"Take A Number" - October 25, 2019

A place to discuss the weekly Wall Street Journal Crossword Puzzle Contest, starting every Thursday around 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. Please do not post any answers or hints before the contest deadline which is midnight Sunday Eastern time.
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Guy
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Joined: Sun Apr 14, 2019 3:26 pm
Location: M87*

#121

Post by Guy »

Ashore, after comments should be interesting!
Tony S
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Joined: Thu Apr 25, 2019 9:14 pm

#122

Post by Tony S »

Finally got to the puzzle today -- loved the meta this week -- count me ashore and happy about it.
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pddigi
Posts: 154
Joined: Mon Apr 15, 2019 5:57 pm

#123

Post by pddigi »

Dom beat me to shore easily. He prodded me a bit to keep me on track and I ultimately made it as well. I will take it after a very busy week at work. Also, it’s my 29th anniversary today (well, my wife’s too!).
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hcbirker
Posts: 1985
Joined: Thu Apr 11, 2019 7:24 pm
Location: Studio City, CA

#124

Post by hcbirker »

pddigi wrote: Sun Oct 27, 2019 8:28 pm Dom beat me to shore easily. He prodded me a bit to keep me on track and I ultimately made it as well. I will take it after a very busy week at work. Also, it’s my 29th anniversary today (well, my wife’s too!).
Happy Anniversary! (Heidi)
Heidi
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Bob cruise director
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Joined: Thu Apr 11, 2019 2:38 pm
Location: Any golf course within 500 miles of Littleton MA

#125

Post by Bob cruise director »

Our final count is 16 on the ship (good number for four bridge tables for the week) and 78 on the shore

Making their way to the shore since lunchtime are
Frank
David K
Bunella
Jeremy
Bird Lives
Guy L
tony S
Paul D
Domenic

Good luck to all winning the mug.
Bob Stevens
Cruise Director
MaineMarge
Posts: 1598
Joined: Tue Apr 09, 2019 9:57 pm

#126

Post by MaineMarge »

Finally ashore with a little help from a friend. I was stuck in the correct rabbit hole but the little guy wanted to come out the back door, not the way I was pulling him. Back to the stern garden next Thursday with Janet P and other helpers.
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grwinski
Posts: 211
Joined: Sat May 18, 2019 2:39 pm
Location: Fort Collins, Colorado

#127

Post by grwinski »

Well, for the first time in a few weeks, the entire weekend is being spent with Isaac! Oh well, he's a pretty good joke teller, at least!

Pour me another long one, Isaac!

George and Rita
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Bird Lives
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#128

Post by Bird Lives »

Any guesses on the Under/Over? I'm going with 600.
Jay
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RDaleHall
Posts: 229
Joined: Mon Oct 14, 2019 9:52 pm

#129

Post by RDaleHall »

Lost at sea with only solving online and no printer access. Quick grid solve but the meta has been hard to find. Lots of ideas and chicken scratch on a note pad. Will be interested to see the result tomorrow.
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DrTom
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Joined: Sat Apr 20, 2019 6:46 pm
Location: Jacksonville, FL

#130

Post by DrTom »

Well I’m where I was before, lost. Solved the grid, check-found the “gimmick”, check-highlighted and redid, check-even see what I feel MUST be a hint.... This is so frustrating because I know I’m going to be so mad at myself come midnight.
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!
Inca
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Joined: Tue Apr 09, 2019 10:55 pm

#131

Post by Inca »

With a bit over one and half hours left, I just realized that I never sent in my answer...I would have been really upset if I had forgotten
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DrTom
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Location: Jacksonville, FL

#132

Post by DrTom »

Inca wrote: Sat Oct 26, 2019 10:35 pm
DrTom wrote: Sat Oct 26, 2019 5:06 pm AARRGGHH! I got through the grid no problem, I struggled through the theme answers with initial difficulty until I saw the light, but the last step WOW??? I am getting nothing that makes any sense, or at least nothing I don't have to interpret. I know that interpreting what is meant in the past has gotten me into real trouble so I am sitting at the bar ruminating and pulling my hair out (well that is rather figurative speech at this point but if I had any I would!). I'm following the usual association of numbers of theme answers with letters in answer but I cannot make them work at all.

I am wondering what this miraculous grid that was developed is? I have seen reference to it twice but nothing anywhere to tell me where to get it. I am grasping at straws here. I can't even find the kid whose raft I stole last week...selfish little devil.
If you are referring to the template that Joe Ross shared, it is Post #51 on Come Aboard > FAQs - Community (and quoted below.) I love Excel and redoing the puzzle by filling in the grid a second time and then being able to highlight/erase highlights and write comments....all neatly and quickly without printing did the trick for me.
Joe Ross wrote: Thu Oct 24, 2019 4:12 pm Link to Friday, 10-25-19, TAKE A NUMBER WSJ Crossword Contest

Good luck, muggles!
Wow - a tad complex but brilliant! I have used Adobe Acrobat to turn the pdf to a “fillable” pdf, but then you have to print the filled pdf so you can go back into adobe and highlight. I’ll have to try this.
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!
FrancesY
Posts: 48
Joined: Mon Apr 29, 2019 12:54 am

#133

Post by FrancesY »

Last minute inspiration! Got stuck at the 80%; then got the 20%; then almost sent in the wrong answer even tho it didn't make sense; almost sent in a second wrong answer bcause it made some sense; finally got to what I think is the right answer. For me, a difficult puzzle. But fun as always.
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jhcogan
Posts: 17
Joined: Sat Oct 05, 2019 5:48 am
Location: Frontière Québec / États-Unis

#134

Post by jhcogan »

Started & finished grid this morning.
Could not get the meta this time.
Maybe next week :-)
matthewmoravec
Posts: 59
Joined: Mon Aug 12, 2019 11:37 am

#135

Post by matthewmoravec »

Submitted an answer but I don't think it's right, I can't quite make the final connection.
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Colin
Posts: 546
Joined: Sat Apr 13, 2019 11:57 pm

#136

Post by Colin »

Bad news - still in bar with Isaac.
Good news - still in bar with Isaac!
One world. One planet. One future.
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Joe Ross
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#137

Post by Joe Ross »

20191026 Take A Number Solve.gif
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DrTom
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Location: Jacksonville, FL

#138

Post by DrTom »

Well I’ll be a son of a gun! I had it all along, I just made one error of conclusion. However minutes before the deadline I sent in IN TWO because I kept getting INTNO and it frustrated the heck out of me. I thought IN TWO for a day now but did not see that my assumption of DUBYA as BUSH TWO ( I mean he was the second Bush) was in error. But IN TWO was too attractive, fi the title too well and described the division. Hmmm-trust the force Luke!!!
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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BethA
Posts: 624
Joined: Tue Apr 09, 2019 6:44 pm
Location: Beaver, PA

#139

Post by BethA »

Neither the WSJ Monday pdf nor crossword fiend spells out plainly enough for me why IN TWO ties back to the hint/answer. Is it because part is a word and part is a number? Like catch-22? I got it but didn’t feel a real solid CLICK!
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oldjudge
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Joined: Fri Apr 19, 2019 4:16 am
Location: Pasadena, CA

#140

Post by oldjudge »

BethA wrote: Mon Oct 28, 2019 12:11 am Neither the WSJ Monday pdf nor crossword fiend spells out plainly enough for me why IN TWO ties back to the hint/answer. Is it because part is a word and part is a number? Like catch-22? I got it but didn’t feel a real solid CLICK!
Beth-I thought the “In Two” might be the fact that there are two answers for each theme clue. I agree that it didn’t click like some answers do, but it was a clever puzzle.
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