#635 - "Don't Even Try"

An excellent puzzle written by one of the innovators of the meta crossword format. It comes out every Friday at noon and increases in difficulty throughout the month. Available for modest subscription (worth every cent) here: www.xwordcontest.com
User avatar
Jeremy Smith
Posts: 970
Joined: Thu Apr 11, 2019 5:45 pm
Location: Tampa Bay area

#61

Post by Jeremy Smith »

I would also appreciate a nudge. I have the first step, but I don’t see a path forward from there.
User avatar
MajordomoTom
Posts: 1399
Joined: Sat Nov 02, 2019 12:09 am
Location: St. Louis, MO

#62

Post by MajordomoTom »

yep, you don't need anything from outside the sheet of paper you have - it's all there. No external words, no "sounds like this", nothing, it's all there.

In maddeningly and artfully concealed places.
"Lots of planets have a North", the Ninth Doctor.
User avatar
Hector
Posts: 1297
Joined: Thu Apr 11, 2019 8:15 pm
Location: San Francisco
Contact:

#63

Post by Hector »

Nudges by PM are fine, but maybe not so much on the forum before the deadline?
User avatar
Al Sisti
Posts: 2037
Joined: Thu Apr 11, 2019 1:28 pm
Location: Whitesboro NY

#64

Post by Al Sisti »

Hector wrote: Tue Aug 04, 2020 3:11 pm Nudges by PM are fine, but maybe not so much on the forum before the deadline?
I agree (he says, constantly refreshing the page to look for more...).
User avatar
MajordomoTom
Posts: 1399
Joined: Sat Nov 02, 2019 12:09 am
Location: St. Louis, MO

#65

Post by MajordomoTom »

on the list at #99, thanks Cindy.
"Lots of planets have a North", the Ninth Doctor.
markhr
Posts: 342
Joined: Thu Apr 18, 2019 7:56 pm

#66

Post by markhr »

I can look at this till doomsday and not see what I'm supposed to see. It's just not on my wavelength.
Probably time to throw in the towel.

EDIT: Looks like post-enlightenment still works. Taking one more look, I finally saw the main mechanism here. Still waiting for confirmation of my submittal, but at least I didn't come up completely empty.
Last edited by markhr on Wed Aug 05, 2020 1:18 am, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
JordanianTomlinson
Posts: 130
Joined: Fri Jun 05, 2020 8:54 pm
Location: Durham, NC

#67

Post by JordanianTomlinson »

Joe Ross wrote: Tue Aug 04, 2020 1:40 pm
ky-mike wrote: Tue Aug 04, 2020 1:11 pm
JordanianTomlinson wrote: Tue Aug 04, 2020 12:04 pm On the board! Stared at the sheet for a day after getting that first step and even asked for a nudge but, somehow, saw the mechanism before getting a reply. So submitted but can’t credit myself for a solo solve as I wouldn’t have gotten there without typing out all of my previous steps out to my fellow Muggle.
If you got it before the nudge, then it is definitely a solo solve. Typing out your steps is a good way to help your thought process and move you forward.
Agree with Mike, wholeheartedly. Would go a step further, as you did & maybe as Mike meant, too, but explaining your process & progress to someone else further refines your thoughts & may inspire the next step, or two, which can lead to a solution.

One very patient muggle put up with hours of my stream-of-consciousness before I found home on this puzzle. My friend may well have been annoyed (or wanted to SCREAM the answer), but helped me tremendously by only "listening." I was rabid to finish, particularly after I found the 1st step, but I also thought before I wrote, lest I created a "DOH!" moment & wrote something 'stupid'.

In fact, going forward, I will request a mute sounding board before requesting a nudge. Beware PMs from me! 😈

Aye, you’re all probably right. Though this may just encourage me to bother you all more frequently 😂
User avatar
Streroto
Posts: 772
Joined: Thu Jul 04, 2019 4:24 pm
Location: Newtown Square, PA

#68

Post by Streroto »

LIS
I am taking the L I am certain. I am in awe of those of you who figured this out I literally have looked at it for hours and see...nothing
cherikee
Posts: 53
Joined: Tue Jul 21, 2020 8:45 am
Location: Washington, DC

#69

Post by cherikee »

cherikee wrote: Tue Aug 04, 2020 2:22 pm I'll take a nudge if anyone would be so inclined. At this point I think I'm taking an "L" on this, but would at least like to stop staring at nothing for the next 22 hrs...
And I'm done... took too much help to submit, but it was fun.
Leslie
Posts: 234
Joined: Wed Apr 10, 2019 2:18 pm

