Bob cruise director wrote: ↑Mon May 11, 2020 3:20 pmHope that's not a nudge.Eric Porter wrote: ↑Mon May 11, 2020 1:35 pmyourpalsal wrote: ↑Mon May 11, 2020 12:57 pm So are we thinking it will be under 800 correct answers this week? I was so psyched that I solved a tough one and thought my odds of a mug may skyrocket this time from 1/1500 to 1/750!
Past experiences would indicate about 780 submissions to the WSJ with about 585 correct. Hopefully we will know soon
"Build Your Brand" - May 8, 2020
- boharr
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- MarkL
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DrTom wrote: ↑Mon May 11, 2020 12:23 pmYeah, life is like that.
Little known fact* there was a covert attempt some years ago to have each individual square of the cereal with a different filling. There was to be caramel, toffee, strawberry cream, mocha, vanilla, etc. and everything was going well until a popular movie spilled the beans. They never forgave Tom Hanks for saying; "Life is like a box of chocolates!"
*This is all of course prevarication, a tale spun solely as a set-up for a bad pun. I should be ashamed, I am not.
Little known fact* there was a covert attempt some years ago to have each individual square of the cereal with a different filling. There was to be caramel, toffee, stra
--- for those scoring at home
'tis... A lovely day for a Guinness!
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I’m of the opinion it’s bad form for a grid constructor to have any one answer that is a proper name be crossed by more than one other answer that is a proper name. Most constructors tend to abide by that but I’ve noticed this is less true of the one who construct meta puzzles - especially PGW.
- Bob cruise director
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I agree especially if the two names are fairly obscure (yes we are talking about you Marie Kondo et al). I think that the challenge that the meta puzzles have is that they are simultaneously constructing the grid and also getting in the meta. Sooner or later you run out of options and have to resort to obscure names.TPS wrote: ↑Mon May 11, 2020 3:44 pmI’m of the opinion it’s bad form for a grid constructor to have any one answer that is a proper name be crossed by more than one other answer that is a proper name. Most constructors tend to abide by that but I’ve noticed this is less true of the one who construct meta puzzles - especially PGW.
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Cruise Director
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um, ok...I chose not to get a nudge and I'm glad. It makes sense, I suppose. Maybe I should've seen that. The mustang clue and maybe the singer clue felt a little weird. But ok, let's see what this week brings.DBMiller wrote: ↑Mon May 11, 2020 12:00 am There are five brands found in the clues (Not the grid!), that are confirmed to be one of the meta-related items because they also have an alternate answer in one of the long answers.
22a) Job for a SINGER = Aria/Torn Curtain
68a) Frequent openers and closers in a SUBWAY = Doors/Toaster Ovens
1d) Must-have for a MUSTANG, maybe = Oats/Premium Gasoline
55a) Useful tool when you're hitting a TARGET = Bow/Shopping Cart
6a) It has abundant LIFE = Earth/Cereal Aisle
The first letters of the original answers in order of the longer answers spells ADOBE
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Bob cruise director wrote: ↑Mon May 11, 2020 3:51 pm I think that the challenge that the meta puzzles have is that they are simultaneously constructing the grid and also getting in the meta. Sooner or later you run out of options and have to resort to obscure names.
I agree - so I definitely cut them more slack than someone constructing a non meta puzzle. I mean I get it’s hard either way - I could never do it but I still appreciate it when the constructors follow those sorta unwritten rules.
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Oh heck no, politics and religion are tabooMajordomoTom wrote: ↑Mon May 11, 2020 2:58 pm so far no discussion about the other brand in the puzzle?
CHRISTIAN DIOR
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!
- DrTom
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What the heck, I had an asterisk, so I did!MarkL wrote: ↑Mon May 11, 2020 3:43 pmDrTom wrote: ↑Mon May 11, 2020 12:23 pmYeah, life is like that.
