"Location Finder" - January 17, 2020

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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Bob cruise director
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Location: Any golf course within 500 miles of Littleton MA

"Location Finder" - January 17, 2020

#1

Post by Bob cruise director »

Todays contest is titled Location Finder by Matt Gaffney. The answer to this week's contest is a five-letter word.

Good luck with the puzzle and the meta

My avatar this week was selected because of it similarity to Janet P's avatar. They are totally different so the challenge is to guess what the two avatar are.
Bob Stevens
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Scott M
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Location: Charlottesville, VA

#2

Post by Scott M »

Have an answer but not sure how it fits into the title. Gonna continue to noodle on it.

Edit: On further review I think my answer fits, but not as neatly as I would like. Consider me on shore.
Last edited by Scott M on Thu Jan 16, 2020 5:02 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.
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Toby
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Location: New York City

#3

Post by Toby »

I did the grid with great confidence, thinking I was seeing what was going on. And then....my house of cards collapsed. Mr. Gaffney can certainly be tricky, when he chooses. How hard could this be? So far, very.
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Al Sisti
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Location: Whitesboro NY

#4

Post by Al Sisti »

Wow. Safely on, but not an easy journey! Make mine a Guinness, please!!
damefox
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#5

Post by damefox »

Ashore. My favorite one in a while. Definitely a step-up in terms of difficulty.
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ky-mike
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Location: Near Louisville Ky

#6

Post by ky-mike »

I have what I think should be the answer, but can only get part way to making it work. Good and tough this week.
gdshort
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#7

Post by gdshort »

Joined Nevil on the beach. A welcome change from last week's teaser!
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Al Sisti
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Location: Whitesboro NY

#8

Post by Al Sisti »

Al Sisti wrote: Thu Jan 16, 2020 4:55 pm Wow. Safely on, but not an easy journey! Make mine a Guinness, please!!
...and the more I think about this one (and I am; I'm not quite ready to jump back into PGWCC), I am once again struck by how clever Matt and all these constructors are. But this one took a lot out of me; my engine is down a couple of pints, so I think I'm gonna head out and down a couple of pints.
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Wendy Walker
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Location: Unionville, PA

#9

Post by Wendy Walker »

Easy grid but a tricky meta! I'm going to give it a three-star rating.
Good luck, fellow Muggles!
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ChrisKochmanski
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Location: Saline, Michigan

#10

Post by ChrisKochmanski »

Glad I checked the early posts here. As I whipped through the grid, and I saw the pattern in the answers emerging, i was thinking, "Oh, this one should be simple and straightforward."

Obviously not!

So I have work ahead of me, huh? Which figures. Nothing jumping out immediately ...
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MajordomoTom
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Location: St. Louis, MO

#11

Post by MajordomoTom »

grid complete.

On the boat with Isaac.

Given the incoming weather for the next several days, let's start with a hot buttered rum. I'll stay here until I've warmed up a bit.
"Lots of planets have a North", the Ninth Doctor.
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joequavis
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Location: Windsor, Colorado

#12

Post by joequavis »

Count me ashore! Most difficult one in a while. Perhaps a slightly better than normal chance at a mug this week?
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FrankieHeck
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Location: West Virginia

#13

Post by FrankieHeck »

Got a nice workout during the swim to shore, but arrived safely.
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Bob cruise director
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Location: Any golf course within 500 miles of Littleton MA

#14

Post by Bob cruise director »

While working my way through the grid and trying to get the meta, I had two suggestions for Matt and Mike to improve the clues (and I don't think these are spoilers)

1) make the clue for 34D "Mr. Sisti and others"
2) make the clue for 35A "Mike Miller and others"

Others may struggle with the answers but certainly it would be easy for muggles and lurkers.
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Hector
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#15

Post by Hector »

Satisfying meta. Very nice.
Laura M
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#16

Post by Laura M »

Now I'm stuck on two metas (PGWCC is the other). I have a possible answer but it doesn't feel 100%, and judging from other comments here, it should. Going to sit at the bar for a while and wait for inspiration... (And also wait to be stuck on MGWCC tomorrow!)
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Toby
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Location: New York City

#17

Post by Toby »

I see something that has to be relevant, and I have an answer that works. But I'm still puzzled by one thing, so will wait to submit.
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ChrisKochmanski
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Location: Saline, Michigan

#18

Post by ChrisKochmanski »

Toes in sand!

Now that I have it, I'm surprised at some of the uncertainty I'm reading here, as it seems like a 100%-er to me. But maybe I'm missing something, and I don't actually have it. We'll see.
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Toby
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Location: New York City

#19

Post by Toby »

I just figured out the thing that was puzzling me, so now I am 100% sure.
Scooby
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#20

Post by Scooby »

Ashore...fun one from MG!
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