#625 - "Sit Down For This"

[Hector]

I only looked at a few songs, but I've already found some very appropriate lyrics that made me smile. I have no clue about the meta, but I'm having a hard time getting too concerned about it. I was one of the small minority of Matt's subscribers who were highly motivated by pens and notepads.

I like the pen! It's made all my meta scribbles since I scored it, and in this distance learning age all my blackboard teaching content. But I've worried the rubber grip sleeve to untimely death, fidgeter that I am (especially when staring at metas).

[ky-mike]

Haven’t received my pen and pad yet, but I’m still not yet through with my pre-Patreon subscription. I assume that once my Patreon dues are no longer refunded to me that the swag will come.

[oldjudge]

I explored an incredible number of rabbit holes on this one. And they all made sense, and couldn’t be coincidences, and had to lead somewhere.....and they didn’t. Then I saw something I hadn’t tried and it led to an answer that made sense, but I wasn’t sure why. And then I got it. Lots of fun wrestling with this one all weekend. Week 5 is coming!

Well I'm successfully at the "incredible number of rabbit holes" stage... waiting for the next phase.

Al-This is your puzzle. I immediately thought of you when I saw Utica. Hang in there-you’ll get it.

[Thurman8er]

Wow! Can't believe the streak lives on. Very nice AHA moment for me this week.

[DrTom]

Well Hector truer words were never spoken. I struggled with this and was at the "well you gotta miss some of them" juncture when a friend gave me what really wasn't so much a nudge as a "go back and look!" As I was reading the message I was thinking about a failed attempt at a mechanism, and then it hit me like a thunderbolt, the one major error I had made, though all of the information was there and it was made of facts I already knew.

Well I'm successfully at the "incredible number of rabbit holes" stage... waiting for the next phase.

We've all been there (looking at you, Jangler), and will be again. Keep at it! Often when I'm in that phase, it turned out that the mechanism was something I'd thought I'd already tried.

So I went back, spent some CAREFUL time this go round making sure I had everything mapped out just so and out of the jungle appeared the rabbit! I can only say thanks to the person who made me go back and re-look at what I thought was a failed mechanism (the mechanism was fine, it was just the loose nut on the keyboard that caused the failure). Had it not been for their, "did you consider going further with your ideas", kind of advice I would have been slapping my head on Tuesday (which is still a possibility just because it feels so good when I stop). The other thing I am obliged to say is WOW, I am completely awed at the construction of this puzzle. I have no words (and for me as you might imagine THAT is a rarity).

So, yes, look again at what you have tried and how you have tried it. You might be grasping the rabbit but have him by the wrong foot and he keeps getting away.

[Al Sisti]

Well Hector truer words were never spoken. I struggled with this and was at the "well you gotta miss some of them" juncture when a friend gave me what really wasn't so much a nudge as a "go back and look!" As I was reading the message I was thinking about a failed attempt at a mechanism, and then it hit me like a thunderbolt, the one major error I had made, though all of the information was there and it was made of facts I already knew.

Well I'm successfully at the "incredible number of rabbit holes" stage... waiting for the next phase.

We've all been there (looking at you, Jangler), and will be again. Keep at it! Often when I'm in that phase, it turned out that the mechanism was something I'd thought I'd already tried.

So I went back, spent some CAREFUL time this go round making sure I had everything mapped out just so and out of the jungle appeared the rabbit! I can only say thanks to the person who made me go back and re-look at what I thought was a failed mechanism (the mechanism was fine, it was just the loose nut on the keyboard that caused the failure). Had it not been for their, "did you consider going further with your ideas", kind of advice I would have been slapping my head on Tuesday (which is still a possibility just because it feels so good when I stop). The other thing I am obliged to say is WOW, I am completely awed at the construction of this puzzle. I have no words (and for me as you might imagine THAT is a rarity).

So, yes, look again at what you have tried and how you have tried it. You might be grasping the rabbit but have him by the wrong foot and he keeps getting away.

Well, okay; I've gotta do something. I've looked at so many things -- some with promising/can't be coincidence hits -- that now I don't know what to revisit. It's back to square one, with a greatly compressed time window.

[DrTom]

Wow- I looked and I made the cut! I guess I was not that surprised, when you find it you KNOW that it is the answer.

What DID not only surprise but more like AMAZE me was that there were three people who did the grid and meta in under 25 minutes!!!!!! It took me at least 40 minutes to do the GRID, and then three days to do the META. Even when I KNEW what I finally had to do it took me over 25 minutes to get everything set up so I could. Who ARE these people and where have they parked their space craft. Matt if you are going to continue to let extraterrestrials do the METAs then all of your books, pens, pencils and notepads had better be capable of interplanetary travel.

