MGWCC #820 — “Hand to Mouth”

[Joe Ross]

Beam awaits. NOT solo.

147. Joe Ross 02/19 - 19:13

[MountainManZach]

As the deadline bears down and I don’t see any confirmed solvers online, I’ll rudely ask for any nudge from anyone! I’m not defending a particularly long streak but would hate to lose it on a “week 2”

[sharkicicles]

The Vegas connection seems, ah, a little tenuous at best.

[MMe]

The first 819 metas were really very good, though

[BrennerTJ]

Also found a Tango in Texas (crossing boundaries in row 3) but I guess that's not a thing.

[HunterX]

I deliberately submitted what was obviously a wrong answer ("Nope...") on purpose, and used the comment section to explain why I wasn't submitting SAY CHEESE.

I see (in hindsight) that the reference to Las Vegas in the prompt was basically a hint to do something with 75A, rather than a way to know that you have the right answer (which was partially handled by the "two-word phrase" portion). Las Vegas is not a place I think of first when prompted to say where people take photos of themselves/friends, with the Eiffel Tower, Mount Rushmore, and Niagra Falls being 3 far more photogenic things than a street with a lot of casinos.

And I definitely wouldn't have know to, essentially, apply the "short form" in the clue to 75A to the portion that you removed (Texas) to get HOLD EM, leading to TX. Or to be more specific, T_X with a variable number of letters filling in the gap. And I was thoroughly distracted by the fact that there were 7 X's that I tried to fit into some sort of a pattern, not realizing that only 4 were relevant.

Since a big fat shove got me there, I felt I couldn't claim a solve, even an assisted one.

But I still don't get how the title fits in.

[MikeyG]

But I still don't get how the title fits in.

Looks like it was a similar one to "Keep Your Puzzle Buzz," where the title more confirms it when it's all over? "Hand" = poker hand, "Mouth" = "Say cheese!"

[Laura M]

Sigh. I looked at this one on and off all weekend and got nowhere. I was positive that all 7 X's were important.

Two DNFs this year already, out of only 7 puzzles so far, and this was a week 3 that was supposed to be a week 2...

[CptnCodon]

I see (in hindsight) that the reference to Las Vegas in the prompt was basically a hint to do something with 75A, rather than a way to know that you have the right answer (which was partially handled by the "two-word phrase" portion). Las Vegas is not a place I think of first when prompted to say where people take photos of themselves/friends, with the Eiffel Tower, Mount Rushmore, and Niagra Falls being 3 far more photogenic things than a street with a lot of casinos.

Vegas has got you covered:



(Well, maybe a version of you with less refined taste ). I get the feeling that these days Vegas wants to be seen as a spectacle destination even more than a place to gamble:

https://www.vegas.com/attractions/

"Say Cheese" felt weird to me, too, but on reflection I grudgingly have to agree it does kind of make sense.

[sharkicicles]

Sigh. I looked at this one on and off all weekend and got nowhere. I was positive that all 7 X's were important.

Two DNFs this year already, out of only 7 puzzles so far, and this was a week 3 that was supposed to be a week 2...

I’m definitely under 500 this year so far on the MGWCC.