Jump at the Chance
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Jump at the Chance

· By Mikey G

Meta Prompt
[Level 4] The answer to the meta is a 2-word television title.
I'm changing this to a Level 4 for right now. Daily nudges forthcoming!
Checking for previous play data...

Leaderboard (updated hourly)

  • Hector solved 2024-02-24T19:14:16.154Z
  • DrTom solved 2024-02-24T19:22:30.191Z
  • Meg solved 2024-02-24T19:29:01.961Z
  • Cindy Weatherman solved 2024-02-24T19:31:25.731Z
  • BrennerTJ solved 2024-02-24T19:56:28.623Z
  • oldjudge solved 2024-02-24T19:57:45.751Z
  • boharr solved 2024-02-24T20:10:28.235Z
  • Pair O Ducks solved 2024-02-24T23:01:08.046Z
  • Abide solved 2024-02-24T23:15:15.419Z
  • Philip Chow solved 2024-02-24T23:16:33.096Z
  • DJB solved 2024-02-24T23:58:49.017Z
  • Jasonbr solved 2024-02-25T00:45:42.971Z
  • KayW solved 2024-02-25T02:05:43.680Z
  • I K Snamhcok solved 2024-02-25T02:14:21.644Z
  • benchen71 solved 2024-02-25T04:17:03.669Z
  • Berto solved 2024-02-25T06:22:48.877Z
  • hoover solved 2024-02-25T17:00:45.789Z
  • Schmeel solved 2024-02-25T17:41:44.236Z
  • BarbaraK solved 2024-02-26T02:09:49.083Z
  • lbray53 solved 2024-02-26T15:05:59.012Z
  • Cindy Heisler solved 2024-02-26T15:17:52.004Z
  • CPJohnson solved 2024-02-26T19:32:14.333Z
  • MatthewL solved 2024-02-26T23:09:33.396Z
  • andeux solved 2024-02-27T13:08:01.201Z
  • JM solved 2024-02-27T18:20:44.759Z
  • kurtalert solved 2024-02-27T23:42:52.925Z
  • woozy solved 2024-02-28T00:52:28.069Z
  • Laura M solved 2024-02-28T01:17:34.226Z
  • FrankieHeck solved 2024-02-28T01:21:57.248Z
  • markhr solved 2024-02-28T02:33:38.053Z
  • rjy solved 2024-02-28T02:49:37.093Z
  • HeadinHome solved 2024-02-28T03:08:25.112Z
  • Bob J solved 2024-02-28T03:23:23.341Z
  • whimsy solved 2024-02-28T03:55:13.508Z
  • Dow Jones solved 2024-02-28T06:50:40.464Z
  • Carolyn solved 2024-02-28T16:14:32.513Z
  • Alvibu67 solved 2024-02-28T19:59:01.570Z
  • Cate C solved 2024-02-28T21:18:42.786Z
  • heidi solved 2024-02-28T21:20:59.218Z
  • Tyrpmom solved 2024-02-29T01:29:25.146Z
  • LarsCaine solved 2024-02-29T12:44:29.801Z
  • Danny K Bernstein solved 2024-02-29T20:01:11.519Z
  • Qmark solved 2024-03-01T19:29:49.637Z
  • Bird Lives solved 2024-03-02T02:53:42.759Z
  • syoustra solved 2024-03-02T15:16:47.934Z
  • DIS solved 2024-03-04T03:01:00.755Z
  • SJMcK solved 2024-03-10T19:17:57.624Z

Comments

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  • Mikey G constructor · 2024-02-24T18:00:45.977Z
    No need for a spoiler here: Also asymmetrical because I had an absolute bear of a time going through this. Probably took at least 15 different symmetrical grid attempts until I realized I had no other choice but to bend the rules this time.
    • Mikey G constructor · 2024-02-24T18:00:45.977Z
      Answer: QUANTUM LEAP
      Explanation: Seven vertical (i.e. Down) entries toward the bottom of the grid contain the word UP within them (the only "U"s in the grid, once I quickly changed RUES/URL to ROES/ORL at the last moment). They're also clued relatively awkwardly, which usually indicates "alternate entries," which is in play again! Once we go up to the top of the column, we find another entry that can satisfy that clue with an initial letter appended (i.e. CUPS goes to TIPS, which is a medicine cabinet sight when it becomes Q-TIPS, NITE to UNITE, and so forth.
