"Tormented Artists" - July 31, 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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FrankH
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#221

Post by FrankH »

With my daughter's assistance, I am finally on shore.
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FrankH
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#222

Post by FrankH »

tonyrobots wrote: Sat Aug 01, 2020 2:36 am
Tony S wrote: Sat Aug 01, 2020 12:42 am IMO the answer is a 100% no-doubter.
In a way you’re right, as I am 100% confident in my submitted answer, but mechanically this puzzle lacks the precision of what I would call a 100%er. I’ll leave it at that for fear of spoiling anything, but we can discuss more on Monday if you’d like.
I feel mechanically the path to the meta answer is quite precise, unless you are expecting even more precision.
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DrTom
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#223

Post by DrTom »

Al Sisti wrote: Sat Aug 01, 2020 11:27 am
Ronaldo wrote: Sat Aug 01, 2020 8:49 am Funny how a fresh look in the morning sets you on course to the solution. Guinness with a full Irish breakfast.
So I'm not the only one who loves blood pudding?
Not by a long shot! I actually grew up on it in NE Pennsylvania where they made it with rice instead of oatmeal. We called it "Rice Baloney" or "Blood Baloney" and you would get it mainly around the holidays when folks made kielbasa. I loved it as a kid, and then one day I asked my Mom what was in it and she told me. I swore off it for a while but wised up and came back.

So when we went to Ireland a few years back I was delighted to have it again. Love a full Irish breakfast (which is also lunch and darn near supper).
NUDGES!I am always willing to give nudges where needed; metas should be about fun, not frustration. Send me what you have done so far because often you are closer than you think!
Inca
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#224

Post by Inca »

Joe Ross wrote: Fri Jul 31, 2020 11:45 pm
Inca wrote: Fri Jul 31, 2020 3:52 pm Got it (Thank you, Joe. I took the time to fill your grid and of course it helped).
Am afraid I am getting a bit burned out on the metas. This one left me with a slightly sour taste in my mouth...not really sure why. That's why I think I am just meta-ed out.
Please don't leave us. I enjoy your unique & intelligent perspective, every week, and would think I speak for many Muggles.
Awww....you're all too nice!
You know I'm not really going to be able to just drift off....once you're hooked on metas, you can try to leave but somehow it just won't leave you.
Inca
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#225

Post by Inca »

BarbaraK wrote: Sat Aug 01, 2020 9:54 pm
Inca wrote: Fri Jul 31, 2020 3:52 pm Got it (Thank you, Joe. I took the time to fill your grid and of course it helped).
Am afraid I am getting a bit burned out on the metas. This one left me with a slightly sour taste in my mouth...not really sure why. That's why I think I am just meta-ed out.
Where have the recent metas been falling for you on the Kas scale (*)? Seems like that's a big factor in how much I enjoy them.

The 1's are OK - not that exciting but they don't take much time anyway, so no problem. The 5's are annoying and not fun at all. I think if there were a long run of nothing but 1's and 5's, I could lose interest.

The 2's are enjoyable and would keep me going a good while. The 4's are tantalizing; knowing I was so close makes me want to keep trying.

But the 3's, oh baby. They're what keep me hooked.

I sometimes feel like the rat in that psych experiment with intermittent rewards that keeps pressing that bar over and over because eventually the pellet will come out.


(*) forums/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=35
I like your scale here better than the original.
Maybe you're right and the puzzles that seemed just too hard for me made me feel like giving up. But, actually I think it is more of feeling on my part that if I "see" something right away, I will keep at it, but if not, I am tempted to just stop looking. Is it laziness or burn-out...not sure. But even when I stop "trying", the puzzle still sits somewhere in the back of my mind even without my permission. Your description of feeling like that lab rat is exactly right. Well said.

