Hints for Solving Meta Contests
-
TheTunic
- Posts: 1
- Joined: Fri Jun 26, 2020 3:22 pm
Re: Hints for Solving Meta Contests
Hey fellow crossword fans. I've been solving the WSJ almost every day now and getting better at the later in the week challenges. I am finally starting to get the Friday ones filled out, but the themed answer still eludes me. When and where do people discuss the answer and how they got there? I know we don't want to ruin it right away, but I can never find the right answer afterwards.
-
Joe Ross
- Posts: 682
- Joined: Fri Apr 12, 2019 4:46 am
- Location: Cincinnati
WSJ's Monday Crossword has Friday's solution in the bottom-right corner. The Monday crossword is posted soon after midnight, Sunday.TheTunic wrote: ↑Fri Jun 26, 2020 3:29 pmHey fellow crossword fans. I've been solving the WSJ almost every day now and getting better at the later in the week challenges. I am finally starting to get the Friday ones filled out, but the themed answer still eludes me. When and where do people discuss the answer and how they got there? I know we don't want to ruin it right away, but I can never find the right answer afterwards.
Also, this forum on xword-muggles has posted all of the past Contest Crossword solutions.
Extensive discussion about each week's Friday Contest Crosswords
can be found here, each under its own topic.
Welcome, muggle! Please join in on the discussion. Ask more questions as they occur.
[Edit1] Speeling correction.
-
Joe Ross
- Posts: 682
- Joined: Fri Apr 12, 2019 4:46 am
- Location: Cincinnati
There are 3 basics I must have in mind as I solve the grid & after I have solved it:
**Asterisks, questions, parentheses, brackets, numbers, blanks, etc. These often point to what would be considered Theme Answers.
Since 3 of 4 of puzzles use Theme Entries in some manner, for me to begin by looking elsewhere for solutions is asking to be frustrated. If nothing else, I want to eliminate Theme Answers as being relevant. If clues are marked, there is no reason to begin elsewhere.
After establishing that there are or are not Theme Entries, I first relate these three basics to each other. I'll build lists of the different meanings of the words in the Puzzle Title & Meta Clues and see what clicks within the Theme Entries. I'll look for related words within the rest of the grid, clue answers that might give directions on what to do with the Theme Entries, etc.
If nothing pops, I'll move on to other strategies that may cover the other 27% of solutions.
- Puzzle Title - It is involved with the answer or the path to the answer in 100% of puzzles.
- Meta Clue - It is involved with the answer or the path to the answer in 100% of puzzles.
- Theme Clues & *Entries and **Marked Grid Clues - Are involved with the answer or the path to the answer in 73% of puzzles.
**Asterisks, questions, parentheses, brackets, numbers, blanks, etc. These often point to what would be considered Theme Answers.
Since 3 of 4 of puzzles use Theme Entries in some manner, for me to begin by looking elsewhere for solutions is asking to be frustrated. If nothing else, I want to eliminate Theme Answers as being relevant. If clues are marked, there is no reason to begin elsewhere.
After establishing that there are or are not Theme Entries, I first relate these three basics to each other. I'll build lists of the different meanings of the words in the Puzzle Title & Meta Clues and see what clicks within the Theme Entries. I'll look for related words within the rest of the grid, clue answers that might give directions on what to do with the Theme Entries, etc.
If nothing pops, I'll move on to other strategies that may cover the other 27% of solutions.