"Creature Features" - May 10, 2019

[sphorning]

One shore with a little help from a friend
Susan H

[Joe Ross]

Talk of "inelegant piece(s)" has me thinking that I'm ashore, possibly, for the 1st time. Midnight will tell if it's a desert isle.


5/16/19 update: It was a desert isle.

[ImOnToo]

Finally! On shore.

[Deb F]

Just a note to thank Brian. I may have finally gotten my avatar. We shall see.
Happy Sunday, all.

[Bee]

On shore, I *think*. (Which makes me nervous, as usually you *know*, don't you)
Bee

[FrankieHeck]

Well I thought I was 100% sure of this one, but all these comments are making me doubt myself! Looking forward to the discussion.

[Bee]

Where/when is the solution posted first?

[Bob cruise director]

Where/when is the solution posted first?

You can get the solution several ways, all after midnight on Sunday. In the Monday WSJ on line it is in the pdf of the crossword. Similarly in the print version the solution is below the crossword. Several muggles will post the answer here after midnight or Monday morning. Finally the solution will be posted in crosswordfiend.com

[Bob cruise director]

Well I thought I was 100% sure of this one, but all these comments are making me doubt myself! Looking forward to the discussion.

Unless I am terribly wrong, this is a 100%'er. However there are elements that may be up for discussion.

[CandyB]

On shore!

[Janet P]

Well I thought I was 100% sure of this one, but all these comments are making me doubt myself! Looking forward to the discussion.

Unless I am terribly wrong, this is a 100%'er. However there are elements that may be up for discussion.

I am awaiting the Monday comments as I saw not a glimmer of inelegance in this construction. I agree with our venerable cruise director that this is a 100%-er.

[Bee]

Update: I am most definitely on shore after re-examining. That was a great meta!
Cheers!
Bee

[Ann]

I think I’ve got it.

[sheilaco]

For those looking for another meta, this week's Washington Post Sunday crossword is a meta (no prize though). I have the first step down, not sure yet where to go from there.

[Ann]

Definitely got it.

[PHOFER]

The meta is very impressive. I accidentally found the pathway, which made finding the solution relatively easy (unusual for me). But that doesn't diminish the cleverness of the puzzle. Thank you Matt!

[Bob cruise director]

Our final count is 110 on the shore and one muggle keeping Isaac company
Since noon we have had one new muggle Paul Szmanda and 10 more muggles crowding the beach
Joining us on the shore are
Candy B
ImOnToo
Susan H
Joe R
bee
Ann
Christine
Bob G
Paul S
and Patrick

Good luck to all winning the mug

[BarbaraK]

Well I thought I was 100% sure of this one, but all these comments are making me doubt myself! Looking forward to the discussion.

Unless I am terribly wrong, this is a 100%'er. However there are elements that may be up for discussion.

I am awaiting the Monday comments as I saw not a glimmer of inelegance in this construction. I agree with our venerable cruise director that this is a 100%-er.

Inelegance is a relative thing. I don’t think there’s any doubt about the right answer. Just find one of the pieces is not as pretty as the rest. From some sources, I’d not be surprised, but the standards are so high here, even the smallest thing is noticed.

I’m also open to the possibility that there are things I don’t know about the subject that make this piece better than I realize.

[SewYoung]

Just looked at Mondays puzzle for the solution and find that the answer is WHALE. I wrote down those features, but did not notice the similar words in the grid. I do not like that one of the creatures in the grid is a type of whale.

[oldjudge]

Now that the solution is out, I thought it was strange that one of the creatures in the grid, the narwhal, is a whale which was the answer. It was an easy meta to solve, but I think the puzzle could have been improved if whale wasn’t effectively used twice.