To put it another way, maybe we are tormented artists!
Inca
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#226

Post by Inca »

Joe Ross wrote: Fri Jul 31, 2020 11:37 pm This week's Pick a Side, Any Side:

"Water under the bridge."

versus

"Water over the dam."
Water under the bridge and I'd let them burn that bridge when we got to it but it's, like, um, a bridge over troubled waters
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femullen
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#227

Post by femullen »

Still aboard, skipper. Found a few pieces that I'm sure must be part of the solution--or the bunniest rabbit hole of all time. Looking forward to seeing the solution on Monday. It'll either be a forehead slapper or, as I'm beginning to suspect, a subject in which I don't have sufficient knowledge.
For nudges, feel free to PM me. I won't have a clue how to help you, but you might shove me ashore.
Emmajane
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#228

Post by Emmajane »

Ashore, but wrinkled as a prune—gotta learn to follow my first inkling.
Last edited by Emmajane on Sun Aug 02, 2020 8:27 am, edited 1 time in total.
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tim1217
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#229

Post by tim1217 »

Tony S wrote: Sat Aug 01, 2020 10:51 pm
Al Sisti wrote: Sat Aug 01, 2020 11:27 am
Ronaldo wrote: Sat Aug 01, 2020 8:49 am Funny how a fresh look in the morning sets you on course to the solution. Guinness with a full Irish breakfast.
So I'm not the only one who loves blood pudding?
A couple of years ago I had the pleasure of going on a multi-day whisky tour on Islay --- our mornings started with a very large Scottish breakfast that included "black pudding" and haggis. Good stuff.
"Harriet, hard-hearted harbinger of haggis"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_cont ... e=emb_logo
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Ronaldo
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#230

Post by Ronaldo »

Tony S wrote: Sat Aug 01, 2020 10:51 pm
Al Sisti wrote: Sat Aug 01, 2020 11:27 am
Ronaldo wrote: Sat Aug 01, 2020 8:49 am Funny how a fresh look in the morning sets you on course to the solution. Guinness with a full Irish breakfast.
So I'm not the only one who loves blood pudding?
A couple of years ago I had the pleasure of going on a multi-day whisky tour on Islay --- our mornings started with a very large Scottish breakfast that included "black pudding" and haggis. Good stuff.
A trip to Islay is on my bucket list. Lagavulin is my favorite. Whisky without the "e"
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TPS
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#231

Post by TPS »

This has been a strange weekend - since I finished the WSJCC on Thursday I ended up doing the Saturday puzzle on Friday - normally when I do the Sat puzzle on Fri I end up only doing half and then doing the other half on Sat but this week the Sat puzzle was so easy I ended up having it done very quickly. So I decided to attempt my first MG puzzle in his Mental Floss book - that grid was tough and I ended up having to look up a couple answers - fortunately the meta was very obvious and I was able to see it before I finished the grid. So now I am debating on whether I want to work another of the Mental Floss puzzle’s.
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whimsy
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#232

Post by whimsy »

Joe Ross wrote: Fri Jul 31, 2020 11:37 pm This week's Pick a Side, Any Side:

"Water under the bridge."

versus

"Water over the dam."
Water under the bridge --- "cause I love a cutthroat game of Poohsticks.
Capturepoohsticks.JPG
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yourpalsal
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#233

Post by yourpalsal »

Bob cruise director wrote: Sat Aug 01, 2020 11:33 am Good Saturday morning muggles

hopefully everyone is safe and we welcome our two newest muggles - Rob Summers and bskptkl

And interesting challenge from Mr. Gaffney and we have 6 on the ship and 117 on the shore.

On the ship we have
Mark L
femullen
Scott M
Susie G
Tom S
and beccacollins

Making it to the shore are
docison
Beth A
Beth T
Beth C
sanmilton
Meg
paige11
Frankie
joequavis
Tmart
Les
ky-mike
Mike H
Janet
Bird Lives
Eric H
Al
Brian Mac
Hector
Wendy
damefox
laura
Cindy
Jace54
Wdunbar
David K
heidi
Alan H
Tony
stmv
Dow Jones
dencurrin
bskptkl
spotter
Josh
steveb
TPS
oldjudge
C=64
Peter
Larrry
BillKatz
Rob M
Kay
Tom Wi
NuYear68
anjhinz
Richard
majorDomoTom
higgysue
ladybird
scooby
Tina
Eric P
dplass
pamster
dudeski
ReB
Jeff S
RDaleHall
Mmac
yungchap
Glyn
tim1217
Softie
Gman
Janet P
cherikee
BrianD
lbary53
Jeremy
tonyrobots
Chris
JennyByrd
MaineMarge
Jim and Anita
streroto
FKelly
JoePickett
Toby
Homer
BarbaraK
Jacksull
Nalugirl
Anomander
Rob S
Jean
LaceyK
Lacangah
Inca
Anita
fstadler
CPKdad
HeadinHome
Deb F
Steve Beard
Commodore
michaelm
cagle1279
Joe R
M and M (our mug winners)
Jordanian
mattythewsjpuzzler
Trey and Marion
the Thurman8er
Cindy N
Diane
ALS
ronaldo
DBMiller
Bill T
David R
Notbitter
rolias
Cynthia J
Dr Tom
and last for now your humble cruise director - not sure why but the grid came easily but the meta was not

