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crossword 5:30
meta DNF
hi there and welcome to episode #760 of matt gaffney’s weekly crossword contest, “Phrase for Phrase”. for this week 3 puzzle, the directions inform us that this week’s reply is one thing you’ll be for those who get the meta. okay. what are the theme solutions? i don’t know. it’s an enormous grid (19×19), and the one explicitly indicated themer is the final throughout reply: {Yr the crossword puzzle celebrated its a centesimal anniversary; or, the place to seek out the meta reply} MMXIII. that’s 2013 in roman numerals. what does it imply that that’s the place we’re to seek out the meta reply? i don’t know.
my first thought was to examine the mgwcc archives for 2013. i didn’t actually suppose it made sense to look by way of 52 puzzles for something that stood out, however because the a centesimal anniversary of the crossword was in december, i assumed i’d at the very least take a look at the puzzles from december 2013. i did discover this puzzle which i had missed the primary time round since i usually take this week off from running a blog the mgwcc, and it’s a tour de pressure, however i don’t see that it essentially has something to do with this week’s puzzle. i additionally discovered one other puzzle known as “phrase for phrase”, coincidentally additionally a year-end puzzle however from 2021, not 2013. it’s a wonderful meta, and though it does have the identical title as this week’s puzzle, i don’t see what else it has to do with something.
what else can or not it’s? i suppose we may take a look at entries 20 and 13, though writing it as a roman numeral undoubtedly means that we should always interpret MMXIII as “two thousand 13” as a substitute of “twenty 13”. 20-across is {Nightmare} ORDEAL, and there’s each a 13-across {Gag} JOKE and a 13-down {One nook of a Monopoly board} JAIL. neither of these appears to level to something. however each {Nightmare} and {Gag} are one-word clues, so perhaps we’re presupposed to be one-word clues once more (as within the 2021 meta of the identical title). it could possibly’t harm:
- {Gag} JOKE.
- {Nightmare} ORDEAL.
- {Simply} RIGHT.
- {Youth} KID.
- {Evil} BAD.
- {Pressing} DIRE.
- {Brainiac} GENIUS.
- {Ardor} ZEST.
- {Taxi} CAB.
- {Greater} UPPER.
- {Pic} PHOTO.
- {Dry} XERIC. this one is putting—that’s a quite common clue phrase and a really uncommon reply phrase.
- {Fourfold} QUADRUPLED.
- {Labor} WORK.
- {Clever} SAGE.
- {Object} ITEM.
- {Quest} MISSION.
- {Idle} LAZY.
- {Zeal} ENTHUSIASM. that is additionally fascinating, since all 4 of ardor, ZEST, zeal, and ENTHUSIASM are synonymous.
- {Khaki} TAN.
- {Moniker} NAME.
- {Area} AREA.
- {Saharan} HOT. okay, undoubtedly ringing alarm bells right here—saharan would extra generally clue dry, moderately than simply HOT. one thing should be happening with this and XERIC.
- {Compete} VIE.
- {Xanthous} YELLOW. one other bizarre phrase beginning with X! i’m beginning to suppose perhaps there’s a series.
- {Videotape} FILM.
okay, that is undoubtedly one thing. there are 26 one-word clues, one beginning with every letter of the alphabet, and their 26 solutions additionally begin with A-Z as soon as every. however what’s the following step? sorting them alphabetically by clue or by reply, presumably, however nothing jumps out at me both means. i suppose Gag => JOKE and Nightmare => ORDEAL are a place to begin, however i’m unsure what i’m presupposed to see there both. chaining the letters so as from there doesn’t spell something out that i can see. weirdly, P is a hard and fast level because of Pic => PHOTO.
effectively, i obtained type of shut, perhaps, however on the final minute, and now i’m out of time. oh effectively. let me know within the feedback what i missed.
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