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See Intro for Instructions

◆ · By Cory Calhoun

Meta Prompt
Hint: Look for a 5-letter place associated with metal alloy.
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  • rjy solved 2024-12-10T20:35:36.763Z
  • Pair O Ducks solved 2024-12-10T20:36:35.184Z

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  • Cory Calhoun constructor · 2024-12-04T06:25:47.908Z
    The meta answer is THIRD. (Hint: Find a 5-letter place associated with metal alloy.)
    First, let's discuss that hint: it was intentionally a bit of a misdirect! In this case, "place" doesn't mean "location" but "award ranking." And "third place" is associated with winning a bronze (which is a metal alloy!) medal. That said, the key to solving has nothing to do with metal alloy.
    Recall the puzzle's title, "See Intro for Instructions." There are 5 long Across answers. From top to bottom, the first 4 start with with a directional word--UP, LEFT, DOWN, and RIGHT. Each of those are followed by a homophone of a number (e.g., TO = 2, FORE / FOR = 4).
    In other words, you're meant "see" those answers' "intros," providing a set of directional instructions.
    Together, those form 4 instructions (UP 2, LEFT 4, DOWN 4, RIGHT 4) telling you how to move... but where to start moving from? Well, the fifth answer is EPICENTER (with the clue "Starting point for outward movement, often"). Start in the (epi)center of the filled grid, which is the letter T. Follow the first instruction--"UP 2"--and you end up on the letter H. Keep following the rest of the instructions like that, and you'll find the letters in the word THIRD, which is the puzzle's meta answer.
    • Sendhil Revuluri 🤓2:45 · 2024-12-06T22:56:24.006Z
      Very clever! (Goes without saying that it was too clever for me…)
      • Cory Calhoun constructor · 2024-12-07T00:21:15.262Z
        Thanks--this was my attempt at aping puzzles that have done the whole "follow secret instructions to get an answer" angle, but in a meta form. Cheers!
      • Meg 15s · 2024-12-08T18:51:43.032Z
        Saw the directions. Missed the homophones. Nice one, Cory.
        • Cory Calhoun constructor · 2024-12-08T23:42:23.890Z
          Thanks Meg!
        • rjy 🤓12:29 · 2024-12-10T20:37:54.953Z
          wow - that's some diabolical misdirection! I sat on THIRD for quite some time without bothering to try typing it in. Fiendish!
          • Cory Calhoun constructor · 2024-12-10T22:30:27.599Z
            Thanks! One fact I haven't mentioned is that this meta and several others I've posted were part of a 6-part contest where 6 metas' answers all pointed to a "mega meta" answer. It's why the meta answer here is sort of odd, and I came up with the hint to help mask what was really going on. Cheers!
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          1A
          Thick slice
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          Across
          1. 1A
            Thick slice
          2. 5A
            Kennel sound
          3. 8A
            Caffeine, for one
          4. 12A
            The M in MSG
          5. 13A
            Ooze
          6. 15A
            Halt
          7. 16A
            Well-informed of recent developments
          8. 18A
            Pronounce
          9. 19A
            "How about that!"
          10. 20A
            It's between a southpaw's writing hand and its corresponding elbow
          11. 22A
            Baglike structure
          12. 23A
            Some cameras, for short
          13. 24A
            Actress Mazar or skater Thomas
          14. 27A
            Oft-mocked online typo
          15. 30A
            Dry out, informally
          16. 33A
            Alpha's opposite
          17. 35A
            Entered quickly
          18. 37A
            Abbr. for a software edition
          19. 39A
            Knocked out
          20. 42A
            "Lord, is ___?": Matthew
          21. 43A
            Laser printer component
          22. 44A
            New Haven college student, informally
          23. 45A
            Long-legged heron cousin
          24. 47A
            Hydroelectric project
          25. 49A
            Darjeeling and oolong, for two
          26. 50A
            Supply-and-demand coll. subj.
          27. 52A
            Surgery sites, for short
          28. 54A
            What to ask one's doctor a medication might be, per many a commercial
          29. 59A
            Genre merging reggae and punk
          30. 62A
            ___ Lauder
          31. 63A
            Starting point of outward movement, often
          32. 65A
            "Get ___ of this!"
          33. 66A
            They Might Be Giants song about 4 consecutive letters of the alphabet that young children often think are a single letter
          34. 67A
            After-bath powder
          35. 68A
            Breather
          36. 69A
            Opposite of NNE
          37. 70A
            Syringe, for short
          Down
          1. 1D
            Overly pleased with oneself
          2. 2D
            Bound along
          3. 3D
            Chip in chips
          4. 4D
            Bleacher bum's shout
          5. 5D
            Quality
          6. 6D
            Atoll protector
          7. 7D
            Pedal pushers
          8. 8D
            Loathe
          9. 9D
            ___-tat-tat
          10. 10D
            ___-friendly
          11. 11D
            Microbe
          12. 14D
            Common email attachments
          13. 15D
            Medium of exchange
          14. 17D
            Hearst's captors: Abbr.
          15. 21D
            Nostalglic tune
          16. 22D
            Use hands to communicate with the deaf
          17. 24D
            Fayed who dated Princess Diana
          18. 25D
            Be theatrical
          19. 26D
            Add fake hair to a mannequin
          20. 28D
            Commits a faux pas
          21. 29D
            Loathed
          22. 31D
            Small egg
          23. 32D
            City near Dayton, Ohio whose name has one more letter than TV's "Warrior Princess" of the '90s
          24. 34D
            Impacted
          25. 36D
            Drag racing org.
          26. 38D
            Hwys.
          27. 40D
            Words before "sight" and "mind"
          28. 41D
            Feed bag contents
          29. 46D
            Prepare leftovers in a microwave
          30. 48D
            Certain farm animal, to a toddler
          31. 51D
            Season to be jolly
          32. 53D
            Bemoan
          33. 54D
            Backside
          34. 55D
            "Cast Away" setting
          35. 56D
            Classic Pontiac muscle cars
          36. 57D
            Vinyl spin speeds, for short
          37. 58D
            Counterparts of yangs
          38. 59D
            "Don't go!"
          39. 60D
            Brown seaweed
          40. 61D
            Chevron competitor
          41. 64D
            Advanced degree?
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