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Take Me To Your Leader (Meta)

· By benchen71 · Published 2024-07-02T06:00:23.483Z

Meta Prompt
The answer to the meta is a name
Here's a nice "end of month" challenge for you that has been shoved into a "week 1" slot in order to make way for last week's #200. Nice crunchy grid, fun (at least I hope it's fun!) meta, with a nice pay-off (at least I hope it's a nice pay-off!) Enjoy! The answer to the meta is a name. Answer & explanation: https://www.xword-muggles.com/viewtopic.php?p=171947#p171947
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)

  • Danny K Bernstein solved 2024-07-02T08:27:38.169Z
  • markhr solved 2024-07-02T08:48:20.557Z
  • Avlan solved 2024-07-02T11:48:01.631Z
  • LarsCaine solved 2024-07-02T12:55:27.698Z
  • hoover solved 2024-07-02T12:57:28.566Z
  • Darth solved 2024-07-02T13:59:53.336Z
  • Cindy Weatherman solved 2024-07-02T14:07:11.983Z
  • whimsy solved 2024-07-02T14:07:28.703Z
  • kurtalert solved 2024-07-02T14:45:47.490Z
  • Hector solved 2024-07-02T15:20:30.639Z
  • Dave C solved 2024-07-02T15:32:17.491Z
  • Alex Sisti solved 2024-07-02T15:33:14.647Z
  • DIS solved 2024-07-02T15:38:44.582Z
  • Carolyn solved 2024-07-02T15:46:19.656Z
  • heidi solved 2024-07-02T16:07:30.672Z
  • DrTom solved 2024-07-02T16:10:16.041Z
  • MatthewL solved 2024-07-02T16:37:22.398Z
  • woozy solved 2024-07-02T16:44:23.369Z
  • Jaclyn solved 2024-07-02T17:01:29.547Z
  • rjy solved 2024-07-02T17:28:19.052Z
  • Tim solved 2024-07-02T17:54:19.594Z
  • HeadinHome solved 2024-07-02T18:35:09.354Z
  • lbray53 solved 2024-07-02T18:40:20.078Z
  • omnilynx solved 2024-07-02T18:58:37.742Z
  • Laura M solved 2024-07-02T19:40:34.954Z
  • I K Snamhcok solved 2024-07-02T19:59:47.527Z
  • Meg solved 2024-07-02T20:28:45.761Z
  • Qmark solved 2024-07-02T23:57:34.482Z
  • AuLeaf solved 2024-07-03T01:24:11.495Z
  • Tom Wilson solved 2024-07-03T02:01:28.310Z
  • Berto solved 2024-07-03T03:36:23.331Z
  • edestlin solved 2024-07-03T13:56:46.869Z
  • Mikey G solved 2024-07-03T17:45:18.720Z
  • DCBilly solved 2024-07-04T12:08:55.071Z
  • KayW solved 2024-07-04T14:06:17.128Z
  • ajk solved 2024-07-04T17:29:58.498Z
  • JM solved 2024-07-05T15:53:49.947Z
  • Cindy Heisler solved 2024-07-06T16:35:45.754Z
  • CPJohnson solved 2024-07-06T18:17:41.373Z

