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Heart Of Gold (Meta)

· By benchen71 · Published 2024-04-23T06:00:26.992Z

Meta Prompt
The answer to the meta is an 8-letter word
I walked past a bookshop, saw a book in the window, and this puzzle was the result! The title "Heart of Gold" is apparently a song by Neil Young. But it's also the name of the starship in Douglas Adam's classic book "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy". This is the starship with an infinite improbability drive, which, when turned on, leads to all sorts of narrative improbabilities (including a bowl of petunias that says, "Oh no, not again!") Now, on with the meta puzzle, the answer to which is an 8-letter word. Answer & explanation: https://xword-muggles.com/viewtopic.php?p=164961#p164961
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)

  • rfj solved 2024-04-23T08:58:54.214Z
  • Pair O Ducks solved 2024-04-23T09:37:04.181Z
  • LarsCaine solved 2024-04-23T12:14:37.543Z
  • hoover solved 2024-04-23T12:26:48.036Z
  • Darth solved 2024-04-23T13:11:04.185Z
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  • Hector solved 2024-04-23T13:23:18.467Z
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  • ELSavage solved 2024-04-28T19:03:28.823Z
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  • Avlan solved 2024-07-16T09:43:18.709Z

Comments

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  • hoover 4s · 2024-04-23T12:28:28.354Z
    Yikes! After 20 minutes of desperately trying to figure out what to do with all the new words, I typed in what looked like gibberish and it was accepted! Hey, I learned a new word; I'm done for the day. Can I go home now? :)
    • benchen71 constructor · 2024-04-23T23:12:58.392Z
      You may! :D
    • kymike 2s · 2024-04-23T13:24:28.529Z
      Like Hoover, I was perplexed as well and learned a new word (probably a few new words). Nice one, Ben.
      • Darth 9:52 · 2024-04-23T13:12:30.105Z
        Cool. I like the nice visual representation of the answer found in the grid. Thanks, Ben.
        • benchen71 constructor · 2024-04-23T23:13:15.090Z
          That's what I was going for. You should see the answer graphic!
        • Hector 🤓8:14 · 2024-04-23T14:10:41.302Z
          A truly crackpot scheme!
          • benchen71 constructor · 2024-04-23T23:13:34.232Z
            Hah! Love it!! :D
          • boharr 5s · 2024-04-23T14:18:29.994Z
            huh?
            • benchen71 constructor · 2024-04-23T23:14:11.316Z
              Google it, and check out the images: prepare to be dazzled!
            • woozy 🤓17:57 · 2024-04-23T15:34:40.480Z
              Twenty minutes of staring and grasping at straws ("Hey, the clue 'stink' and '_____ inu' are composed entirely of letters that are found; no to just find six more clues like that. 'Gust', 'guts', 'sting'...") and and anagrammer not giving me in any single word (although GISU KIT was intriguing)..... I finally decided to google on "kintsugi" and see if that'd give anything.....
              • benchen71 constructor · 2024-04-23T23:14:58.556Z
                ... and it really is something - something extraordinarily beautiful!
              • MatthewL 🤓5:22 · 2024-04-23T16:01:28.443Z
                Yeah, same -- kept thinking, "well that's gibberish, there must be some other step." But hey -- learned something new today! Thanks for the puzzle, Ben.
                • Meg 2s · 2024-04-23T17:13:40.598Z
                  It’s good to learn new words. Thanks, Ben.
                  • Tyrpmom 3s · 2024-04-23T19:57:09.400Z
                    Golden joinery. How perfect.
                    • benchen71 constructor · 2024-04-23T23:15:13.183Z
                      Thanks! :D
                    • Laura M 🤓4:40 · 2024-04-23T20:47:42.824Z
                      I so much didn't think this was a word that I didn't even try looking it up at first! Probably an hour into trying to figure out other alternatives I was like fine let's try this... (lol sob) Nice construction!
                      • KayW 🤓6:15 · 2024-04-23T21:41:23.815Z
                        Very appropriate answer for the metanism and fun to solve. Thanks, Ben! I first came across the term about a year ago at an intriguing museum exhibit near me: https://imss.org/kintsugi-healing-through-japanese-art/ but I confess it took me a few minutes to recognize/remember the term (haha with the help of google)
                        • Sharkicicles 2s · 2024-04-23T22:15:06.773Z
                          I also learned something new today!
                          • DCBilly 2s · 2024-04-23T22:40:17.374Z
                            Yay, I loved how the generous (dare I say easy?) clue/answer structure offset the difficulty of the answer being a word out of our normal language. And also the grid image - who knew that gold could serve as glue?
                            • benchen71 constructor · 2024-04-23T23:16:42.772Z
                              I was a little unsure how the stuff in brackets would come across. I'm glad it worked out!
                            • DrTom 32:32 · 2024-04-23T20:33:33.975Z
                              Had only ever heard of this once but googling kintsugi brought up repairing ceramics with gold so I knew it could not be coincidence. Toughie Ben, but fun.
                              • benchen71 constructor · 2024-04-24T02:21:08.457Z
                                Well, it is a "week 4". Just you wait until next week's "week 5"! :D
                                • DrTom 32:32 · 2024-04-25T01:12:19.702Z
                                  As Bill the Cat would say ACK!!!
                              • Ergcat 🤓11:43 · 2024-04-24T12:46:34.325Z
                                Finally… that 6th nudge was what I needed!! I had previously been trying to anagram those letters… never thought to “google” the word! 🙄 very clever way you “demonstrated” the “joining with gold “ in the grid! Thanks, Ben!
                                • HeadinHome 🤓1:07 · 2024-04-24T16:13:47.189Z
