Madhatter5 constructed a number of cryptic crosswords back in the day which I very much enjoyed solving. However, he rarely (if ever?) included them in his MEOW series, probably because cryptics are not to everyone's taste - and they aren't usually metas, either. Well, allow me to rectify that! The answer to the meta is a girl's name. Answer & explanation: https://www.xword-muggles.com/viewtopic.php?p=144324#p144323
Check out "The MOAT MEOW Mashup Pack" here: https://www.ephesusscroll.com/about/interest4.html. US$10 gives you access to 14 metas that don't always abide by the "rules" of the game. You won't quite know what to expect: asymmetry, 2-letter words, uncrossed letters, sometimes all of those, and sometimes none! One thing is for sure, these are some of the more creative metas my brain has been able to come up with. And there's more: this time there's a mega-meta!
I will include an explanation for all clues when I post the answer next week!
SamKat9 24:01 · 2023-10-04T15:15:00.592Z
Thank you! :)
I K Snamhcok 🤓25:21 · 2023-10-04T15:00:58.162Z
I’m a cryptics doer, Ben, so this was in my wheelhouse. Thanks!
Hector 20:28 · 2023-10-04T15:55:25.519Z
A Sunday morning constant for many years was hunting down the hidden NINAs in Al Hirshfeld's drawings in the NYTimes
Cindy Heisler 2s · 2023-10-04T17:13:30.103Z
I almost didn't attempt this because it was cryptic. I am not usually very good at those. But, to my surprise, I filled in the grid fairly quickly. This was a fun one. Hopefully, I am climbing my way out of the meta slump that I have been in. Thanks, Ben!
Nice! I love cryptics, so I hope there will be more coming. The trick will be finding a unique metanism. ;) Thanks, Ben!
Meg 2s · 2023-10-04T17:38:08.786Z
So well-hidden! I’m impressed!
Laura M 🤓33:52 · 2023-10-04T19:14:30.152Z
I actually did the cryptic (in 34 minutes) without help, and understood it, a first for me! The meta took even longer but eventually I saw it, very nice "hidden in plain sight" mechanism.
YEESH! I know it always surprises folks but I am NOT good at these at all. I had to reveal at least a third. The solve was easy because that is an old Hatter trick.
Ergcat 28:30 · 2023-10-04T21:38:28.944Z
Finally! Read between the lines….
Fun to do a cryptic puzzle ( can’t believe I said that) and clever meta tie-in! Thanks, Ben!
Ergcat 28:30 · 2023-10-05T18:33:48.692Z
I also realized later that the meta prompt is (sort of) a cryptic hint to the answer. Word for "girl" in Spanish is NINA. And you had a couple of Spanish word clues in the grid. My guess is you already know that and it was intended hint. Clever!
Nice to be challenged slightly differently -- Thanks, Ben! Quite a trick to get that whole message into the grid so adroitly.
KayW 19:31 · 2023-10-06T19:59:45.943Z
Very well constructed!
ReB 3s · 2023-10-07T02:20:24.425Z
Enjoyed the cryptic cluing, Got all but the uncrossed squares for 3D and 26D, which unfortunately kept me from seeing the cryptic message without nudging. Ingenious idea.
i am certainly not the expert here, but i think cryptic hardliners would cry foul at 1d (no way to disambiguate) and definitely 26d (indirect anagrams are a huge no-no in the community i was in... to them i say "get gud"... to which they say to me "bruh, we're already leagues above you, get out and stop ruining our vibe"... to which i say, "... yeah, ok"). but it was still a good puzzle (no surprise there), with some fun and novel ideas for clues (maybe some which could use a little refinement, but thats personal taste), and of course a genius well-crafted meta
I don't normally get my puzzles checked by anyone - just create and publish, that's my motto! - but I should probably have had my cryptic clues edited by someone familiar with the genre. If there's a next time, I'll keep you in mind! ;-)