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Into a Corner

■ · By Mikey G

Meta Prompt
[Level 5] The answer to the meta is 16 letters long.
This one is a toughie. Follow the thread and all the nudges here: https://xword-muggles.com/viewtopic.php?t=2790
Checking for previous play data...

Leaderboard (updated hourly)

  • Jeffrey Harris solved 2024-03-30T17:23:20.377Z
  • I K Snamhcok solved 2024-03-31T17:15:09.425Z
  • Hector solved 2024-03-31T18:25:54.399Z
  • BrennerTJ solved 2024-03-31T19:51:51.160Z
  • boharr solved 2024-03-31T21:28:17.430Z
  • oldjudge solved 2024-03-31T21:31:43.174Z
  • Meg solved 2024-03-31T22:23:39.492Z
  • Pair O Ducks solved 2024-04-01T02:07:44.829Z
  • Berto solved 2024-04-01T03:08:04.221Z
  • benchen71 solved 2024-04-01T03:25:13.343Z
  • andeux solved 2024-04-01T04:15:05.279Z
  • kamashdad solved 2024-04-01T14:36:47.361Z
  • Laura M solved 2024-04-01T19:19:16.885Z
  • markhr solved 2024-04-02T03:10:06.685Z
  • Danny K Bernstein solved 2024-04-02T09:44:31.654Z
  • lbray53 solved 2024-04-02T13:01:40.901Z
  • DrTom solved 2024-04-02T17:25:57.180Z
  • damefox solved 2024-04-02T23:20:48.000Z
  • syoustra solved 2024-04-03T06:29:49.823Z
  • JM solved 2024-04-04T14:20:50.792Z
  • potemkinish solved 2024-04-04T15:43:02.365Z
  • Carolyn solved 2024-04-04T18:37:17.206Z
  • Steve M solved 2024-04-04T18:38:48.400Z
  • FrankieHeck solved 2024-04-04T18:48:00.999Z
  • DCBilly solved 2024-04-04T18:56:40.908Z
  • LarsCaine solved 2024-04-04T19:20:27.320Z
  • KayW solved 2024-04-04T20:13:32.786Z
  • MrJackHopey solved 2024-04-04T20:31:14.376Z
  • MatthewL solved 2024-04-04T20:39:16.859Z
  • CPJohnson solved 2024-04-04T20:56:01.595Z
  • Dow Jones solved 2024-04-05T03:02:31.694Z
  • woozy solved 2024-04-05T03:50:57.581Z
  • jbird solved 2024-04-05T09:48:19.506Z
  • Abide solved 2024-04-06T04:05:10.164Z
  • hoover solved 2024-04-06T04:28:19.786Z
  • Qmark solved 2024-04-06T15:12:28.089Z
  • Kulea solved 2024-04-06T20:17:35.159Z
  • Gutman solved 2024-04-06T21:15:36.646Z
  • Philip Chow solved 2024-04-08T21:22:23.889Z
  • kurtalert solved 2024-04-09T21:46:20.281Z
  • Darth solved 2024-04-09T22:06:15.454Z
  • Jaclyn solved 2024-04-12T00:22:40.807Z
  • Tyler Johnston solved 2024-09-17T04:01:58.235Z

