Sounds Greek to Me
◆ · By DrTom · Published 2024-11-20T12:30:01.375Z
Meta Prompt
The answer is a Greek city with widely worn shoes
No it is not déjà vu nor is it the Oresteia, but it is a Greek Trilogy! This is the third puzzle, the first being Wendy Walker on 4/29/24 “It’s All Greek to Me” , 10/9/24 “Greek To Me” by ]Joe Ross[/smention (with some help from me) and this one which Wendy’s puzzle inspired because I thought this would be her Mx but it was not. I am hoping this will be an epic tale and not a tragedy. I am going to put it in Persian/Puma territory because I was pretty sneaky AND I had an immense amount of help from Al Sisti who came up with the PERFECT prompt and meta answer, which is also a little sneaky. Besides Al I had a lot of people test run this and give me VERY valuable input: Capn Rick, Bird lives and Meg. I hope that I have followed all of their advice on cleaning this up so that it is both solvable and enjoyable. Al’s input should provide a very special AHA moment, I’m looking forward to comments on this one. If I have forgotten any testers, please forgive me and remind me so I can award praise where it is due. These are often so far from their creation date that I lose track.
Kitten
Calico
≽^•⩊•^≼ Persian
≽^•⩊•^≼ Puma
Lion
Friday Nudges and probably an early reveal (since I am leaving Tuesday AM to go to relative’s for Thanksgiving). Solve well and keep an eye out for Trojan horses.
NUDGES:
"SOUNDS" Greek to me
Nudge 1] The title should tip you off to the need to look for things that "sound" Greek.
Nudge 2] Homonyms are things that sound like another, like the industrial thief who would only steal steel.
Nudge 3] Some Greek letters sound like other things.
Nudge 4] Assuming you can find those, now what? Nothing in the grid...my, my, wherever else should I look???
Nudge 5] There are a finite number of things you can do when you have identified the theme answers and the other "things" (clues, answers, numbers, etc.) that corresponds to them.
Nudge 6] Got an answer but it doesn't seem right? Well, remember the prompt and the fact that we are dealing with sound-alikes here!
THE REVEAL:
There were 7 answers that "sound" like Greek letters, and each had a corresponding "Trojan Horse" clue that actually carried the real Greek letter, and the first letter of the answer to that clue spelled out the meta answer.
ROW - RHO - RHONE - TAVEL
NEW - NU - NUDE - RAW
MOO - MU - MUSICAL - INBARS
PIE - PI - PINE - PITCH
TAO - TAU - TAUT - ONEDGE
FIE - PHI - PHILE - LOVER
KAI - CHI - CHILD - IMP
T-R-I-P-O-L-I
TRIPOLI - but Tom (1) how does that relate to shoes (2) isn't that in Lebanon?
(1) - remember this was a "Sounds Greek" and doesn't TRIPLE E (a very wide shoe) sound like TRIPOLI?
(2) - there is one in Lebanon...and in Greece and Libya, and Turkey, Jamaica and Honduras and Iowa, and Wisconsin and New York and Pennsylvania - who knew it was so popular!!
For a graphic depiction of this solve, please go to:
Checking for previous play data...
! (see below)
1A
Nude synonym, "In the ___"
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Across
- 1ANude synonym, "In the ___"
- 4APropel a scull
- 7ATijuana locale
- 11AStrike out in the newspaper world
- 12AFinancial giant nailed for junk fees and opening fake CC accounts, familiarly
- 13ARhône village specializing in dry rosé
- 14ANot for
- 15ALos Angeles footballers
- 16A"Do you have time for ___?", asked Dracula
- 17ADrop anchor
- 18A"Take ___" (coach's punishment words I often heard)
- 19ASaclike pouch that sometimes has to be surgically removed
- 20AYankee-Doodle adjective
- 22ANever used
- 23A"Curiously strong" mint
- 26ADictator overthrown by Castro
- 30ABossy remark?
- 31A"Zip-a-dee ___", "Song of the South", Disney
- 34ALima's land
- 35AMadonna role where she implores people not to weep
- 37AThe mathematical one is often squared but the bakery one isn't
- 38ACovering for a tête
- 39AShyest of the Marsh sisters
- 40ATurns State's evidence
- 42AConfucian path
- 43APlace to store old magazines
- 45ANymphs you can find hanging around the pool
- 47ABard's "Curses!"
- 48ABlock a winter flight
- 50AHIgh end Bose competitor
- 52AA J. Lo boyfriend that she stopped short of seeing after two years
- 53AIsrael's Netanyahu, familiarly
- 57APine product producing turpentine
- 58ABishop's dir.
- 59A"___ I" (same here)
- 60ALarge bill in a restaurant
- 61APay to play
- 62AStay in the service
- 63AForbids
- 64AKobra ___
- 65APart of a school yr.
Down
- 1DGambling city that, aptly, rhymes with Casino
- 2DLower than soprano higher than tenor
- 3DOddball
- 4D"Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" author Dahl
- 5D"I was walking though the park one day, .in the merry, merry month ___ ..."
- 6DInsect that lent it's name to a scooter
- 7DCleaner that might contribute to the end of an infant
- 8DSecond only to Hertz
- 9DSinger Joan with a "Bad Reputation"
- 10DAlternative to stout
- 11D"What's in our way NOW? - Oh, ___"
- 12DFamous Godfather
- 13DWithout voice - but for an instrument
- 21DVerdi opera
- 22D"No thanks", slangily
- 23DLow life?
- 24D"Phile" meaning when tacked onto something (like audio)
- 25DThose "round" things people wait for in order to start long-delayed projects
- 26DModern day sweethearts
- 27DPerfect Sleeper
- 28DDepth measured by Lincoln's head
- 29DChevys, Fords and Chryslers
- 32DIridescent gem of Australia
- 33DCode word
- 36DWhat Sgt. Friday wanted, "Just ___"
- 38D___ Brith
- 40DSally Field's "Norma ___"
- 41DTaut
- 44DNook, cranny or hidey-hole
- 46DMusical place to find sots
- 48DYoungest sister of the "Three Sisters"
- 49DSouth American racoon. but not of many colors
- 50DShe told Ike to take a hike while she got "Rollin"
- 51DVery posh English prep school
- 52DWesternmost city in the Unites States
- 54D"Ah, got it!"
- 55DEmerald City's creator
- 56DChild with a devilish nature
- 57DBanned chemical compound