Good luck to everyone getting the meta and stay safe
I’ve been ashore since Friday. I wrote a whole message about it and now I can’t find it. I wonder where I posted it?? :-O
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Al Sisti
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#234

Post by Al Sisti »

TPS wrote: Sun Aug 02, 2020 10:14 am This has been a strange weekend - since I finished the WSJCC on Thursday I ended up doing the Saturday puzzle on Friday - normally when I do the Sat puzzle on Fri I end up only doing half and then doing the other half on Sat but this week the Sat puzzle was so easy I ended up having it done very quickly. So I decided to attempt my first MG puzzle in his Mental Floss book - that grid was tough and I ended up having to look up a couple answers - fortunately the meta was very obvious and I was able to see it before I finished the grid. So now I am debating on whether I want to work another of the Mental Floss puzzle’s.
I bought all the Mental Floss books and Peter Gordon's "___ingly Hard" books. They helped me *a lot*!
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norrin2
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#235

Post by norrin2 »

Wow, this was not easy for me as it apparently was for so many others. But I resisted the urge to ask for a nudge and finally solved it this morning. Once one thing fell into place everything else quickly did too. I am on shore and drinks are on me.
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boharr
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#236

Post by boharr »

norrin2 wrote: Sun Aug 02, 2020 10:46 am Once one thing fell into place everything else quickly did too. I am on shore and drinks are on me.
Same here.
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Joe Ross
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#237

Post by Joe Ross »

yourpalsal wrote: Sun Aug 02, 2020 10:26 am I’ve been ashore since Friday. I wrote a whole message about it and now I can’t find it. I wonder where I posted it?? :-O
There are a few hundred faithful across the world reviewing a page of the Talmud wondering if "on the beach" is a metaphor...
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LadyBird
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#238

Post by LadyBird »

eagle1279 wrote: Sat Aug 01, 2020 9:53 am
Joe Ross wrote: Fri Jul 31, 2020 11:37 pm This week's Pick a Side, Any Side:

"Water under the bridge."

versus

"Water over the dam."
“Water under the bridge.”

(Or “Toothpaste Out of the Tube.”)
When the kids were little, we did an object lesson on how you can't take your (mean) words back. We gave them each a little tube of toothpaste and had them squeeze out as much as they wanted. Then we said we would give them $20 if they could get it all back in the tube. They tried mightily. And then the tears started. Never could get around to making the DESIRED point. But they do still remember their lost $20!
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Colin
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#239

Post by Colin »

On the boat, but not in the bar yet. FA Cup final yesterday (Well done Gunners!! 14th cup, 2 clear of ManU) then British Grand Prix (F1) today, together with (for me) a harder than usual grid (excuse the pun)... will try to get the right ‘anglo‘ on the meta this afternoon!
One world. One planet. One future.
Tony S
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#240

Post by Tony S »

Ronaldo wrote: Sun Aug 02, 2020 8:52 am
Tony S wrote: Sat Aug 01, 2020 10:51 pm
Al Sisti wrote: Sat Aug 01, 2020 11:27 am

So I'm not the only one who loves blood pudding?
A couple of years ago I had the pleasure of going on a multi-day whisky tour on Islay --- our mornings started with a very large Scottish breakfast that included "black pudding" and haggis. Good stuff.
A trip to Islay is on my bucket list. Lagavulin is my favorite. Whisky without the "e"
If you like Lagavulin, Scottish Routes offers an Islay package that's unbeatable. Not only did our B & B serve 16 year old Lagavulin as a post-breakfast drink but our first stop was the Lagavulin warehouse where we had multiple generous samples straight from the barrels.
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