Little known fact* there was a covert attempt some years ago to have each individual square of the cereal with a different filling. There was to be caramel, toffee, strawberry cream, mocha, vanilla, etc. and everything was going well until a popular movie spilled the beans. They never forgave Tom Hanks for saying; "Life is like a box of chocolates!"
*This is all of course prevarication, a tale spun solely as a set-up for a bad pun. I should be ashamed, I am not.
Little known fact* there was a covert attempt some years ago to have each individual square of the cereal with a different filling. There was to be caramel, toffee, stra
--- for those scoring at home
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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I was out in the western suburbs of Chicago at a local forest preserve. Someone on the Illinois Birding Facebook page said that, according to the radar (bird flocks actually show up on weather radar although I haven't been able to figure out how to read it). Anyway, the radar showed that there should be good birding in northern IL on Sunday--and he was definitely right. Hope they come flying by you soon!Bob cruise director wrote: ↑Mon May 11, 2020 3:16 pmWhere are you. The warblers are only very slowly coming into NE. Maybe this storm will blow them in and we will have a great fall out.
- EdStrong
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I got the meta somehow, but am still not sure what BSIX is - “left hand row”?? Bingo? Anyone else find this one peculiar?
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Yes, I assumed that’s bingo.
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Wow. I just looked.Nycerjohnnie wrote: ↑Mon May 11, 2020 10:36 am The comments on WSJ are pretty funny. People are...angry??
I may not always enjoy a puzzle, but I generally don't get angry at them or the people who make them. I am grateful that there are constructors out there who come up with this stuff -- and who challenge me regularly.
I would be less happy if I were never challenged like this puzzle challenged me, but not unhappy enough to rant about it online.
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Left-end of a row, I get. Left hand row? There is no such thing (unless you turn your head sideways). I wondered if the clue was "corrected" to "left hand row" after it left MG.
Perhaps others will enlighten us.
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BSIX is B-6, which is a number/letter combination found in Bingo
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Yes, this distracted me for a while. As did the clue for 14A, which began with "BUILDing..."MajordomoTom wrote: ↑Mon May 11, 2020 2:58 pm so far no discussion about the other brand in the puzzle?
CHRISTIAN DIOR
- GerryWhite
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Hmm, I always seem to miss the ones that require an examination of the clues, rather than just the grid.
I make a mental note each time it happens, but it doesn't do any good...
I make a mental note each time it happens, but it doesn't do any good...
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I also picked up on this peculiar one, and I agree about the non-sensical "left hand row" bit. I even matched it up with OP ED COLUMN, thinking words from the clues needed to be swapped with words from the grid (since "left hand COLUMN" would have made much more sense).flyingMoose wrote: ↑Mon May 11, 2020 5:01 pmLeft-end of a row, I get. Left hand row? There is no such thing (unless you turn your head sideways). I wondered if the clue was "corrected" to "left hand row" after it left MG.
Perhaps others will enlighten us.
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The DIOR answer was kind of a red herring, eh?
I also found the PING in shopping cart kind of distracting.
now that I think about, yeah...those 5 clues were pretty weirdly written, I should've put more thought into that instead of plumbing the 5 meta-answers for some sort of hidden message, as is gaffney's want.
I also found the PING in shopping cart kind of distracting.
now that I think about, yeah...those 5 clues were pretty weirdly written, I should've put more thought into that instead of plumbing the 5 meta-answers for some sort of hidden message, as is gaffney's want.
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I tried to tie those two together, too.tigerfly222 wrote: ↑Mon May 11, 2020 5:20 pmI also picked up on this peculiar one, and I agree about the non-sensical "left hand row" bit. I even matched it up with OP ED COLUMN, thinking words from the clues needed to be swapped with words from the grid (since "left hand COLUMN" would have made much more sense).flyingMoose wrote: ↑Mon May 11, 2020 5:01 pmLeft-end of a row, I get. Left hand row? There is no such thing (unless you turn your head sideways). I wondered if the clue was "corrected" to "left hand row" after it left MG.
Perhaps others will enlighten us.
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Even though I DID read the clues several times, I still missed the double meanings. This one was just over my head.