"Ringing In the New Year" - December 27, 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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DaveKennison
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#241

Post by DaveKennison »

I'm always astonished by the clever assortment of things that other people find in the puzzles (even if/when they happen to be red herrings). What a creative bunch! Happy New Year to everyone ... ๐Ÿ˜œ!
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TMart
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#242

Post by TMart »

BarbaraK wrote: โ†‘Tue Dec 31, 2019 6:27 pm

Does anyone use the WSJ app to solve crosswords? I just installed it on my iPhone, wondering if it would give me a way to see the whole puzzle at once while I'm solving or working on the meta. I can't find the current puzzle anywhere in the app. When I search on "crossword" I get a random selection of older ones, and when I click one of those, I only see an option to get the PDF.
I've found that the WSJ app doesn't work too well on my phone, so I use the Puzzazz phone app.

You can download .puz versions of the WSJ puzzles here:

https://www.fleetingimage.com/wij/xyzzy/19-wsj.html

I assume there will be a similarly titled web page for 2020.
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billkatz
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#243

Post by billkatz »

TMart wrote: โ†‘Wed Jan 01, 2020 11:18 am
BarbaraK wrote: โ†‘Tue Dec 31, 2019 6:27 pm

Does anyone use the WSJ app to solve crosswords? I just installed it on my iPhone, wondering if it would give me a way to see the whole puzzle at once while I'm solving or working on the meta. I can't find the current puzzle anywhere in the app. When I search on "crossword" I get a random selection of older ones, and when I click one of those, I only see an option to get the PDF.
I've found that the WSJ app doesn't work too well on my phone, so I use the Puzzazz phone app.

You can download .puz versions of the WSJ puzzles here:

https://www.fleetingimage.com/wij/xyzzy/19-wsj.html

I assume there will be a similarly titled web page for 2020.
There must be a fan of the old "Adventure" computer game at the WSJ to use "xyzzy" as part of the URL. "You are in a maze of twisty passages..."
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MajordomoTom
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#244

Post by MajordomoTom »

you have been eaten by a Gru
"Lots of planets have a North", the Ninth Doctor.
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BarbaraK
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#245

Post by BarbaraK »

TMart wrote: โ†‘Wed Jan 01, 2020 11:18 am
BarbaraK wrote: โ†‘Tue Dec 31, 2019 6:27 pm

Does anyone use the WSJ app to solve crosswords? I just installed it on my iPhone, wondering if it would give me a way to see the whole puzzle at once while I'm solving or working on the meta. I can't find the current puzzle anywhere in the app. When I search on "crossword" I get a random selection of older ones, and when I click one of those, I only see an option to get the PDF.
I've found that the WSJ app doesn't work too well on my phone, so I use the Puzzazz phone app.

You can download .puz versions of the WSJ puzzles here:

https://www.fleetingimage.com/wij/xyzzy/19-wsj.html

I assume there will be a similarly titled web page for 2020.
I use puzzazz to solve puzzles from other places, but when I try to open a WSJ one, it wonโ€™t let me. This is what I get.
834AD79B-E826-403D-B6FF-82DA86D8A473.png
Is there some setting to convince puzzazz that I should be allowed to do the WSJ puzzles?
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MajordomoTom
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#246

Post by MajordomoTom »

I'm going to guess not, that the WSJ has, for whatever reason, decided to block that app from working with their puzzle.
"Lots of planets have a North", the Ninth Doctor.
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TMart
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Location: Malvern, PA

#247

Post by TMart »

BarbaraK wrote: โ†‘Wed Jan 01, 2020 4:45 pm
TMart wrote: โ†‘Wed Jan 01, 2020 11:18 am
BarbaraK wrote: โ†‘Tue Dec 31, 2019 6:27 pm

Does anyone use the WSJ app to solve crosswords? I just installed it on my iPhone, wondering if it would give me a way to see the whole puzzle at once while I'm solving or working on the meta. I can't find the current puzzle anywhere in the app. When I search on "crossword" I get a random selection of older ones, and when I click one of those, I only see an option to get the PDF.
I've found that the WSJ app doesn't work too well on my phone, so I use the Puzzazz phone app.

You can download .puz versions of the WSJ puzzles here:

https://www.fleetingimage.com/wij/xyzzy/19-wsj.html

I assume there will be a similarly titled web page for 2020.
I use puzzazz to solve puzzles from other places, but when I try to open a WSJ one, it wonโ€™t let me. This is what I get.

834AD79B-E826-403D-B6FF-82DA86D8A473.png

Is there some setting to convince puzzazz that I should be allowed to do the WSJ puzzles?
Oops, youโ€™re right - I think I get the same thing on my phone. But I can download on a computer from that site. I do so many metas each week, I have trouble remembering which is which - the others work on the phone, but for some reason the WSJ .puz files only work on the computer.
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Joe Ross
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#248

Post by Joe Ross »

BarbaraK wrote: โ†‘Tue Dec 31, 2019 6:27 pm Does anyone use the WSJ app to solve crosswords? I just installed it on my iPhone, wondering if it would give me a way to see the whole puzzle at once while I'm solving or working on the meta. I can't find the current puzzle anywhere in the app. When I search on "crossword" I get a random selection of older ones, and when I click one of those, I only see an option to get the PDF.
Barbara,

I assume that you mean that you want to see the entire grid, not the clues. If so, the grid can be slightly adjusted vertically with a finger or thumb drag. You can see the answers of the top & bottom rows, at least on my phone:

Screenshot_20200103-131649.png
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BarbaraK
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#249

Post by BarbaraK »

Joe Ross wrote: โ†‘Fri Jan 03, 2020 1:24 pm
BarbaraK wrote: โ†‘Tue Dec 31, 2019 6:27 pm Does anyone use the WSJ app to solve crosswords? I just installed it on my iPhone, wondering if it would give me a way to see the whole puzzle at once while I'm solving or working on the meta. I can't find the current puzzle anywhere in the app. When I search on "crossword" I get a random selection of older ones, and when I click one of those, I only see an option to get the PDF.
Barbara,

I assume that you mean that you want to see the entire grid, not the clues. If so, the grid can be slightly adjusted vertically with a finger or thumb drag. You can see the answers of the top & bottom rows, at least on my phone:


Screenshot_20200103-131649.png
I think your phone is bigger than my iPhone SE. (OK, everybodyโ€™s phone is bigger than my SE:)
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MajordomoTom
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Location: St. Louis, MO

#250

Post by MajordomoTom »

no, my old iPhone 4 (not 4S, 4) is smaller
"Lots of planets have a North", the Ninth Doctor.
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