Check out "The MOAT MEOW Mashup Pack" here: https://www.ephesusscroll.com/about/interest4.html. US$10 gives you access to 14 metas that don't always abide by the "rules" of the game. You won't quite know what to expect: asymmetry, 2-letter words, uncrossed letters, sometimes all of those, and sometimes none! One thing is for sure, these are some of the more creative metas my brain has been able to come up with. And there's more: this time there's a mega-meta!
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markhr solved 2024-07-09T06:19:48.646Z
Laura M solved 2024-07-09T06:57:23.424Z
Schmeel solved 2024-07-09T08:48:52.142Z
Pair O Ducks solved 2024-07-09T12:47:16.470Z
Meg solved 2024-07-09T13:51:08.991Z
Cindy Weatherman solved 2024-07-09T13:52:11.190Z
Darth solved 2024-07-09T14:03:13.616Z
MatthewL solved 2024-07-09T14:12:47.531Z
Danny K Bernstein solved 2024-07-09T14:22:49.942Z
Jaclyn solved 2024-07-09T14:25:17.743Z
boharr solved 2024-07-09T14:35:05.894Z
Hector solved 2024-07-09T14:35:38.486Z
whimsy solved 2024-07-09T14:47:06.605Z
woozy solved 2024-07-09T14:51:01.350Z
Dave C solved 2024-07-09T14:54:44.714Z
Tim solved 2024-07-09T15:13:28.298Z
LarsCaine solved 2024-07-09T15:32:52.049Z
Bird Lives solved 2024-07-09T15:36:33.862Z
FrankieHeck solved 2024-07-09T15:54:50.240Z
ajk solved 2024-07-09T16:07:18.637Z
Tom Wilson solved 2024-07-09T16:13:45.072Z
heidi solved 2024-07-09T16:25:04.939Z
edestlin solved 2024-07-09T17:23:01.193Z
rjy solved 2024-07-09T17:55:38.374Z
DrTom solved 2024-07-09T19:07:21.741Z
kurtalert solved 2024-07-09T19:23:01.817Z
JM solved 2024-07-09T19:42:37.757Z
HeadinHome solved 2024-07-09T19:52:30.504Z
imontoo solved 2024-07-09T20:22:46.732Z
DCBilly solved 2024-07-09T23:38:06.117Z
hoover solved 2024-07-10T00:09:06.019Z
KayW solved 2024-07-10T00:36:32.499Z
Berto solved 2024-07-10T01:16:26.470Z
I K Snamhcok solved 2024-07-10T01:17:01.666Z
Qmark solved 2024-07-10T14:23:22.660Z
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Mr Tex solved 2024-07-13T14:11:47.251Z
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Carolyn solved 2024-07-13T19:10:18.736Z
Cindy Heisler solved 2024-07-13T22:32:56.660Z
DIS solved 2024-07-15T16:24:30.624Z
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PizzaMan solved 2024-07-16T19:17:39.984Z
Mikey G solved 2024-08-02T05:10:35.580Z
Comments
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Laura M 🤓8:44 · 2024-07-09T06:59:58.574Z
Fun! Had to Google to confirm the O, I didn't know that!
Same here -- just went with what worked. After falling victim to the first important acrosses and stopping at that -- Should have known there'd be more! Fun synopses and puzzle, Ben!
You get nagging things all over. And then it clicks.
It was easier to see some trios than others. Got the middle two right away but took awhile to see the first. And even then there was the "huh, that's multiple movies" moment. In the beginning I thought 7D was pertinant. Reading clockwise: "The man and ark now.... udo??????"
Once I recognized they were trios, in a line, yes. I spent a little time trying to find the "uniter" (7D?) and the three things they you united rather than trios for a second or two. Once I realized The Odyssey Now and Man pursues ark were two different trios I found the other two right away.
Bird Lives 4s · 2024-07-09T15:40:01.789Z
I like the metanism and got the genral idea right off the bat, But I needed Google/Wikipedia for the specfics -- all of them, even the one I've seen, including the answer..
