Explanation: Every single clue - with 8 exceptions - start with that clue's corresponding number from the periodic table. The 8 that don't all would've had two-letter symbols; the bigrams, instead, in the clue are as follows (in numerical order): 12: FI, 18: ND, 22: NI, 25: NE, 30: CS, 37: YM, 40: BO, 46: LS. This gives us the message "Find nine C-symbols," and there are 9 elements from 1 - 52 (highest grid number) that contain a "C" (most start, but beware of scandium and technetium!). These numbers' corresponding squares in the grid spell END TABLES, the answer to the meta, a fitting one since element #118 literally ends the periodic table. (The entry for 17-A is a bit more awkward than I would like, but that was to accommodate the 17 needing to be an "N."
Oh, scandium. I made this puzzle and was all ready to go: it had the original prompt END TABLE, which I still like a hair better. Everything was good, and then I realized...I didn't catch scandium's Sc. It was impossible to edit the puzzle, so I had to scrap it (yes, all the clues were already written!!) and start over. 'Tis the life of a meta cruciverbalist! Hope this puzzle got a good "reaction" out of you LOLOL.
boharr 3s · 2024-12-15T21:23:18.134Z
Oy. Did I need help or what? At least I recalled Tommie Agee’s position.
Whew! Finally! Had everything up through the current nudges (#6) since last week when testing. Took me this long of on and off looksies to get enough of the letters (yes, Timon scurried away from me!) to deduce the answer. Thanks, Mikey, for the opportunity to solve one of my most difficult challenges ever!
I had to be dragged to the answer - it must have taken a herculean effort to construct because I got confused even after I got some HUGE nudges and I still do not think I have it exactly right, just enough to get to a point where I could see END TABLES and realized witht he meta that it probably fit. Trouble is I got 8 things that started with C and then needed another, and was told that I needed to look at the second letter...and then I had 10 things. It seems that 30D C.S. Lewis, though it counted as an element, does not figure in the final solve because it gives an A out of place...or I just did something wrong. Oh well I am glad it is solved and I can stop obsessing, I'll wait for the full explanation.
I think I finally realized that. In truth by that point I was so confused I was ready to put down anything. If oit was that hard to keep the solving straight I cannot imagine how hard it was to create!
But thanks for the explanation.
whimsy 🤓6:33 · 2024-12-19T02:55:47.727Z
Lord knows, I empathize with the confusion -- but I think it's more because Cs is element 55 and therefore beyond the grid.
I wonder if there's a correlation between difficulty to create and solve. This was probably one of the toughest to create all year, for sure. Yeah, I was restricted by a 16-letter message (guess I could've went more, now that I think about it?), and so I was kind of implying only ones that you'd see in the grid.
That is awesome!! Keep up the great work - you're already an awesome addition to this community!
ELSavage 🤓15:50 · 2024-12-18T15:09:01.748Z
I was drawn to the title, since I know my periodic table, but maybe too much knowledge was a dangerous thing, since it gave me so many more rabbit holes to chase.
KayW 🤓2:40 · 2024-12-19T01:46:39.430Z
Holy moly what a construction! I can't even imagine how tough it must have been to create the grid and clues.
Yes. Hahaha. Took about 6 - 8 hours, I'd say! And there was a second grid that had a flaw that couldn't be fixed, so that was another 4 - 6 there. Whew!!
Qmark 3s · 2024-12-21T00:30:47.712Z
I first went down the rabbit hole of crossing out element symbols at the start of grid entries...which of course got me nowhere. Let the puzzle sit for a few days and needed the first nudge to direct me to the clues instead...brilliant construction, Mikey!