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Re: "Grid Daring" - February 14, 2020

Posted: Fri Feb 14, 2020 3:41 pm
by Lucas S
Made it to shore this morning after the coffee kicked in. Have a great weekend, everyone!

Re: "Grid Daring" - February 14, 2020

Posted: Fri Feb 14, 2020 3:48 pm
by Laura M
Having a busy work week, but I am on shore! This one was a lot of fun, but I feel like there was sort of a loose end...

Re: "Grid Daring" - February 14, 2020

Posted: Fri Feb 14, 2020 4:01 pm
by Trey
Marion and I are on shore.......feels good - we did it independently for a change and arrived at the same place! Luck to all...........

Re: "Grid Daring" - February 14, 2020

Posted: Fri Feb 14, 2020 4:11 pm
by sharkicicles
Seeing the obvious mechanism going on here, but have hit a wall for the time being...

Re: "Grid Daring" - February 14, 2020

Posted: Fri Feb 14, 2020 4:53 pm
by Bob cruise director
Homer Buckle wrote: Fri Feb 14, 2020 12:07 pm I am ashore - great puzzle to enjoy on a morning that started out at 14 below zero.
That leaves Florida out. Northern New England or the upper Midwest?

Re: "Grid Daring" - February 14, 2020

Posted: Fri Feb 14, 2020 5:13 pm
by SewYoung
Still on the ship. I see something, but don't yet know what to do with it. Hope to be on shore before the deadline.

Re: "Grid Daring" - February 14, 2020

Posted: Fri Feb 14, 2020 5:32 pm
by ChrisKochmanski
Wow, it has been fun reading of the Valentine's Day feasts! I hope no one thinks we're fancy schmancy types. That's the first big night out we've had in quite a while, and, after just reviewing the budget, it will be quite a while more before we have another big night out. Plus, a Christmas gift certificate paid for half. Of course, there are times when we think it would be fun if we COULD be fancy schmancy types!

Re: "Grid Daring" - February 14, 2020

Posted: Fri Feb 14, 2020 6:26 pm
by joequavis
Late start this week due to travel. Ashore, though sidetracked for a bit.

Re: "Grid Daring" - February 14, 2020

Posted: Fri Feb 14, 2020 6:28 pm
by sharkicicles
ChrisKochmanski wrote: Fri Feb 14, 2020 5:32 pm Wow, it has been fun reading of the Valentine's Day feasts! I hope no one thinks we're fancy schmancy types. That's the first big night out we've had in quite a while, and, after just reviewing the budget, it will be quite a while more before we have another big night out. Plus, a Christmas gift certificate paid for half. Of course, there are times when we think it would be fun if we COULD be fancy schmancy types!
I hear ya... we live in a part of Chicago with some amazing restaurants and every once in a while we’ll go big. As they say, treat yourself once in a while!

As for us, tonight we’re gonna grab a bite at a local bar, but I’ll be cooking a big Valentines dinner tomorrow.

Re: "Grid Daring" - February 14, 2020

Posted: Fri Feb 14, 2020 6:29 pm
by hcbirker
ChrisKochmanski wrote: Fri Feb 14, 2020 5:32 pm Wow, it has been fun reading of the Valentine's Day feasts! I hope no one thinks we're fancy schmancy types. That's the first big night out we've had in quite a while, and, after just reviewing the budget, it will be quite a while more before we have another big night out. Plus, a Christmas gift certificate paid for half. Of course, there are times when we think it would be fun if we COULD be fancy schmancy types!
If you don't do it often, then you appreciate it even more!

Re: "Grid Daring" - February 14, 2020

Posted: Fri Feb 14, 2020 7:43 pm
by Bird Lives
Usually, either I have the "Aha" moment and can solve the meta, or I don't and I can't. This week, I've got the "A," so I'm pretty sure what the answer is, but still no "ha" to clinch it. (MGWCC today went much more quickly.)

Re: "Grid Daring" - February 14, 2020

Posted: Fri Feb 14, 2020 7:57 pm
by LaceyK
Ashore. Happy Valentine's Day. 17A was the first clue I solved and I thought lots of hearts and chocolate would follow! Alas that's for all the yummy dinners. Time for Sparkling Rosé!

Re: "Grid Daring" - February 14, 2020

Posted: Fri Feb 14, 2020 8:04 pm
by Jacksull
On the beach. Or a beach.

Re: "Grid Daring" - February 14, 2020

Posted: Fri Feb 14, 2020 8:44 pm
by diplomatt
I went pretty far down an impressively lengthy dead-end rabbithole, but I self-corrected, and I am ashore!

Re: "Grid Daring" - February 14, 2020

Posted: Fri Feb 14, 2020 8:53 pm
by CPJohnson
I’m with Jacksull.....on a beach somewhere. Count me ashore, Bob. Cynthia J

Re: "Grid Daring" - February 14, 2020

Posted: Fri Feb 14, 2020 9:59 pm
by jenirvin
Easily ashore. Fun, quick puzzle.

Re: "Grid Daring" - February 14, 2020

Posted: Fri Feb 14, 2020 10:03 pm
by jenirvin
Oh, and a happy Valentine's Day to all. Nothing fancy schmancy here. We went to the Fredericksburg Battlefield Park and the Battlefield Country Store, after, for great deli sandwiches and milkshakes. :)

Re: "Grid Daring" - February 14, 2020

Posted: Fri Feb 14, 2020 10:07 pm
by Beth C
Ashore with my spf30, ready for the weekend. Very clever construction. Good luck Muggles.

Re: "Grid Daring" - February 14, 2020

Posted: Fri Feb 14, 2020 10:26 pm
by BarbaraK
yourpalsal wrote: Fri Feb 14, 2020 3:53 am I'm curious how many folks on this chat have won the mug, and how many years of playing it took?
I won a mug with my 31st correct submission.

Re: "Grid Daring" - February 14, 2020

Posted: Fri Feb 14, 2020 10:48 pm
by BarbaraK
Jazzvibist wrote: Fri Feb 14, 2020 11:05 am
Mathematicians: Out of curiosity, roughly what are the odds that (a) someone could have a 100% correct submission record from the inception of this contest and never have won a mug compared to (b) the odds that someone could submit only two correctly solved metas and win a mug each time?

And again, out of curiosity, because the WSJ mug is such a coveted trophy, what do Muggles think about a possible alternate path that rewards ability rather than rewarding pure luck? For example, assuming that WSJ keeps submission records by submitter (big presumption), what about the idea of allowing anyone with 100 or more documented correct submissions to be able to buy one?
Ooh, numbers! You want to talk about numbers?! OK, if you insist:)

I have the number of correct answers each week since April 29, 2016. (WSJ changed the comment system that week, and all previous comments were lost, so when I started tracking it, I couldn't go back farther than that.) If you got every answer correct for those 198 weeks, you had a 31.5% chance of winning a mug.

The average number of correct answers is 817, but that has been increasing over time - 635 in 2016 to 1033 last year.

There were 30 contests before my spreadsheet starts, so if you want to account for them, you'd have to make some guess at the numbers and settle for an approximation. Taking that 2016 average for each of the missing 30 weeks, your odds go up to 34.7%

I'm pretty sure WSJ does not keep any data from previous weeks.

Some other contests do though - MGWCC and MMMM for two. MGWCC gives prizes based on yearly success rates, and MMMM has a yearly prize that is random but weighted by the number and difficulty of puzzles solved.