12/21/2022
- wendy walker solved at 22:27 on 12/21/2022
- ChrisCross solved at 2:44 on 12/22/2022
- Spid4567 solved at 5:01 on 12/22/2022
- Jeremy Smith solved at 7:12 on 12/22/2022
- Jim Dean solved at 5:43 on 12/25/2022
- amy nelson solved at 12:15 on 12/29/2022
- Samik solved at 14:24 on 12/30/2022
Comments
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- Dow Jones 4s · 3 months agoThat was an outstanding grid and meta (one of your best). Have a Merry Christmas, Ben.
- Okay. THat was fun. For a very light and easy one for a change.
- Totally disagree... but at least after revealing the grid I was able to get the meta...
- Oh, the grid was tricky but once you got the hang of it it was fun. The meta itself was a little bit on the too easy side, though... but just a little. Still fun.
- markhr 26:38 · 3 months agoWell done, Ben. Merry Christmas!
- Hector 3s · 3 months agoThanks, Ben, enjoyed this one (again)!
- Ergcat 18:26 · 3 months agoVery nice! Gets me in the Xmas spirit for sure! I love the “Reason for the Season”!
- Cindy Heisler 2s · 3 months agoPerfect puzzle for this holiday week. Merry Christmas, Ben!
- Dave C 3s · 3 months agoNice for Christmas week.
- Bird Lives 4s · 3 months agoSolved it. Hallelujah, he chorused.
- Darth 🤓8:33 · 3 months agoLoved it! Thanks, Ben! Merry Christmas!
- You're welcome. Do they have Christmas on the Death Star? Or should I wish you a happy Life Day?
- Tyrpmom 2s · 3 months agoMerry Christmas. Thanks Ben.
- Carolyn 3s · 3 months agoVery nice! Have a wonderful Christmas.
- 47A47ASome people prefer this on their Xmas pudding instead of custard[------]Ah, the great custard/ice cream debate....Neither! Hard sauce! Butter, brown sugar, and rum whipped to an icing consistency.
- hoover 6s · 3 months agoI think the problem is not with the custard/ice cream; it's with the pudding.
- I had some of that hard sauce just the other day: extremely yummy!
- DrTom 4s · 3 months agoWell you Handled that nicely! Merry Xmas; I turned the X upside down because of the different hemisphere, but it seemed to make no difference?
- You are absolutely right: our Xs look just like the ones in the US! And a happy Christmas to you, too!
- hoover 6s · 3 months agoEnjoyed the grid!
- HeadinHome 🤓4:02 · 3 months agoThoroughly enjoyed! I don’t remember ever using the rebus button on Crosshare… nifty! Also, my recollection of John 10 was “..at that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter…”. That’s Hanukkah? Huh. Cool.
- Yes, I believe that Hanukkah is also known as the Feast of Dedication, that is, when the Temple was rededicated following Antiochus Epiphanes' earlier defilement.
- KayW 9:52 · 3 months agoVery clever, thanks! Have a wonderful Christmas holiday, Ben
- imontoo 3s · 3 months agoFun one, Ben!
- Laura M 🤓15:30 · 3 months agoeXcellent meta, and Merry Christmas to you!
- ReB 4s · 3 months agoI had to HANDEL with care to arrive at the reason for the season. Nice light Xmas treat, no misdirection or rabbit holes.And a merry Christmas to you, Ben.
- I K Snamhcok 2s · 3 months agoVery nice, Ben! Have your best Christmas!
- The ‘X’ thing didn’t make sense to me. You don’t put an ‘X’ in a rebus box, and the boxes themselves weren’t arranged in an ‘X’ shape.
- Putting Xs in the tricksy squares follows the Xmas theme. It would have worked beautifully for those solving using the PUZ file!
- whimsy 23:51 · 3 months agoVery, very nice! Thank you Ben! I guess it wouldn't do to wish you a White Christmas, but have a good one anyway!
- A white Christmas here usually involves hail. It's not unknown!
- Alex Sisti 3s · 3 months agoGood one... Merry Christmas, brother!
