MGWCC #790 — “To What Lengths Will You Go?”
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MikeyG
- Posts: 1413
- Joined: Wed Dec 30, 2020 2:52 pm
- Location: Chicago
- Contact:
Now featuring...Mike and the Birds!
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hcbirker
- Posts: 2038
- Joined: Thu Apr 11, 2019 7:24 pm
- Location: Studio City, CA
Submitted. Waiting for the beam up. 100 percenter in my opinion.
Heidi
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SJMcK
- Posts: 223
- Joined: Sat Jan 08, 2022 12:45 pm
- Location: Stockbridge, GA
- Contact:
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woozy
- Posts: 2236
- Joined: Mon Aug 10, 2020 12:40 am
I'm always worried, is this the week I lose my streak. This definitely has the potential.
Funny story. I was all set to enter Par for the course for the CrossHare midi contest for April but I mistakenly thought midi meant 7x 7 and not 11 x 11. Oops. Well.... Here's a complex but **small** meta on the subject of golf.
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benchen71
- Posts: 2480
- Joined: Thu Jul 22, 2021 8:50 pm
- Location: Melbourne, Australia
- Contact:
Awaiting the beam... [While I wait, how on earth did anyone do that in 4 minutes!?!]
... and I'm beamed at #97. Another top 100 finish!
... and I'm beamed at #97. Another top 100 finish!
Last edited by benchen71 on Sat Jul 22, 2023 6:47 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Check out "The MOAT MEOW Mashup Pack" here. US$10 for 14 metas that don't always abide by the "rules" of the game: asymmetry, 2-letter words, uncrossed letters, who knows. And this time there's a mega-meta! 
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HeadinHome
- Posts: 1101
- Joined: Sun Apr 26, 2020 9:06 am
- Location: Charlotte, NC
I’m with you, @benchen71 … something fishy going on here! or Rainman-esque? Yeah, definitely that.
Late start on this one (working when it came out, then the 4:00 zoom on the WSJ, then dinner out, then fell asleep on the ipad filling the grid). Looked at it this morning, and there it was. I had a couple false starts somewhat related to the actual answer, seeming to lead to an answer very similar to the real one.
Awaiting beam but 100%.
Late start on this one (working when it came out, then the 4:00 zoom on the WSJ, then dinner out, then fell asleep on the ipad filling the grid). Looked at it this morning, and there it was. I had a couple false starts somewhat related to the actual answer, seeming to lead to an answer very similar to the real one.
Awaiting beam but 100%.
The other Wendy. 
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Berto
- Posts: 360
- Joined: Sat Feb 05, 2022 4:10 pm
Had to have my vacant stare refocused on the right thing(s) and it jumped out like a jack-in-the-box. Fun solve, amazing construction!
100%-er so will patiently await beam without panicking when the board doesn’t update for what seems like hours
EDIT and of course this is the week it updates IMMEDIATELY and I’m last on the list
100%-er so will patiently await beam without panicking when the board doesn’t update for what seems like hours
EDIT and of course this is the week it updates IMMEDIATELY and I’m last on the list
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schmidzy
- Posts: 312
- Joined: Mon Oct 11, 2021 8:56 am
- Contact:
Beamed up! Had an early idea and thought, "that's interesting, maybe I should try to set a puzzle like that..." And while it was the wrong track, I ended up circling back around and the real mechanism was very close to where I started.
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AaronT
- Posts: 131
- Joined: Fri Jul 15, 2022 4:19 pm
Finally got it thanks to a simple comment from another solver that I wouldn’t classify as a nudge, per se, but it had the same effect! Kudos to those that solved it so quickly. Incredible.
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lbray53
- Posts: 1235
- Joined: Fri May 08, 2020 8:34 am
- Location: Elkhorn, WI
Finally nudged across the finish line. Lots of early solves and then things have slowed down. I think it was a Week 3 for some of us.
My avatar proves that it is sometimes better to be lucky than good!