      The seven new words: QTIPS, UNITE, AREA, NEAT, TRICK, UDON, MOPED. Their initial letters spell QUANTUM and, the fact that we had to jump (or leap) up to get to them, suggests QUANTUM LEAP, our meta answer, right in time for leap year! Happy February 29th!
      • Hector 🤓8:28 · 2024-02-24T19:15:24.051Z
        Wow, very cool!
        • DrTom 3s · 2024-02-24T19:36:48.840Z
          Got there, but not the intended way. I surmised from the beginning that it was QUANTUM LEAP nad then convinced myself it was with all the very different, and drastic differences, in the similar items: REA ->RAE, SLEET -> SNOW, GINGER PET -> GINGER PERSON, NNW -> SSE...this was clearly a case of me not seeing the elegance but finding a way to convince myself that what I thought was correct. Obviously SOMETIMES, jumping to conclusions pays off. I do like the real mechanism MUCH better and should have seen the UPs. In truth I had CAPS for the medicine cabinet and accepted that perhaps the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra must have done a gig for the military service men?
          • Mikey G constructor · 2024-02-24T21:27:46.880Z
            CUPS is so contrived for TIPS, haha. Always fun when we're on the same wavelength, though!!
          • Meg 2s · 2024-02-24T19:31:24.226Z
            Very nice!! There are a lot of ONs in the grid, unfortunately. I spent some time trying to jump from up to on. Great puzzle!
            • oldjudge 2s · 2024-02-24T20:03:51.575Z
              Very original, although I never heard of the show. Thanks, Mikey!
              • Mikey G constructor · 2024-02-24T21:28:00.801Z
                I have never seen it, haha.
                • DrTom 3s · 2024-02-24T23:09:53.158Z
                  Oh goodness me...Quantum Leap (the original) was great because it played with the old Time Travel thing and people going back (actually into other people's lives, to fix things (to be fair so does the remake). It always trod on the "if a butterfly flaps its wings" idea. But Scott Bakula was a Star Ship Enterprise captain Johnathan Archer after that so there was that built in following for us UBER geeks.
                • boharr 4s · 2024-02-24T20:11:49.776Z
                  Nice one. I have to watch more TV. Or solve more metas.
                  • Mikey G constructor · 2024-02-24T21:28:08.227Z
                    I vote the latter.
                  • Abide 2s · 2024-02-24T23:22:55.590Z
                    Great show/great puzzle
                    • Philip Chow 🤓12:42 · 2024-02-24T23:31:04.934Z
                      AMAZING!!! loved this puzzle as it has a very unique mechanism and satisfying solve!... SOUP/UDON was my way in... i was like soup IN a bento box?! isn't it usually packed on the side 🧐 this is such a weird clue and definitely hiding something... it was embarrassing how long it took me to even spot the UPs... my first thought with "jump" was to leap over black squares... thank you and happy leap day! my first ever rebus puzzle I made was a leap year puzzle 2/29/12 - i'll dig it up and post it with revamped clues since even 12-years-ago clues can feel dated
                      • Mikey G constructor · 2024-02-29T01:12:18.722Z
                        Oooh, that's cool! It'd be fun to take an old grid and reclue it. Yeah, the SOUP thing was bizarre; this was harder than usual to get the alternate entry/clue pairs, it seems, for some reason!
                        • Philip Chow 🤓12:42 · 2024-02-29T03:26:20.250Z
                          I thought of “nabemono ingredient” or “what you can add to shabu shabu”… perhaps a bit too obscure if one isn’t well-versed in Japanese cuisine… yeah it’s tricky you can’t go too generic with just “food” but you can’t go too specific as to lock out accessibility of someone actually getting the alt clue
                      • DJB 2s · 2024-02-25T00:02:17.690Z
                        Nice one! CUPS -> QTIPS was my entry point given the odd cluing for CUPS. Didn't even notice the repeated UPs in the grid until you called them out!
