"Drawbacks" - October 2, 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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Jace54
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#261

Post by Jace54 »

FrankH wrote: Mon Oct 05, 2020 12:06 am When I looked at the title, I was thinking that I should read the words backwards, but that rabbit hole didn't yield anything. Then I remembered this is a Mike Shenk puzzle, so I started looking for an extra clue to the answer in the list of clues, and it wasn't hard to notice 60A (note the letters DRAW in the clue and in the title). But then what do I make of PASTELS? I went through the grid looking for anything that may be related to it, but found nothing. I usually just reason it out in my head, but this time I said it aloud, "PASTELS". And suddenly I realized I should read it as PAST "EL"s; and then it is a breeze to the answer.
My process was very similar. The previous meta with “post it” in the final across clue helped me with figuring out how to use “pastels” here. In that puzzle, the letters after every “it” in the clues spelled “the contest answer is ...”.
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lacangah
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#262

Post by lacangah »

I tried 'working back' with the longer entries (isRAEli, aMRAdio, tanGELo, => EAR, ARM, LEG), and lobbed TATTOO ARTISTS (they 'draw backs' as well, don't they?) as a Hail Mary this evening.

I did try to start with PASTELS at some point today, so I take some satisfaction in that.

Congratulations to all who solved it! See you all later in the week :-)
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LadyBird
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#263

Post by LadyBird »

I thought that the inclusion of the word PASTORALS was a bit cruel! That led to one of my rabbit holes.
Laura M
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#264

Post by Laura M »

The report erroneously had me on shore, actually I was stuck on the ship all weekend. And I'd gotten some of those previous metas with similar mechanisms (e.g. NO EL)! But I didn't see it this time. Luckily (?) I've missed 3 or 4 somewhat recently so I'm not trying for a record this year :-) Looking forward to a fresh start in 2021, in many ways!
otlaolap
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#265

Post by otlaolap »

I had convinced myself that "DRAWBACKS" suggested "BACKWARDS" and so spent time hunting backwards stuff. Then, I finally hit on the clue "drawing medium", parsed "pastels" correctly, and then -- aha -- eagerly sought out the "EL"s. Going backwards from them gave me "CASDHGIPWT". Could not do anhthing with that -- no anagrams, no nothing. Was crushed. Then, on a whim, I ignored "backwards": immediately L...I...F...E...eureka!
otlaolap
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#266

Post by otlaolap »

Just noticed that the official WSJ page gives the correct answer as "LIFE MODELS". Sure hope they accept "LIFEMODELS". There is no blank in the grid and therefore no way a blank should be included in the answer by the method described as yielding the answer ("Those 10 letters spell the contest answer."). If they use a computer to pick correct submissions, though, who knows what it will do.
Tina
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#267

Post by Tina »

Hector wrote: Mon Oct 05, 2020 12:03 am You mean RAPH AEL had nothing to do with it?
I saw that and also tried to find MICHEL somewhere to pair up with tANGELO. Also found parts of BOTTICELLI in the first row. And spent way too long trying to find words hidden backwards.
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Eric Porter
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#268

Post by Eric Porter »

otlaolap wrote: Mon Oct 05, 2020 12:37 am Just noticed that the official WSJ page gives the correct answer as "LIFE MODELS". Sure hope they accept "LIFEMODELS". There is no blank in the grid and therefore no way a blank should be included in the answer by the method described as yielding the answer ("Those 10 letters spell the contest answer."). If they use a computer to pick correct submissions, though, who knows what it will do.
Mike Miller chooses a random answer until he finds one that's correct. He will surely accept it all as one word. He must use a program to report the most common wrong answers.

I solved the crossword contest without parsing PASTELS as PAST ELs. After a long time I noticed that lots of words ended with EL. If I'd taken the extra time to go through Mike's prior puzzles, I probably would have figured it out.

I wasted too much time looking for things backwards.
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sanmilton
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#269

Post by sanmilton »

37D subtly suggests, I think, that the meta answer is formed from the TAIL ENDS of other entries. (You have to draw the backs of the entries and assemble them in order to form the solution.) But that's the kind of thing that's hard to see as a clue, except in retrospect (after solving). I agree that PASTORALS is a red herring. After I submitted my answer, derived (at long last) from PAST ELs, I had a twinge of PAGEANTry. But, of course, PAST ORALs goes nowhere.
Scraps
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#270

Post by Scraps »

I'm disappointed in myself for not identifying a group that has a role in the art world--when I've been a member of that group for a long time (though not since COVID cancelled in-person classes and open studios)!

