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Size Matters

· By DrTom · Published 2023-01-24T21:41:04.449Z

Meta Prompt
The meta answer is the one area where this myth may still apply.
Although I started out calling this a level 2 (Calico) input from solvers say it is more like a Level 3 (Persian). There will be Friday nudges if needed. I hope you get a chuckle or two.
If you want to know how to solve the puzzle, click below where I have revealed the mechanism. Otherwise have fun solving.
||OK, I'll reveal the mechanism. There are five "size" related words in the grid. Each one of those words is a different length. Since the puzzle tells you that "Size Matters", what do you do with that? A common trick of constructors is to give you letters or REFERENCES to letters to form an answer. Each of the crossword squares denoted by the size (length) of the mentioned words yields a letter B R A I N, which happens to have some slight scientific correlation between size and performance...unlike so many of the myths. ||😂
Checking for previous play data...

Leaderboard (updated hourly)

  • Hector solved 2023-01-25T06:29:21.019Z
  • Tyrpmom solved 2023-01-25T14:43:53.060Z
  • ChrisCross solved 2023-01-25T14:59:49.746Z
  • Darth solved 2023-01-25T16:09:19.604Z
  • boharr solved 2023-01-25T17:19:57.165Z
  • Cindy Heisler solved 2023-01-25T18:05:41.009Z
  • Meg solved 2023-01-25T18:46:00.348Z
  • Cindy Weatherman solved 2023-01-25T19:08:58.442Z
  • dplass solved 2023-01-25T20:14:40.184Z
  • KayW solved 2023-01-25T21:34:47.851Z
  • CPJohnson solved 2023-01-25T22:07:37.794Z
  • SJMcK solved 2023-01-26T03:54:33.240Z
  • Laura M solved 2023-01-26T05:41:59.230Z
  • I K Snamhcok solved 2023-01-26T14:50:28.153Z
  • MatthewL solved 2023-01-26T14:53:26.179Z
  • DIS solved 2023-01-26T19:52:51.043Z
  • Abide solved 2023-01-27T04:53:33.685Z
  • whimsy solved 2023-01-27T18:04:20.867Z
  • rjy solved 2023-01-27T18:04:22.728Z
  • Mwoychick solved 2023-01-27T19:34:58.351Z
  • woozy solved 2023-01-27T19:43:36.223Z
  • Pair O Ducks solved 2023-01-27T20:01:16.135Z
  • Carolyn solved 2023-01-27T20:22:03.810Z
  • ajk solved 2023-01-27T20:52:38.761Z
  • Bird Lives solved 2023-01-27T22:17:40.771Z
  • lbray53 solved 2023-01-28T14:31:45.932Z
  • markhr solved 2023-01-28T18:08:56.705Z
  • BarbaraK solved 2023-01-28T19:39:27.603Z
  • SeamusOL solved 2023-01-29T22:59:46.372Z
  • Qmark solved 2023-01-30T02:01:44.477Z
  • Mikey G solved 2023-01-30T07:19:52.582Z
  • Johnny Luau solved 2023-01-30T16:39:50.309Z
  • Dow Jones solved 2023-01-31T17:38:45.720Z
  • PuzzleJohn solved 2023-01-31T22:47:53.924Z