                        • KayW 🤓3:14 · 2024-02-25T02:14:02.339Z
                          VERY clever!! When I first saw those 7 UPs at the bottom of the grid, I googled and was so excited to see there was some sort of show called "7 UP" (okay, some sort of documentary, not actually a tv show, but hey it was SOMETHING) I tried submitting it. Twice. Haha. Then tried SO MANY other ways to go UP from those letters... Love the metanism and the cluing. Thanks Mikey!
                          • Mikey G constructor · 2024-02-29T01:12:42.881Z
                            I don't think I once realized there were 7 UPs. I mean, it's obvious, but yeah. I think I had a meta whose answer was 7-UP back in the day!
                          • I K Snamhcok 3s · 2024-02-25T02:15:30.115Z
                            This one kicks it UP a notch. Loved it!
                            • hoover 6s · 2024-02-25T17:03:50.145Z
                              I'll admit that I saw nothing but the asymmetry and just WAGged my answer.
                              • Mikey G constructor · 2024-02-26T00:15:41.581Z
                                That's fine. 🤣🤣🤣
                              • Cindy Heisler 1s · 2024-02-26T15:21:05.672Z
                                I saw the ups, but it took me forever to see where to jump. Very nice and I loved the show. Thanks, Mikey!
                                • Mikey G constructor · 2024-02-29T01:13:04.715Z
                                  I might have to watch an episode or two in honor of the meta. Sounds intriguing, actually!
                                • andeux 🤓8:56 · 2024-02-27T19:12:15.713Z
                                  Got this with this mornings nudges after a few days of wondering why the obviously correct answer "Upstairs Downstairs" was not being accepted.
                                  • kurtalert 🤓8:31 · 2024-02-27T23:43:23.640Z
                                    Awesome. That show was so cool. Thanks Mikey!
                                    • Mikey G constructor · 2024-02-29T01:13:18.434Z
                                      I think I might have to watch an episode or two! Looks fun!
                                    • FrankieHeck 🤓12:54 · 2024-02-28T01:26:48.139Z
                                      Oh my gosh. I wanted the answer to be Quantum Leap from the start, but it took me an awful lot of your nudges to finally get there. I was just not seeing the things I needed to see at all, and spent way too long messing with asymmetry. Clever puzzle!
                                      • Mikey G constructor · 2024-02-29T01:13:47.572Z
                                        I know, sometimes there's a reason for the asymmetry. This was honestly because I fell behind and couldn't get a symmetric grid to work so was eventually just like, "Forget it," haha.
                                      • Laura M 🤓19:05 · 2024-02-28T01:18:45.417Z
                                        I needed the nudges, but I love it!
                                        • rjy 2s · 2024-02-28T02:56:28.410Z
                                          Needed nudges, but got caught with the (likely) inadvertent red herring that when we were to look above the UPs, we saw just as many ONs… jump UP / jump ON… it all fits, right?? Especially with the 61a and 41d clues that were screaming - or so we thought - to look at all those ONs. Just could not piece it all together until the final nudge dropped.
                                          Tough path for us, but doesn’t detract from a brilliant puzzle. Cheers!
                                          • HeadinHome 🤓5:15 · 2024-02-28T03:09:38.710Z
                                            Oh man that just took me way too long! I had noticed all the Us and Ps in the lower lines but not all the UPs. Duh. Needed all the nudges, especially the one about cups (qtips popped right out… then followed that pattern). Really cute!
                                            • whimsy 24:05 · 2024-02-28T04:09:40.053Z
                                              Had to browbeat the idea of Nudge #7 into my head to finally use what worked, instead of insisting on using letters from the "UP" words: UREA, SEATER, COOPED, DERICK, spelled incorrectly of course, but hey, out of desperation.... :-) Thanks for the puzzle and the generous nudging, Mikey!
                                              • Carolyn 3s · 2024-02-28T16:17:01.506Z
                                                Wow! That was quite a puzzle. I needed the nudges and still had to work at it. I hadn't heard of the show so that made it harder.
