XWord Muggles Forum

BethA wrote: ↑Thu Sep 17, 2020 4:26 pm On the beach! 🏖

Apparently listening to meta puzzle construction discussion and solving tips for an hour is a great warm-up!

Enjoyed the talk and today’s puzzle very much!

One of the most amazing parts of the live presentation was the way they described the solving process for the examples chosen. For puzzles I’d stared at for hours or days, it was mesmerizing to see them fully unraveled and explained clearly in just a few minutes! The key was to immediately focus on the right things!

Anyway, I was really inspired by that, and for this week’s puzzle, noticed the triple letters in the likely theme answers, as I was solving the grid. Every step after that felt very logical and flowed right out. I was in the meta zone! And I really enjoy the multi-step ones!

Just a side note - I think some of the messages for the registration process were a little confusing. I thought I needed to register for the talk, but really I just needed to be a registered wsj user, as I already had been for years in order to comment on the puzzle blog in the past. I didn’t need to buy a subscription.

Another late comment. I had one foot on the right track when I saw the repeated letters, but the other foot (or my brain) would not follow. At first wondered if it was the outed letters or the staying letters that were the ones to follow. My notes must have been too messy, because I just did not see the remaining words after I crossed out the repeated letters in the theme answers. So, still on the Flying Dutchman for another week ...

Annabelle wrote: ↑Tue Sep 22, 2020 2:57 pm My notes must have been too messy, because I just did not see the remaining words after I crossed out the repeated letters in the theme answers. So, still on the Flying Dutchman for another week ...

I'm still newish to doing these even newer to getting consistent solves but one thing that helps me - especially on traditional theme puzzles or meta hidden in the grid puzzles - is to printing a new grid after I know my grid answers are correct and making 4-5 copies of that clean copy. That way I can mark one up chasing one rabbit but when I hit a dead end I don't have to worry about trying to work around all the garbage I've written, circled, or shaded in the grid.

otlaolap wrote: ↑Tue Sep 22, 2020 12:21 pm

Bob cruise director wrote: ↑Mon Sep 21, 2020 11:26 am Submissions of 1370 is about average these days

So, updating my earlier estimate, and still probably wrong, if 1000 correct entries are submitted every week and I submit the correct answer 50% of the time, then it will take 12 years until there is a 25% probability that I will have been picked for a mug. But the challenge is really great fun. And I am enjoying the WSJ immensely.

You could also use xivxav's micro-mug spreadsheet to keep track of your successes.

forums/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=279

By the time you've got a million virtual micromugs, you are likely to have won a real one.

I can't make it this week, but the zoom muggle meetup is on as always! https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89184367093

BarbaraK wrote: ↑Tue Sep 22, 2020 4:58 pm

You could also use xivxav's micro-mug spreadsheet to keep track of your successes.

forums/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=279

By the time you've got a million virtual micromugs, you are likely to have won a real one.

Thanks very much for that pointer! Great to see the real data (submissions and correct solves). Truly I am not eager to track numerically where I stand; was just curious as to how absurd a quest the mug actually is. My own tracking is going to take the form of "I'm 3 for 6" and that will do it.

One result of the discovery of this puzzle, and this group, though, will be that I will subscribe to the WSJ when my $12-for-twelve-week trial expires (even though it is not necessary for either the puzzle or the group).

otlaolap wrote: ↑Tue Sep 22, 2020 6:55 pm One result of the discovery of this puzzle, and this group, though, will be that I will subscribe to the WSJ when my $12-for-twelve-week trial expires (even though it is not necessary for either the puzzle or the group).

You should email Mike Miller and tell him that. That has to make the crosswords section look good with the money people.

BarbaraK wrote: ↑Tue Sep 22, 2020 7:46 pm

otlaolap wrote: ↑Tue Sep 22, 2020 6:55 pm One result of the discovery of this puzzle, and this group, though, will be that I will subscribe to the WSJ when my $12-for-twelve-week trial expires (even though it is not necessary for either the puzzle or the group).

You should email Mike Miller and tell him that. That has to make the crosswords section look good with the money people.

The only reason I subscribe to the WSJ is for the puzzles. Both the meta and cryptic.

BarbaraK wrote: ↑Tue Sep 22, 2020 7:46 pm You should email Mike Miller and tell him that. That has to make the crosswords section look good with the money people.

Could not find a normal email address for him, so I just now sent him a forum private message with my gratitude and intent. Thanks for the suggestion.

yourpalsal wrote: ↑Tue Sep 22, 2020 6:37 pm I can't make it this week, but the zoom muggle meetup is on as always! https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89184367093

I am so sorry I have been absent form the Muggle Meetings! I have been caught up with some rather unpleasant HOA stuff and a few other issues that either have been physically keeping me from dropping by or mentally making me such a grouch I thought it best not to. I'll be away for a few weeks where I'm not sure I'll have zoominess, but if I do I'll give it a shot.

Tom

I am new to this forum... tuned into the WSJ's webinar last week about how to solve the Friday crossword contest meta puzzles. Thought I now understood how to do it, but the answer I got for "Group Outings" was apparently way wrong, since everyone here says it was "onshore" or "ashore". ... I somehow thought it was "cites" ... Could anyone explain to me where I took a wrong turn from that?

mshashoua wrote: ↑Sat Sep 26, 2020 12:43 pm I am new to this forum... tuned into the WSJ's webinar last week about how to solve the Friday crossword contest meta puzzles. Thought I now understood how to do it, but the answer I got for "Group Outings" was apparently way wrong, since everyone here says it was "onshore" or "ashore". ... I somehow thought it was "cites" ... Could anyone explain to me where I took a wrong turn from that?

It's explained at post 326 above.

mshashoua wrote: ↑Sat Sep 26, 2020 12:43 pm I am new to this forum... tuned into the WSJ's webinar last week about how to solve the Friday crossword contest meta puzzles. Thought I now understood how to do it, but the answer I got for "Group Outings" was apparently way wrong, since everyone here says it was "onshore" or "ashore". ... I somehow thought it was "cites" ... Could anyone explain to me where I took a wrong turn from that?

Welcome! From the Board Index, you can go to FAQs for solving tips and more information about this forum, especially Muggle Overview for some of the lingo like onshore.

http://xword-muggles.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=34