"No Oxford Man"

[damefox]

Off the couch (is that what we say?), with some assistance. As to 64A, I will not.

there is a fine balance somewhere between spoon-feeding a solution path and having people read our minds.

This one I think strikes that balance. The latter is what I refer to as "an inside joke the constructor has with themselves." I wonder how many "regular" crosswords fall into this category, unbeknownst to us solvers.

[Meg]

Al, I think you're being too tough on yourself. We're big people; we can take a challenging puzzle from time to time.

Early on, I was frustrated with this one, getting nowhere, but then I noticed something ... and another ... and the puzzle became mucho fun for me from that point on. (It did help, though, to have someone steer me away from a rabbit hole I was in. As in: "Don't waste time there.")

Thanks... what we are finding out is that there is a fine balance somewhere between spoon-feeding a solution path and having people read our minds. Sometimes it's a weirdly-worded clue, or multiple references to a common theme in the clues, sometimes it's use of one of the "special" grid sections (center, SE entry), or wording of the title (again, we don't want people getting the answer just by looking at the title), and so on. And look at me -- giving advice on tricks/considerations when writing a meta, when I'm basically a toddler in the field. If I do continue doing these, I can envision looking back at my words someday and cringing at the hubris.

Al, I don’t think a toddler can actually have hubris, but honestly, you deserve a little just for constructing these metas. I hope you are having fun learning. I am having fun walking into furniture in the dark recesses of my brain. I just love that feeling when the last little piece of the meta falls into place and I can’t believe I missed it over and over for so long!

[ChrisKochmanski]

Yes, this puzzle had, for me, a delicious aha moment. It was when ... oh, I can't tell, because it would give things away.

What I also liked is that the puzzle wasn't then done for me with that aha. The aha didn't give me the answer, it just got me on a fun path to the answer.

[TMart]

Pretty sure I've stumbled my way off the couch. Great puzzle with lots of nice ahas.

So when someone solves a meta -- no matter how tough, or how many people solve it -- credit goes to the solver. When no-one solves it, blame goes to the constructor.

To me, this is the most difficult part of trying to create a good and satisfying meta - there's a very fine line between genius and stupid. Zero solves is a scary thought. Al and Brian, you guys have done a great job with these, and have set the bar very high with some great puzzles. I think next week we're going to be testing that very fine line.

[Al Sisti]

Pretty sure I've stumbled my way off the couch. Great puzzle with lots of nice ahas.

So when someone solves a meta -- no matter how tough, or how many people solve it -- credit goes to the solver. When no-one solves it, blame goes to the constructor.

To me, this is the most difficult part of trying to create a good and satisfying meta - there's a very fine line between genius and stupid. Zero solves is a scary thought. Al and Brian, you guys have done a great job with these, and have set the bar very high with some great puzzles. I think next week we're going to be testing that very fine line.

...and we can't wait!

[TMart]

Annnnd.......I'm back on the couch. Not quite there, and think I need a nap!

Update: Off the couch! Landed hard in the floor this time, thanks to gentle nudge towards the missing pieces.

[Abide]

Ready for Nudge Wednesday.........

[Al Sisti]

Okay, for those who need nudges, here are three in ROT13 (rot13.com), in order of "gentle" to "shove." Open only those you need.

1. Jura lbh nqq n pbzzn gb gur gvgyr, vg punatrq gur zrnavat. Gurer ner fvk bgure vafgnaprf va gur pyhrf jurer gung nyfb unccraf.

2. Gubfr arj nafjref pna or sbhaq va gur tevq… Ohg gur vavgvny yrggref fgvyy qba’g fcryy nalguvat frafvoyr

3. … fb tb onpx gb gurve pyhrf.

[LaceyK]

Off the couch after many little nudges. My grid print out is beyond marked up! Very clever.

[Laura M]

I'm off the couch but needed a forklift this time (in the form of Al's ROT13-ed hints)! Subtle is not a word I would normally associate with Al, but I think it applies to this meta :-)

[Abide]

Very cool, Alex! I got there fairly quickly off the first rot-13 nudge.