Comments

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  • hoover 7s · 2024-07-02T12:58:49.991Z
    Good job! At first I didn't think the fours and fives like 31A, 34A would come into play, but they did!
    • Darth 17:40 · 2024-07-02T14:10:47.690Z
      Phew! Finally found them all! I was relying on symmetry, but two of them were outliers. Thanks for the mental workout... now to get on with the day. ;)
      • AuLeaf 🤓10:16 · 2024-07-03T01:27:04.010Z
        what entry does SMEARED correspond with?
        • benchen71 constructor · 2024-07-03T03:25:59.104Z
          DISSED
          • AuLeaf 🤓10:16 · 2024-07-03T18:18:09.255Z
            ah thanks, that makes sense
      • whimsy 16:27 · 2024-07-02T14:29:58.838Z
        I was quite taken with this one -- Excellent puzzle; thanks, Ben!
        • kurtalert 🤓6:20 · 2024-07-02T14:52:13.231Z
          Very nice! I had to backsolve to figure out that SAGOMEL was supposed to anagram to SMEAGOL / ORC, but other than that, it was smooth sailing. Thanks for another great puzzle, Ben!
          • benchen71 constructor · 2024-07-02T22:48:45.106Z
            Not an anagram! You need to slide the ME up to meet the first letter.
            • kurtalert 🤓6:20 · 2024-07-03T01:21:12.485Z
              Ohhhhhhhhh. I see now. I kept trying to put the ME on the FRONT of all the letters and got nothing- so I went anagram, which clearly still works, but is harder/less direct/less elegant than moving ME right after letter 1!
              • Darth 17:40 · 2024-07-03T22:08:44.375Z
                Oh my, that's clever! I did not "take ME to your leader" literally! I stumbled on AMERICA and then just started trying anagrams, which is more tedious. I thought of LEGOLAS, but needed the L, not the M... then discovered SMEAGOL. Moving the ME makes much more sense. Ha!
            • Dave C 5s · 2024-07-02T15:35:28.541Z
              Joe Biden was my guess before I started and then was able to find it. I'm not a LOTR fan, so I needed Mr. Google for Smeagol.
              • DIS 🤓11:10 · 2024-07-02T15:39:18.309Z
                Me like!
                • Hector 3s · 2024-07-02T15:21:59.108Z
                  Very elegant!
                  • MatthewL 🤓8:55 · 2024-07-02T16:39:58.188Z
                    Fun one. Went down a bit of a rabbit hole with all the "letter followed by word" things and vice versa (WELLG, LPLATES, etc.), but ultimately found all the MEs. Then pondered who the heck EJBIODEN is before I saw the obvious. Thanks for the mental workout, Ben!
                    • woozy 13:52 · 2024-07-02T16:45:11.541Z
                      Wow.... what an aha moment!
                      • DrTom 3s · 2024-07-02T16:22:43.622Z
                        Goodness ME! I had a couple of false starts and MEandered through the grid. I tired to take all the letters before the MEs, the letter directly before the ME, the lead letter of the letters before the ME...and I figured you were just being MEan. But then the "and an anagram" caught ME eye. Hmm, ARICAME is certainly AMERICA and sure enough ERAMELD is EMERALD....het wait a minute "Take ME to your LEADER", if I do that with all the long MEs I have, well nothing but I think I see something here, let's use all the MEs (I like it when it is all about ME). Sure enough, my suspicions were correct and instead of a Hail Mary I got a Hail to the Chief.
                        Now, about the crunchy factor - you weren't kidding my friend. I see why and all but man I had to Google about 6 entries to fill. Lucky me I knew what L Plates were...did they play into the solve at all? I was wondering with their position of importance but I could see no tie-in (doesn't mean there wasn't one, just that I did not see it).
                        That had to be hard to build but nice AHA - thanks for the puzzle.
                        • benchen71 constructor · 2024-07-02T22:50:12.153Z
                          The middle entry is not meta relevant.
                        • lbray53 2s · 2024-07-02T18:42:07.946Z
                          Ironcially found SMEAGOL while trying to make SMEE a character from the Lord of the Rings.
                          • HeadinHome 🤓3:22 · 2024-07-02T18:37:38.968Z
                            Literally fell asleep in the middle of this one, which is kind of funny if you think about it (not boring… I’m just really tired). We can give you all kinds of latitude with the entries when you’re pulling off something like this! I found it fun to go ME hunting (find myself?). And I learned some new words! (ZARF, TAHR, OBOL).
                            • Qmark 4s · 2024-07-03T00:01:36.316Z
                              Once I saw I could make "America" from "Aricame" (and how it fit with your title), I was off to the races... Thanks for another great meta, Ben!
                              • woozy 13:52 · 2024-07-03T14:07:28.764Z
                                All the single letter entries (T Geisel, O Game, etc) through me for a loop but others WELL-G the letter wasn't the leader. I figured the weirdo contrived entries being so prominent had to be significant and tried to see if there were and hidden things in them and then I repeated the title "Take ME ..." So I tried removing the ME so to get ERALD SAGOL etc. I figure I could add a new "leader" to ERALD to get (H)ERALD and that coincides with BODING. But the rest weren't clear and eluding. ARICA could become A(F)RICA but that F wouldn't be a "leader". Then I rewrote down the words with the me in them (I first wrote them all down without the ME) and I noticed wasn't there something about green in to clues? (or was that another meta they all blend together). Take a second or to to figure where to place the MEs but "to your leader" and they all fall into place. The clue Lord of Rings character being ORC had seemed a bit too generic for the overly precise Ben (as had Nana being a "Peter Pan" character... wait? Nothing about him being a blooming Newfoundland dog???). And they all fit. What an AHA moment!
                                I'm curious. How many knew ZARF right off the bat and use it in there common vocabulary? Is was so tickled to start of with that but the rest of the corner and much of the grid? Whoosh....
                                • KayW 🤓7:17 · 2024-07-04T14:07:16.398Z
                                  Very clever!! Me, not so much LOL. The nudges didn't tell me anything I didn't already know, but somehow just looked at them in a new way. I saw EMERALD and AMERICA and just didn't go further with those. Doh! Very clever construction
                                  • ajk 9:20 · 2024-07-04T18:45:57.050Z
                                    Was initially convinced that WELL G, O GAME, L PLATES, and HARD G had to be theme. Eventually saw the MEs, and then did basically everything but the right thing (letters before/after the MEs, first letters of those words, bringing ME--all the way--to the front, etc.). Needed nudges 3&4 to put me on the right track, and then of course it was easy. Clever idea, and the ME entries are pretty nifty. I do think maybe the crunch factor on the grid was a little too far for me though :) 😂 (though I can see how the only alternative might have been to junk it, and I get not wanting to do that). Thanks :)
                                    1A
                                    Turkish for envelope (used with coffee cups)
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                                    70
                                    Across
                                    1. 1A
                                      Turkish for envelope (used with coffee cups)
                                    2. 5A
                                      Mister in Germany
                                    3. 9A
                                      The younger Begley
                                    4. 13A
                                      Good advice for what to do to a sprain