Started to re-fill the .puz after solving the grid here and BERGSINKSBOAT jumped out. Got Raiders and Napoleon Dynamite instantly (despite not having seen the latter), but did need to google the Odyssey one (though once O Brother Where Art Thou popped up I figured that was it, even though the click was a little softer since the rest involve the actual plots). Very clever and fun, thanks. :)
Dave C 3s · 2024-07-09T14:57:09.397Z
I struggled with the O also, but when I found "O Brother, Where Art Thou", I figured it must be Tron. I also needed Google for Napolean Dynamite, but Titanic and Raiders were easy.
It's time to watch some classic movies. Thanks, Ben.
HeadinHome 🤓6:09 · 2024-07-09T20:06:19.716Z
First thought there would be more crossovers like MISHMASH and FARR, then thought it was a collection of famous lines (Dr Livingstone i presume?)… then VOTEPEDRO jumped right out at me.. still thinking quotes I found berg sinks boat and the other two soon followed. No google needed for any… O Brother is a family fave that we are quoting all the time! Sooo many memorable lines also , watch this yall: https://youtu.be/g0wO783AqMw?si=Ae6gtx8xkHnOELIU
Argh. Flailed around for a while because I was putting Indiana Jones in the title, I didn't realize it was strictly titled Raiders of the Lost Ark, and I had figured that The Odyssey Now was actually 2001: A Space Odyssey. Especially with "Now" being clued as "These days (more or less)" - I figured that meant I had some leeway on 2001 being considered "now."
Well I struggled for quite some time figuring that AND (word that comes between partners) "united" three things A AND B, so I had AJAXAND ACHILLES, HALLAND OATES, RUTHAND NAOMI, PEDRO and NAPOLEON to get AONN (funnily enough I thought, dang that sounds almost like TRON). THen, after reading some comments I did literally step back and saw BERGSINKSBOAT and of course jumped for TITANIC which naturally was wrong.
"Don't be so trigger happy Tom, look at the others", and when I saw VOTEPEDRO PRES I knew what I had to do. The man pursues ark was a tough choice because EVAN ALMIGHTY is also about a man pursuing the building of an ARK, but I went with RAIDERS because it was certainly a bigger movie. The THEODYSSEYNOW was a puzzle because there are LOTS of Odyssey movies, but with a TR_N (what a coincidence) I knew it had to be an O, and there was a movie called The ODYSSEY and 52A told us we could ignore THE, so that was my TRON. I had no idea "O Brother Where Art Thou" (even though I have seen it) was loosely based on Homer's work.
Fun puzzle and mechanism Ben!!!
hoover 2s · 2024-07-10T00:11:03.100Z
I had TR_N and punted. I'm old enough to have seen the original on the big screen.
Fantastic concept and movie synopses! As it happens I saw all 4 themers plus the answer, so easy peasy for me. Thanks Ben!
Berto 1s · 2024-07-10T01:23:26.575Z
Was convinced it was going to begin with T and end in ND, with maybe ROTLA in the middle, but TROTLA—ND wasn’t feeling warm n fuzzy. Glad I simplified my thinking!
Qmark 3s · 2024-07-10T14:26:17.398Z
Loved it, thanks Ben! (luckily I knew that the Coens' "O Brother..." was based on the Odyssey) :)
I think that crept in because I also made the puzzle a pangram, just for the challenge of it! ;-)
Sharkicicles 2s · 2024-07-11T15:33:35.558Z
Nudge needed but no google required. This was definitely one of those “whoa…” ones once I saw it. Thanks!
Ergcat 15:39 · 2024-07-12T00:49:55.070Z
Good one! I was overthinking as usual and needed the nudges! Thanks, Ben!
Carolyn 3s · 2024-07-13T19:13:11.116Z
Having never heard of one of the movies (or the answer movie) made it more difficult. Came back after two wrong answers and there it was. Duh! I guess I need to get out more! However, I did love O Brother...
https://youtu.be/g0wO783AqMw?si=Ae6gtx8xkHnOELIU