"Two By Two" - August 23, 2019
- lusophile
- Posts: 29
- Joined: Fri Apr 12, 2019 9:20 am
As usual, solved the grid in just a few minutes Friday afternoon, but then saw no immediate answer, so put it aside until a few minutes ago, when the obvious answer popped out immediately. I'm a bit more certain this week, but since being pageanted last week, am cautiously on the beach.
If I can do it it must be a KAS 1 or 2 at best. Cheers
If I can do it it must be a KAS 1 or 2 at best. Cheers
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- Posts: 78
- Joined: Thu Jul 25, 2019 11:16 pm
Finally made it ashore. Had a couple rabbit holes that I couldn't simply let go.
- Scott M
- Posts: 454
- Joined: Fri Apr 12, 2019 1:10 pm
- Location: Charlottesville, VA
Solved grid on Thursday before a weekend away with friends. Looked at it on returning home tonight and am not seeing what appears to be obvious to most others. I have an answer but confidence is low that it's THE answer.
Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.
Mark Twain
Mark Twain
- Bob cruise director
- Cruise Director
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- Location: Any golf course within 500 miles of Littleton MA
Our final count is 4 on the ship with Isaac and 113 on the shore hoping for an email from Mr. Miller in the morning
Good luck to all winning the mug
Good luck to all winning the mug
Bob Stevens
Cruise Director
Cruise Director
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- Posts: 3
- Joined: Fri Aug 16, 2019 5:51 pm
Better make it 5.Bob cruise director wrote: ↑Sun Aug 25, 2019 9:50 pm Our final count is 4 on the ship with Isaac and 113 on the shore hoping for an email from Mr. Miller in the morning
Good luck to all winning the mug
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- Joined: Tue Apr 09, 2019 7:59 pm
Traveling so little time to spend on this. I looked again just now and found the shore albeit too late to submit --but since I haven't seen the answer anywhere yet, I'll call that a solve.
ALS
ALS
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What was it? I'm dying to know what it was that just caused me to blow through my weekend staring blankly at a folded, chicken-scratched newspaper.
Do they post the answer somewhere?
- Eric Porter
- Posts: 466
- Joined: Sun May 05, 2019 2:19 am
- Location: Nashville, TN
The thing about this puzzle that caused me the most problems is that I was looking for animals in the grid. 21A is similar to kangaroo. 11D has pig. 17A is similar to monkey. All are mentioned in "The animals went in two by two".
If the answer is X, you usually have to find X in the grid, then do something to find another X.
I was only looking for words inside of the theme answers, then at the initials of the two words that most contain.
The first thing I saw, which sounds so ridiculous now, is that the beginnings of 60A are Latvia. 21A becomes Hungary by adding a letter. 36A contains Utah and 50A becomes Oregon by adding a letter. 11D contains pig and 17A becomes monkey by adding a letter. I thought that was something.
I also wasted a bunch of time looking at 2x2 grid areas but of course found nothing.
I slept well last night and after some coffee I finally made the connection. Thanks everyone for keeping my spirits up while I was failing to solve it!
If the answer is X, you usually have to find X in the grid, then do something to find another X.
I was only looking for words inside of the theme answers, then at the initials of the two words that most contain.
The first thing I saw, which sounds so ridiculous now, is that the beginnings of 60A are Latvia. 21A becomes Hungary by adding a letter. 36A contains Utah and 50A becomes Oregon by adding a letter. 11D contains pig and 17A becomes monkey by adding a letter. I thought that was something.
I also wasted a bunch of time looking at 2x2 grid areas but of course found nothing.
I slept well last night and after some coffee I finally made the connection. Thanks everyone for keeping my spirits up while I was failing to solve it!
- hcbirker
- Posts: 1985
- Joined: Thu Apr 11, 2019 7:24 pm
- Location: Studio City, CA
The answer is Mountain Goat. You can find it below the Monday WSJ puzzle they just posted. (Heidi)
Heidi
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- Posts: 88
- Joined: Thu Aug 08, 2019 12:48 am
Actually I wouldn't and I didn't. I've learned to not spend very much time on these things (and save my sanity) since they're the puzzle equivalent of in-jokes. You either get them or you don't. I usually don't. Like with this one, I wouldn't have seen it if I had a year to look at it. There's always next week.
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- Posts: 25
- Joined: Sat Jun 29, 2019 11:16 am
Glenn,
You are probably closer than you think. I have not gotten my first 2 metas in a row, after about 6 weeks lost at sea.
A agree with the common strategy to sleep on it. Frequently, my grid goes quicker the second time around after a good night’s sleep. This is even more true once I get to the meta. Hang in there.
