XWord Muggles Forum

Ashore, with helpful nudges by some friendly porpoises. An initial guess was close.

Sigh. We could use and would appreciate a nudge. We keep being lost on the "easy" ones.

@Heidi welcome to the COVID first grandparents’ club! We’ve only been able to see our grandson a handful of times in his 11 month life, but each time has been all the more special. Enjoy!

Wendy Walker wrote: ↑Sun Nov 01, 2020 9:16 am I highly recommend Patrick Berry's WSJ variety puzzle, "Fright Club." My first reaction after reading the instructions was utter disbelief: "How can anyone possibly do this?!" But it slowly came together. Nice a-ha! moments.

I second Wendy's recommendation. I just finished it, and it indeed is an impressive construction that seems impossible at first, but it did eventually emerge out of the mist (in my case, with some liberal help from Google).

A small nudge to get started would be great! Still powerless in Biloxi.

Another lost soul in need of a nudge on the meta.

Took a nudge but I finally got it.

I think this is a pretty nice meta.

Richard

Schmeel wrote: ↑Sun Nov 01, 2020 9:26 am

Agree that's what he meant, although technically it's a mistake.

A count is a European equivalent to an earl.

A peer is a member of the British nobility and is one of: duke, marquess, earl, viscount, and baron.

So a count is not a peer.

A count may not be a peer of the British Peerage which includes only the titles you listed. However, according to Merriam-Webster, a 'peer', (noun sense 2b), is also a 'noble' (noun sense 1), which is defined as 'a person of noble rank or birth'.
By your own description a count could therefore indeed be defined as a peer.

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/peer
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/noble

I concede the point. With reservations! If there's a dictionary definition that fits, it qualifies.

This usage is chiefly British and several dictionaries indicate that. I asked some British friends and was told it's "not correct" to use "peer" to refer to someone of European nobility.

The sample size of my poll is fairly small, I admit.

Good fun; thanks, Wendy. Second puzzle this week for which I've used a spreadsheet (Google Sheets). Here, select rows 1 though 13 and drag the separator between rows 13 and 14 to make those 13 rows double-high. Then do the same for columns A through M, shrinking them to fit just a few letters across. Remember that you can create line-breaks with Ctrl-Enter. I would have drowned in eraser dust otherwise.

Finally ashore. Did not find this easy, at all, and sincere and awe-filled congratulations on all who solved. Best luck to those still working!

Hector wrote: ↑Sun Nov 01, 2020 3:51 pm Second puzzle this week for which I've used a spreadsheet (Google Sheets).

Welcome to the dark side, Hector!

I'll say it: Hector, your ink & toner expenses will shrink to zero in the next month.

boharr wrote: ↑Fri Oct 30, 2020 9:31 pm

juliet wrote: ↑Fri Oct 30, 2020 9:27 pm I needed to step away from the WSJ Crossword Puzzle and Muggles, but thought this week might be a good time to return, however the puzzle isn't coming up on the WSJ website and Joe's Excel file downloads as read only. . . are there any tips or hints available for pulling up the puzzle (other than pdf file)?

I think you have to save Joe's file to your dive with another name before you can work on it. Someone correct me if I'm wrong. Or PM Joe.

I tried to attach a .puz file here but it would not allow me to.

I think you're right. . . I'll keep trying!

BarbaraK wrote: ↑Fri Oct 30, 2020 9:39 pm

juliet wrote: ↑Fri Oct 30, 2020 9:27 pm I needed to step away from the WSJ Crossword Puzzle and Muggles, but thought this week might be a good time to return, however the puzzle isn't coming up on the WSJ website and Joe's Excel file downloads as read only. . . are there any tips or hints available for pulling up the puzzle (other than pdf file)?

If you're having general trouble with the WSJ website, you might try clearing their cookies and cache. But they changed the puzzle page format a while back, and depending on your device/browser it may not work/work well.

You can just get a .puz from Martin's site here: http://tinyurl.com/mugglespuz

And this should get you the puzzle on the WSJ website:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/djcs-prod/publ ... index.html

Many thanks! the s3.amazonaws.com site gave instant gratification, but I'll also try clearing the cache (hate to waste all those perfectly good cookies!).

I'm on the beach, enjoying a Clausthaler dry hopped non-alcoholic brew (it almost tastes like a real beer) so I can stay totally sober while waiting to drive my wife to the hospital to deliver our second child (I may miss you all next week).

Definite Kas-2 this week; I made that way harder than it needed to be!

LittleGood wrote: ↑Sun Nov 01, 2020 5:15 pm Clausthaler dry hopped non-alcoholic brew (it almost tastes like a real beer).

I concur - it is my go to when I am the DD although I have recently tried both the Bud Zero & Heineken Zero - both of which are HUGE upgrades in the NA space to the point where I may keep some in my home for school nights!

Can I get a hint please. I feel dumb.

On the shore!

Ashore, but after pursuing many false leads. No one should feel dumb. It is easy if you find the key; but for the rest of us it is a challenge until that key is apparent.

Ashore.

ALS

I'm not ashore, but I think I'm in a rabbit hole I can't see out of, can someone verify if I am way off course staring the wrong way to start? Please and thanks in advance.

Ashore. I finally saw the light.