                                  I actually have a friend who does this art, but I completely blanked on the name, even though I had started to spell it out on my scratch sheet. (Wrote “K-I-N-T-S-U…” and thought NAH that’s not a word!). 🙄. Such a great puzzle! A hot mess going in (trying to figure out all the weird clues and numbers) but it came together brilliantly, and the answer should have been more of an AHA if my memory were a little better.
                                  • whimsy 🤓10:23 · 2024-04-24T18:30:35.595Z
                                    I first tried taking the 8 letters and putting AU somewhere in the heart of it to make a 10 letter word -- I then intended to be able to lop off a letter at each end leaving me with an 8 letter one. Guess what? Didn't work! I really needed the last nudge to just go ahead and do the basic thing. And I didn't even notice the way the "themer" words fell into place with the two cracks running through until I went back and looked for the imagery in the grid spoken of -- EVEN though there were a couple of arrows pointing to them! Thanks for this dazzler, Ben!
                                    • Berto 3s · 2024-04-25T04:19:05.867Z
                                      I was so sure it was going to be “AU-to-fill”… but no. Gah. Nice one, Ben!
                                      • benchen71 constructor · 2024-04-26T00:46:33.297Z
                                        Oooh, that's brilliant! I wish I had thought of that one. ;-)
                                      • ELSavage 🤓6:46 · 2024-04-28T19:07:02.637Z
                                        I had the right idea early on, but it didn't make any sense, so I wandered down other paths before being inspired to look again. And now the 6th nudge makes sense.
                                        1A
                                        ___ Inu
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                                        74
                                        75
                                        Across
                                        1. 1A
                                          ___ Inu
                                        2. 6A
                                          House of twigs
                                        3. 10A
                                          Self-satisfied
                                        4. 14A
                                          Spanish appetizers
                                        5. 15A
                                          Stink
                                        6. 16A
                                          Like a wolf or a star in Texas
                                        7. 17A
                                          Long period of time
                                        8. 18A
                                          Traveler's document
                                        9. 19A
                                          "Come ___, the water's fine!"
                                        10. 20A
                                          Hebrew poetic form, cf. Ps. 142 (7)
                                        11. 22A
                                          Roof edge (Hawaiian volcano)
                                        12. 24A
                                          Back of the boat
                                        13. 25A
                                          Jockey's strap (9)
                                        14. 27A
                                          Dawn French sitcom "The Vicar of ___" (Unable to be heard)
                                        15. 29A
                                          Chevrolet SUV (6)
                                        16. 33A
                                          Salty expanse (The feeling of being sick to your stomach)
                                        17. 34A
                                          Groucho Marx: "I refuse to join any ___ that would have me..."
                                        18. 35A
                                          Mob scene (6)
                                        19. 37A
                                          "Get Shorty" actress Rene ___ (Sign of a bull?)
                                        20. 41A
                                          &
                                        21. 42A
                                          "Friend ___?"
                                        22. 44A
                                          The H of the 5 Ws and 1 H
                                        23. 45A
                                          Speaks hoarsely (5)
                                        24. 48A
                                          California wine region (Finnish sweatbox)
                                        25. 49A
                                          City that wasn't built in a day, apparently
                                        26. 50A
                                          Acronym for Unified Modeling Language (6)
                                        27. 52A
                                          Like the decorated ladies of old sideshows (German vowel mark)
                                        28. 54A
                                          Essayist Susan ___ (5)
                                        29. 57A
                                          Nothing at all (Translucent fabric with a loose open weave)
                                        30. 58A
                                          Texter's "Very funny!"
                                        31. 59A
                                          "The Princess Bride" quote: "Life is ___, highness. Anyone who tells you differently is selling something." (10)
                                        32. 61A
                                          Allotted amount (The process of gilding with gold, which is related to the meta answer)