Comments

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  • Tyrpmom 3s · 2023-01-25T14:48:29.772Z
    Mine wasn’t big enough to do this one late at night, but just big enough to get it this morning.
    • ChrisCross 🤓12:16 · 2023-01-25T15:03:07.035Z
      I liked it. I think I'd put it at a level 3 though. I almost abandoned NIBAR (grid order) until I started thinking of anagrams, and noticed this anagram was in increasing order of length. I like the mechanism a lot, I think maybe the higher level would make me more confident in doing more steps to get the answer because I almost discarded this as a rabbit hole!
      • DrTom constructor · 2023-01-25T16:21:34.810Z
        Hmmm, valid point. The Calico kind of implies once you have the words you have the answer. I'll see what some other solvers say but thanks ChrisCross and thank you for solving.
      • Darth 12:48 · 2023-01-25T16:12:22.821Z
        Yeah, I didn't see what I had because mine was a bit scrambled.... but then I got the AHA!
        • boharr 2s · 2023-01-25T17:21:19.975Z
          Thanks, DrTom. I'm with ChrisCross.
          • dplass 5:14 · 2023-01-25T20:15:16.569Z
            Put myself out of my misery. TBH I think this is more of a 3.5, as there's nothing telegraphing to use the length of the words.
            • Hector 3s · 2023-01-25T21:47:05.756Z
              In retrospect, "Size Matters" telegraphs exactly that. But yeah, when I happened onto the path I thought it might not be as obvious as the good doctor seemed to think. Nothing wrong with a 3.5 meta, and this is a fine one.
              • dplass 5:14 · 2023-01-26T00:04:47.243Z
                "Size" is not the same thing as "length". Size is an amophous concept - big small tall short. Length is much more specific.
                • DrTom constructor · 2023-01-26T03:04:56.511Z
                  But in the oft related myth, size really is length when people are making references in my experience.
            • I K Snamhcok 2s · 2023-01-26T14:52:28.461Z
              I took AGAINST39ACon[-------] in the center space, and the presence of BIG41ATom Hank's "Chopsticks" movie[---] and SMALL60ADisney ride earworm. "It's a ___ World"[-----], to suggest that we should look for the antonyms for the other three theme words. Not! Anyway, s fun puzzle.
              • MatthewL 🤓8:58 · 2023-01-26T14:55:11.006Z
                Finally! As others have said, this was a bit harder than a 2. Still, nice puzzle. Good grid, good mechanism. Thanks Tom!
                • DIS 🤓7:17 · 2023-01-26T19:56:00.819Z
                  “For I am a bear of very little brain, and long words bother me.” -- Winnie The Pooh
                  • Abide 4s · 2023-01-27T04:56:39.155Z
                    Even with a hard nudge, I had to puzzle over "How do I determine whether Massive or Expansive is bigger?"
                    • DrTom constructor · 2023-01-27T17:47:23.833Z
                      Well glad to see that, in the end, you are a man of letters!
                    • whimsy 🤓10:50 · 2023-01-27T18:13:22.173Z
                      Yeah, I think a "trickier" rating. I needed first nudge just to be sure of which were the themers --maybe too because only one of them referred to "tiny" while the rest denoted the opposite. For a while I was having fun with BIG41ATom Hank's "Chopsticks" movie[---] CAThartic as a Lion and those Hashbrowns (Grits) as SMALL60ADisney ride earworm. "It's a ___ World"[-----] Potatoes.
                      • rjy 3s · 2023-01-27T18:12:58.357Z
                        Thanks DrTom! Plenty o' rabbit holes in this one - was thinking of Small and Large, and there are 7 words with both those letters, or prefixing BIG41ATom Hank's "Chopsticks" movie[---] to some - BIG41ATom Hank's "Chopsticks" movie[---] EAST28DDirection for "Here Comes The Sun"[----], BIG41ATom Hank's "Chopsticks" movie[---] IDEA64ABrainstormer's precipitation[----], but that fizzled... Should have caught on that the asymmetry of the 5 themers should mean something... and it did. Enjoyed it, but yes, a mighty fierce Calico to be sure
                        • Mwoychick 🤓10:58 · 2023-01-27T19:41:07.777Z
                          I was stuck for a while looking at the 7 grid answers that contained "IN," thinking that inch might be the connection to size and ruler. Still thinking of units of measure, I also saw ROD in prodigious and HAND in handset but got no further. I need a bigger brain!
                          • Carolyn 7s · 2023-01-27T20:23:34.963Z
                            Needed a nudge for my BRAIN to process this! Thanks
                            • Qmark 13s · 2023-01-30T02:03:04.805Z
                              Thanks DrTom...definitely needed the nudges for this one!
                              1A
                              Boston's PBS station
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                              Across
                              1. 1A
                                Boston's PBS station
                              2. 5A
                                Lion's warning
                              3. 9A
                                A bar buy
                              4. 14A
                                Glow that is out of this world
                              5. 15A
                                "Cogito ___ sum"
                              6. 16A
                                Provider of a perfect nights rest, so they say
                              7. 17A
                                Snow in summer
                              8. 18A
                                Captain Kidd's drink
                              9. 19A
                                Falco and Adams
                              10. 20A
                                Impressively extensive
                              11. 23A
                                Amount past due?
                              12. 24A
                                Derogative speech
                              13. 25A
                                "Buyer Beware" sign
                              14. 26A
                                "Fifty Shades" Anastasia
                              15. 29A
                                Defunct diet soda