#70

Post by Leslie »

Like others, I got the first step quickly and felt pretty optimistic about my chances of solving. But then...nothing. I keep picking it up in spare moments, but unless post-enlightenment strikes it looks like I won’t make it to step two. Really wish there had been more nudge-y posts!
User avatar
joequavis
Posts: 500
Joined: Fri Apr 12, 2019 12:29 pm
Location: Windsor, Colorado

#71

Post by joequavis »

Submitted a Hail Mary answer which I'm sure is not right. I found step 1 right away Saturday, and a few rabbit holes since then. Would love a PM nudge now that I've submitted - I'd like to still solve it without being shown the answer on Fiend. Thanks!
User avatar
tonyrobots
Posts: 149
Joined: Sun Dec 22, 2019 1:48 pm
Location: Portland, Oregon
Contact:

#72

Post by tonyrobots »

Well, I've got 86 minutes. Wish me luck!

edit: make that 38 minutes

edit 2: I give up ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Last edited by tonyrobots on Wed Aug 05, 2020 11:43 am, edited 3 times in total.
User avatar
joequavis
Posts: 500
Joined: Fri Apr 12, 2019 12:29 pm
Location: Windsor, Colorado

#73

Post by joequavis »

tonyrobots wrote: Wed Aug 05, 2020 10:34 am Well, I've got 86 minutes. Wish me luck!
Good luck!
streakchaser
Posts: 12
Joined: Tue May 26, 2020 11:08 am

#74

Post by streakchaser »

Well, I got step one, but I'm stuck. Could anyone help with a nudge? I won't be able to submit on time, but I'd still like to try and solve before looking at the solution.

Edit: Got it! Thank you for the nudge. I won't submit, as I feel I wouldn't have gotten it without the nudge.
Last edited by streakchaser on Wed Aug 05, 2020 11:55 am, edited 2 times in total.
Big Mac
Posts: 114
Joined: Fri Apr 10, 2020 1:01 pm
Location: Vienna, VA

#75

Post by Big Mac »

Same, would appreciate a nudge after step one. Would still like to try solving before looking.
User avatar
spotter
Posts: 311
Joined: Thu Sep 12, 2019 5:48 pm
Location: SLO, CA

#76

Post by spotter »

At the buzzer with a little help from a friend!
Dplass
Posts: 1739
Joined: Sat Dec 28, 2019 10:09 am

#77

Post by Dplass »

I followed the title, and didn't even try. Next week is a week 1 which is much closer to my wheelhouse.
User avatar
Joe Ross
Moderator
Posts: 4998
Joined: Fri Apr 12, 2019 4:46 am
Location: Cincinnati

#78

Post by Joe Ross »

I took too long to reword the puzzle title: Don't Even Try = Do Not Even Try = Do Try Odd.

When I did look at all of the grid squares with odd numbers, I found six "_IGHT" words + one letter, or seven letters — E - F - L - M - N - R- S — & some chaff. Seven letters are better, since the Meta Clue is This week's contest answer is a seven-letter word.

Spent a lot of time misreading 61A Devote, as time looking at clues - SPEND (or SPEND TIME LOOKING AT CLUES) as SPEND TIME LOOKING AT GRID. Once I corrected myself, I found the seven letters as first letters of clues 19-43-5-27-29-40-54, whose grid answer first letters are

T-I-G-H-T-E-N.


Graphic Solution to Don't Even Try jpr.gif
Whole blood, platelets, or plasma: Donate 4 in 2024

PLATELET 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗮𝗿𝗲.
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝘀 ENORMOUS 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲:
𝟰𝟬% 𝗽𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰,
𝟯𝟬% 𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰,
𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿 & 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘂𝗺𝗮. 𝗣𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗘 𝗦𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗘!
Big Mac
Posts: 114
Joined: Fri Apr 10, 2020 1:01 pm
Location: Vienna, VA

#79

Post by Big Mac »

I overcomplicated things. Got step one immediately and then dug way into the weeds on the clues. I played around with EFLMNRS every way except the right one.
User avatar
joequavis
Posts: 500
Joined: Fri Apr 12, 2019 12:29 pm
Location: Windsor, Colorado

#80

Post by joequavis »

Kudos to those who made the connection from what seemed like a very get-able step 1 to a not-so-get-able step 2!

I saw this more as 6 words and the beginning of a 7th, which would have been SIGHT. I saw that this ended on SPEND, and was rightly looking at the clues all weekend. Not seeing the connection, I submitted INSIGHT, as in there was NO END In Sight.

Congrats to the solvers. Tough one!
Locked