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woozy
- Posts: 2236
- Joined: Mon Aug 10, 2020 12:40 am
WHoa! I never would have gotten it on my own. Don't know why my mind doesn't work that way for this actual step when it convolutes for others but... thank you Berto and Aaron T for your ability to give nudges without giving me any more than I already came up with myself but just forcing me to think of applying them in different spots for me.
Awaiting beam but... It's 100% that it is 100%.
Awaiting beam but... It's 100% that it is 100%.
Funny story. I was all set to enter Par for the course for the CrossHare midi contest for April but I mistakenly thought midi meant 7x 7 and not 11 x 11. Oops. Well.... Here's a complex but **small** meta on the subject of golf.
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Trish
- Posts: 81
- Joined: Sun Jan 08, 2023 7:22 pm
- Location: Dallas
Wow…brain cells are smoking here! Feeling sure and very accomplished right now! Waiting for confirmation!
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HunterX
- Posts: 1192
- Joined: Fri Dec 04, 2020 9:17 pm
- Location: Philadelphia, PA
Waiting to beam up. Submitted hours ago, but there haven’t been any updates since.
It’s definitely a 100%-er. No question about that. And quite an impressive construction. Kudos to those who saw the mechanism quickly! Not obvious at all if you ask me. Thanks to @HoldThatThought for noticing what lead me to it.
It’s definitely a 100%-er. No question about that. And quite an impressive construction. Kudos to those who saw the mechanism quickly! Not obvious at all if you ask me. Thanks to @HoldThatThought for noticing what lead me to it.
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rjy
- Posts: 1044
- Joined: Fri Oct 08, 2021 12:52 pm
- Location: Gaithersburg, MD
Got it! And one of those where the nudge I received was so so vague that it completely preserved the pretty great aha! which is why we do these things, right?
Anyhoo, this is another that’s fascinating to think about reverse engineering… coming up with the initial idea, then for Matt to start with the answer and work to get the various pieces he needed to all fall into place… just amazing!
Anyhoo, this is another that’s fascinating to think about reverse engineering… coming up with the initial idea, then for Matt to start with the answer and work to get the various pieces he needed to all fall into place… just amazing!
Ray
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Terragon
- Posts: 15
- Joined: Sun Aug 07, 2022 8:22 am
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MarkWoychick
- Site Admin
- Posts: 617
- Joined: Sun Jun 13, 2021 6:15 pm
- Location: Boise, ID
Better late than never, I suppose. I gave myself 30 minutes to look at it again before asking for help, and I got it! Or at least I'm pretty sure I got it. Waiting for the beam now.
Contest Crosswords Combating Cancer (CCCC) is a bundle of 16 contest-style (meta) crosswords that we've created to help raise money for cancer-related organizations - get the bundle at http://crosswordsforcancer.com
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Orsys
- Posts: 190
- Joined: Thu May 02, 2019 5:48 pm
Same here. And it was a true week 3!
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MikeyG
- Posts: 1413
- Joined: Wed Dec 30, 2020 2:52 pm
- Location: Chicago
- Contact:
I'm not sure if my in was the intended in or not, but I'll share after the deadline! Yes, a fun construction, definitely.HunterX wrote: ↑Sat Jul 22, 2023 10:43 pm Waiting to beam up. Submitted hours ago, but there haven’t been any updates since.
It’s definitely a 100%-er. No question about that. And quite an impressive construction. Kudos to those who saw the mechanism quickly! Not obvious at all if you ask me. Thanks to @HoldThatThought for noticing what lead me to it.
