"Game Pieces" - February 21, 2020

[billkatz]

I think I like YOURS, too -- but... what the heck is it?

Periodically I do some high speed photography. This is a drop of food coloring hitting the surface of a glass of milk. The red ball at the top is most of the drop of food coloring bouncing off the surface of the milk. It loses some of its volume in the process which is the column below it. The flash time was about 50 microseconds.

I have some of a pellet from a pellet gun hitting a balloon or an egg. I would like to stop a bullet but I would have to get a submicrosecond flash which goes for about $1000.

So a disciple of old Doc Edgington at MIT?

[billkatz]

I have made it to the (very crowded) shore.

[FrankH]

I have a slight bone to pick about how to come up with the answer, even though I saw the answer immediately based on what I got. I haven't played this game, so not sure if this bone has something to do with the way the game is played.

[oldjudge]

This is not a game I know, which I guess could be said about every game except perhaps ring-a-levio and strip poker. But I have heard of it and thus find myself on shore.

Ring-a-levio, I hadn’t heard that game mentioned in fifty years. I grew up in the Bronx and we used to play that in the streets.

[DrTom]

I gotta tell ya I was feeling REALLY stupid when I saw 5 pages of posts by about midnight THURSDAY and I'm looking and saying WHA?????

Then something I saw earlier casually jumped out at me and said, in its most Homeric way, DOH! I am glad to have solved it early, but of course now I have nothing to do. I'm going to have to join the MGWCC I suppose and really embarrass myself.

[DrTom]

This is not a game I know, which I guess could be said about every game except perhaps ring-a-levio and strip poker. But I have heard of it and thus find myself on shore.

Ring-a-levio, I hadn’t heard that game mentioned in fifty years. I grew up in the Bronx and we used to play that in the streets.

I'm pretty sure I saw a TV ad for that game! Isn't that the one where people hide and then the other team tries to collar them? Yep, I'm certain of it now - Ring-a-levio around the collar.

[DrTom]

Oh, and I once played strip poker with a bunch of people but at the end of it all we had was a bunch of very clean pokers and what's the fun in that? Took me days to get the soot off my hands as well - silly game.

[DrTom]

Oh, and to be clear - ashore.

[jenirvin]

... I am glad to have solved it early, but of course now I have nothing to do. I'm going to have to join the MGWCC I suppose and really embarrass myself.

That's exactly how I feel. Happy for the early solve, but then disappointed I don't have a puzzle. There's just no pleasing me! ha ha I will also have to join the MGWCC. I took a stab at it last week without joining and got the puzzle, but I'm sure once I get the subscription it will be all downhill.

[Julie O]

On shore.

[Abide]

Had to sleep on it, but I now I’m surely on shore.

[BrianMac]

On shore enjoying a glass of lemonade. Fun puzzle and beautifully constructed.

[Bob cruise director]

I think I like YOURS, too -- but... what the heck is it?

Periodically I do some high speed photography. This is a drop of food coloring hitting the surface of a glass of milk. The red ball at the top is most of the drop of food coloring bouncing off the surface of the milk. It loses some of its volume in the process which is the column below it. The flash time was about 50 microseconds.

I have some of a pellet from a pellet gun hitting a balloon or an egg. I would like to stop a bullet but I would have to get a submicrosecond flash which goes for about $1000.

So a disciple of old Doc Edgington at MIT?

absolutely

[Bob cruise director]

I've been lurking here for a while. So happy tonight to make it ashore for the first time since Just My Type.

Welcome to the clan. We love lurkers so hopefully we will see you frequently. Good luck winning the mug

[CPJohnson]

I see nothing, whyyyyyy...still chilling on the ship. Feeling so defeated that everyone said it's easy...will report back once there's light.

It's easy only if you know the game.

[CPJohnson]

Solved. Cynthia J

[RDaleHall]

Ashore with semi-strong confidence. And the more I look back at it, it's turning into strong confidence. Second Friday contest in a row with a 61A reference.

[Geoduck]

Love the avatar

I think I like YOURS, too -- but... what the heck is it?

Periodically I do some high speed photography. This is a drop of food coloring hitting the surface of a glass of milk. The red ball at the top is most of the drop of food coloring bouncing off the surface of the milk. It loses some of its volume in the process which is the column below it. The flash time was about 50 microseconds.

I have some of a pellet from a pellet gun hitting a balloon or an egg. I would like to stop a bullet but I would have to get a submicrosecond flash which goes for about $1000.

That's something I've thought about toying around with. I've done a bit on the opposite side of the speed spectrum -- slo-mo stuff.

Any kind of photography is fun.

My father studied under Doc Edgerton at MIT.

[KayW]

I see nothing, whyyyyyy...still chilling on the ship. Feeling so defeated that everyone said it's easy...will report back once there's light.

I'm with you, Scooby. Grid is solved. I see a few interesting things but no games yet. I don't know all that many games, but I managed to solve the SETTLERS OF CATAN puzzle that Bob referenced (11/10/17) despite never having heard of it, thanks to google-ability provided by that meta's construction. Sitting with Isaac and keeping my fingers crossed that this week will be similarly solvable.

...and hoping my comment doesn't provide any unintentional spoilers. It sure isn't a spoiler to me as I'm still on the ship!

Time to put this on the back burner for a bit and let things simmer...

p.s. Thanks again to Joe Ross for posting all the past puzzles. Which made finding that 2017 puzzle so much easier!!

[Toby]

Got it, but I broke my previous record for over-thinking a puzzle. I was misled (pronounced correctly as mizzled) by a few things that I thought could not be coincidences....but they were. And there is still something I don't understand, but assume it has to do with the game, which although well-known is not one I have ever played.