Comments

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  • Mikey G constructor · 2024-03-30T17:00:07.526Z
    Answer: PERPENDICULARITY
    Explanation: Somewhat SAD, but it's harder to explain in words! Per the clue in the central themer RIGHT, the "L" shape must be prevalent in this puzzle, and the four symmetric "L" shapes in the corner are part of the key to this meta. (Note that they all inhabit a total of four 2-by-2 squares, and 4 x 4 = 16, so that fits with the length.)
    First, note each "L" is "ensconcing" a letter: respectively: N, D, U, L. These four letters all each occur only one other time in the grid. (For instance, note the other N as the second letter in the 9th row). Form a 2-by-2 square using the other instance of this letter so that the other instance is the same position relative to its "L" (for example, the N in the "L" is in the lower right of this 2-by-2 square. The 2-by-2 square formed with the other N in this same position would be PE/EN).
    These four squares will be PE/EN, RP/DI, CU/RI, LA/TY. When they are superimposed onto the four 2-by-2 corners (so that the new letter matches up with the original), the letters will read, in top-down order, PE RP / EN DI / CU LA / RI TY, or PERPENDICULARITY, the answer to the meta and a feature of right angles.
    Sometimes, in geometry, I'd look at a proof and think, "Oh, this is three steps," and it would end up taking ten. That's how I felt writing out the explanation to this one! Perhaps it is less SAD than I initially intended!
    • syoustra 8:25 · 2024-04-03T06:33:16.207Z
      As someone relatively new to the meta world ... what does "SAD" mean/stand for?
      • Hector 🤓3:22 · 2024-04-04T21:33:12.159Z
        Simple (which this one is not!) And Difficult
    • I K Snamhcok 3s · 2024-03-31T17:16:13.161Z
      My better half, a retired middle-school math teacher, helped out.
      • Mikey G constructor · 2024-04-02T03:20:22.434Z
        Some acute insight that turned out to be right!
      • Hector 🤓3:22 · 2024-03-31T18:28:38.041Z
        Great mechanism, BTW!!
        • Mikey G constructor · 2024-04-02T03:19:56.863Z
          Kind of stumbled upon it, but it's definitely a lot more hidden than I thought it would be!
        • Hector 🤓3:22 · 2024-03-31T18:26:37.858Z
          That was my first try yesterday, but I misspelled it PERPINDICULARITY. D'oh.
          • Pair O Ducks 🤓3:41 · 2024-04-01T02:14:11.582Z
            Clever! I'll admit, one of the first things I tried long before figuring out WHAT to put in the corners, was searching OneLook for ?????ND??UL?????. The only real-looking word was, of course, the answer, but I couldn't see how it connected (and wasn't familiar with the form of the word), so I ignored it. Little did I know how much pride and glory I coulda had, if only I'd trusted it!
            • Mikey G constructor · 2024-04-02T03:21:22.401Z
              Reminds me a bit of BODEGA in that tour de force of "Corner the Market" - OH! Another "corner" puzzle - unintended reference, haha. But I couldn't take the chance unless I knew for sure!
            • benchen71 🤓5:45 · 2024-04-01T03:29:15.226Z
              I was trying so hard to find letters that would make all the surrounding entries work, too! That proved to be impossible. In the end, I caved and used onelook with the prompt ?????ND??UL????? which led to the answer right (pun intended) away!
              • DrTom 3s · 2024-04-05T11:14:10.001Z
                Wow, that is a brilliant idea in and of itself. I never even thought of doing that...one more for the "well I have NO idea" bag of tricks.
              • Laura M 🤓4:14 · 2024-04-01T19:21:52.666Z
                Excellent meta! I needed the nudges.
                • DrTom 3s · 2024-04-02T17:27:35.288Z
                  Needed LOTS of help on this, but thanks to lbray53 I got right,
                  • Mikey G constructor · 2024-04-04T16:43:22.893Z
                    I alluded to this earlier, and I will reecho it: this is exactly like when I taught small groups geometry in the summer sessions, and we did proofs. And I would make up a quick one really fast and think, "This'll probably take three or four steps" (small for a proof) - and it ends up taking 10 or more! That's kind of like this one: I thought this was a SAD mechanism, but then I started writing it out, and I was like, "Uh, yeah, I think I underestimated this..."
                  • syoustra 8:25 · 2024-04-03T06:31:54.417Z
                    Thanks for the nudge/pointer to the meta analyzer! I had never seen that, and it was super helpful in this case!
                    • Mikey G constructor · 2024-04-04T16:42:16.449Z
                      I almost always use that if I get stuck. Rarely, to be honest, does it help - but occasionally, it offers some insight!
                      • hoover 2s · 2024-04-06T04:28:49.999Z
                        Hmm... I used it, but didn't glean any insight from it this time.
                      • Steve M 2s · 2024-04-04T18:44:55.912Z
                        Wow! I was stuck trying to get four words from the 2x2 corners. Needed the latest hints to finally see what to do. Thanks for the puzzle!
                        • Carolyn 4s · 2024-04-04T18:38:16.519Z
                          Wow! I did need a couple of the extra nudges. Never would have seen it on my own.
                          • KayW 🤓4:12 · 2024-04-04T20:14:32.997Z
                            Brilliant!! The meta, that is. Me - not so much. I needed remedial nudges on this one but wowza that's a great construction. Thanks Mikey!
                            • FrankieHeck 🤓3:55 · 2024-04-04T20:33:12.126Z
                              Wow. I definitely tried this mechanism after Nudge 2, but apparently I did a very bad job of it. About 82 nudges later, I tried again succesfully. Nice puzzle!
                              • Abide 2s · 2024-04-06T04:07:58.047Z
                                Dude, you out-Week Fived Gaffney!
                                • Mikey G constructor · 2024-04-08T23:08:35.007Z
                                  Apparently so!!
                                • Qmark 2s · 2024-04-06T15:13:22.116Z
                                  Thanks Mikey! Was on the right track...but definitely need the help of the the first 8 nudges to confirm what I was doing was correct.
