ChrisKochmanski wrote: ↑Mon Apr 27, 2020 3:57 pm
This is either harder than a 2.5, or I'm just not seeing it -- the latter of which being more likely.
Though I remain intrigued. So I'll return to staring at the grid soon.
This was a well-constructed puzzle. And for a first-timer? I was impressed.
Re: Ticket to Ride (First meta)
Posted: Tue Apr 28, 2020 2:08 pm
by ChrisKochmanski
Yay! With some nudging (uh, maybe more like shoving), I finally got it. And as it happens, an early wild guess turned out to be the solution. Though it took me until now to find the meta way to get there.
Good one! Clever, and very nicely hinted at (which I can now see clearly in hindsight).
I do have a slight nitpick. I'll wait, obviously, for the answer to be announced before sharing. I believe other solvers may have the same minor criticism. (Then again, my nitpick may have to do with me just missing something -- which wouldn't be surprising.)
Very impressive, especially for a first try.
Congrats to Djquimby!
Re: Ticket to Ride (First meta)
Posted: Tue Apr 28, 2020 2:22 pm
by Djquimby
Any preference on how and when to post the solution? Is there a spoiler tag?
Re: Ticket to Ride (First meta)
Posted: Tue Apr 28, 2020 11:15 pm
by BrianMac
Djquimby wrote: ↑Tue Apr 28, 2020 2:22 pm
Any preference on how and when to post the solution? Is there a spoiler tag?
Dealer's choice. Unfortunately, no spoiler tag, but sometimes we use ROT-13.
Re: Ticket to Ride (First meta)
Posted: Wed Apr 29, 2020 6:15 am
by Cindy
I think I have it. It is definitely not the answer I came up with yesterday.
Re: Ticket to Ride (First meta)
Posted: Wed Apr 29, 2020 7:42 am
by Meg
With some collaboration, finally!
Re: Ticket to Ride (First meta)
Posted: Wed Apr 29, 2020 8:47 am
by FrankieHeck
There's an answer I want to get, but I can't figure out how to get there. (Or to any other answer...)
Re: Ticket to Ride (First meta)
Posted: Wed Apr 29, 2020 9:04 am
by Djquimby
ChrisKochmanski wrote: ↑Tue Apr 28, 2020 2:08 pmI do have a slight nitpick. I'll wait, obviously, for the answer to be announced before sharing. I believe other solvers may have the same minor criticism. (Then again, my nitpick may have to do with me just missing something -- which wouldn't be surprising.)
Solution pages added to the original post.
I have a self-nitpick about the final step of the meta, so I'm interested to see if it's in the same vicinity.
ChrisKochmanski wrote: ↑Tue Apr 28, 2020 2:08 pmI do have a slight nitpick. I'll wait, obviously, for the answer to be announced before sharing. I believe other solvers may have the same minor criticism. (Then again, my nitpick may have to do with me just missing something -- which wouldn't be surprising.)
Solution pages added to the original post.
I have a self-nitpick about the final step of the meta, so I'm interested to see if it's in the same vicinity.
Nice! I was trying to get that answer and was halfway there, but didn't take the necessary next step. I have been having meta troubles lately!
Re: Ticket to Ride (First meta)
Posted: Wed Apr 29, 2020 11:14 am
by Al Sisti
Very impressive; multiple levels of elegance. Hope you have more in the quiver...
Thanks, Hector. These look pretty simple to implement. I will take a look and see what I can do.
Re: Ticket to Ride (First meta)
Posted: Wed Apr 29, 2020 2:12 pm
by MajordomoTom
nicely done and nice construction.
it was my second guess, but I hadn't discovered the mechanism. agree, very elegant.
Re: Ticket to Ride (First meta)
Posted: Wed Apr 29, 2020 4:57 pm
by BrianMac
Very nicely done! I didn't get the meta, but I should have. I zeroed in on the answer TONY HAWK, as a quote-unquote "athlete" who "rode" something, and I just couldn't let go of it.
***************************
I am testing out one of the Spoiler features that Hector linked to. It is accomplished by putting the language you want "protected" into BBCode, the same way you would with bold, italics or underline:
You just click on the spoiler button to reveal it, and again to hide it.
There is also an option to add a button next to the bold, italics, underline buttons, so you just have to highlight the "secret" text and then click the button (again, the same way bold, italics, underline work). I am a little hesitant to add that, however, because I'm worried people might see it as an invitation to post spoilers prior to a contest's deadline, particularly in the WSJ forum. I wish I could limit the functionality to just this forum and the Lounge, but it can only be site-wide.
Re: Ticket to Ride (First meta)
Posted: Wed Apr 29, 2020 5:12 pm
by Al Sisti
BrianMac wrote: ↑Wed Apr 29, 2020 4:57 pm
Very nicely done! I didn't get the meta, but I should have. I zeroed in on the answer TONY HAWK, as a quote-unquote "athlete" who "rode" something, and I just couldn't let go of it.
***************************
I am testing out one of the Spoiler features that Hector linked to. It is accomplished by putting the language you want "protected" into BBCode, the same way you would with bold, italics or underline:
You just click on the spoiler button to reveal it, and again to hide it.
There is also an option to add a button next to the bold, italics, underline buttons, so you just have to highlight the "secret" text and then click the button (again, the same way bold, italics, underline work). I am a little hesitant to add that, however, because I'm worried people might see it as an invitation to post spoilers prior to a contest's deadline, particularly in the WSJ forum. I wish I could limit the functionality to just this forum and the Lounge, but it can only be site-wide.
Very cool!
Re: Ticket to Ride (First meta)
Posted: Wed Apr 29, 2020 5:25 pm
by Hector
A little discussion of the clever mechanism, slightly off-color as well: I guess the Pearl with Nashville as home is Minnie. She didn't come to mind, even though I knew the OYSTER go-with had to start with N. Nor did Minnie jump out with whatever googling I tried, so I looked to the other N-entries: NASS (nothing helpful there) and . . . NADS. Aha! Is there perhaps a sense of "pearl" that could denote a thing "at home" among 'nads? That led me to web pages with endless lists of synonyms for private parts, none of which, alas, included "pearl."
Edit: cool implementation of the spoiler mechanism---thanks, Brian!
Re: Ticket to Ride (First meta)
Posted: Wed Apr 29, 2020 6:30 pm
by MajordomoTom
yep, that RISD mascot ... wow, very interesting that they're that edgy.
Re: Ticket to Ride (First meta)
Posted: Wed Apr 29, 2020 6:56 pm
by BarbaraK
BrianMac wrote: ↑Wed Apr 29, 2020 4:57 pm
I am a little hesitant to add that, however, because I'm worried people might see it as an invitation to post spoilers prior to a contest's deadline, particularly in the WSJ forum. I wish I could limit the functionality to just this forum and the Lounge, but it can only be site-wide.
That was my first thought when I read about this idea. It would be convenient for post-deadline discussions and no-deadline puzzles, but I wouldn't want to see it used while a contest is running.