[FrankieHeck]

Consider me off the couch (figuratively speaking only) after using a hint from Al and the buddy system to solve the final third of it. Please don't write any metas that you think are a week 4, Al!

[Al Sisti]

Consider me off the couch (figuratively speaking only) after using a hint from Al and the buddy system to solve the final third of it. Please don't write any metas that you think are a week 4, Al!

I'm learning...

[Al Sisti]

Reveal for "No Oxford Man" follows (skip down if you're ready)






In case I didn’t make it obvious with my entries at 54D, 64A and 48D, I am not a fan of the Oxford comma (adding a comma to the title makes it read “No Oxford, Man!”). Adding commas can completely change the meaning of a phrase! There were six clues presented without commas that yielded traditional answers:

9D: Three at one time = THRICE
11D: Journey home with Dr. Timothy Leary = TRIP
38D: Royal Navy follower = UBOAT
45D: Look in the past = PONDER
55D: One for one = SWAP
56D: Boston Cream, for example = PIE

But adding a comma to these clues gives them a completely different reading, resulting in another grid entry:

9D: Three, at one time = III (from 41D)
11D: Journey home, with Dr. Timothy Leary = FRISCO (from 22D)
38D: Royal, Navy follower = BLUE (from 35A)
45D: Look, in the past = MAGAZINE (from 20A)
55D: One, for one = SQUARE (from 32A)
56D: Boston, Cream, for example = BAND (from 50D)

…and reading the first letter of the clues for those six new words, in order:

20A Repository for ammunition
22D Earthquake site of 1906
32A Four-sided polygon
35A Unhappy
41D Surname qualifier
50D Expense for wedding planners

…spells out my advice for those who are being forced to climb on the Oxford comma bandwagon: REFUSE.

Now, some comments about people’s experiences and other lessons learned. Some liked it – I guess many liked it – but most thought it was harder than I suggested it would be, and all but a few needed a nudge or two. I guess that happens when I look at the same puzzle for a few weeks (and I knew the answer going in), but things are different when you are all seeing it for the first time. My bad… like I said before, when most people solve a meta, it’s a good/fair meta; when no one does, or when everyone needs a nudge, it’s on the constructor. I promise to a) rate them more honestly, and b) stop making them so difficult or arduous that trying to solve it becomes more frustrating than fun. This is supposed to be fun. I’m still new, and I know I’ve got a lot to learn. And you are my teachers.

For example, in this one, I learned:
- No one who lives in or near San Francisco says ‘Frisco,’ nor will I ever again
- While Timothy Leary taught in San Francisco, he wasn’t actually from there
- Jonny Quest doesn’t have an “h,” and does have a lot of nostalgic fans.
- The magazine “Look” is not as well-remembered as I thought it might be (even for me, it was primarily for the psychedelic Beatles photos, later recreated as a poster). I probably should’ve used “People in a waiting room.”
- Like the famed philosopher Ricky Nelson once said, “You can’t please everyone…”

So anyway, stick with me please. My next one – on June 29th – should be better. In the meantime, be looking for tomorrow’s Muggle Monday meta from TMart, who created the excellent “Are You My Mother” Mother’s Day meta back in May.

[Dplass]

I don't understand "55D: One, for one = SQUARE"

[Hector]

I don't understand "55D: One, for one = SQUARE"

Square number.

[Meg]

I don't understand "55D: One, for one = SQUARE"

1, 4, 9 are all squares

[Dplass]

I don't understand "55D: One, for one = SQUARE"

1, 4, 9 are all squares

Jeez how dumb do I feel now...

[Meg]

I don't understand "55D: One, for one = SQUARE"

1, 4, 9 are all squares

Jeez how dumb do I feel now...

No dumbness on this forum. I can enjoy watching you slap your forehead because I have done the same so many, many times.

[Dplass]

1, 4, 9 are all squares

Jeez how dumb do I feel now...

No dumbness on this forum. I can enjoy watching you slap your forehead because I have done the same so many, many times.

Please don't enjoy my pain.