[rexthree]

uh-oh. just getting to this on monday and just finished the grid though it took a little longer than usual. time running out for inspiration on the meta, and doesn't look like it's an easy one!

[CrossedPurposes]

I find myself in the position of asking for a nudge again, as my brain trust has run dry. Assistance is greatly appreciated!

[BarbaraK]

Well, okay; I've gotta do something. I've looked at so many things -- some with promising/can't be coincidence hits -- that now I don't know what to revisit. It's back to square one, with a greatly compressed time window.

They're all coincidence! Every blessed one. If the metaphor here is Star Trek, it must be the Shore Leave episode because I went down more rabbit holes than I can even begin to count.

This may be one of those puzzles where knowing too much about the subject is more hindrance than help.

I finally did get it, but I went about it totally backward. Noticed something, guessed something, googled something, backsolved something, saw something that was clearly intentional but didn't relate, looked at it sideways and it made a bit of sense but still weird, and finally, finally, looked at it properly and got the lovely AHA that should have been the starting point, not the ending point.

Whew! Maybe I'd have been better off with sports.

[BrianMac]

So, yes, look again at what you have tried and how you have tried it. You might be grasping the rabbit but have him by the wrong foot and he keeps getting away.

^^^^THIS!!!^^^^ DrTom, I owe you a beer! Battled with this all weekend and had about given up when this post inspired me to go back to basically the first thing I tried with a little more persistence and it worked! I would have been sick to see the answer and realize how close I was. THANK YOU!!

[Al Sisti]

Well, okay; I've gotta do something. I've looked at so many things -- some with promising/can't be coincidence hits -- that now I don't know what to revisit. It's back to square one, with a greatly compressed time window.

They're all coincidence! Every blessed one. If the metaphor here is Star Trek, it must be the Shore Leave episode because I went down more rabbit holes than I can even begin to count.

This may be one of those puzzles where knowing too much about the subject is more hindrance than help.

I finally did get it, but I went about it totally backward. Noticed something, guessed something, googled something, backsolved something, saw something that was clearly intentional but didn't relate, looked at it sideways and it made a bit of sense but still weird, and finally, finally, looked at it properly and got the lovely AHA that should have been the starting point, not the ending point.

Whew! Maybe I'd have been better off with sports.

you totally forgot "squint."

[camandsampowercouple]

There's a specific entry in this puzzle that I feel so certain is a clue at the mechanism but it doesn't quite fit the way I want it to. There are a few other things I've taken note of that make me feel even more certain I'm on the right path. Sam and I have been on a streak since we subscribed, I don't want it to end! One more night to stew over it. I'm going to refill the grid while we watch Star Trek.

[DrTom]

So, yes, look again at what you have tried and how you have tried it. You might be grasping the rabbit but have him by the wrong foot and he keeps getting away.

^^^^THIS!!!^^^^ DrTom, I owe you a beer! Battled with this all weekend and had about given up when this post inspired me to go back to basically the first thing I tried with a little more persistence and it worked! I would have been sick to see the answer and realize how close I was. THANK YOU!!

ABSOLUTELY - that is EXACTLY how I felt. I had it early and then abandoned it because I was not doing it right (I hearken back to the Sisti comment on wedding nights ) At any rate, I'll take the beer, and I'll buy Old Judge's who is the person that convinced me to "trust the force". We may have to do it virtually though since I'd imagine there is some distance between us.

[Bird Lives]

Hats off to those who have solved it. I can't get the first toehold. Also, no idea of how the title might help. From the comments, it seems like this is a hard one, so I don't feel too bad about it. (What a lie. I'm much frustrated. And will be even more miserable when tomorrow i see what I should have seen today.)

[camandsampowercouple]

I just chased a very interesting idea but it came up short. I'm going to write about it in my journal and I'll post about it here after the deadline. I think after that coming up short I need a break from this puzzle, but I will look at it again before I go to bed for sure. I want one of those puzzle solving dreams

[camandsampowercouple]

I'm at the "reading crossword fiend for inspiration" phase of being stumped. I'm headed to bed soon and I don't think I will be awake before the deadline. RIP to our streak.

[camandsampowercouple]

beam me UP

[DrTom]

beam me UP

Wow - If I read the progression of posts correctly you stayed up all night to solve the META! Now THAT my friend is what I call dedication and it apparently worked. Booyah!

[camandsampowercouple]

beam me UP

Wow - If I read the progression of posts correctly you stayed up all night to solve the META! Now THAT my friend is what I call dedication and it apparently worked. Booyah!

I took one last look at the message boards before I was about to call it a night when I get a message w/ an extremely subtle hint that got me off of the awful wrong track I was on and got me back on the track I thought I was supposed to be on and it all fell together nicely after that.