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Slide, You Blockhead! Slide! (Meta)

· By benchen71 · Published 2 months ago

Meta Prompt
The answer to the meta is a 7-letter word which is an important facet of the game of baseball
What's this? A meta puzzle involving baseball constructed by an Australian? Has the world turned upside-down?!? Actually, we do have baseball Down Under. But it isn't massively popular, and I really don't know much about the sport. When it crops up in US-centric metas I usually shudder and hope against hope that I'll be able to solve the darn thing. Well, let's see if I did my homework. The answer to the meta is a 7-letter word which is an important facet of the game of baseball. Answer & explanation: https://www.xword-muggles.com/viewtopic.php?p=118478#p118478
Check out the "Rejected (Non-meta) MOAT Pack" here: https://www.ephesusscroll.com/about/interest4.html. US$5 gets you 10 themed crosswords, most of which were rejected by one crossword publisher or another. Were those editors right to reject them? You be the judge!
Checking for previous play data...

Leaderboard (updated hourly)

  • DrTom solved at 16:22 on 11/22/2022
  • Schmeel solved at 6:50 on 1/18/2023
  • Cindy Heisler solved at 10:18 on 1/18/2023
  • boharr solved at 14:39 on 1/18/2023
  • Meg solved at 14:40 on 1/18/2023
  • Hector solved at 15:13 on 1/18/2023
  • ChrisCross solved at 16:18 on 1/18/2023
  • Mwoychick solved at 19:31 on 1/18/2023
  • I K Snamhcok solved at 19:52 on 1/18/2023
  • woozy solved at 20:17 on 1/18/2023
  • Cindy Weatherman solved at 21:28 on 1/18/2023
  • Tyrpmom solved at 22:35 on 1/18/2023
  • Laura M solved at 23:09 on 1/18/2023
  • Darth solved at 1:48 on 1/19/2023
  • Mr Tex solved at 2:41 on 1/19/2023
  • dplass solved at 3:42 on 1/19/2023
  • BarbaraK solved at 3:44 on 1/19/2023
  • rjy solved at 6:03 on 1/19/2023
  • Johnny Luau solved at 16:49 on 1/19/2023
  • Dave C solved at 17:42 on 1/19/2023
  • MatthewL solved at 20:25 on 1/19/2023
  • lbray53 solved at 22:00 on 1/19/2023
  • Will solved at 0:59 on 1/20/2023
  • KayW solved at 1:32 on 1/20/2023
  • Matt A solved at 2:40 on 1/20/2023
  • markhr solved at 3:33 on 1/20/2023
  • Darrell solved at 4:07 on 1/20/2023
  • Ergcat solved at 10:13 on 1/20/2023
  • Pair O Ducks solved at 16:04 on 1/20/2023
  • MisterDJ solved at 23:19 on 1/20/2023
  • whimsy solved at 2:13 on 1/21/2023
  • Dow Jones solved at 3:23 on 1/21/2023
  • JM solved at 14:06 on 1/21/2023
  • Carolyn solved at 17:25 on 1/21/2023
  • CPJohnson solved at 20:59 on 1/21/2023
  • ReB solved at 20:39 on 1/22/2023
  • jbird solved at 3:31 on 1/23/2023
  • DIS solved at 14:52 on 1/23/2023
  • Bbaack solved at 12:31 on 3/2/2023

