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Tea Time (Meta)

◆ · By benchen71 · Published 2021-09-21T06:00:02.559Z

Meta Prompt
The answer to the meta is a noun
It's tea time! So get out your beverage of choice, enjoy a cookie (or biscuit, as we Aussies call them), and dig into this meta. You might find a few references to tea as you solve the grid. In particular, I mention a fascinating map. Here's a link, so you don't have to google for it: https://qz.com/1176962/map-how-the-word-tea-spread-over-land-and-sea-to-conquer-the-world/. Answer and explanation: https://www.xword-muggles.com/viewtopic.php?t=1203&p=68920#p68916
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!
Checking for previous play data...

Leaderboard (updated hourly)

  • RPardoe solved 2021-09-21T12:28:04.286Z
  • Cindy Weatherman solved 2021-09-21T12:28:46.213Z
  • FrankieHeck solved 2021-09-21T12:51:46.372Z
  • boharr solved 2021-09-21T13:16:45.915Z
  • David Plass solved 2021-09-21T13:42:10.101Z
  • LuckyGuest solved 2021-09-21T14:01:37.133Z
  • CAe39 solved 2021-09-21T16:29:47.334Z
  • shalmanezer solved 2021-09-21T17:07:27.674Z
  • Caroline solved 2021-09-21T17:18:49.845Z
  • Laura M solved 2021-09-21T17:31:22.007Z
  • Meg solved 2021-09-21T17:54:23.740Z
  • Cornish Cacogen solved 2021-09-21T19:28:28.229Z
  • Darth solved 2021-09-21T21:56:49.993Z
  • whimsy solved 2021-09-21T22:37:33.644Z
  • Capn Rick solved 2021-09-22T02:18:21.744Z
  • Idriss Z solved 2021-09-22T02:59:24.625Z
  • Hector solved 2021-09-22T16:23:24.181Z
  • heidi solved 2021-09-22T20:50:48.154Z
  • Christopher Barbee solved 2021-09-23T02:50:56.366Z
  • auee89 solved 2021-09-23T12:13:26.465Z
  • Carolyn B solved 2021-09-23T14:08:28.704Z
  • BarbaraK solved 2021-09-23T15:43:53.907Z
  • hazmat solved 2021-09-23T16:27:36.733Z
  • Chaddog solved 2021-09-24T21:18:49.910Z
  • BrennerTJ solved 2021-09-25T01:56:39.787Z
  • spikeydlux solved 2021-09-25T03:35:05.124Z
  • oldjudge solved 2021-09-25T07:23:51.858Z
  • schmidzy solved 2021-09-25T22:12:25.723Z
  • hashbrown solved 2021-09-25T23:19:04.195Z
  • DIS solved 2021-09-28T22:29:24.322Z
  • ThonTaddio solved 2021-09-29T19:47:36.706Z
  • Brendan W Sullivan solved 2021-10-06T13:45:06.595Z
  • Matt A solved 2021-10-11T23:54:55.165Z
  • Vicki and Mike solved 2021-10-16T21:54:56.167Z
  • Golem solved 2021-10-22T15:32:51.012Z
  • Mikey G solved 2022-04-02T23:18:16.100Z
  • Qmark solved 2022-08-02T18:06:35.358Z