                                        33. 65A
                                          Disney princess who encouraged us to let it go
                                        34. 67A
                                          Past participle of "lie"
                                        35. 69A
                                          What "The Bible is the most shoplifted book of all time" is an example of
                                        36. 70A
                                          Word similar in meaning to "avow" which I always find annoying when either one crops up in a crossword
                                        37. 71A
                                          Part of A.D.
                                        38. 72A
                                          Home Depot competitor
                                        39. 73A
                                          Superman's alter ego
                                        40. 74A
                                          Ever so slightly
                                        41. 75A
                                          Garden plant support
                                        Down
                                        1. 1D
                                          Flower stalk
                                        2. 2D
                                          Person of mixed ancestry, in Hawaii
                                        3. 3D
                                          Wall St. debuts
                                        4. 4D
                                          Type of massage
                                        5. 5D
                                          More pale
                                        6. 6D
                                          11th mo.
                                        7. 7D
                                          Singer ___ Brickell
                                        8. 8D
                                          "What a pity!"
                                        9. 9D
                                          Scottish rock band whose song "Closer" is one of the most beautiful songs ever
                                        10. 10D
                                          ___-mo camera
                                        11. 11D
                                          "The Age of Pleasure" singer Janelle ___
                                        12. 12D
                                          Amalgamate
                                        13. 13D
                                          Lady's man
                                        14. 21D
                                          Spanish book
                                        15. 23D
                                          Ancestor of the Ishmaelites and the Israelites, cf. Gen. 10
                                        16. 26D
                                          Scottish town that rhymes with "cairn"
                                        17. 28D
                                          ___ Islands, also known as the Eastern Archipelago of Fiji
                                        18. 29D
                                          Disney baddie who encouraged us to be prepared
                                        19. 30D
                                          Radius neighbour
                                        20. 31D
                                          Jake and Charles: best ___
                                        21. 32D
                                          Jack Sprat's diet
                                        22. 36D
                                          Silicate mineral of aluminium and fluorine
                                        23. 38D
                                          "Buzz off!"
                                        24. 39D
                                          Unspecified amount
                                        25. 40D
                                          Had debts
                                        26. 43D
                                          "Peter, Peter, Pumpkin ___"
                                        27. 46D
                                          "A good ___ is its own reword!"
                                        28. 47D
                                          Acronym for Simple Mail Transfer Protocol
                                        29. 49D
                                          Pot-plant problem or, read another way, Kanga's gait
                                        30. 51D
                                          Companion of Tinky Winky, Dipsy and Po
                                        31. 53D
                                          Pathways in the woods
                                        32. 54D
                                          Complete, as a crossword
                                        33. 55D
                                          Mary-Kate, Ashley or Elizabeth
                                        34. 56D
                                          Gargantuan
                                        35. 58D
                                          Corporate security concern
                                        36. 60D
                                          1492 ship
                                        37. 62D
                                          The Hawkeye State
                                        38. 63D
                                          1000 m race
                                        39. 64D
                                          Wall St. institution
                                        40. 66D
                                          Paintings, et cetera
                                        41. 68D
                                          Agree silently
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