Variety cryptic by HEX in WSJ
- Richard B.
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- Location: upper west side, NYC
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- Posts: 513
- Joined: Fri Jun 05, 2020 7:38 pm
- Location: Iowa
This was a tough but very rewarding puzzle to complete. Tough for me to get a toehold in the grid, but finally found one and the rest gradually filled in. The inner circle ring reveal drew a laugh and also amazement. Great construction!
- Meg
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- Location: St. Petersburg, FL
- Richard B.
- Posts: 548
- Joined: Sat May 16, 2020 1:58 pm
- Location: upper west side, NYC
Reread the directions, stared at the grid, got a few answers, found a toehold, then things started to flow. A hard one, for sure!
- Al Sisti
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- Location: Whitesboro NY
Yep, a lot of erasures and backsteps, but very enjoyable, with (as usual) a clever final solution.
- Meg
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- Location: St. Petersburg, FL
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- Joined: Fri Apr 12, 2019 1:16 pm
- Location: New Richmond ohio
Absolutely one of the best in a long time...took me at least 6 hours, but loved every minute!
- Joe Ross
- Moderator
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- Joined: Fri Apr 12, 2019 4:46 am
- Location: Cincinnati
Apologies for its tardiness, but I took the Queen's challenge to create an Excel template. It should save an eraser or 8, as well as several reams of paper:
https://tinyurl.com/200815CrypticWtrmrkd
(Yes, that is a typo, but in the date in the name of the link, so I cannot correct it easily.)
[EDIT1: The Excel form has now been made usable & you have my apologies for the prior effort which made it nearly impossible to access the entry cells. I've allowed cells outside of the grid to be accessible & added brief instructions on how to navigate to the entry cells. Research has begun on watermarking the grid layout versus overlaying it upon the spreadsheet, thus make the entry cells directly accessible via mouse-click. Thank you for your patience & thank you, KayW, for your beh-tuh help!]
[EDIT2: Now linked is a version where the circular grid is WATERMARKED. This is the simplest to use, by far (I hope!). Feedback is appreciated.
[EDIT3: Screen capture added, below. NOTE: You may have to change your printer to get this view. I set mine to Adobe PDF. When set to my HP laser printer, the "NOTES:" are on another page. PM for help. Apologies for going on about this, but I've learned necessary tricks for creating Excel forms for future puzzles โ of all types โ that do not have an online solving option.]
https://tinyurl.com/200815CrypticWtrmrkd
(Yes, that is a typo, but in the date in the name of the link, so I cannot correct it easily.)
[EDIT1: The Excel form has now been made usable & you have my apologies for the prior effort which made it nearly impossible to access the entry cells. I've allowed cells outside of the grid to be accessible & added brief instructions on how to navigate to the entry cells. Research has begun on watermarking the grid layout versus overlaying it upon the spreadsheet, thus make the entry cells directly accessible via mouse-click. Thank you for your patience & thank you, KayW, for your beh-tuh help!]
[EDIT2: Now linked is a version where the circular grid is WATERMARKED. This is the simplest to use, by far (I hope!). Feedback is appreciated.
[EDIT3: Screen capture added, below. NOTE: You may have to change your printer to get this view. I set mine to Adobe PDF. When set to my HP laser printer, the "NOTES:" are on another page. PM for help. Apologies for going on about this, but I've learned necessary tricks for creating Excel forms for future puzzles โ of all types โ that do not have an online solving option.]
Last edited by Joe Ross on Sun Aug 16, 2020 12:18 pm, edited 3 times in total.
Whole blood, platelets, or plasma: Donate 4 in 2024
PLATELET ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ป๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ.
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ถ๐ ENORMOUS ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ:
๐ฐ๐ฌ% ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฎ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฐ,
๐ฏ๐ฌ% ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ต, ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ฐ,
๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ฟ & ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐บ๐ฎ. ๐ฃ๐๐๐๐ฆ๐ ๐ฆ๐๐๐ฅ๐!
PLATELET ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ป๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ.
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ถ๐ ENORMOUS ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ:
๐ฐ๐ฌ% ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฎ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฐ,
๐ฏ๐ฌ% ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ต, ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ฐ,
๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ฟ & ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐บ๐ฎ. ๐ฃ๐๐๐๐ฆ๐ ๐ฆ๐๐๐ฅ๐!
- ChrisKochmanski
- Posts: 2269
- Joined: Tue Apr 09, 2019 9:51 pm
- Location: Saline, Michigan
Got completely lost in this one -- and came out of it alive!
Much fun!
Much fun!
- Richard B.
- Posts: 548
- Joined: Sat May 16, 2020 1:58 pm
- Location: upper west side, NYC
Looking for the parsing to the 3rd clue of the โdโ spinners, โIโm back by myself, no good being sociableโ. Iโve got the answer just not the center portion of the parsing. DM me.