                                  • Philip Chow 🤓4:33 · 2024-04-08T21:25:04.971Z
                                    needed nudge #8... i spend soooooo long trying to do weird things with the L shapes... well-constructed and very well-hidden meta
                                    • Mikey G constructor · 2024-04-08T23:08:26.494Z
                                      Way more well-hidden than I would have thought!
                                    • kurtalert 🤓2:58 · 2024-04-09T21:46:43.477Z
                                      Wow - very clever - and hard! Needed a lot of nudges, lol.
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                                      1A
                                      John : Jim :: Jenna : ___ ("The Office" roles)
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                                      Across
                                      1. 1A
                                        John : Jim :: Jenna : ___ ("The Office" roles)
                                      2. 4A
                                        Dada founder whose name is one letter away from an org.
                                      3. 7A
                                        Org. that's always out to launch LOL
                                      4. 8A
                                        "___ it my way..."
                                      5. 10A
                                        Put forth
                                      6. 11A
                                        Knock on
                                      7. 13A
                                        12-Down, for one
                                      8. 14A
                                        "Well, come to think of it..."
                                      9. 16A
                                        They're out of this world!: Abbr.
                                      10. 17A
                                        Service component
                                      11. 19A
                                        "Right now!"
                                      12. 20A
                                        Type of angle that's shaped like an "L"
                                      13. 22A
                                        Schoolyard retort
                                      14. 25A
                                        Exercise sounds
                                      15. 29A
                                        GINGER CAT, e.g.
                                      16. 30A
                                        This prefix is for the birds!
                                      17. 31A
                                        If you don't visit the baby marsupials at the zoo, you'll ___ the day
                                      18. 32A
                                        Famed computer that spells a fictional vessel when reversed
                                      19. 34A
                                        "I ate all these raw cabbage dishes, and now I'm so stuffed!" "Well, that's just ___ and effect"
                                      20. 36A
                                        Major in astronomy?
                                      21. 37A
                                        "bye 4 now"
                                      22. 38A
                                        "Our instructor is such an expert on the slopes!" "___ whiz!"
                                      23. 39A
                                        Some ACT takers
                                      Down
                                      1. 1D
                                        "You're eating spaghetti now? But it's ___ your bedtime!"
                                      2. 2D
                                        "Now ___ was saying..."
                                      3. 3D
                                        Smooth jazz musician Keiko or former Yankee Hideki
                                      4. 4D
                                        Like a good meringue
                                      5. 5D
                                        Nutritional fig.
                                      6. 6D
                                        "That plumber can sing!" "He's got the ___!"
                                      7. 7D
                                        "I love going back to Alaska - there's no place like ___!"
                                      8. 9D
                                        Means, sometimes
                                      9. 10D
                                        How you can stand
                                      10. 12D
                                        1/6 fl. oz.
                                      11. 15D
                                        Advanced HS civics-based course
                                      12. 18D
                                        Zagreb's country, to the IOC
                                      13. 19D
                                        Place to get PIN money, har har
                                      14. 21D
                                        Lifts
                                      15. 22D
                                        Parrot
                                      16. 23D
                                        Course catalog?
                                      17. 24D
                                        "You're the straw that ___ the drink!" - Kramer, to Jerry
                                      18. 26D
                                        Supplicates
                                      19. 27D
                                        Caterwaul
                                      20. 28D
                                        "Help! I can't solve this Level 5 meta!" (Me, this weekend)
                                      21. 30D
                                        Fruit comprised of 75% vowels (no, OREO is not a fruit...)
                                      22. 33D
                                        Pose, in a way
                                      23. 35D
                                        PO piece, perhaps
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