"Where's The Rest?" - September 11, 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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Inca
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#321

Post by Inca »

FKelly wrote: Sun Sep 13, 2020 1:42 am
FrancesY wrote: Sat Sep 12, 2020 11:54 pm I have a five-letter noun???
Similar problem here. Although 'All Things Considered', that may not be a bad thing for a Gaffney puzzle.
On the other hand, it may be awful.
Thought I had identified a step of unknown number before start of grid fill. Saw a step one while filling the grid.
Tried to follow the adage "When you come the fork in the road, take it". Results are not making sense.
LAS
Maybe it would help to take a bit of a nap?
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TPS
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#322

Post by TPS »

Jeremy Smith wrote: Sun Sep 13, 2020 7:12 pm Onshore due to a gentle nudge from TPS. Since the answer was going to be my Hail Mary, I suppose I’ll submit.
You should DEFINITELY submit - you were going to submit that either way and basically had the rest of it puzzled out anyway.
Inca
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#323

Post by Inca »

As per my new style of doing metas, I did the grid on Thursday night. If I don't see the solution right away, I put it away until Sunday night. (This helps me avoid driving myself crazy all weekend.) This time I saw step one right away, but the rest only came to me after I.... um, after I took a brief respite...this afternoon. Anyway, I am on shore.
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Bob cruise director
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#324

Post by Bob cruise director »

Good evening muggles

Our final report is a bit early as I have an early tee time and a bit of a drive

We have 22 on the ship and 151 on the shore

New entries to keeping Isaac in business are Orsys and JRS51

Making it to the shore since lunch are
Maine Marge (and Carrie Underwood)
Grover
cherikee
OGuyDave
Jeremy
EmilyW
horsesense
Burak
MajorDomoTom
Colin
JakeorJacob
Inca
and Gpiggies

Good luck to all winning the mug and stay safe.
Bob Stevens
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BrianDavidson
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#325

Post by BrianDavidson »

I'm going down with the ship this week...
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pddigi
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#326

Post by pddigi »

Okay... stuck on step 2+ and Dom is as well. Moreover, we can't collaborate because my wife and my youngest are with him on Cincinnati as our youngest prepares to move into a dorm at Miami of Ohio tomorrow. If you are willing to send me a private message, I will tell you where I am stuck, and would welcome either encouragement to push onward or correction if I am off course. Thanks!
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C=64
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#327

Post by C=64 »

20200913_184244.jpg
Currently watching Brett Somers on The Love Boat. It took me a moment to place her face because she wasn't wearing gigantic Match Game eyeglasses.
Beth C
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#328

Post by Beth C »

Safely ashore, didn't get started until this evening as I was gone all weekend.
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pddigi
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#329

Post by pddigi »

pddigi wrote: Sun Sep 13, 2020 9:25 pm Okay... stuck on step 2+ and Dom is as well. Moreover, we can't collaborate because my wife and my youngest are with him on Cincinnati as our youngest prepares to move into a dorm at Miami of Ohio tomorrow. If you are willing to send me a private message, I will tell you where I am stuck, and would welcome either encouragement to push onward or correction if I am off course. Thanks!
Boharr, BarbaraK, Cap'n Rick, and Cindy all let me know that I missed one key step in part 1 of the solution - just an oversight by me. Once I found the missing piece, it fell into place. Thanks, all!
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ImOnToo
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#330

Post by ImOnToo »

BrianDavidson wrote: Sun Sep 13, 2020 9:09 pm I'm going down with the ship this week...
Me, too.