- KayW
- Moderator
- Posts: 3533
- Joined: Wed Apr 10, 2019 12:10 am
- Location: Chicago
Joe, that is really some amazing Excel wizardry. I can't believe you mapped that to an excel grid!Joe Ross wrote: โSat Aug 15, 2020 3:28 pm Apologies for its tardiness, but I took the Queen's challenge to create an Excel template. It should save an eraser or 8, as well as several reams of paper:
https://tinyurl.com/200815WSJCryptic
(Yes, that is a typo, but in the date in the name of the link, so I cannot correct it easily.)
Contest Crosswords Combating Cancer (CCCC) is a bundle of 16 metapuzzles created to help raise money for cancer-related charities. It is available at CrosswordsForCancer.com.
- KayW
- Moderator
- Posts: 3533
- Joined: Wed Apr 10, 2019 12:10 am
- Location: Chicago
...and an amazing puzzle! As a muggle, I chuckled at the answer to Radial #1.
Radial #10. I have the answer but not the wordplay.
Spinner a-4 I don't even have the answer for the spaces that are not crossed. ("We and our cousins chomp into some fruit")
I too am stuck on the wordplay for that clue, and two others.Richard B. wrote: โSat Aug 15, 2020 4:53 pm Looking for the parsing to the 3rd clue of the โdโ spinners, โIโm back by myself, no good being sociableโ. Iโve got the answer just not the center portion of the parsing. DM me.
Radial #10. I have the answer but not the wordplay.
Spinner a-4 I don't even have the answer for the spaces that are not crossed. ("We and our cousins chomp into some fruit")
Contest Crosswords Combating Cancer (CCCC) is a bundle of 16 metapuzzles created to help raise money for cancer-related charities. It is available at CrosswordsForCancer.com.
- Meg
- Posts: 2211
- Joined: Tue Apr 09, 2019 1:41 pm
- Location: St. Petersburg, FL
- KayW
- Moderator
- Posts: 3533
- Joined: Wed Apr 10, 2019 12:10 am
- Location: Chicago
Meg - I have often been told I am beyond help
But I still have those three questions. I can DM you as well - thank you so much!
edit: Meg, thank you SO much! doh, doh, and doh!
Contest Crosswords Combating Cancer (CCCC) is a bundle of 16 metapuzzles created to help raise money for cancer-related charities. It is available at CrosswordsForCancer.com.
- Joe Ross
- Moderator
- Posts: 5199
- Joined: Fri Apr 12, 2019 4:46 am
- Location: Cincinnati
Thank you for your patience, KayW, and for your beh-tuh help!KayW wrote: โSat Aug 15, 2020 6:04 pmJoe, that is really some amazing Excel wizardry. I can't believe you mapped that to an excel grid!Joe Ross wrote: โSat Aug 15, 2020 3:28 pm Apologies for its tardiness, but I took the Queen's challenge to create an Excel template. It should save an eraser or 8, as well as several reams of paper:
https://tinyurl.com/200815CrypticWtrmrkd
(Yes, that is a typo, but in the date in the name of the link, so I cannot correct it easily.)
The Excel form has now been made usable & you have my apologies for the prior effort which made it nearly impossible to access the entry cells.
I've allowed cells outside of the grid to be accessible & added brief instructions on how to navigate to the entry cells.
Research has begun on watermarking the grid layout versus overlaying it upon the spreadsheet, thus making the entry cells directly accessible via mouse-click.
Whole blood, platelets, or plasma: Donate 4 in 2024
PLATELET ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ป๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ.
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ถ๐ ENORMOUS ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ:
๐ฐ๐ฌ% ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฎ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฐ,
๐ฏ๐ฌ% ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ต, ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ฐ,
๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ฟ & ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐บ๐ฎ. ๐ฃ๐๐๐๐ฆ๐ ๐ฆ๐๐๐ฅ๐!
PLATELET ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ป๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ.
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ถ๐ ENORMOUS ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ:
๐ฐ๐ฌ% ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฎ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฐ,
๐ฏ๐ฌ% ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ต, ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ฐ,
๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ฟ & ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐บ๐ฎ. ๐ฃ๐๐๐๐ฆ๐ ๐ฆ๐๐๐ฅ๐!
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- Posts: 737
- Joined: Sun Apr 14, 2019 9:25 pm
- Location: Meridian, MS
Finally wrestled this one to the ground. For the Radials, I lightly penciled in the ones I knew in both directions so as to have the possible letters when trying to place the Spinners. When I was pretty sure of a spinner placement, I erased the Radial and wrote it in darker and larger in the right direction. Innermost ring very clever.
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- Posts: 260
- Joined: Fri Dec 20, 2019 5:12 pm
First time posting here. I really enjoyed this one. Had lots of trouble with Member of a lofty crew..... clue, but eventually got it and that led me to success. A great puzzle to work on Sunday after the ballgame was over.