MGWCC #793 — "Consider the Alternative"
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A new favorite! Great aha moment, and a true week 2, IMO.
Edit/rephrase- the intended mechanism is a true week 2, IMO. There are a few oh-so-tempting dead ends, though.
Edit/rephrase- the intended mechanism is a true week 2, IMO. There are a few oh-so-tempting dead ends, though.
Last edited by eckmania on Sat Aug 12, 2023 11:22 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Submitted, awaiting beam - but have been reassured that I’ll be transporting to the correct destination and not an Alternative…
- Joe Ross
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Beaming.
Clue for 59A should be changed to "Et ___ (and other thingses')"
Comment with submission:
Clue for 59A should be changed to "Et ___ (and other thingses')"
- MajordomoTom
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Thanks Berto, beaming
59A clue: Hawaiian chief
59A clue: Hawaiian chief
"Lots of planets have a North", the Ninth Doctor.
- schmidzy
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Beamed up! This one reminded me of a Pandora's Blocks puzzle I really liked (I won't say which one)... although this one was MUCH easier!
- BarbaraK
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I've beamed up, and I've also got something I don't quite understand, though it may be just that I didn't solve in exactly the intended way.
If you want help with a meta, feel free to PM me. The more specific you are about what you have and what you want, the more likely I can help without spoiling.
(And if I help you win a mug, I’ll be especially delighted.)
(And if I help you win a mug, I’ll be especially delighted.)
- rjy
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Awaiting beamage, so I can’t confidently answer your question.But I feel like I did a legit Week 3 solve on a legit Week 2 puzzle… will be an interesting post-game discussionwoozy wrote: ↑Fri Aug 11, 2023 3:10 pm Oh, please tell me he's not doing what I think he's doing...
I think there's more than one solving path for this one, so I'll be curious to read people's experiences.
If he's doing what I think he's doing there's at least a couple hundred (and I'm not exaggerating) dead ends. Please tell me he's not doing with I'm almost certain he is doing.
[Edited] Beamed up… so I can answer your question, but probably better via PM… let me know
Ray
- HeadinHome
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Well that was… odd. What the what?? I think I had the same question/objection as @Meg. And I want my wasted hour back! I could have gotten to the solve very quickly but for the very shiny “keep going” trail markers. A week 2 unless you fell for this trick and couldn’t get the seeming second step to take you anywhere good, no matter how many times you checked and rechecked the math. Grrrr
The other Wendy.
- woozy
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Okay, I was prepared to hate it when I figured out what the nudge I was given (a slam to the head with a two by four) but when I figured what it meant I had to admit it was excellent word play so.... got to like it.
... but....
no-way was that a two. I definite 4 although it could be slid into a 3. ... and... the final answer itself was slightly anticlimactic... just slightly.
A good meta although I'm grumbling as I'd never have gotten it on my own. I should have but I wouldn't have.
Now back to the #@!$ WSJ.....
... but....
no-way was that a two. I definite 4 although it could be slid into a 3. ... and... the final answer itself was slightly anticlimactic... just slightly.
A good meta although I'm grumbling as I'd never have gotten it on my own. I should have but I wouldn't have.
Now back to the #@!$ WSJ.....
So I just plain couldn't get my meta based on "Up the Down Staircase" to work.
My challenge it to constructors is to make a meta where the meta, theme or metanism is "Up the Down Staircase".
My challenge it to constructors is to make a meta where the meta, theme or metanism is "Up the Down Staircase".
- benchen71
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Awaiting the beam... [nice aha moment, but before that ]
... and I'm beamed!
... and I'm beamed!
Last edited by benchen71 on Fri Aug 11, 2023 11:55 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!
- DrTom
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Looked and looked and looked and looked and came up with a mechanism that was wrong BUT led me to the right path. Beamed and beaming. Now back to the WSJ struggle.
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!
- hcbirker
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- Bob cruise director
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@HeadinHome I totally agree and had to get confirmation from @Wendy Walker that what @MaineMarge came up with was really the answer. There will be a lot of comments on The Fiend and here on TuesdayHeadinHome wrote: ↑Fri Aug 11, 2023 9:15 pm Well that was… odd. What the what?? I think I had the same question/objection as @Meg. And I want my wasted hour back! I could have gotten to the solve very quickly but for the very shiny “keep going” trail markers. A week 2 unless you fell for this trick and couldn’t get the seeming second step to take you anywhere good, no matter how many times you checked and rechecked the math. Grrrr
Bob Stevens
Cruise Director
Cruise Director
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Awaiting sure confirmation.
My comment to Matt was, like @HeadinHome’s Grrr
My comment to Matt was, like @HeadinHome’s Grrr
- Joe
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Same. I'm sure I'm missing something, but I got there.
Happy to give nudges. If you notice I've solved, please tell me about avenues you've explored so I can nudge you in the right direction and not off a cliff.
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I found this one very frustrating. I had the main part of the metanism pretty quickly, then wasted WAY too much time trying to derive an appropriate answer (I did find an inappropriate one) from what I thought clearly should have been the final step. I only solved it in the end by forcing myself to abandon the conviction “but it wouldn’t make any sense to….”HeadinHome wrote: ↑Fri Aug 11, 2023 9:15 pm Well that was… odd. What the what?? I think I had the same question/objection as @Meg. And I want my wasted hour back! I could have gotten to the solve very quickly but for the very shiny “keep going” trail markers. A week 2 unless you fell for this trick and couldn’t get the seeming second step to take you anywhere good, no matter how many times you checked and rechecked the math. Grrrr
- MarkWoychick
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After a few dead ends yesterday, I saw the light this morning - submitted and waiting for the beam up.
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
- HunterX
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@HeadinHome, @woozy, @Bob cruise director, @Leslie, and others (not mentioning 59A), I'm curious what alternative paths you speak of. I must have lucked out by finding the mechanism quickly and the answer pretty much immediately after. So I look forward to hearing about the misleading "trick" (HeadinHome) I overlooked. Almost (but not quite) sorry I missed it!
Awaiting transporter beam.
Awaiting transporter beam.
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I saw Step 1, I did everything you do with that in a Gaffney puzzle, and I have an eight-letter gibberish in my hands? What?
And as I was typing it I figured it out. Ditto the sentiments above, I don't know if I like it or not. I guess it had to be done this way, but it feels quite unrewarding in the end.
And as I was typing it I figured it out. Ditto the sentiments above, I don't know if I like it or not. I guess it had to be done this way, but it feels quite unrewarding in the end.
- Bob cruise director
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I sent a PM to you, @HeadinHome , @woozy, @Leslie @Meg and @Wendy Walker explaining the issue. It will not be public until after the MGWCC closes on Tuesday but if anyone wants to talk either send me a PM or we can set up a zoom call to discuss this.HunterX wrote: ↑Sat Aug 12, 2023 2:02 pm @HeadinHome, @woozy, @Bob cruise director, @Leslie, and others (not mentioning 59A), I'm curious what alternative paths you speak of. I must have lucked out by finding the mechanism quickly and the answer pretty much immediately after. So I look forward to hearing about the misleading "trick" (HeadinHome) I overlooked. Almost (but not quite) sorry I missed it!
Awaiting transporter beam.
Bob Stevens
Cruise Director
Cruise Director