Comments

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  • Cindy Heisler 2s · 2 months ago
    I always cringe when I see a meta about baseball, but I was able to get this one. Nicely done, Ben. Thanks!
    • benchen71 constructor · 2 months ago
      I'm right with you there if. I'm always ecstatic when I manage to solve a meta involving sport!
    • boharr 13s · 2 months ago
      Consistency? What did I mess?
      • boharr 13s · 2 months ago
        I meant "miss" not "mess." Sorry.
      • Meg 4s · 2 months ago
        Nice one! I love baseball!
        • Hector 3s · 2 months ago
          Facet, heh... Nice challenge, Ben. Is RESOD
          51DRepair a lawn[-----]
          a distraction here?
          • benchen71 constructor · 2 months ago
            Yes, sorry.
            • benchen71 constructor · 2 months ago
              I've now changed the clue to "Repair a lawn".
              • dplass 🤓5:41 · 2 months ago
                Hm...I used RESOD
                51DRepair a lawn[-----]
                in my solution....obviously I have missolved this...
                • DrTom 9:09 · 2 months ago
                  Ben should not have to take all the flak for this. I was his tester and unfortunately became too familiar with the puzzle. I should have seen that and alerted him to the possible herring factor. Sorry Ben! Still a superb puzzle though.
                • ChrisCross 🤓5:11 · 2 months ago
                  That sure is a big gap in the middle of the grid. Let’s ignore it and go chase (B)RUINS
                  20AArchaeological site[-----]
                  with no signs of other baseball team names.
                  • benchen71 constructor · 2 months ago
                    That would have taken a lot of research on my part. I think the only baseball team names I know have SOX in them!
                    • ChrisCross 🤓5:11 · 2 months ago
                      I think it would have been very hard to do well without making it too easy. I gathered the metanism had something to do with sliding letters and I saw a B could be slid directly up to the black square before RUINS
                      20AArchaeological site[-----]
                      and I thought it had to be it - block head. I looked up other team names and saw nothing stood out. Investigating HOME
                      36AWith 37 across: Hits in which the batter circles all the bases and scores[----]
                      -------RUNS
                      37ASee 36 across[----]
                      was really only meant to be a distraction from my frustration at not seeing other team names, and then I counted the squares between the words and it came very quickly.
                  • DrTom 9:09 · 2 months ago
                    An Aussie takes on baseball and scores a homer! Fun puzzle Ben, now I suppose I have to make a cricket meta!
                    • benchen71 constructor · 2 months ago
                      Looking forward to that!
                    • Mwoychick 🤓6:46 · 2 months ago
                      Very clever mechanism and smooth grid fill, Ben - thank you
                      • I K Snamhcok 1s · 2 months ago
                        As a lifelong baseball fan, I appreciate you creating this puzzle, Ben. I’d be lost if the theme were rugby or Australian rules football!
                        • woozy 12:40 · 2 months ago
                          So RUNE
                          15ANorse letter[----]
                          is RUN with an E and REESE
                          57APeanut Butter Cup confectioner[-----]
                          is a reference to Pee-wee Reese so a P and if the DINO
                          63APrefix for -saur[----]
                          slides into the NITE
                          64AEvening, informally[----]
                          and dislodges the N we get DINO
                          63APrefix for -saur[----]
                          -MITE with an M and.... gee, tough back-solve....
                          • benchen71 constructor · 2 months ago
                            I'm not sure that's the right mechanism. There are seven baseball terms in the downs. Slide these up or down into the middle area.
                            • woozy 12:40 · 2 months ago
                              Whoa! Awesome. Slide (and lift). I never would have seen that. I just figured an important aspect of baseball with seven letter. Diamond was the first thing I thought of.
                              I knew it had something to do with sliding and I really should have figured that weird shape was something. To add to my bag of tricks. Long blanks often mean fill in letters.
                          • Laura M 🤓4:54 · 2 months ago
                            Impressive!
                            • Dave C 3s · 2 months ago
                              Nicely done. I didn't catch the reference to "facet" at first.
                              • MatthewL 🤓6:05 · 2 months ago
                                Finally got it. Nice puzzle Ben!
                                • markhr 🤓10:21 · 2 months ago
                                  I feel like the title was directed at me. It took me long enough to solve this. Great job, Ben.
                                  • benchen71 constructor · 2 months ago
                                    I didn't want anyone to think I was calling them names. I just couldn't resist, though, since I'm literally telling you what to do in the title: slide the head [or tail] of the [baseball-related] blocks. Then you just have to know where to slide them!
                                  • Ergcat 11:57 · 2 months ago
                                    Thank you, Ben! Fun solve!
                                    • whimsy 🤓8:08 · 2 months ago
                                      Finally able to see the way to what I felt from the start had to be the answer -- because of "facet," and from seeing the DIA at the end of my name, and MO(U)ND. I initially kept my sliding to only the open base paths -- BRUINS, even though it was out of whack thematically; HOMERUNS; and STAGE, which would be an alternative to the ARENA
                                      50AConcert venue[-----]
                                      clue. Ben's clarification of baseball-theme words helped me know those were involved. I did so want to include SPIT
                                      10AExpectorate[----]
                                      as one of them :) but in the end I had to leave that activity to the EMUS
                                      6AFlightless birds[----]
                                      .
                                      • Carolyn 4s · 2 months ago
                                        That took me way too long! I didn't even need the nudges after all. Thanks!
                                        • ReB 8s · 2 months ago
                                          Finally saw the key as to how to slide letters into place to create an apropos baseball word. I actually had the clues circled, but just needed that bolt from above to provide the AHA spark.
                                          1A
                                          "___, I'm Adam"
                                          1
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                                          37
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                                          48
                                          49
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                                          51
                                          52
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                                          57
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                                          59
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                                          63
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                                          66
                                          67
                                          68
                                          Across
                                          1. 1A
                                            "___, I'm Adam"
                                          2. 6A
                                            Flightless birds
                                          3. 10A
                                            Expectorate
                                          4. 14A
                                            Company that merged with BP
                                          5. 15A
                                            Norse letter
                                          6. 16A
                                            Notable car enthusiast, Jay ___