I’ll let you have the wooden door. 😂
Konnie
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ImOnToo
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#331

Post by ImOnToo »

Looking forward to seeing the solution.
I have looked at this thing from every way I can think of (after a couple of steps)
Ah, well. The method will just be another arrow in the quiver.
Konnie
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TPS
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#332

Post by TPS »

ImOnToo wrote: Sun Sep 13, 2020 11:09 pm Looking forward to seeing the solution.
I have looked at this thing from every way I can think of (after a couple of steps)
Ah, well. The method will just be another arrow in the quiver.
Hey - I spent 5 hours on it and wasn't even in the same galaxy as the solution and never got there even with 6-7 nudges (someone finally had to say the answer is "_____.") So don't feel like its only you!
Last edited by TPS on Sun Sep 13, 2020 11:23 pm, edited 3 times in total.
Jarrod
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#333

Post by Jarrod »

I want to say I'm onshore, with a 75% confidence? Hope the waves don't wash me back out!
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ImOnToo
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#334

Post by ImOnToo »

TPS wrote: Sun Sep 13, 2020 11:16 pm
ImOnToo wrote: Sun Sep 13, 2020 11:09 pm Looking forward to seeing the solution.
I have looked at this thing from every way I can think of (after a couple of steps)
Ah, well. The method will just be another arrow in the quiver.
Hey - I spent 5 hours on it and wasn't even in the same galaxy as the solution and never got there even with 6-7 nudges (someone finally have to say the answer is "_____.") So don't feel like its only you!
I came up with, IMO, very clever paths.
But, to no avail.
Unfortunately, I’m like a dog with a bone and can’t stop carrying the dang thing with me from Thursday on.
Konnie
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hissongcle
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#335

Post by hissongcle »

With three minutes left, it's clear I'm not going to make it. Got the grid. Got the first and second stage of the meta, but then, I get stuck. Still, alas, at sea.
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Joe Ross
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#336

Post by Joe Ross »

20200911 WSJCC Where Is the Rest.gif
Last edited by Joe Ross on Mon Sep 14, 2020 12:04 am, edited 1 time in total.
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cbarbee002
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#337

Post by cbarbee002 »

I did the grid early Thursday, picked it up Friday, yesterday and today, and got naddah.
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TPS
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#338

Post by TPS »

There were several reasons why I didn’t solve this puzzle and perhaps the easiest way for me to explain it is by following up on a comment I made about how I would never use this as a puzzle as an introductory puzzle.

First, right from rip there is a mislead. A high percentage of the time if a Hint is given about the number of letters in the answer it correlates to the number of theme clues. While this is not always the case if I am trying to introduce someone to a puzzle I’m going to start with one where: 1+1=2 not X+Y=2.

Second, it involves homonyms. Many people with learning disabilities and/or hearing issues struggle with homonyms. Since there was no hint in the puzzle itself or title that clues you to turn the theme clues into homonyms – you had to recognize this on your own. Someone new to these type of puzzles is not going to think to do this and probably not going to think – “Oh, gee that’s fun” but more likely to think “Yikes, I’d never think to do that.

Third, the puzzle involved numerous steps where any error could derail the whole effort. Only come up with 4 theme answers, don’t know one of the homonyms, aren’t able to match one of the homonym to its synonym, don’t add the “s” to the final clue, don’t realize you have to turn DOUGHS to DOZE…Any of which dooms your effort.

If I am going to teach someone something I’m going to start with something basic. Something that they have a chance to solve or at least don’t feel over whelmed. A puzzle like KT OLSIN or JEFFERSON AIRPLANE does that – even if they don’t solve it they can most likely identify the theme answers because there is no misdirect right at the beginning of the puzzle. By that same token I wouldn’t give them WIRES (the morse code one) right from the beginning either.

I could have been doing these for 15 years and I never would have solved this – it was above my ceiling. When I was younger I got straight A’s in math classes all the way through Calc 3 in college – then I hit Differential Equations and that class was just beyond me. This puzzle was like Differential Equations for me.
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MajordomoTom
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#339

Post by MajordomoTom »

a starter meta would be the MARTINA NAVRATILOVA one

this was tricky
"Lots of planets have a North", the Ninth Doctor.
EVJ
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#340

Post by EVJ »

KAS 5 for me! I never got any traction and after seeing the answer I’m sure I couldn’t possibly in a million years.
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