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DrTom
- Posts: 3828
- Joined: Sat Apr 20, 2019 6:46 pm
- Location: Jacksonville, FL
This one was a week 5 for me because I just did not see it, despite looking for all the things I usually do, nothing came about. Even with some dedicated shepherding it took both the crook and the dog to get me through the gate and into the meadow. As per usual, as a dabbler in the fine art of meta construction, I am amazed at the mind that can conceive this de novo. I mean sure the final path is not that complex, but to COME UP with this idea and make it work! Additionally, I am now convinced that Jangler is an AI program powered by a Craig supercomputer. To get this, understand this, fill this and solve this in 4 minutes. Sure once you see it the path is clear but to fill in all you needed to fill in - NO WAY this is a human, or perhaps not an Earthling. The truth is out there...
NUDGES!I am always willing to give nudges where needed; metas should be about fun, not frustration. Send me what you have done so far because often you are closer than you think!
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HoldThatThought
- Posts: 186
- Joined: Mon Sep 21, 2020 11:09 am
Just a random observation...
I have a habit of peeking into the active puzzle posts a couple of times a day; even after I have solved. I like to see what other people think, I like to be able to offer a nudge, if there's a recent request out, that may not have already been responded to, and, of course, we have a few resident wits, who are always worth a read (okay, not always).
What I do typically notice, though, are the names at the bottom of the screen, showing the number of other puzzlers who are also reading the thread. The thing that always gets me is how many "guests" seem to be reading these threads. I realize that some of these "guests" are actually regulars, who just haven't bothered signing in, but I also suppose that a fair number of these "guests" are regular puzzle players, who just haven't ever decided to take the plunge, and officially join the community. I imagine that some of these players regularly come here, week after week, reading the threads in the hope of gleaning some inadvertent nudge, or, perhaps, checking to see how difficult the community is finding that puzzle. ("Oh, now I don't feel so bad, this is a hard one")
I have absolutely no personal gain from saying this - I'm not a moderator here - but it always seems to me that those who feel like there's some benefit to reading these posts would find far greater benefit from joining the community. There's absolutely no cost to join, and the sign-up takes a few moments. As a member, you will have access to the large number of always helpful solvers who are willing to encourage and support others in their solving; there are groups who meet, in order to tackle puzzles together, and, best of all, perhaps, there have been no reported incidents (that I am aware of) of members biting other members in the last couple of years, at least. You don't need to become a regular commentor to join. It's everything you are getting out of the forum now, but more.
Give it some thought. I honestly can't think of any great reasons not to make the most of what's available to meta puzzle fans by joining our little group of regulars; some quite advanced, others still trying to improve their skills.
Just my two cents.
I have a habit of peeking into the active puzzle posts a couple of times a day; even after I have solved. I like to see what other people think, I like to be able to offer a nudge, if there's a recent request out, that may not have already been responded to, and, of course, we have a few resident wits, who are always worth a read (okay, not always).
What I do typically notice, though, are the names at the bottom of the screen, showing the number of other puzzlers who are also reading the thread. The thing that always gets me is how many "guests" seem to be reading these threads. I realize that some of these "guests" are actually regulars, who just haven't bothered signing in, but I also suppose that a fair number of these "guests" are regular puzzle players, who just haven't ever decided to take the plunge, and officially join the community. I imagine that some of these players regularly come here, week after week, reading the threads in the hope of gleaning some inadvertent nudge, or, perhaps, checking to see how difficult the community is finding that puzzle. ("Oh, now I don't feel so bad, this is a hard one")
I have absolutely no personal gain from saying this - I'm not a moderator here - but it always seems to me that those who feel like there's some benefit to reading these posts would find far greater benefit from joining the community. There's absolutely no cost to join, and the sign-up takes a few moments. As a member, you will have access to the large number of always helpful solvers who are willing to encourage and support others in their solving; there are groups who meet, in order to tackle puzzles together, and, best of all, perhaps, there have been no reported incidents (that I am aware of) of members biting other members in the last couple of years, at least. You don't need to become a regular commentor to join. It's everything you are getting out of the forum now, but more.
Give it some thought. I honestly can't think of any great reasons not to make the most of what's available to meta puzzle fans by joining our little group of regulars; some quite advanced, others still trying to improve their skills.
Just my two cents.