"Leading Men" - October 4, 2019

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.
Locked
User avatar
Colin
Posts: 546
Joined: Sat Apr 13, 2019 11:57 pm

#221

Post by Colin »

Submitted HOST but spent time wondering if HOPE (also a noun/verb combo) was the right answer. Google taught me Bob Hope was the most frequent host of the Oscars (19 times!) so I figured that he would be a 'leading man' in some movies and as hosting the Oscars... hence my second thoughts. Despite this strong link from solution to meta, I decided it was unlikely the solution would be an exact grid word, so submitted Host.
PS - Does anyone else spend time explaining the reasoning for their solution when submitting to WSJ? I don't know why I feel my answers have to be justified... just part of being an engineer I guess. :)
One world. One planet. One future.
User avatar
KayW
Moderator
Posts: 3124
Joined: Wed Apr 10, 2019 12:10 am
Location: Chicago

#222

Post by KayW »

I guess I'm lucky not to have heard of either Tony or Bob Elliott - where ignorance is bliss... :D

...and to be old enough to have heard of the intended four names. They may not all have been my first guess but when I saw HOPE and deduced the surnames would be in the grid it wasn't difficult to find them.

oh, and I guess I think of "Robert DeNiro" and "Bob Hope" - and again lucky to have seen HOPE first, so DENIRO never even blipped on my radar.
Contest Crosswords Combating Cancer (CCCC) is a bundle of 16 metapuzzles created to help raise money for cancer-related charities. It is available at CrosswordsForCancer.com.
juliet
Posts: 119
Joined: Sun Jul 14, 2019 11:11 pm

#223

Post by juliet »

I started with De Niro, Orlando and Torn, then looked for famous "Sly's" to find Stone and finally realized Hope was the correct BOB. I thought 1 down's reference to initials might have been the in-grid clue we've come to appreciate, but HOST as an answer continued to bother me throughout the beach party. After recovering from the umbrella drinks, online searches (G, W and IMDB) showed that all four leading men served as hosts during their careers, and I like this meta quite a bit more now.
User avatar
BethA
Posts: 624
Joined: Tue Apr 09, 2019 6:44 pm
Location: Beaver, PA

#224

Post by BethA »

Colin wrote: Mon Oct 07, 2019 11:57 am
PS - Does anyone else spend time explaining the reasoning for their solution when submitting to WSJ? I don't know why I feel my answers have to be justified... just part of being an engineer I guess. :)
Sometimes. One reason I do is when I don’t have absolute confidence — like when I sent in Bamako instead of the desired answer Lima — and I’m hoping that if I get picked, the logic will be good enough to qualify as an alternate answer. Another reason is if I think I’ll feel like posting my thought process after the deadline. I write it up while it’s fresh in my mind, then I can just cut and paste it here later. More often than not, I don’t send anything but the meta answer though.
User avatar
Bob cruise director
Cruise Director
Posts: 4511
Joined: Thu Apr 11, 2019 2:38 pm
Location: Any golf course within 500 miles of Littleton MA

#225

Post by Bob cruise director »

Colin wrote: Mon Oct 07, 2019 11:57 am Submitted HOST but spent time wondering if HOPE (also a noun/verb combo) was the right answer. Google taught me Bob Hope was the most frequent host of the Oscars (19 times!) so I figured that he would be a 'leading man' in some movies and as hosting the Oscars... hence my second thoughts. Despite this strong link from solution to meta, I decided it was unlikely the solution would be an exact grid word, so submitted Host.
PS - Does anyone else spend time explaining the reasoning for their solution when submitting to WSJ? I don't know why I feel my answers have to be justified... just part of being an engineer I guess. :)
Many of us do for probably the same reason. Also if you get the answer wrong, you may be trying to plead your case. Or it may make you feel better if someone else got the same wrong answer you did.

By the way, the creators of these contests read our comments.
Bob Stevens
Cruise Director
User avatar
Julie O
Posts: 102
Joined: Sat Apr 20, 2019 7:36 am
Location: Clarendon Hills, IL

#226

Post by Julie O »

Jim and Anita wrote: Mon Oct 07, 2019 11:30 am We wished for a different meta answer more suited to "leading men" such as "Star"
Star was the answer I came up with. I was blinded by the DeNiro in the puzzle, never even saw Hope, though I did a lot of googling & IMDB-ing of the the nicknames and potential last names from the puzzle. Did find Sly Stone, but never even looked up Tony Orlando. Used the first letters of the names that the nicknames derived from, and anagrammed to STAR. Was uncomfortable that Rip came from Torn, as opposed to his first name, but I wasn't comfortable with Aston last week either, but if I used Elmore my only sensible answer was EARS. Had doubts about my answer.

