"King Me!" - April 30, 2020

A place to discuss the weekly Wall Street Journal Crossword Puzzle Contest, starting every Thursday around 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. Please do not post any answers or hints before the contest deadline which is midnight Sunday Eastern time.
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MarkL
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#421

Post by MarkL »

GerryWhite wrote: Mon May 04, 2020 4:52 pm Woot!!

Now that I have a mug, am I still considered a Muggle?
Yes, and you can capitalize the M. Oh, wait that was last week! Congrats!!
'tis... A lovely day for a Guinness!
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tim1217
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#422

Post by tim1217 »

MikeMillerwsj wrote: Mon May 04, 2020 4:02 pm 61 of you got close with Richard II.
Wow...61 pulled a Sisti!
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Abide
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#423

Post by Abide »

I got a weird vibe with my first path of IXHLB. Our local Mardi Gras krewe features Queen Ixolib (Biloxi spelled backwards).
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Nlobb
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#424

Post by Nlobb »

Yes I know that one too!
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bhamren
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#425

Post by bhamren »

Janet wrote: Mon May 04, 2020 5:16 pm
GerryWhite wrote: Mon May 04, 2020 4:52 pm Woot!!

Now that I have a mug, am I still considered a Muggle?
Yes, you are now a mugged Muggle! Congratulations!
Congrats Gerry!

If you see my user picture I have my mug proudly displayed! WSJ sends a mug and a certificate. My WSJ user profile shows both, but I don't post there anymore since this forum came up after WSJ forced membership to post. They made a mistake the first time and sent me a plain Jane WSJ mug and the certificate. I posted this on my profile and about 3 months later I got one that said Crossword Champion. My guess is that Mike Miller saw that I had received the wrong mug and sent me a proper one. Thanks Mike!

It is all luck however IMO. I got my mug when over 1000 people had the correct answer. That was rarer back then.

My love of crosswords goes back to my father. I remember that we received Games magazine when it first came out in the 1970's. My dad even tried to enter some contests and went through an official dictionary and color coded certain words based on some score. He would always be in some "tie-breaker" that forced continued entry fees and finally he realized it was somewhat rigged. When I was a freshman in high school in North Branch Minnesota, my Life Science teacher took me aside after class and said that he does the same crosswords that my dad did every day, but that my dad did them in pen and he did them in pencil!

Actually I don't have as much time for crosswords as I once did and so I tend to send in my entries later than I used to. I worked for a company starting in 2013 that actually paid me a lot for very little work. I always sent in my crosswords quite soon. Guess what - they went bankrupt in 2018 and I was kept on by the company that bought them for a year until they went bankrupt also!! This new company WAY under used me and I probably actually worked 2 or 3 weeks of the year that they employed me. So here too I had time for the puzzles. Now I actually work for a living so I don't have time to spend on them so much. This current puzzle I finally got the correct answer at 11:42 Sunday night. (I set a permanent reminder on my phone at 10 p.m. Sunday nights to work on the WSJ puzzle).

Enough for now - enjoy the mug. My mug is my main coffee mug still.
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FrankieHeck
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#426

Post by FrankieHeck »

bhamren wrote: Mon May 04, 2020 10:08 pm My love of crosswords goes back to my father. I remember that we received Games magazine when it first came out in the 1970's.
My mom was a crossword fanatic, though she didn't live long enough to see me become addicted, too. When I visited my Dad in March (right before the virus drove everyone into their homes) he sent me home with a pile of her old Games magazines from I think 1979 to the mid 80s. Many of the puzzles are completed, but not all of them, and it has been exciting to fill in some of the squares that she hadn't gotten. Especially in the cryptics, which I have just recently attempted.

And some of the ads from the late 70s and early 80s are as interesting as the puzzles!
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Al Sisti
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#427

Post by Al Sisti »

FrankieHeck wrote: Mon May 04, 2020 10:20 pm
bhamren wrote: Mon May 04, 2020 10:08 pm My love of crosswords goes back to my father. I remember that we received Games magazine when it first came out in the 1970's.
My mom was a crossword fanatic, though she didn't live long enough to see me become addicted, too. When I visited my Dad in March (right before the virus drove everyone into their homes) he sent me home with a pile of her old Games magazines from I think 1979 to the mid 80s. Many of the puzzles are completed, but not all of them, and it has been exciting to fill in some of the squares that she hadn't gotten. Especially in the cryptics, which I have just recently attempted.

And some of the ads from the late 70s and early 80s are as interesting as the puzzles!
My love of crosswords also comes from my mom, who used to do them in pen. I don't. I have decades' worth of old Games/World of Puzzles magazines. I was a subscriber when they first went under... one paper publication I really miss was called "CROSSW RD" (yes, with the space). About maybe 15-20 pages, on newsprint-type paper, as I recall. They always had a tough contest puzzle on the last page that I really looked forward to. I wish I could find some of them again.
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tigerfly222
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#428

Post by tigerfly222 »

CallMeShane wrote: Mon May 04, 2020 6:03 am
Only the second time where I correctly guessed the solution before working out the complete mechanism.

