43. Each Gobbler

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A belated happy Thanksgiving! I am stuffed (like my turkey).

It was surreal to watch one of my dreams come true with my guest stop on MGWCC #755 last week, which I assume if you're reading this, you're reading that (though not necessarily the other way around!). I welcome the new puzzlers to my meta blog! You're JUST MY TYPE (I had to, one last time). This blog was originally regular crosswords, but the meta bug bit me, and so metas seem to be the permanent law of the land, so I believe!

1. Puzzle #42 recap

Puzzle #42 answer: FACETIOUSLY

Correct entries: 43

While I'm not the biggest fan of anagramming in a meta, since I like there to be a systematic way to spell out any meta answer, that was unavoidable here - but the last clue LESS implies that there are only 11 of something in this grid.

The something in question are the letters themselves! Maybe a casual puzzle with a lot of common letters and crosswordese will get to 16-18 unique letters, but for a puzzle to contain only 11 unique letters is certainly suspect (especially with a couple common letters, "N" and "R," nowhere to be found).

Once we recognize there are only 11 letters (ACEFILOSTUY in alphabetical order), the only step left is to rearrange them into our answer. The prompt tells us we have a single word, one that likely ends in the letters "-LY" based on the prompt, and it was convenient that all six vowels (even including "Y"!) come in alphabetical order in the word! That semi-known factoid applies to the meta answer FACETIOUSLY, which is definitely how I clue!

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2. A special shout-out to whimsy for some last-minute test solving and suggestions, especially during the holiday weekend! We're agreeing Level 3 seems fitting for this one.

Until next time, happy puzzling!

Mikey G

The answer to the meta is a phrase that I wish applied to solving crosswords.