                                                • Mikey G constructor · 2024-02-29T01:14:23.879Z
                                                  This looks like it's coming down 50:50; half of those who haven't heard of it, half of those who knew about it and loved it! (I'm in the middle - knew the title but haven't seen an episode yet!)
                                                • Alvibu67 2s · 2024-02-28T20:25:39.514Z
                                                  Great puzzle, Mikey! I needed 6/7 nudges to get there. I saw 1D TIPS spelled “up” (ie, backwards) and added UP to get SPITUP🤮 but I knew that wasn’t right! There were also 7 Ps in addition to the ones in the UPs, but that went nowhere. Fun puzzle overall, and great TV show!
                                                  • Qmark 3s · 2024-03-01T19:30:45.846Z
                                                    Needed nudge 2 and 6 to find my way to the finish line...thanks Mikey!
                                                    1A
                                                    Half a score
                                                    1
                                                    2
                                                    3
                                                    4
                                                    5
                                                    6
                                                    7
                                                    8
                                                    9
                                                    10
                                                    11
                                                    12
                                                    13
                                                    14
                                                    15
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                                                    17
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                                                    21
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                                                    24
                                                    25
                                                    26
                                                    27
                                                    28
                                                    29
                                                    30
                                                    31
                                                    32
                                                    33
                                                    34
                                                    35
                                                    36
                                                    37
                                                    38
                                                    39
                                                    40
                                                    41
                                                    42
                                                    43
                                                    44
                                                    45
                                                    46
                                                    47
                                                    48
                                                    49
                                                    50
                                                    51
                                                    52
                                                    53
                                                    54
                                                    55
                                                    56
                                                    57
                                                    58
                                                    59
                                                    60
                                                    61
                                                    62
                                                    63
                                                    64
                                                    65
                                                    66
                                                    67
                                                    68
                                                    69
                                                    70
                                                    71
                                                    72
                                                    73
                                                    74
                                                    75
                                                    76
                                                    77
                                                    78
                                                    Across
                                                    1. 1A
                                                      Half a score
                                                    2. 4A
                                                      Some bucks
                                                    3. 8A
                                                      "Totally tubular!"
                                                    4. 11A
                                                      That, in Toledo
                                                    5. 14A
                                                      Here, to Henri
                                                    6. 15A
                                                      Part of QED
                                                    7. 16A
                                                      Correct answer to "Who wants to solve my meta?"
                                                    8. 17A
                                                      "___! I need some peak! ___! Not just any peak!"
                                                    9. 18A
                                                      When you win this, you go, "Here, kitty kitty!"
                                                    10. 19A
                                                      Kind of sax I know ___ well
                                                    11. 20A
                                                      "Ooooh! Show me!"
                                                    12. 22A
                                                      N64 predecessor
                                                    13. 24A
                                                      Item in your kitchen that might cause quite a stir
                                                    14. 26A
                                                      Changed the locks?
                                                    15. 27A
                                                      "If I don't write my next paper, I might just move down to a Louisiana county" "Sounds like you'll publish or ___!"
                                                    16. 31A
                                                      "But I already folded that dress" "I'm sorry - could you please re-___ that?"
                                                    17. 33A
                                                      There's always a point to this
                                                    18. 36A
                                                      Quagmire
                                                    19. 38A
                                                      Type of toast this millennial loves to eat while he reminisces about the 1990s
                                                    20. 39A
                                                      Winter fall
                                                    21. 40A
                                                      Tab, once
                                                    22. 43A
                                                      Grew tedious
                                                    23. 44A
                                                      "Kinda"
                                                    24. 46A
                                                      "So, what do you think about my late fee?" "___"
                                                    25. 48A
                                                      Persona I often become when I won't stop punning
                                                    26. 50A
                                                      When my tabby plays in the sprinklers, she's the ___ cat around!
                                                    27. 51A
                                                      Cousin I most resemble
                                                    28. 52A
                                                      Capital on the Danube
                                                    29. 54A
                                                      Mutually approves
                                                    30. 57A
                                                      Apple product
                                                    31. 61A
                                                      Key abbreviated by dropping two "O"s and an "N"
                                                    32. 62A
                                                      La Jolla sch.