Completely missed the significance of START until I got the solution. Doh!

P.S. once I realized the importance of the O squares, I should have printed a copy of the puzzle and marked the O squares with a bright color. I think the path would have jumped out. Will add that to my bag of tools.
For me, the recent APP DEVELOPER puzzle was the first time I got the answer without knowing how or why.
I am one of those computer-screen solvers. The first thing I do after completing the grid is take a screen shot of it and open it in Preview (I use a Mac) where I can circle things, draw lines, etc. I think that helped me a lot in this case, as you said above, because once I had circled all the O's, it was clear that you could jump them all as if they were checkers, in a single move.
Screen Shot 2020-05-01 at 9.43.57 AM copy.png
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DrTom
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#429

Post by DrTom »

Joe Ross wrote: Mon May 04, 2020 5:41 pm
DrTom wrote: Mon May 04, 2020 4:30 pm OK, I promised a tale of dumb (and I accentuate DUMB) luck with this week’s META. I figured out fairly quickly with the title and the reference to a checker that the O’s were the key. However, that was where my cleverness ended.

I tried putting the letters on top of the Os to make a King, the O’s on top of letters, I tried looking for the instances of ROI knowing that meant King in French (why that was a “natural” I’ll never know) and I was having NO luck. Finally I said, “If I was going to get “Kinged” I’d have to move from one end of the board to the other to get back to the home row (unfortunately this was not set up in an 8 x 8 configuration but the concept seemed rational)). So I started at the top, a logical place to start in checkers (because of course I completely ignored the START message) but quickly ran into a problem because I had to move diagonally up and then down which a checker piece cannot do. Ah, “but what if you WERE a King, then you could”. So off I went along the twisted path and got I I D R A H C I R. Darn it, an anagram of a historical monarch, but Mike Schenk doesn’t usually do anagrams, he puts them in order???

So I “phone” (or rather PM) a friend who solved it already and ask simply if the answer was an anagram. I wanted to verify what seemed almost too right to be wrong but was an anagram (I’ve been in these “perfect fit, wrong answer” situations before). So of course he said NO, it isn’t, and it was only then I saw that it was EXACTLY (well almost) backwards and mentioned that. At which point my helpline asked “where did you start” and I told him 15 ACROSS. Then my eyes went down the GRID and I saw START, well of course I felt like an idiot. He asked one more question, “so are you done?” and with that question I knew I should not be, but of course starting at 15A I would have never used the last I, and only when I looked and saw that there was not only START but also FINISH that I twisted my spine around in the chair and chose RICHARD III not II.

So I’ll claim an 80% victory and give myself a B+ for effort and an A+ for having smart friends; I I D R A H C I R an anagram INDEED! I didn’t win the mug so I do not have to apologize for doing it sloppily (though I’d have taken it to be sure).
Dude, you completely skipped the part where you squealed, "OOOOOOOOO...!", then claimed that the answer SIMPLY *HAD* to be UTHER PENDRAGON. It took a minute to talk you down out of *that* tree...

This is a complete fabrication, on my part, but it's fun to fun DrTom, a truly great sport & good man.
Well that was because I was going nowhere and wasting my time then I listened to a song from a popular R&B singer about not wasting my time when it all of a sudden came to me. He was giving me a sign, a MAGICAL sign so I combined his name and one of my favorite comedy magic acts and came up with USHER PENNTELLER, the next "jump" was just logical.

Thank God you were there to "check" that mistake! I was hopping all over, but a lot of that was in an effort to stay out of drafts.

So thanks for keeping me from being royally embarrassed, but you gotta know UTHER PENDRAGON is going to appear as an answer pretty soon, and when it does I'll be ready!
NUDGES!I am always willing to give nudges where needed; metas should be about fun, not frustration. Send me what you have done so far because often you are closer than you think!
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DrTom
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#430

Post by DrTom »

Janet wrote: Mon May 04, 2020 5:16 pm
GerryWhite wrote: Mon May 04, 2020 4:52 pm Woot!!

