"From Top to Bottom" - November 20, 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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Wendy Walker
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#261

Post by Wendy Walker »

One tiny bat's squeak hint for me was noticing the number of times I wrote the letter "a" in the grid. One of my goofier affectations is writing my a's like this (my sister and I both had crushes on Patrick McGoohan in "The Prisoner"), and it gets a tad cumbersome after a while!
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_0000s_0006_Opening McGoohan.jpeg
Good luck, fellow Muggles!
PJM
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#262

Post by PJM »

Dplass wrote: Mon Nov 23, 2020 7:05 am 7D/49D Were an expression I never heard of and then seconds later my eyes saw AS and SO separated by a line in the grid and Bob's your parent's sibling.
"As above so below" is a phrase associated with Hermeticism. You can read about it here: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/As_above,_so_below

The words in the clue "interconnectedness of all things" come from Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, a very fun read by Douglas Adams (writer of the Hitchhiker's Guide series).
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KscX
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#263

Post by KscX »

Sounds like I was the only one looking for ISOGRAMS. Who knew there are first degree, second degree, etc.?! Didn’t take me long to ditch it but now I’m on the lookout in case that was foreshadowing.
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BrianMac
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#264

Post by BrianMac »

whimsy wrote: Sun Nov 22, 2020 11:55 pm
BrianMac wrote: Fri Nov 20, 2020 2:10 pm That took way too long, but I finally saw it.
Been itching to post this since Friday --- I guess it's safe enough now. :D
Wonder no more, BrianMac. These are MALLSISTAS:
Capturemallsistas.JPG
Wow, that comment was only up for a few minutes before I edited it for fear that it was a spoiler. The original post bemoaned how long I spent trying to figure out what MALL SISTAS are. I guessed LILI on 53-Down, which led me to infer SIP for 71-Down.

But, yes, this is about what I was picturing! Or a mall full of Al Sistas, all solving metas with alarming speed! ("six Sistas a-solving...?")
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Al Sisti
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#265

Post by Al Sisti »

BrianMac wrote: Mon Nov 23, 2020 10:03 am
whimsy wrote: Sun Nov 22, 2020 11:55 pm
BrianMac wrote: Fri Nov 20, 2020 2:10 pm That took way too long, but I finally saw it.
Been itching to post this since Friday --- I guess it's safe enough now. :D
Wonder no more, BrianMac. These are MALLSISTAS:
Capturemallsistas.JPG
Wow, that comment was only up for a few minutes before I edited it for fear that it was a spoiler. The original post bemoaned how long I spent trying to figure out what MALL SISTAS are. I guessed LILI on 53-Down, which led me to infer SIP for 71-Down.

But, yes, this is about what I was picturing! Or a mall full of Al Sistas, all solving metas with alarming speed! ("six Sistas a-solving...?")
One is more than enough!
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BrianMac
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#266

Post by BrianMac »

Sistis! How did I mess that up?
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woozy
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#267

Post by woozy »

"I also noticed the similar mechanism appearing in the 7/10/20 puzzle (see Eric Porter's post above). Made me wonder whether there were three more steps to go through."

I actually asked people if there were more steps. Usually when phrase comes immediately through a single mechanism from a single clue the result is an instruction for the final step (a meta meta as it were). And "missing links" certainly sounded like it could be instructions to go a step further looking for connections between grid answers.

The only reason I didn't keep looking was because "Missing links" was two words and these meta meta clues shouldn't be acceptable as answers themselves.
Latest meta: Never forget... and never mind (A WSJ retaliation)
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Joe Ross
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#268

Post by Joe Ross »

Al Sisti wrote: Mon Nov 23, 2020 10:30 am
BrianMac wrote: Mon Nov 23, 2020 10:03 am
whimsy wrote: Sun Nov 22, 2020 11:55 pm

Been itching to post this since Friday --- I guess it's safe enough now. :D
Wonder no more, BrianMac. These are MALLSISTAS:
Capturemallsistas.JPG
Wow, that comment was only up for a few minutes before I edited it for fear that it was a spoiler. The original post bemoaned how long I spent trying to figure out what MALL SISTAS are. I guessed LILI on 53-Down, which led me to infer SIP for 71-Down.

But, yes, this is about what I was picturing! Or a mall full of Al Sistas, all solving metas with alarming speed! ("six Sistas a-solving...?")
One is more than enough!
Babble on, Sisti, SHAKE IT!
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!
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whimsy
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#269

Post by whimsy »

KscX wrote: Mon Nov 23, 2020 9:34 am Sounds like I was the only one looking for ISOGRAMS. Who knew there are first degree, second degree, etc.?! Didn’t take me long to ditch it but now I’m on the lookout in case that was foreshadowing.
Thanks for inspiring me to explore this!
https://www.thoughtco.com/isogram-word- ... rm-1691199
(That's me at the end of the Tiki Bar rhapsodizing about the Norwegian coastline, :D )
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LadyBird
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#270