                                    5. 15A
                                      Dip ___ in the water (test bath temperature)
                                    6. 16A
                                      Acronym for Urban Renewal Authority Ordinance
                                    7. 17A
                                      Seventh in a set of alphabetised bores
                                    8. 18A
                                      Bring in
                                    9. 19A
                                      Fashion designer ___ Gernreich
                                    10. 20A
                                      Taylor Swift concert segment involving a mashup of two albums
                                    11. 22A
                                      Baseballer Ott known for his fondness for palm starch
                                    12. 24A
                                      Portent or prediction
                                    13. 25A
                                      Ensnare
                                    14. 26A
                                      CIA forerunner
                                    15. 27A
                                      Break ___ (say something at a slow-to-get-going party)
                                    16. 31A
                                      I also
                                    17. 34A
                                      "I'm paying for this round!"
                                    18. 37A
                                      "Lord of the Rings" character
                                    19. 38A
                                      Buzz or Woody, for example
                                    20. 39A
                                      Beginning driver's give aways
                                    21. 42A
                                      Tic ___ (mini mint)
                                    22. 43A
                                      Plural of "is"
                                    23. 44A
                                      Oohs and ___
                                    24. 45A
                                      Not one's best sporting performance by a long shot (14 places off, to be precise)
                                    25. 47A
                                      Spoke ill of
                                    26. 50A
                                      Mar. follower
                                    27. 51A
                                      Zap with a stun gun
                                    28. 53A
                                      Get-well programs, for short
                                    29. 56A
                                      Identical crimson
                                    30. 59A
                                      Business magnate Onassis attended the event
                                    31. 61A
                                      Ancient Greek coin
                                    32. 62A
                                      Make changes to
                                    33. 64A
                                      "Norwegian Wood" instrument
                                    34. 65A
                                      Spoken rather than written
                                    35. 66A
                                      Ireland
                                    36. 67A
                                      Himalayan goats
                                    37. 68A
                                      "Peter Pan" character
                                    38. 69A
                                      Unwanted garden plant
                                    39. 70A
                                      Acronym for the Society of Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
                                    Down
                                    1. 1D
                                      New York comedian ___ Fumudoh
                                    2. 2D
                                      Very tart
                                    3. 3D
                                      This corner is hard enough so just write in RELAO
                                    4. 4D
                                      Movieland
                                    5. 5D
                                      Either end of a "groundhog"?
                                    6. 6D
                                      Summer in Paris
                                    7. 7D
                                      Bake in an oven
                                    8. 8D
                                      Witty banter
                                    9. 9D
                                      Continental name
                                    10. 10D
                                      Keep the beat
                                    11. 11D
                                      Green gemstone
                                    12. 12D
                                      Churn up
                                    13. 14D
                                      Dr. Seuss
                                    14. 21D
                                      Highway divisions (abbr.)
                                    15. 23D
                                      Cry of frustration
                                    16. 28D
                                      Greek vowel
                                    17. 29D
                                      Study for an exam at the last minute
                                    18. 30D
                                      "___ homo" (behold the man)
                                    19. 31D
                                      Just ___ (not very much)
                                    20. 32D
                                      Edible seaweed
                                    21. 33D
                                      Changes the colour of
                                    22. 34D
                                      Greeting heard in Rio, perhaps
                                    23. 35D
                                      "Yeah ___" (Aussie for "no")
                                    24. 36D
                                      Peaks (abbr.)
                                    25. 40D
                                      Thai street food which translates as "stir fried soy sauce noodles"
                                    26. 41D
                                      Maker of false but clever-sounding arguments
                                    27. 46D
                                      Spanish thank-you
                                    28. 48D
                                      "Streetcar" cry
                                    29. 49D
                                      Unit of corn (and anagram of 50 down)
                                    30. 50D
                                      ___ Lingus (and anagram of 49 down)
                                    31. 52D
                                      Oscar actor ___ Redmayne
                                    32. 53D
                                      Evaluated
                                    33. 54D
                                      Soak in the tub
                                    34. 55D
                                      Excessive flattery
                                    35. 56D
                                      Any day now
                                    36. 57D
                                      Cadabra preceder
                                    37. 58D
                                      Haunted house sound
                                    38. 60D
                                      Scots Gaelic
                                    39. 63D
                                      Intense anger
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