Comments

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  • RPardoe 🤓1:55 · 2021-09-21T12:52:18.886Z
    Enjoyable meta, nicely constructed.
    • boharr 3s · 2021-09-21T13:17:10.810Z
      Fun puzzle. Thank you.
      • jack b 🤓13:48 · 2021-09-21T13:38:25.998Z
        first time hearing of elevenses, thanks for the puzzle :)
        • benchen71 constructor · 2021-09-21T23:12:28.853Z
          Surely not! Anyone who has seen LOTR 1 has heard the term before. ;-)
        • Mike D 5:45 · 2021-09-21T13:20:30.847Z
          Very well constructed! I noticed the locations of the Ts but didn't quite get the secret message
          • David Plass 5:09 · 2021-09-21T13:42:55.019Z
            I had to brute force one of the boxes lol. a,b,c,d,e,f,g...y!
            • LuckyGuest 3s · 2021-09-21T14:01:54.356Z
              Loved it! Really clever...
              • Caroline 7:13 · 2021-09-21T17:19:00.940Z
                Clever!
                • Meg 3s · 2021-09-21T17:54:40.838Z
                  Thanks for the fun!
                  • Tracy Davenport 8s · 2021-09-21T17:43:12.302Z
                    Enjoyed. Nice job!
                    • Laura M 🤓11:14 · 2021-09-21T18:17:07.894Z
                      Enjoyed it! Reading books by British authors comes in handy. Also, I did exactly the same thing as Dplass :-)
                      • Cornish Cacogen 🤓9:55 · 2021-09-21T19:29:05.557Z
                        This is fantastic!
                        • whimsy 🤓13:57 · 2021-09-22T00:20:51.288Z
                          Lots of fun, Ben! Kids related the answer to LOTR whereas I, like Laura, related it to reading Brit novels (or cozy mysteries) in general.
                          • Cbarbee002 18:43 · 2021-09-23T02:52:04.261Z
                            Loved learning a new "word". Fun puzzle.
                            • spikeydlux 🤓8:31 · 2021-09-25T03:36:03.226Z
                              Delightful meta, enjoyable solve. Not too tricksy 😎
                              • oldjudge 18s · 2021-09-25T07:25:08.783Z
                                Nice job Ben!
                                • DIS 🤓6:58 · 2021-09-28T22:30:00.404Z
                                  Wow! Very impressive!
                                  • Qmark 3s · 2022-08-02T18:08:08.878Z
                                    I realize this is long after the puzzle was posted but just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed this grid design and the way you set up the central message to "Take out the letter T"...very clever. Super work, Ben!
                                    • benchen71 constructor · 2022-08-02T22:11:14.272Z
                                      You're welcome!
                                    Play today's daily mini crossword
                                    1A
                                    Chemical formula for hydrogen cyanide
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                                    Across
                                    1. 1A
                                      Chemical formula for hydrogen cyanide
                                    2. 4A
                                      Gig accessory
                                    3. 7A
                                      What the Good Samaritan offered
                                    4. 10A
                                      "It's just ___, skip, and a jump from here."
                                    5. 12A
                                      "A jug of wine, ___ of bread - and thou"
                                    6. 14A
                                      Open source equivalent of Photoshop
                                    7. 15A
                                      Moana's hidden antagonist (spoiler alert!)
                                    8. 16A
                                      Dwarven member of the Fellowship
                                    9. 17A
                                      Short bursts of energy (abbr.)
                                    10. 18A
                                      "Hold your horses!"
                                    11. 20A
                                      Opposite of 22 across
                                    12. 22A
                                      Opposite of 20 across
                                    13. 23A
                                      Some deli loaves
                                    14. 24A
                                      Weapon of many a swash-buckler
                                    15. 26A
                                      When some people have to be back at work after lunch
                                    16. 29A
                                      Boxer, Laila ___
                                    17. 30A
                                      What you have to do with the trash
                                    18. 34A
                                      "Why must you always stick your ___ in?"
                                    19. 36A
                                      Family
                                    20. 37A
                                      Definite article
                                    21. 38A
                                      Nintendo console responsible for lots of broken light fixtures (based on a true story)
                                    22. 39A
                                      Append
                                    23. 40A
                                      Feature of the black squares in this puzzle
                                    24. 44A
                                      Dutch ___ disease
                                    25. 45A
                                      "I've got my ___ you..."
                                    26. 47A
                                      Jugs in lots of still life paintings
                                    27. 49A
                                      UK artist sampled by Enimen
                                    28. 51A
                                      Opposite of base
                                    29. 52A
                                      Spill the tea (alternate title for this meta puzzle!)
                                    30. 54A
                                      Dogs
                                    31. 57A
                                      "Anything good on the ___?" (but in Australia)
                                    32. 58A
                                      Lets off steam
                                    33. 60A
                                      Assay
                                    34. 62A
                                      Artist whose first two albums were self-titled (although fans add II to the second one)
                                    35. 63A
                                      Remove from a white board
                                    36. 64A
                                      ___ night (bride's pre-wedding party)
                                    37. 65A
                                      Extension for lots of email attachments
                                    38. 66A
                                      Japanese name meaning "colourful" or "beautiful"
                                    39. 67A
                                      Unpaid TV ad
                                    Down
                                    1. 1D
                                      ___ and eggs
                                    2. 2D
                                      English version of the land-based word for tea (google the map - it's fascinating!)
                                    3. 3D
                                      Grammatical term for an object
                                    4. 4D
                                      Lewis Carroll protagonist
                                    5. 5D
                                      Parent (but not in Australia)
                                    6. 6D
                                      More ashen
                                    7. 7D
                                      Goals
                                    8. 8D
                                      Mischief makers
                                    9. 9D
                                      RPG measure for the rate of hit points taken over time
                                    10. 11D
                                      Nina Simone's instrument of choice
                                    11. 12D
                                      Meeting list
                                    12. 13D
                                      Coldplay song that on first glance appears to be indicate an unhealthy relationship, but then really grows on you
                                    13. 14D
                                      Animals that raised the alarm when Gauls invaded Rome, according to Livy
                                    14. 19D
                                      Ilk
                                    15. 21D
                                      Hundredth of a dollar
                                    16. 24D
                                      Feature of a trombone but not a trumpet
                                    17. 25D
                                      Adjective that applies to roads and hillsides
                                    18. 27D
                                      Exponent
                                    19. 28D
                                      Sends a letter
                                    20. 29D
                                      Abbr. on many wanted posters
                                    21. 31D
                                      Kanye West fans' forum (abbr.)
                                    22. 32D
                                      Global network that captured the first closeup photo of a black hole (abbr.)
                                    23. 33D
                                      Formula calculated by multiplying availability, performance and quality of equipment (abbr. - just do the across clues in this area; they're easier, I promise!)
                                    24. 35D
                                      Edge
                                    25. 40D
                                      Friend of Clark and Jimmy
                                    26. 41D
                                      Bitter-leafed vegetable
                                    27. 42D
                                      Alter the packaging
                                    28. 43D
                                      Your spitting image
                                    29. 46D
                                      Ford car that didn't do so well
                                    30. 48D
                                      Second daughter of the Crawley's
                                    31. 50D
                                      Queen album, "Night at the ___"
                                    32. 51D
                                      ___ role / plays a part
                                    33. 52D
                                      Made a right turn, on a horse
                                    34. 53D
                                      Anna's snowman friend
                                    35. 55D
                                      Second most powerful computer in the Hitchhiker universe (with "Thought")
                                    36. 56D
                                      IDs needed if you have anything to do with US taxation (even Australian authors who sell the occasional ebook on Smashwords!)
                                    37. 57D
                                      Cooking meas.
                                    38. 59D
                                      No, more quaintly
                                    39. 61D
                                      Org. that causes consternation at airports
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