Post by LadyBird »

whimsy wrote: Mon Nov 23, 2020 1:30 pm
KscX wrote: Mon Nov 23, 2020 9:34 am Sounds like I was the only one looking for ISOGRAMS. Who knew there are first degree, second degree, etc.?! Didn’t take me long to ditch it but now I’m on the lookout in case that was foreshadowing.
Thanks for inspiring me to explore this!
https://www.thoughtco.com/isogram-word- ... rm-1691199
(That's me at the end of the Tiki Bar rhapsodizing about the Norwegian coastline, :D )
Visions of Cheers and Cliff (with long hair and big glasses).
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LadyBird
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#271

Post by LadyBird »

20201123_085741.jpg
Bob--thought of you this morning as I was cleaning the cage of this patient.
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Bob cruise director
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#272

Post by Bob cruise director »

Wendy Walker wrote: Mon Nov 23, 2020 8:57 am One tiny bat's squeak hint for me was noticing the number of times I wrote the letter "a" in the grid. One of my goofier affectations is writing my a's like this (my sister and I both had crushes on Patrick McGoohan in "The Prisoner"), and it gets a tad cumbersome after a while!
all the ladies around here have a crush on Jimmy G even after he went from the Patriots to the 49'ers
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Meg
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#273

Post by Meg »

Bob cruise director wrote: Mon Nov 23, 2020 4:49 pm
Wendy Walker wrote: Mon Nov 23, 2020 8:57 am One tiny bat's squeak hint for me was noticing the number of times I wrote the letter "a" in the grid. One of my goofier affectations is writing my a's like this (my sister and I both had crushes on Patrick McGoohan in "The Prisoner"), and it gets a tad cumbersome after a while!
all the ladies around here have a crush on Jimmy G even after he went from the Patriots to the 49'ers
Ladies?? Am I a lady? Who is Jimmy G?
Check out and support http://CrosswordsForCancer.com.
flyingMoose
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#274

Post by flyingMoose »

Meg wrote: Mon Nov 23, 2020 5:56 pm
Bob cruise director wrote: Mon Nov 23, 2020 4:49 pm
Wendy Walker wrote: Mon Nov 23, 2020 8:57 am One tiny bat's squeak hint for me was noticing the number of times I wrote the letter "a" in the grid. One of my goofier affectations is writing my a's like this (my sister and I both had crushes on Patrick McGoohan in "The Prisoner"), and it gets a tad cumbersome after a while!
all the ladies around here have a crush on Jimmy G even after he went from the Patriots to the 49'ers
Ladies?? Am I a lady? Who is Jimmy G?
Jimmy Garoppolo, a quarterback in the NFL.
SewYoung
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#275

Post by SewYoung »

"One of my goofier affectations is writing my a's like this ..." I make my "a"s like that, too. When filling in puzzles I use capital letters, so it is not an issue there, but in printing other things, that's how I do it.
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Bob cruise director
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#276

Post by Bob cruise director »

LadyBird wrote: Mon Nov 23, 2020 1:41 pm 20201123_085741.jpg

Bob--thought of you this morning as I was cleaning the cage of this patient.
Say hello - I know them well
Bob Stevens
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Joe Ross
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#277

Post by Joe Ross »

I'll ask: Where is Todd?

I hope traveling for holidays & soon to be back.
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!
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sharkicicles
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#278

Post by sharkicicles »

Joe Ross wrote: Mon Nov 23, 2020 11:18 am
Al Sisti wrote: Mon Nov 23, 2020 10:30 am
BrianMac wrote: Mon Nov 23, 2020 10:03 am

Wow, that comment was only up for a few minutes before I edited it for fear that it was a spoiler. The original post bemoaned how long I spent trying to figure out what MALL SISTAS are. I guessed LILI on 53-Down, which led me to infer SIP for 71-Down.

But, yes, this is about what I was picturing! Or a mall full of Al Sistas, all solving metas with alarming speed! ("six Sistas a-solving...?")
One is more than enough!
Babble on, Sisti, SHAKE IT!
Unexpected but refreshing Dan pun, there. Was going to reply with “so fine, so... young?” But I’m not feeling all that young myself these days either. ;)
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sharkicicles
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#279

Post by sharkicicles »

Image

Ran into a red herring although I’m a little embarrassed I didn’t get past it. MAM/AMA, ILI/LIL, and
ERE exist vertically in the grid (so each letter in the middle has a matching letter as above, so below.) I spent a lot of time looking for that missing RER to go along with the other 2.
MikeMillerwsj
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#280

Post by MikeMillerwsj »

Greetings--we had an unusually high success rate this week: 1716 entries, about 90% correct. Only a handful of repeat incorrect entries, including AS SO (8) and VICE VERSA (3), plus a whole lot of imaginative one-offs (ALL SET, IN KANSAS, ALLEY OOP, SHIP SHAPE, ROAD CURVES, TOP DOWN, many others.)

Congratulations to this week's winner, Brian Egleston of Colorado Springs, Colo.! And a safe and happy Thanksgiving to all!
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