"Who Says?" - January 3, 2020

[Cindy]

Solved. Now back to Puzzleup!

[Commodore]

Undefeated for the decade.

[MarkL]

Done and done. Even though it's only a bit after five on Thursday nothing more can be said. Will give this one another look tomorrow in the bright sunshine of the beach but believe that it's the correct beach.

[oldjudge]

Easyx2, good start to the new year unless this is a Pageant.

[Anita]

Nice quick solve, good way to begin the new year. Maybe this'll be the year I'll win a mug? (Yeah, dream on...)

[Jeff S]

Assuming this is as obvious as it appears, I guess I'll call myself onshore.

[DBMiller]

Done and "done". Not sure what will be considered acceptable or not.

[Jim and Anita]

We'll believe this is what it seems--48 down and not 30 across. On shore.

[Bird Lives]

Last Friday at the gym, the guy on the elliptical next to me had the WSJ folded open to the puzzle and was filling in the grid, an activity which probably accounted for his very slow pace on the elliptical. When I mentioned the meta, he said that he never bothered with that.

On Tuesday at the gym, he saw me, came over and apologized for brushing me off, and asked me to explain how the meta works. The only example that I could think of and that he would know of was the most recent — NOISEMAKER. Even if he understood my explanation, it's not the sort of thing that would get a newbie to try his hand.

I hope he’s there tomorrow. “Who Says” is the perfect entry-level meta.

[BrianDavidson]

On shore, I says.

[KayW]

In the camp with those that smell a pageant, but declaring myself onshore.

...and if this IS a pageant, I fear this may become the #1 film in muggledom next week

Matt Gaffney Must Die

[steveb]

Gettable before the grid is completely filled in. I’m on the beach with my usual margarita on the rocks. The margarita is on the rocks. Not me. That would be painful. Happy new year all muggles everywhere!

Don't be on the rocks like the guy in this video:

https://www.facebook.com/countyofsantac ... 471976796/

(Incredibly, he was rescued and survived.)

[steveb]

I'm on the beach (not the rocks) after much too long a hiatus.

[tim1217]

As an aside, I recently decided to revisit Dickens' 'The Pickwick Papers'. I LOL when I read early on the members of the Pickwick club wanting to view a cricket match in the town of Muggleton! I was not familiar with such a place so I Googled it. No luck, but I did find this fine looking establishment in the town of Maidstone (SE of London). It's now on the bucket list!

[tim1217]

In the camp with those that smell a pageant, but declaring myself onshore.

...and if this IS a pageant, I fear this may become the #1 film in muggledom next week

Matt Gaffney Must Die

HAHAHAHAHA!!!

[ky-mike]

Late start. Quick solve. On shore.

[Inca]

This one was interesting because if you've heard of the "series", which most people have (unless as our Cruise Director's daughter so aptly put it, "you are living in a cave"), you almost have to know the meta answer to solve the puzzle.

I will say that I realized how stressed I get about solving the meta when, despite being a bit disappointed about how quickly the solution popped up, I also felt a relaxing sense of relief.

[Thurman8er]

Kinda meh for me. Still...safely ashore.

[DaveKennison]

I had more trouble with this puzzle than I did with the meta - though the latter seems a bit too simple for a WSJ meta, so I’m a little worried that I’ve been led astray. However ... for the moment, I shall be happy to be counted among the shore party ...

[SewYoung]

This is the first time I can remember getting the meta before finishing the grid. On Shore.