Doh!
Last edited by Scraps on Mon Oct 05, 2020 7:53 am, edited 1 time in total.
MaineMarge
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#271

Post by MaineMarge »

sanmilton wrote: Mon Oct 05, 2020 1:37 am I agree that PASTORALS is a red herring. After I submitted my answer, derived (at long last) from PAST ELs, I had a twinge of PAGEANTry. But, of course, PAST ORALs goes nowhere.
How about Pastor Al S. ??
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Mister Squawk
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#272

Post by Mister Squawk »

I got stuck on the transformation of DRAWBACKS -> BACKWARDS so I spent a lot of time rearranging compound word answers (FATCELL -> CELTAFL) to no avail. I finally came back to PASTELS as somehow the key (last answer, related to meta clue). Of course then i spent an hour trying to figure out how the letters coming after the "LL" pairs worked, and then another hour on "M" and "MM" pairs (past "L") before finally getting to the answer.

I've only done a handful of these, but one thing I've discovered is that 'if it doesn't fit, you must acquit.' That is, the answer, once you find it, is unambiguously correct.

Fun.
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Streroto
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#273

Post by Streroto »

Personally, I think it might’ve made more sense if the title had been pastels. What does drawbacks have to do with it? This was the source of dozens of rabbit holes as described by others. Never did get there, and don’t think I ever would have.

Not my favorite.
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Mister Squawk
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#274

Post by Mister Squawk »

Streroto wrote: Mon Oct 05, 2020 5:26 am Personally, I think it might’ve made more sense if the title had been pastels. What does drawbacks have to do with it? This was the source of dozens of rabbit holes as described by others. Never did get there, and don’t think I ever would have.

Not my favorite.
After it was over, I decided that DRAWBACKS was in fact a cryptic reference to PASTELS (DRAW -> PASTELS, BACK -> PAST).
RichA2
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#275

Post by RichA2 »

DaveKennison wrote: Mon Oct 05, 2020 12:08 am My first thought, before I even did the puzzle, based on its title and the comment about the contest answer, was that "EASELS" might somehow be involved . . .
Other methods having failed, I resorted to guessing a possible meta solution from the title: easels, since an easel is in back of a drawing as an artist works. The search for easels in the grid revealed all the ELs (but no EAS), so I knew that while the guess was wrong I was on to something. I went back to PASTELS (which I had earlier wrongly read as PASTE Ls), saw PAST ELS, and the trip to shore from there was easy.
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HeadinHome
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#276

Post by HeadinHome »

Isn’t it odd that “graphic” - one of the most drawing-related words in the grid, doesn’t even figure in the meta?

I also would like to know how the title DRAWBACKS relates to the grid? If someone were doing the puzzle just for the grid (not meta), would that title help them solve it, or at least prompt an “Oh, I see!” after completing? I don’t get it.

Obviously I didn’t get the meta answer either, having stared and stared, mostly looking for words that could go at the “back” end of “draw,” or words that if read backwards might relate to art or drawing. I also saw TATE and a cluster that suggested SPITALFIELDS (43, 44, 45A) — both locations being art spots in London. Reddest herring ever.
The other Wendy. :roll:
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eagle1279
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#277

Post by eagle1279 »

"Drawing medium" sent me hopping after other drawing media or terms: GRAPH(ITE), OIL (from AMARILLO), BLEND, LINE, SHADE (from HADES), VASE from LIPSALVE). My worst rabbit hole was falling asleep on Friday night wondering if CARYATIDS was a path to the carotid ARTery. Finally, looking at double Ls in the grid led me to the ELs. (Sent me straight to EL?)

I suppose the grid was difficult (for me) because puzzle artist Mike had to find down answers that would link up 10 EL-words, the last letters of which spelled out the meta answer in order. Yikes! Nice work, but I hope I never encounter TOFUTTI again (in a puzzle or in real life).
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Commodore
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#278

Post by Commodore »

Past ELS. So, I circled all the letters past the L's. Starting with G-I-F... Producing gibberish.
Oh. Past "E-L"s. Just missed, and went on to other rabbit holes.

Sent in Hail Mary that was on my radar from the start, a part of the art world that offers many DRAWBACKS:
THIEVES.

Good puzzle. (Attaboy to Quick-Draw McGraw, aka Sisti.)
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Colin
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#279

Post by Colin »

As an independent consultant, I am always looking for new, interesting and fun gigs. If anyone needs a LIFE MODEL - just let me know! 😂 😳
(Zero experience, unqualified and only working remotely... the outcomes of such a project are not looking good!)
One world. One planet. One future.
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KayW
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#280

Post by KayW »

I was one of those who spent the first evening reading everything - grid, clues - backwards. Looking in particular for PASTEL colors. The next morning, PAST-ELS leapt out at me and I was on my way.

I think one way the title ties in is that when using LIFE MODELS you DRAW BACKS as well as chests, legs, heads, etc.

Another masterpiece from Mike!
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