Thinking Inside the Box: WSJ, 01/01/21

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ChrisKochmanski
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Thinking Inside the Box: WSJ, 01/01/21

#1

Post by ChrisKochmanski »

A good New Year's Day for variety cryptics! See the thread on Neville Fogarty's "Happy New Year" puzzle -- and now this typically involving and fun HEX creation: https://www.wsj.com/articles/thinking-i ... 1609105978 Who needs football! :)
Jace54
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Location: Iowa

#2

Post by Jace54 »

The middle box was a nice finish to this puzzle! I had to think a bit to figure out the mini crossword.
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Meg
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#3

Post by Meg »

With the early WSJ metas, I completely forgot to check the Saturday variety. Yay!
OK. Have the grid and the interior. Fun!
Last edited by Meg on Fri Jan 01, 2021 7:18 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Check out and support http://CrosswordsForCancer.com.
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Richard B.
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#4

Post by Richard B. »

A nice way to start off the new year. The inside box was satisfying.
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RPardoe
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#5

Post by RPardoe »

Figured it was cryptic time as the acrostic was a few weeks ago.
Nice to be rewarded with a satisfying cryptic with a nice twist.
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KayW
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#6

Post by KayW »

Just solved puzzle and inside box. Another masterpiece! But I’m still trying to parse wordplay on 20 down... (and not asking for nudge - yet; still :shock: )
Contest Crosswords Combating Cancer (CCCC) is a bundle of 16 metapuzzles created to help raise money for cancer-related charities. It is available at CrosswordsForCancer.com.
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Al Sisti
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#7

Post by Al Sisti »

That was fun...
SewYoung
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#8

Post by SewYoung »

Finished the cryptic clues. The inner box did not jump out at me. Will have to look at it later when I have more time.
Jeanrosz
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#9

Post by Jeanrosz »

I finished and think I have the middle square but it seems clunky ??? Maybe I’m not right... will look again...
SewYoung
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#10

Post by SewYoung »

I think I have the Inner Box filled in.
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Dannyvee
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#11

Post by Dannyvee »

Got the inside box but can’t figure out 11a
Anyone have a hint that they can pm me or put behind a spoiler block?
I can be found in Sheridan, NY, veejaying. (8)
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BethA
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#12

Post by BethA »

Got it! (Both parts)

Am I back up on the cryptic horse? DNF the last several, felt like they had too many unknowns for my skill level, unable to get a foothold. Looks like I will keep trying. Good start to 2021!

Happy New Year!
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Hector
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#13

Post by Hector »

Dannyvee wrote: Sat Jan 02, 2021 3:25 pm Got the inside box but can’t figure out 11a
Anyone have a hint that they can pm me or put behind a spoiler block?
Bend is LEAN, river is ODER[\spoiler]
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BarbaraK
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#14

Post by BarbaraK »

Hector wrote: Sat Jan 02, 2021 5:52 pm
Dannyvee wrote: Sat Jan 02, 2021 3:25 pm Got the inside box but can’t figure out 11a
Anyone have a hint that they can pm me or put behind a spoiler block?
Bend is LEAN, river is ODER
Thank you! I had that answer but I didn't understand it.

And I was coming here to ask about 4D, but I just figured it out. (I initially got the last letter by solving the middle part and seeing what had to go there.)

I gather this is an easy cryptic. I'm grateful for that as I'm very new to these. This is the third one I've ever done (and the first two were multi-week efforts.) But the guys on the Fill Me In podcast talked a bunch about how they worked, and apparently enough stuck with me to make this doable.
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Annabelle
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#15

Post by Annabelle »

This was a lot of fun. My admiration for the creativity of HEX grows by the puzzle. Loved the clues crammed into the puzzle introduction about solving the box!
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