Now that I have a mug, am I still considered a Muggle?
Yes, you are now a mugged Muggle! Congratulations!
Well of COURSE, but now we need to see your "mug" in you profile, you can have your mug smiling while you hold your Muggle Mug

There exists a group called the Muggles
That will continue through all kinds of troubles
They hope to get better
At solving the META
And receive a nice mug for their struggles

The number of Muggles it grew
And proportionate winners are few
But this group’s fun and smart
And has miles of heart
You’ll be glad you are one of the crew
NUDGES!I am always willing to give nudges where needed; metas should be about fun, not frustration. Send me what you have done so far because often you are closer than you think!
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Bird Lives
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#431

Post by Bird Lives »

BarbaraK wrote: Mon May 04, 2020 12:14 am Did anyone else think the arrangement of the checkers looked like a hunched back?
Me. I mentioned it and you in a previous comment.
Jay
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TPS
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#432

Post by TPS »

Bird Lives wrote: Tue May 05, 2020 9:39 am
BarbaraK wrote: Mon May 04, 2020 12:14 am Did anyone else think the arrangement of the checkers looked like a hunched back?
Me. I mentioned it and you in a previous comment.
It’s funny - I’ve looked at the grid several times since you made that comment - but I just don’t see it. Probably why I am so bad at meta - I never see what others do. Kind of makes me wonder how good of an attorney I am!! :lol: :lol:
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#433

Post by FrankieHeck »

Al Sisti wrote: Mon May 04, 2020 11:16 pm My love of crosswords also comes from my mom, who used to do them in pen. I don't. I have decades' worth of old Games/World of Puzzles magazines. I was a subscriber when they first went under...
If you have the February 2006 issue of Games, my mom co-constructed a crossword puzzle for that issue with Vic Fleming. A dream of hers that was realized the year before she died. I hate to admit it, but I think I only just got around to solving it last year!
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Bird Lives
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#434

Post by Bird Lives »

TPS wrote: Tue May 05, 2020 10:04 am
Bird Lives wrote: Tue May 05, 2020 9:39 am
BarbaraK wrote: Mon May 04, 2020 12:14 am Did anyone else think the arrangement of the checkers looked like a hunched back?
Me. I mentioned it and you in a previous comment.
It’s funny - I’ve looked at the grid several times since you made that comment - but I just don’t see it. Probably why I am so bad at meta - I never see what others do. Kind of makes me wonder how good of an attorney I am!! :lol: :lol:
I tried to imply that the huchback shape was more in the eye of the beholder than in the grid.
Jay
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Bob cruise director
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#435

Post by Bob cruise director »

BarbaraK wrote: Mon May 04, 2020 12:14 am Did anyone else think the arrangement of the checkers looked like a hunched back?
I thought it looked like an "S" in honor of Al.

I looked at the shape of the checkers also thinking back to the Christmas Tree a couple of years ago.
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#436

Post by jenirvin »

As in real life, I'm late to the party. Weekends have been crazy, and I've been saving the metas 'til I can get around to them. No; I'll never win a mug this way, but they still bring me joy,and for some reason I found this one particularly fun. I'll try to get back on track next week so I can be counted on the beach!
~ Jennifer/jenirvin
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GerryWhite
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#437

Post by GerryWhite »

DrTom wrote: Tue May 05, 2020 9:12 am
Janet wrote: Mon May 04, 2020 5:16 pm
GerryWhite wrote: Mon May 04, 2020 4:52 pm Woot!!

Now that I have a mug, am I still considered a Muggle?
Yes, you are now a mugged Muggle! Congratulations!
Well of COURSE, but now we need to see your "mug" in you profile, you can have your mug smiling while you hold your Muggle Mug

I'm told that the ceramic mug is in the mail...

(just kidding. But actually, the mug will be mailed after the WSJ offices reopen. At some point after that, the two mugs shall mug for a profile photo.)
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camandsampowercouple
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#438

Post by camandsampowercouple »

I had "OXINIAN" the whole time. Seeing it as "OXONIAN" just made it all so much more clear lol
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eagle1279
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#439

Post by eagle1279 »

FrankieHeck wrote: Mon May 04, 2020 10:20 pm
bhamren wrote: Mon May 04, 2020 10:08 pm My love of crosswords goes back to my father. I remember that we received Games magazine when it first came out in the 1970's.
My mom was a crossword fanatic, though she didn't live long enough to see me become addicted, too. When I visited my Dad in March (right before the virus drove everyone into their homes) he sent me home with a pile of her old Games magazines from I think 1979 to the mid 80s. Many of the puzzles are completed, but not all of them, and it has been exciting to fill in some of the squares that she hadn't gotten. Especially in the cryptics, which I have just recently attempted.

And some of the ads from the late 70s and early 80s are as interesting as the puzzles!
I also inherited my love of crosswords. When we learned my wife was expecting our first child, I constructed a lame crossword puzzle that had a meta, the messages "Debbie pregnant" and "Barbara grandma" running diagonally from the corners. My mom solved it very quickly, and was almost as happy as I would be if I won the WSJ Mug.
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#440

Post by joequavis »

EmilyW wrote: Mon May 04, 2020 3:15 pm I originally had HELI in the grid instead of HELO so that was throwing me off because of a missing O. I went back and looked at the notes I had jotted down, and saw I had CHARDIII and then it clicked that the answer may be RICHARDIII. I also did not notice the Start and Finish. Very clever and fun puzzle!
Yup this was precisely my solving experience! Too funny.
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