"Head Count" - June 12, 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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Geoduck
Posts: 156
Joined: Fri Jun 21, 2019 6:40 pm
Location: Somewhere Nawth of Bangaw, or on The Other Cape

#141

Post by Geoduck »

Ashore! I didn't even have time to try last week's and almost didn't have time for this week's. I thought being retired meant having lots of time?
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FrankieHeck
Posts: 839
Joined: Tue Apr 09, 2019 8:57 pm
Location: West Virginia

#142

Post by FrankieHeck »

Well, by fair winds or fouls, I have drifted to shore. This puzzle gave me a bit of a headache, so I'll have a couple mugs of coffee followed by a couple fishbowls of beer. Cheers.
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802puzzler
Posts: 178
Joined: Fri May 08, 2020 7:21 pm

#143

Post by 802puzzler »

Still LAS. Grid done, but nothing besides rabbit holes! Will take a break and come back around!
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Bob cruise director
Cruise Director
Posts: 4512
Joined: Thu Apr 11, 2019 2:38 pm
Location: Any golf course within 500 miles of Littleton MA

#144

Post by Bob cruise director »

FrankieHeck wrote: Sat Jun 13, 2020 12:21 pm Still working on this one...it could be my streak breaker. I've found lots of knee-deep rabbit holes and an overly simplistic answer, but that's it. I can't believe I missed Bob's spoiler! :D
I will explain it Monday morning. My feeling is that, like so many spoilers, it is a strong nudge but only if you already knew the answer. However each can judge for themselves.
Bob Stevens
Cruise Director
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Bob cruise director
Cruise Director
Posts: 4512
Joined: Thu Apr 11, 2019 2:38 pm
Location: Any golf course within 500 miles of Littleton MA

#145

Post by Bob cruise director »

FrankieHeck wrote: Sat Jun 13, 2020 4:00 pm Well, by fair winds or fouls, I have drifted to shore. This puzzle gave me a bit of a headache, so I'll have a couple mugs of coffee followed by a couple fishbowls of beer. Cheers.
So we will have a wide awake drunk?
Bob Stevens
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EVJ
Posts: 419
Joined: Thu May 02, 2019 6:40 pm
Location: Idaho

#146

Post by EVJ »

Well I’m definitely SOTDOTB. I’ve been down many rabbit holes and I’ve emerged with something which may, or may not, be the answer. I can tell you how I got there. It was quite straightforward. I can justify it. I can defend it. And yet? I have doubts. I’m going to sit here and kick my legs in the water and hope for an epiphany. If I don’t have one by the bewitching hour I’ll go with what I’ve got.
JennyByrd
Posts: 151
Joined: Sat Apr 04, 2020 2:51 pm
Location: Houston

#147

Post by JennyByrd »

Made it to shore. I found this puzzle much easier than the last couple. Ready for a frozen cocktail.
Orsys
Posts: 189
Joined: Thu May 02, 2019 5:48 pm

#148

Post by Orsys »

A nudge, however slight, would be appreciated.
dudeski
Posts: 371
Joined: Mon Apr 20, 2020 4:56 pm

#149

Post by dudeski »

Still at the bar. I’ve been to the head more times than I can count. I could use a nudge or a bigger bladder.
dudeski
Posts: 371
Joined: Mon Apr 20, 2020 4:56 pm

#150

Post by dudeski »

On shore.
Thx swabbies.
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camandsampowercouple
Posts: 140
Joined: Fri Apr 24, 2020 2:58 am

#151

Post by camandsampowercouple »

Still stumped
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joequavis
Posts: 500
Joined: Fri Apr 12, 2019 12:29 pm
Location: Windsor, Colorado

#152

Post by joequavis »

Finally managed to drift ashore. I was convinced that Mr. Shenk forgot to include the meta part of the puzzle, or attached the instructions to the wrong grid. I had a good sense of which rabbit hole to pursue and, unlike other times I've been LAS, persistence was the key this time.

I will say this was certainly not my favorite puzzle, but then saw what I had been missing all along. I dislike it a lot less now.
Big Mac
Posts: 114
Joined: Fri Apr 10, 2020 1:01 pm
Location: Vienna, VA

#153

Post by Big Mac »

Still at sea, struggled hard with the grid too. Going to be a crazy Saturday night - a glass of bourbon and this puzzle. Watch out.
Carla
Posts: 43
Joined: Mon Apr 22, 2019 10:37 am
Location: WA State

#154

Post by Carla »

On shore!
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BarbaraK
Posts: 2592
Joined: Tue Apr 09, 2019 2:37 pm
Location: Virginia

#155

Post by BarbaraK »

joequavis wrote: Sat Jun 13, 2020 8:19 pm Finally managed to drift ashore. I was convinced that Mr. Shenk forgot to include the meta part of the puzzle, or attached the instructions to the wrong grid. I had a good sense of which rabbit hole to pursue and, unlike other times I've been LAS, persistence was the key this time.

I will say this was certainly not my favorite puzzle, but then saw what I had been missing all along. I dislike it a lot less now.
I suspect you solved this much the same way I did. Noticed something that led toward a good answer (with a bit of backsolving) but had some inconsistencies and seemed to require too much assuming. Then took another look and saw something I’d gone right by at first and realized the inconsistencies were just my incorrect assumptions and there was in fact a nice clear path to a consistent solution.
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MajordomoTom
Posts: 1401
Joined: Sat Nov 02, 2019 12:09 am
Location: St. Louis, MO

#156

Post by MajordomoTom »

with Yoda and Isaac on the boat I am
"Lots of planets have a North", the Ninth Doctor.
ChimiSeanGa
Posts: 2
Joined: Sat Jun 13, 2020 10:05 pm

#157

Post by ChimiSeanGa »

On shore! This one came to me more easily than last week’s (sadly never made it to shore last week...)
matthewmoravec
Posts: 59
Joined: Mon Aug 12, 2019 11:37 am

#158

Post by matthewmoravec »

On shore! This one had me feeling blue but in the end it was good clean fun.
JeanneC
Posts: 616
Joined: Sat Apr 25, 2020 11:25 am
Location: Florida

#159

Post by JeanneC »

Grid done. But I seem to be batting below the Mendoza line on getting to shore lately. I think I see the mechanism. Guess I’ll keep staring at it 😳 and hope something clicks.
“I cannot and will not cut my conscience to fit this year’s fashions”. Lillian Hellman
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Joe Ross
Moderator
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Joined: Fri Apr 12, 2019 4:46 am
Location: Cincinnati

#160

Post by Joe Ross »

Big Mac wrote: Sat Jun 13, 2020 9:02 pm Still at sea, struggled hard with the grid too. Going to be a crazy Saturday night - a glass of bourbon and this puzzle. Watch out.
Try the Woodford Reserve Double Oak. Tasty.
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