As Robert DeNiro's character said in Ronin, "Whenever there is any doubt, there is no doubt. That's the first thing they teach you."
Louwers
Posts: 21
Joined: Fri Jul 19, 2019 11:27 am

#227

Post by Louwers »

Went with SHOT...probably the result of a reverse boiler maker after last week’s PINT
User avatar
DBMiller
Posts: 536
Joined: Wed Apr 10, 2019 8:59 pm
Location: New Hampshire

#228

Post by DBMiller »

I think of Robert DeNiro, not Bob. So no conflict for me. Also old enough to know of Sly and the Family Stone and Tony Orlando and Dawn. So host was an easy find for me.
I did not think all four had to be hosts. Leading men implied either lead singers (Sly and Tony) or actors (Bob and Rip). But a host of a party is sort of a lead role, which is where I saw the duality in the title.
Side note: Sly and the Family Stone has my favorite song title of all times - Thank U Fallentinme Be Mice Elf Agin
If I'm around, I am willing to join the Muggle Zoom room at other times to lend a hand to those in need.
User avatar
Deb F
Posts: 393
Joined: Fri Apr 12, 2019 4:02 pm
Location: Hilton Head Island

#229

Post by Deb F »

[quote=Commodore post_id=7747 time=1570459159 user_id=112]
Really stuck on Bob DeNiro and one of my favorite actors, Sam Elliott.
Just about to give up...when suddenly I had HOPE!
Tied a yellow ribbon around it and submitted correct answer.
But, Tony Orlando? A 'leading man'? Hmmmm. Hmmmmm.

The Commodore
Cochituate, Massachusetts

The term "leading man" led me to look at the beginnings of the long clues for how I'd get a name when BOB popped out--hence the leading letters of each word in the clue. When it held for the next one I knew i was on to something. I didn't spend much time on the meaning of "leading men" that you're thinking of. Happy to have gotten this one quickly once I locked in.
User avatar
Bob cruise director
Cruise Director
Posts: 4511
Joined: Thu Apr 11, 2019 2:38 pm
Location: Any golf course within 500 miles of Littleton MA

#230

Post by Bob cruise director »

Deb F wrote: Mon Oct 07, 2019 3:01 pm
Commodore wrote: Mon Oct 07, 2019 10:39 am Really stuck on Bob DeNiro and one of my favorite actors, Sam Elliott.
Just about to give up...when suddenly I had HOPE!
Tied a yellow ribbon around it and submitted correct answer.
But, Tony Orlando? A 'leading man'? Hmmmm. Hmmmmm.

The Commodore
Cochituate, Massachusetts

The term "leading man" led me to look at the beginnings of the long clues for how I'd get a name when BOB popped out--hence the leading letters of each word in the clue. When it held for the next one I knew i was on to something. I didn't spend much time on the meaning of "leading men" that you're thinking of. Happy to have gotten this one quickly once I locked in.
We will wave to you in an hour as we pass through Cochituate on the way to our granddaughter's field hockey game at Framingham High School.
Bob Stevens
Cruise Director
MikeMillerwsj
Posts: 286
Joined: Tue Apr 09, 2019 2:46 pm

#231

Post by MikeMillerwsj »

Looking at the wrong answers to this one, we're reminded of an important tip for solvers: Our constructors are so elegant and clever that they almost always come up with a solution that fits thematically with the contest's title and mechanism. So for "Leading Men," SHOT (with 24 submissions) might be a successful assembly of the four letters you're working with, but it doesn't fit a puzzle called "Leading Men" as well as HOST. (Plus HOST uses the four initials in the order of their related puzzle entries.)

We had 1667 entries this week, about 85% correct. Others circling around the correct answer included STAR (16), DOTS (14), TOES (13) and HOSE (5). Plus PUNK, MAGI, BORE and many others.

Congrats to this week's winer: Scott Medvetz of North Garden, Va.
Tony S
Posts: 188
Joined: Thu Apr 25, 2019 9:14 pm

#232

Post by Tony S »

Host seemed so obvious that I worried that I was missing a final step to a more intricate answer. The names Elliott (Gould), DeNiro, and Rod (Steiger) gave me pause but I figured they were either coincidental or red herrings. (I remember a puzzle where red herring was both an answer and a red herring for the meta solution.) I submitted host because I couldn't take it any further.
User avatar
billkatz
Posts: 315
Joined: Thu Apr 11, 2019 6:46 pm

#233

Post by billkatz »

Geoduck wrote: Fri Oct 04, 2019 6:24 pm
billkatz wrote: Fri Oct 04, 2019 5:28 pm
Bob cruise director wrote: Fri Oct 04, 2019 3:14 pm An explanation for having the three time winner from Cotuit,MA which is not a town in MA

For those who don't understand Massachusetts, we have strange naming for villages within towns.
But at least in Massachusetts each bit of land is in exactly one town/city. (I grew up in Pittsfield, the county seat of Berkshire County). And the city provided all of the services you need. When I was in high school the town of Mount Washington (the SW corner of Mass) was well known for being the smallest of Mass towns, with a population of 49. And they still had selectmen and an annual town meeting.