You are probably closer than you think. I have not gotten my first 2 metas in a row, after about 6 weeks lost at sea.
A agree with the common strategy to sleep on it. Frequently, my grid goes quicker the second time around after a good night’s sleep. This is even more true once I get to the meta. Hang in there.
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- Posts: 102
- Joined: Sun May 12, 2019 4:58 pm
My answer was "turkey," and in the light of morning and the real answer, it does seem like a giant rabbit hole. Several of the "to's" in the grid have animals "by" them (rat, pig, and ram), but "two" of them actually spell "TOM" "BY" using "to." Thus, a male turkey! And I thought Mike was giving us a clue with the word "TRUSS" in 39A. Oh, well, next week.
- MarkL
- Posts: 385
- Joined: Fri Apr 12, 2019 8:44 am
- Location: Tampa Bay, FL
The 2x2 grid blocks did yield NENE and STAG, but that and a firm belief the answer had to be associated with Chinese zodiac were the main distractions before better interpretation of the title!
'tis... A lovely day for a Guinness!
- Joe Ross
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WTG, Kay! Will you post your mark-ups?
A golf trip happened & a Sunday "nap" was interrupted by the "HEY! It's 11:55 PM! Did you email your answer?" alarm, so nothing to post, here. On the plus side, drinks were flowing TH-FR-SA and the value of # strokes/$ paid was maximized.
Whole blood, platelets, or plasma: Donate 4 in 2024
PLATELET 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗮𝗿𝗲.
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝘀 ENORMOUS 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲:
𝟰𝟬% 𝗽𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰,
𝟯𝟬% 𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰,
𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿 & 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘂𝗺𝗮. 𝗣𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗘 𝗦𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗘!
PLATELET 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗮𝗿𝗲.
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝘀 ENORMOUS 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲:
𝟰𝟬% 𝗽𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰,
𝟯𝟬% 𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰,
𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿 & 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘂𝗺𝗮. 𝗣𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗘 𝗦𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗘!
- Julie O
- Posts: 102
- Joined: Sat Apr 20, 2019 7:36 am
- Location: Clarendon Hills, IL
I too was convinced there had to be something in 2x2 squares in the grid. Once I gave that idea up, and looked more closely at the long entries, the answer appeared, like this juvenile we saw in Zion NP this summer...
- KayW
- Moderator
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- Location: Chicago
Joe I like your idea of setting a meta-alarm. I think I'll do that myself, altho it's probably not necessary. What I think may be a touch of OCD usually has me checking my email sent folder multiple times over the weekend anywayJoe Ross wrote: ↑Mon Aug 26, 2019 7:33 amWTG, Kay! Will you post your mark-ups?
A golf trip happened & a Sunday "nap" was interrupted by the "HEY! It's 11:55 PM! Did you email your answer?" alarm, so nothing to post, here. On the plus side, drinks were flowing TH-FR-SA and the value of # strokes/$ paid was maximized.
My markup is pretty mundane and not nearly as artistic as yours usually are. But it saved me from having to print out the grid, and highlighting the repeated letter pairs led me immediately to the solution.
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.
- Streroto
- Posts: 772
- Joined: Thu Jul 04, 2019 4:24 pm
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So the gift I was referring to was 29D “double duty?” Which turned out to be STENT. As someone who has placed many stents of the medical type, this confused me for a while, until Mr. G educated me that stent can also mean tax. Still, the double part didn’t really make sense to me until I realized it had two T’s and I took that as my cue to pull the double letter combos out and voila. Not sure if deliberate but it was in the right place for a gift hint. Thoughts?
- KayW
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I think you are right about that being the gift clue this week - which I never even noticed so thank you for pointing it out! But the answer I got was STUNT, as in a movie stunt double. Crossing with bridge support TRUSS.Streroto wrote: ↑Mon Aug 26, 2019 10:00 am So the gift I was referring to was 29D “double duty?” Which turned out to be STENT. As someone who has placed many stents of the medical type, this confused me for a while, until Mr. G educated me that stent can also mean tax. Still, the double part didn’t really make sense to me until I realized it had two T’s and I took that as my cue to pull the double letter combos out and voila. Not sure if deliberate but it was in the right place for a gift hint. Thoughts?
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.
- DBMiller
- Posts: 536
- Joined: Wed Apr 10, 2019 8:59 pm
- Location: New Hampshire
My quick rabbit hole was looking at the double letters instead of the long answers. After iNN, truSS, smEE, mEEt, gaFFe and teNN quickly led nowhere, I looked at the long answers, where the two pairs of two letters hopped out.
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