To Boldly Go
◆◆ · By DrTom · Published 2024-07-31T11:30:27.817Z
Meta Prompt
The meta answer is a dangerous profession
This puzzle is a classic case of morphing. It started as a nice Kitten (Level 1) and I sent it to testers (Cinny, rjy, cindy) who found the usual errors, came back with some helpful comments and a "what about trying this", so I did.
It still is not very hard, but there is a twist that I'll bet catches a lot of people. So, I'll give it a 2.5
Kitten
*Calico
*Persian
Puma
Lion
𝙉𝙐𝘿𝙂𝙀𝙎:
Nudge 1] As Admiral Ackbar would say "It's a Trap!"
Nudge 2] Do you recall the most famous brain fear of all? The Pageant (WSJ Dec 29, 2017) https://www.xword-muggles.com/viewtopic.php?p=363&hilit=pageant#p363
Nudge 3] Why would I put NINE of a particular profession in the puzzle if that wasn't the answer, and even if it was why so many? I mean the top five would have tipped everyone to their common job. Wonder if I was doing anything else with all of those clues or answers.
REVEAL:
Well it starts out pretty straightforward; Nine names of Astronauts in the puzzle at 1,8,22,27,31,45,48,50, and 51 Across. There were some not as well known, but RIDE, GLEN, CARPENTER, WHITE should probably have rung a bell. Then if that didn't help, the clues for the Challenger and Mir (33 and 60 Across) should have.
So, a dangerous profession - ASTRONAUT. BUT, this was a trick! There was a famous meta a few years back that tripped up people because the obvious answer was NOT the obvious answer, it just gave the way to find the REAL answer, which in this case was the first letter of each clue for the Astronaut's names. Taken in their order they spelled TEST PILOT.
Tricky indeed, but I hope fun.
For a graphic version of the reveal please go to:
Checking for previous play data...
1A
Thing that the idiomatic counter counts
1
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Across
- 1AThing that the idiomatic counter counts
- 5AUndesirable letters from the bank
- 8AElevated steering sites on ships
- 13AThe "A" in A.D.
- 14AOrg. that will keep you in tow
- 15ACause of a 1773 "party"
- 16AHardships
- 18APrevious Afghan president Hamid
- 19AOptimist
- 20AWither away; that's no prize
- 22A"Sunny" person in "Reversal of Fortune", ___ Close
- 23AAttacks again
- 26A"Born Free" lioness
- 27ATrip in a car
- 28A___ Sastré of "The Lost City"
- 29AD-Day craft; Abbr.
- 30AInflated the truth
- 31APrincipal Joe Clark in “Lean on Me”, ___ Freeman
- 33AFreeze-dried packets on the Challenger
- 35AWhat is missing from a karaoke track
- 38ADo-it-yourself web site
- 39AWater in the brain; Abbr.
- 42AHow you designate a stainless reputation in France
- 43ANumber of good men in a Jack Nicholson movie
- 44ABurn food on purpose
- 45AIndividual with a mighty hammer (not Thor)
- 48ALightest color
- 49APort and resort in Genoa, Italy
- 50AOption to generic
- 51ATun of winemaker maker
- 53AHow Ricky made Lucy understand
- 55A"You don't say!"
- 56A"War on Poverty" inits.
- 57ASupporting member
- 58ATakes a turn for the better?
- 59AOrg. promoting intelligence
- 60ARussian villages (or space stations)
Down
- 1DSoft option for the tub and shower
- 2DJoins up
- 3DThree-syllable foot
- 4DNine-day prayer ritual
- 5DB'___ Brith
- 6DDoes not get paid hourly
- 7DPaul Newman in "The Hustler"
- 8DPiles on
- 9DUnsightly auricular growth
- 10DActively doing nothing, ___ about
- 11DLongtime record label for Sir John
- 12DHPV, hepatitis B, e.g.
- 15DFight enders
- 17DA Valiant son
- 21DSally Field's "Norma ___"
- 24DWhere Broadway's Salonga might graze
- 25DFrequent pfishing figure; Abbr.
- 27DGrande and de Janeiro
- 30DFunny letters
- 31DCharming meta available on Wednesdays
- 32D"See you shortly", in a txt
- 33DAn old medium for a heated message
- 34DWhat new hires try to learn
- 35DLondon's Old ___
- 36D"Don't stop me now, I'm ___ roll"
- 37DSlowly destroy
- 39DWine associated with a fiasco
- 40DTook a chair by
- 41DName on Mr. Kruger's Elm Street bar
- 43DThe Braves, on scoreboards
- 44DSacramental oil
- 46DSacred swords of the crossword world
- 47DLike 44D but more of a biblical ointment
- 48DOrg. for some lightweights
- 51DX squared + II squared
- 52D"A Chorus Line" number
- 54DExtended pd. away from work.