Prompt: This week’s contest answer is a well-known movie of the past decade.
Answer: ZOOTOPIA
Correct entries: 387

I filled in for Joon this week at Diary of a Crossword Fiend, self-blogging MGWCC #660. Read it here.

Speaking of Crossword Fiend: its founder, the great Amy Reynaldo, writes:

Amy Zekas approves of this meta.

(That’s her maiden name, if you didn’t know).

Josh Audibert says:

A bit crafty! Definitely eligible for “grand”. Haha I just knew letters made nearly optimal puzzle qualities. Really says that unless vowels weave, x’s you zap.

How long did it take you to figure out what was going on there? I’m embarrassed to admit how long it took me (OK, OK: it was, no joke, “x’s you zap”…)

Silverskiesdean had a memorable “eureka”:

omigod x infinity, and I truly ran around the house hyperventilating saying that over and over which at 67 years of age is probably not too good for me. But, I wonder, since you write them, do you ever get that great moment of solving? I mean, After looking at this almost non-stop since Saturday, I finally figured that I couldn’t wait until tomorrow to see the answer but I couldn’t stop looking at it. I noticed all the letters were used, but that did not help per se. I suppose it was when I said to myself to forget the title and look at the puzzle and clues because I thought there was something superfluous about the clues, that I had an inkling about what was going on.

First I saw every letter was used but didn’t get the significance of that. I guess finally when I noticed the first three clues and matched them with the first letters of the first three answers, was the start. I didn’t know for sure about the answer, but felt like I had the first inkling in days. That’s when I made coffee and did the omigod dance around the room.

And finally, Dave C says:

I’m so excited to be 4 for 4! And I will be ready for you to destroy me next week!

Let’s see what happens…

THIS WEEK’S INSTRUCTIONS:

This week’s contest answer is seven letters long.