                              16. 31A
                                Moss for the garden
                              17. 32A
                                Sweeping in scope or coverage
                              18. 38A
                                "Grey's Anatomy" hookups
                              19. 39A
                                Con
                              20. 41A
                                Tom Hank's "Chopsticks" movie
                              21. 42A
                                Emotionally cleansing
                              22. 44A
                                Corn "spaceship"
                              23. 45A
                                Uncharacteristic Christmas response from Lambchop; ___ Humbug
                              24. 46A
                                Tasty pieces
                              25. 48A
                                "Oh, and another thing!"
                              26. 51A
                                Descriptor for a brontosaurus
                              27. 55A
                                Take the stand, ironically
                              28. 56A
                                Biotin or Magnesium
                              29. 60A
                                Disney ride earworm. "It's a ___ World"
                              30. 63A
                                Triangle on the horizon
                              31. 64A
                                Brainstormer's precipitation
                              32. 65A
                                Grab ___ (eat quickly)
                              33. 66A
                                Seabiscuit's father
                              34. 67A
                                Bismarck's state: Abbr.
                              35. 68A
                                WWII orphan of comics
                              36. 69A
                                Supermodel Sastre
                              37. 70A
                                Box office take
                              Down
                              1. 1D
                                "Star Trek" speed
                              2. 2D
                                ___ gum (food thickener)
                              3. 3D
                                Vigor, in music scores
                              4. 4D
                                Landline (yes I know, I know, I'm a 51A51ADescriptor for a brontosaurus[-------]) attachment
                              5. 5D
                                Marley's music
                              6. 6D
                                Hatch in the ground near Salt Lake City
                              7. 7D
                                "What ___ boy am I!", Horner quote
                              8. 8D
                                Star Wars had a story about One
                              9. 9D
                                Improv's desired end
                              10. 10D
                                Famous Aussie highway man Turner
                              11. 11D
                                Southern alternative to hashbrowns
                              12. 12D
                                Ex. S.N.L. funny girl Cheri
                              13. 13D
                                Acts shockingly
                              14. 21D
                                Sick
                              15. 22D
                                Mlles. of Seville
                              16. 25D
                                They often get crunched
                              17. 26D
                                Integral part of a clean Span
                              18. 27D
                                Sport sandal brand
                              19. 28D
                                Direction for "Here Comes The Sun"
                              20. 30D
                                Picnic gatecrasher
                              21. 32D
                                "Dig in!"
                              22. 33D
                                Top of a clock dial
                              23. 34D
                                Park where you'll see Pirates: Abbr.
                              24. 35D
                                Bird found in a pyramid
                              25. 36D
                                Foul
                              26. 37D
                                All too often we see injured ones
                              27. 39D
                                Organization that jumps people; Abbr.
                              28. 40D
                                A kilo has lots of them
                              29. 43D
                                "White Lotus" network
                              30. 44D
                                Apparent
                              31. 46D
                                Lunar valleys
                              32. 47D
                                "The Three Faces of ___"
                              33. 48D
                                Syrian leader
                              34. 49D
                                Dance you might do in Purgatory
                              35. 50D
                                One may get taken to the cleaners
                              36. 52D
                                This is also, a word in France
                              37. 53D
                                Gaudi country
                              38. 54D
                                Cathedral topper
                              39. 57D
                                Icelandic epic
                              40. 58D
                                Like a Kondo apartment
                              41. 59D
                                Viewpoint
                              42. 61D
                                How you say Inc. in London
                              43. 62D
                                Part of an Island welcome
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