"Grid Daring" - February 14, 2020

[DrTom]

OK, well I am going to make the jump to the water for a swim to shore. I'm pretty sure that what I have is the answer, though I truthfully can say that I backed myself into it and am DYING to see it explained in anything less than a page and a half. I keep trying to find the second part and rearranging things to get to where I think I should be but I have a feeling I could do this forever and never get very far.

So, over the side for me, and hopefully I will not land on a sandbar and crack open my MELLON as I part the waters then find my location and make a DASH for the ALLURING shore and ORDER a drink and a SPRING ROLL.

[Limerick Savant]

I have washed ashore with the... rest
And so best save my limerick lest
Someone g‘get a slight edge

[KayW]

Aha!!!! Inspiration strikes while stuck in midnight traffic jam. Confirmed my hunch when I got home and looked at the puzzle.

Relaxing on shore with the first of several 26As.

[Jim and Anita]

Ashore somewhere though we felt like we still had some loose ends. The solution we submitted is the one we found Thursday night but we kept looking for closure. Happy week to all.

[howardl]

I'm ashore and 100% certain of my answer. But I expect there to be one additional hint to the answer that I've missed.

[Patty]

It's quite calm here at sea. I think I will be here for the duration!

[ImOnToo]

On shore! 🏖

[Abide]

FInally made it last night after treading water for the last two days. I had the idea for the "second part" early on, but took me way to long to figure out the "first part". Nice work by the Meta Master!

[Janet]

AHA! Found the wascally wabbit! I was about to abandon my approach, when I noticed something....
Ashore with the others now.

[Colin]

Been grid-glazed for too long, so turned in my answer which, on the face of it, seems solid. But like others here, I have a missing final link and it is nagging me.
Time will tell!

[Janet P]

Still at Isaac's bar. He's suggesting I use the seat belt at this point.

[hcbirker]

Tomorrow is a holiday. Will we get the solution tonight?

[DaveWa]

I'm headed to shore. No click at all, let alone a resounding one, but I can't see any other rabbits to chase. I guess I'll find out at midnight if I made it to the correct beach party.

[BrianDavidson]

Still on ship. I had some momentum but hit a dead end. I will submit what I think is happening but there must be something wrong in my grid to get past this hurdle.

[Bob cruise director]

Good Sunday morning muggles
We have two new muggles since yesterday: Libbypibby and tonyrobots - we welcome them and wish them good luck winning the mug.

Progress to shore has been steady but wobbly and we have a solid contingent of 17 on the ship keeping Isaac company while there are 93 of us on the shore.

Making their way to the ship's bar since yesterday are:
Susan G
LLinNC
MajorDomoTom
Tom S
Patty
Brian D
and Janet P

While getting to either the shore or a shore are:
Libbypibby
Hidden in 3D
Matthew M
tonyrobots
SusieG
Debbie
maprasad
Jim and Anita
Limerick Savant
phofer
Bill T
horsesense
DrTom
Kay
Peter A
ImOnToo
howardl
Janet
Colin
and David Wa

Since this is the week of data and calculations, with the help of Barbara K's data, I have observed the following:

There are a lot more of us on shore each week than every before and the number is continually growing. The down side is that your odds of winning the mug are not improving.

Also the percentage of us on shore compared to the total of the WSJ entries is pretty constant at 7-8% so while our numbers have been growing so has participation of nonmuggles.

[Joe Ross]

Tomorrow is a holiday. Will we get the solution tonight?

We will get it *midnight, tomorrow, with the publication of Tuesday's puzzle PDF.

Last year's publication dates around Presidents' Day:

*EDIT1

EDIT2: Last year, the answer was posted 24 hours later than normal. The latest holiday, MLK Day - January 20th, the answer was posted Monday, 4 PM.

[Kris Zacharias]

On shore. Finally figured out why my answer works.

[MajordomoTom]

wife & I now have an answer which meets all the puzzle criteria, but we need to confirm a few letters in the second part to be 100%.

count us on the shore

[Joe Ross]

Count me ashore & submitted, please.

I may have a completely unique take on this week's meta, but I have repeated paths to components of the answer, which definitely is an entertainment category .

EDIT: Decompressing with a Taft's Brewing Co. Maverick Chocolate Porter:

[Inca]

I'm quite sure I have the correct solution (it's too perfect to be otherwise) but some have posted that they got the 2nd half but can't find the first and that has me wondering how that's possible.