- Charles Montpetit 🤓3:42 · 3 months agoAbridging "Hanukkah" as "Xukkah" is an interesting take. This said, if it's not too late, you might was to fix the "opportunties" in the clue to 1a1APlant that is used at Xmas to engineer awkward kissing opportunities[------]. Also, do you always eschew the rules against unckecked squares (the central F) and two-letter entries (35d35DBout ender, for short[--]and 41d41D"I agree"[--]), yet remain a fond proponent of symmetry? I'm only asking because, in the context of a meta, any departure from the norm, might be perceived as a solving hint, including a typo in a clue...
- I'll fix the typo. I try to avoid unchecked letters and two letter words as much as possible. But sometimes they become impossible to avoid due to all the required meta entries!
- wendy walker 4s · 3 months agoFun! Merry Christmas, Ben!
- ChrisCross 🤓10:41 · 3 months agoVery fun. I think this was the best grid for a MOAT I've done (but I always like Rebuses). I could have spent a long time on this meta, I only bothered to check the initials of the rebus blocks as a formality before planning to go full-force down a rabbit hole.
1A
Plant that is used at Xmas to engineer awkward kissing opportunities
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Across
- 1APlant that is used at Xmas to engineer awkward kissing opportunities
- 7APrefix meaning "equal"
- 10APublic vehicle
- 13AJujitsu relative
- 14AChest bone
- 15AXmas drink made with rum or brandy
- 17AOne of the Wayans
- 18ADa Vinci or DiCaprio or a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle
- 20AFinish by
- 21ABitter criticism
- 22ABelly
- 25ASorta
- 26AJPEG alternative with a controversial pronunciation
- 27AUS federal purchasing org.
- 30AChristen with oil or water, perhaps
- 32ASpanish greeting
- 34AWhat you hope to find inside an Xmas turkey
- 35ANicole Kidman's other half, ___ Urban
- 40AFormer male student of a school or college
- 42ANational drink of England (including a serving suggestion)
- 43AXmas character based on a bishop with a penchant for secret gift-giving, informally
- 44AApportion
- 46AFossil fuel
- 47ASome people prefer this on their Xmas pudding instead of custard
- 49ASpanish gold
- 50ADye container
- 53AFall back
- 54AZeta follower
- 55APopular alternative to a star on Xmas trees
- 57AArthur Miller's salesman, Willy ___
- 62A"As God is my witness!"
- 64A"Stranger Things" actress, ___ Ryder
- 65AProphet
- 66AEast Berlin was its capital (abbr.)
- 67AOdor-reducing plumbing fittings
- 68AWorks in a gallery
- 69AUnderstand
- 70AFestival that Jesus attended in John 10, celebrated around the time of Xmas
Down
- 1DError
- 2DProperty claim
- 3DBarely managed, with "out"
- 4D"30 Rock" actress, ___ Fey
- 5DThe Voice of the Civil Rights Movement
- 6DEternity
- 7DOffline, briefly
- 8DWhat you do a lot of panning for gold
- 9DInstrumentalist who helps tune an orchestra
- 10DPerson asking for money or food
- 11DDisassemble
- 12D"Me also"
- 16DGame with clubs and caddies
- 19DTo the ___ degree
- 23DWell ventilated (but expressed negatively)
- 24D"Excusez-___!"
- 27DGive up the ___ (die)
- 28DAnswer, for short
- 29DGerman-based supermarket chain
- 31DDeduce
- 33DStart of a 26 letter series
- 35DBout ender, for short
- 36DAnd so forth (abbr.)
- 37D"Me also"
- 38DPull apart
- 39DCircle of light in many paintings of The Nativity
- 41D"I agree"
- 42DRobert De Niro and Al Pacino movie directed by Michael Mann
- 44DFrequent collaborator of Jody Hill, Danny ___
- 45DConcert souvenir, for short
- 47DOne of these took down the Titanic
- 48DBig hit for Courtney Love's band, Hole
- 50DComposer of the "Chariots of Fire" theme
- 51DOn the briny
- 52DBabel construction
- 53DClean air org.
- 56DSassy
- 58DAbout .62 mi.
- 59DPerson with a tonsure, probably
- 60D"two turtle doves, ___ partridge..."
- 61DLead singer of the band Sixpence None the Richer, Leigh ___
- 63DUno + due
- 64DCity in China that was mentioned in a lot of news broadcasts at the beginning of 2020
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