                                          7. 17A
                                            Asian gambling mecca
                                          8. 18A
                                            Michelle Yeoh movie (that I hope wins a ton of Oscars), "Everything Everywhere ___"
                                          9. 20A
                                            Archaeological site
                                          10. 22A
                                            Layered pasta dish
                                          11. 23A
                                            Resting place
                                          12. 24A
                                            River blockage
                                          13. 26A
                                            Corsica, to the French
                                          14. 27A
                                            Razor model
                                          15. 29A
                                            Expression of sorrow
                                          16. 31A
                                            Male deer
                                          17. 32A
                                            Makes a mistake
                                          18. 33A
                                            Cul-de-___
                                          19. 36A
                                            With 37 across
                                            37ASee 36 across[----]
                                            : Hits in which the batter circles all the bases and scores
                                          20. 37A
                                            See 36 across
                                            36AWith 37 across: Hits in which the batter circles all the bases and scores[----]
                                          21. 40A
                                            Fuss
                                          22. 42A
                                            Money executives (abbr.)
                                          23. 46A
                                            One of Canada's largest First Nations
                                          24. 47A
                                            Multicar accident
                                          25. 49A
                                            Give an autograph
                                          26. 50A
                                            Concert venue
                                          27. 52A
                                            Small amount
                                          28. 54A
                                            Antiquated
                                          29. 55A
                                            Breastbone
                                          30. 57A
                                            Peanut Butter Cup confectioner
                                          31. 59A
                                            "Amen to that!"
                                          32. 61A
                                            City on the Erie Canal (the one Muggle Al Sisti likes to shoehorn into puzzles!)
                                          33. 63A
                                            Prefix for -saur
                                          34. 64A
                                            Evening, informally
                                          35. 65A
                                            Slyly malicious (but highly appropriate for a MEOW puzzle!)
                                          36. 66A
                                            Winter ride
                                          37. 67A
                                            50 across
                                            50AConcert venue[-----]
                                            entrance
                                          38. 68A
                                            "Family Ties" mom
                                          Down
                                          1. 1D
                                            "___'selle" (Frank Sinatra song)
                                          2. 2D
                                            Almond-flavoured liqueur
                                          3. 3D
                                            Movie that re-enacts actual events
                                          4. 4D
                                            Amazonian rainforest berry
                                          5. 5D
                                            Pitcher's place
                                          6. 6D
                                            Pitching stat.
                                          7. 7D
                                            "___ of Kintyre" (Paul McCartney and Wings song)
                                          8. 8D
                                            Prepares to remove shoes
                                          9. 9D
                                            Portion of a year during which regulation games are played
                                          10. 10D
                                            Walks through mud
                                          11. 11D
                                            Tube-shaped pasta
                                          12. 12D
                                            Resident of Machu Picchu
                                          13. 13D
                                            Sock hole protrusion, perhaps
                                          14. 19D
                                            What the Knave of Hearts stole
                                          15. 21D
                                            Exchange of something for money
                                          16. 23D
                                            Big party
                                          17. 25D
                                            Damage
                                          18. 28D
                                            Like an extra tasty cheddar, for example
                                          19. 30D
                                            Conventional title of respect for a man (abbr.)
                                          20. 34D
                                            Rainbow shapes
                                          21. 35D
                                            Mars rover
                                          22. 38D
                                            Pays no attention to
                                          23. 39D
                                            Launch an email on its merry way
                                          24. 41D
                                            Marx Brothers' movie, "Night at the ___"
                                          25. 42D
                                            Muggle and occasional MEOW contributor Whimsy (or the less well known model Schiffer)
                                          26. 43D
                                            Iron in a table
                                          27. 44D
                                            One of three and then the other team has a go
                                          28. 45D
                                            Practice boxing
                                          29. 48D
                                            One of nine (unless scores are tied)
                                          30. 50D
                                            Carry ___ (sing on key)
                                          31. 51D
                                            Repair a lawn
                                          32. 53D
                                            Double-play involving two 44 downs
                                            44DOne of three and then the other team has a go[---]
                                          33. 55D
                                            Potting requirement
                                          34. 56D
                                            Catcher's glove
                                          35. 58D
                                            Bibliographic abbr.
                                          36. 59D
                                            What ft can be combined into
                                          37. 60D
                                            Golf prop
                                          38. 62D
                                            Nautical affirmative
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