Here is California much land is in no town or city at all - it is just in the given county and unincorporated into any city. There are also cities that form islands within other cities (like Beverly Hills or Piedmont) as well as cities that take up the entire county (San Francisco). The other odd thing here is that districts that provide schools, water, sewage, and fire protection are not necessrily aligned with city or county borders, or even each other.
I have no idea how old you are but my first college roommate in 1972 was from Pittsfield. Ellis Sumy, may he rest in peace. Does the name ring a bell?
I graduated from Pittsfield High in 1980. The last name is familiar - I seem to remember a Candy Sumy in the band, but not Ellis.
User avatar
Scott M
Posts: 454
Joined: Fri Apr 12, 2019 1:10 pm
Location: Charlottesville, VA

#234

Post by Scott M »

Hey! I won a mug! Woo Hoo!
Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.
Mark Twain
User avatar
BarbaraK
Posts: 2592
Joined: Tue Apr 09, 2019 2:37 pm
Location: Virginia

#235

Post by BarbaraK »

MikeMillerwsj wrote: Mon Oct 07, 2019 3:13 pm
Congrats to this week's winer: Scott Medvetz of North Garden, Va.
Congratulations to a fellow muggle and a fellow Virginian - double cause for celebration this week!
🎉 🎆 🎊
User avatar
billkatz
Posts: 315
Joined: Thu Apr 11, 2019 6:46 pm

#236

Post by billkatz »

DBMiller wrote: Sun Oct 06, 2019 10:48 am
Bob cruise director wrote: Sat Oct 05, 2019 12:03 pm

The crowd on the shore is:
You missed my Done and Done in forums/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=196&start=60#p7551
It looks like you missed me also...
LesY
Posts: 678
Joined: Tue Apr 09, 2019 4:21 pm

#237

Post by LesY »

MikeMillerwsj wrote: Mon Oct 07, 2019 3:13 pm Looking at the wrong answers to this one, we're reminded of an important tip for solvers: Our constructors are so elegant and clever that they almost always come up with a solution that fits thematically with the contest's title and mechanism. So for "Leading Men," SHOT (with 24 submissions) might be a successful assembly of the four letters you're working with, but it doesn't fit a puzzle called "Leading Men" as well as HOST. (Plus HOST uses the four initials in the order of their related puzzle entries.)

We had 1667 entries this week, about 85% correct. Others circling around the correct answer included STAR (16), DOTS (14), TOES (13) and HOSE (5). Plus PUNK, MAGI, BORE and many others.

Congrats to this week's winer: Scott Medvetz of North Garden, Va.
Congratulations Scott! Charlottesville area gets a win!
Guy
Posts: 173
Joined: Sun Apr 14, 2019 3:26 pm
Location: M87*

#238

Post by Guy »

Hope was a bright beacon, but I failed to make the connection and fully convinced I was down the right rabbit hole I submitted "Ogre"....'O'liver stone....elliott 'G'ould....'R'obert de niro....and finding nothing resembling that logic for the fourth long answer (convincing myself that the lack was a clue too), I shoehorned in the "e" by reading "rest in peace" literally (well, after a fashion) to mean the rest of the noun was in "peace", i.e. the "e" at the end of peace...

Must learn the muggle way of walking away from dead end rabbit holes.
SewYoung
Posts: 726
Joined: Sun Apr 14, 2019 9:25 pm
Location: Meridian, MS

#239

Post by SewYoung »

MikeMillerwsj wrote: Mon Oct 07, 2019 3:13 pm Looking at the wrong answers to this one, we're reminded of an important tip for solvers: Our constructors are so elegant and clever that they almost always come up with a solution that fits thematically with the contest's title and mechanism. So for "Leading Men," SHOT (with 24 submissions) might be a successful assembly of the four letters you're working with, but it doesn't fit a puzzle called "Leading Men" as well as HOST. (Plus HOST uses the four initials in the order of their related puzzle entries.)

We had 1667 entries this week, about 85% correct. Others circling around the correct answer included STAR (16), DOTS (14), TOES (13) and HOSE (5). Plus PUNK, MAGI, BORE and many others.

Congrats to this week's winer: Scott Medvetz of North Garden, Va.
With Deniro so prominently displayed so close to the center, I managed to totally overlook "HOPE" and after seeing the solution, felt like a dolt for submitting "DOTS". I feel a little better seeing that thirteen others submitted it, too, probably for the same reason. I also was not aware that Torn and Stone had also been hosts.
Tony S
Posts: 188
Joined: Thu Apr 25, 2019 9:14 pm

#240

Post by Tony S »

Scott Medvetz wrote: Mon Oct 07, 2019 3:30 pm Hey! I won a mug! Woo Hoo!
Wahoowa!
Locked