                                                    33. 64A
                                                      MLB review technique
                                                    34. 65A
                                                      Troop troupe, for short
                                                    35. 66A
                                                      He might call you out on your behavior
                                                    36. 68A
                                                      One was worth about $1.18 when it debuted in 1999
                                                    37. 70A
                                                      Sigma follower
                                                    38. 71A
                                                      Little, in Lille
                                                    39. 72A
                                                      I'm just raven about his poems
                                                    40. 73A
                                                      British band known for its 1987 "Heart and Soul"
                                                    41. 74A
                                                      1/6 fl. oz.
                                                    42. 75A
                                                      I believed my friend when he said he was heir to a large maple syrup fortune - I'm such a ___!
                                                    43. 76A
                                                      EMT's expertise
                                                    44. 77A
                                                      Percolate
                                                    45. 78A
                                                      You're so vane, you probably think this a U-turn from NNW (it is)
                                                    Down
                                                    1. 1D
                                                      They come to those who wait
                                                    2. 2D
                                                      Class where I learned about the Herfindahl index, briefly
                                                    3. 3D
                                                      Evening, in promos
                                                    4. 4D
                                                      Stephen of "The Crying Game" and "Crosswords: The Musical" (also featuring Eno, Ono, and Asta!)
                                                    5. 5D
                                                      Magic on scorecards
                                                    6. 6D
                                                      Put away
                                                    7. 7D
                                                      Puts away
                                                    8. 8D
                                                      Ilsa's love (or, for the Muggles, one-third of Clark E. Tripe)
                                                    9. 9D
                                                      Lovelace known for her "Analytical Engine"
                                                    10. 10D
                                                      Put on ("You're putting me on!" "Right, you're my sportscoat")
                                                    11. 11D
                                                      "Piece of cake!"
                                                    12. 12D
                                                      Winter fall
                                                    13. 13D
                                                      Leaning column?
                                                    14. 21D
                                                      The dry cleaner was told to beware the ___ of starch
                                                    15. 23D
                                                      Ginger, e.g. (not my cat, sorry!)
                                                    16. 25D
                                                      Fake physics magazine: "Better ___ and Photons"
                                                    17. 28D
                                                      Doc bloc
                                                    18. 29D
                                                      Exude
                                                    19. 30D
                                                      "Oh, well, can't win them all..."
                                                    20. 31D
                                                      You might have a charged discussion on it
                                                    21. 32D
                                                      "Furiously Happy" author Jenny (on my TBR!)
                                                    22. 33D
                                                      It breaks regularly
                                                    23. 34D
                                                      Cooking oil abbr.
                                                    24. 35D
                                                      If I need one of these, could you lend me your ear? (That clue was a-maize-ing)
                                                    25. 37D
                                                      In reserve
                                                    26. 41D
                                                      Switch positions (this is always how I'll clue this)
                                                    27. 42D
                                                      Favorite (like Ginger Cat!)
                                                    28. 45D
                                                      It's chaos!
                                                    29. 47D
                                                      Dance wildly ("Oh, you were dancing, that's what that was")
                                                    30. 49D
                                                      66, e.g.: Abbr.
                                                    31. 53D
                                                      Some are legends
                                                    32. 54D
                                                      Lost, perhaps on a WSJ meta
                                                    33. 55D
                                                      Put together
                                                    34. 56D
                                                      "Nifty!"
                                                    35. 58D
                                                      Apple producer
                                                    36. 59D
                                                      TV shows about collecting are ___ media
                                                    37. 60D
                                                      Way to get around
                                                    38. 61D
                                                      Medicine cabinet sights, sometimes
                                                    39. 63D
                                                      Hoodwink
                                                    40. 64D
                                                      Item in a bento box, perhaps
                                                    41. 66D
                                                      ___ code
                                                    42. 67D
                                                      "This new cleaning implement is ___ of the line!"
                                                    43. 69D
                                                      "Put Your Records On" singer Corinne Bailey
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