"Two By Two" - August 23, 2019

[BarbaraK]

Solved. Tried way too hard. Now Happy Birthday to my dear husband who embraces my addiction.

This meta was Mike’s birthday gift - one you’d get quickly so you wouldn’t be distracted during the celebration.

[Toby]

I've been saying "duh" a lot lately, and this was no exception. Solved after WAY overthinking it.

[FrankieHeck]

That meta was really in my blind spot! I was trying not to get too upset as everyone was landing on shore and I was seeing absolutely nothing. Took the puzzle to the dinner table, whined a little, and the answer finally came to me. It may or not have come to me out of my husband's mouth. I actually hope I don't win the mug this week, because I would be reminded of this every time I used it.

Anyway, I may have been dragged to shore by someone else, but here I am.

[Inca]

I I checked my email Monday morning and thought, "Yep. No mug email. How many of these dang things do I have to get right before I win one?"

I know your point was to indicate how sure you were that your answer was correct.
But, I do have to tell you that when I check my emails Monday morning and there is no advise of a mug coming my way, I do think, "Again? No mug? When will I win it already so that I don't feel "compelled" to do the meta."
It seems so dumb. I do not need the mug. I do not need the mug to confirm that I have actually solved the meta; I've done it so many times by now. So why do I feel that I have to keep doing these metas until i have that solid mug in front of me??? It makes no sense....but it is a fact for me.
Anyone else?

[oldjudge]

Easy and easy. Safely ashore.

[BethA]

On the beach! 🏖

[Toby]

I I checked my email Monday morning and thought, "Yep. No mug email. How many of these dang things do I have to get right before I win one?"

I know your point was to indicate how sure you were that your answer was correct.
But, I do have to tell you that when I check my emails Monday morning and there is no advise of a mug coming my way, I do think, "Again? No mug? When will I win it already so that I don't feel "compelled" to do the meta."
It seems so dumb. I do not need the mug. I do not need the mug to confirm that I have actually solved the meta; I've done it so many times by now. So why do I feel that I have to keep doing these metas until i have that solid mug in front of me??? It makes no sense....but it is a fact for me.
Anyone else?

You can't possibly be suggesting that there is more to aspire to in life than winning a mug! Anyone might win a Nobel Prize, but to win the mug takes real luck.

[BethA]

I I checked my email Monday morning and thought, "Yep. No mug email. How many of these dang things do I have to get right before I win one?"

I know your point was to indicate how sure you were that your answer was correct.
But, I do have to tell you that when I check my emails Monday morning and there is no advise of a mug coming my way, I do think, "Again? No mug? When will I win it already so that I don't feel "compelled" to do the meta."
It seems so dumb. I do not need the mug. I do not need the mug to confirm that I have actually solved the meta; I've done it so many times by now. So why do I feel that I have to keep doing these metas until i have that solid mug in front of me??? It makes no sense....but it is a fact for me.
Anyone else?

I’m with you! It’s pretty comical to spend so much time and energy and obsession in the effort to win a trinket. We must enjoy laughing at ourselves over that! But don’t forget, if you win, you also get the glory of having your name appear in print in the WSJ!!

[Meg]

I I checked my email Monday morning and thought, "Yep. No mug email. How many of these dang things do I have to get right before I win one?"

I know your point was to indicate how sure you were that your answer was correct.
But, I do have to tell you that when I check my emails Monday morning and there is no advise of a mug coming my way, I do think, "Again? No mug? When will I win it already so that I don't feel "compelled" to do the meta."
It seems so dumb. I do not need the mug. I do not need the mug to confirm that I have actually solved the meta; I've done it so many times by now. So why do I feel that I have to keep doing these metas until i have that solid mug in front of me??? It makes no sense....but it is a fact for me.
Anyone else?

Inca, do you think you will stop doing the meta puzzles if you win the mug? I don’t think so. For me, winning the mug is just some unlikely icing on the cake which is the thrill of solving the puzzle. It is an addiction, to be sure, but I feel it is a healthy, not to mention very satisfying addiction. I have this image of checking my email at work on a Monday morning and screaming! And then not really being able to explain why I’m jumping up and down.

[Bob cruise director]

Got this one. It’ll make up for faceplanting on a week 4 MGWCC this weekend.

How do you do a faceplant in the middle of summer with no snow?

[Bob cruise director]

I I checked my email Monday morning and thought, "Yep. No mug email. How many of these dang things do I have to get right before I win one?"

I know your point was to indicate how sure you were that your answer was correct.
But, I do have to tell you that when I check my emails Monday morning and there is no advise of a mug coming my way, I do think, "Again? No mug? When will I win it already so that I don't feel "compelled" to do the meta."
It seems so dumb. I do not need the mug. I do not need the mug to confirm that I have actually solved the meta; I've done it so many times by now. So why do I feel that I have to keep doing these metas until i have that solid mug in front of me??? It makes no sense....but it is a fact for me.
Anyone else?

I keep thinking that on a puzzle like we have been having over the last month, there are over 1000 people who get the contest right. So (not purely mathematically correct) you probably will win the mug once in 20 years. So I figure that I should win one by the time I am 90 or so.

[ImOnToo]

99.9% sure I have it. But, have had some wine tonight so I’m gonna check back tomorrow to make sure that I’m correct.

[GlennG]

And...the easy metas end. Absolutely no clue. Good luck to the geniuses that get this one that you win the mug.

[jakeorjacob]

On shore! I'm not saying I want clues or hints, but sometimes it's nice to read "wow that was fun and easy!" here when I'm in the weeds and about to break out the paper and pencil. Gives me a chance to go back and "dumb it down," for lack of a better word. "Dr. Shenklove, or How I Learned to Stop Overthinking and Love the Meta."

See (some of) you in Gaffneyland tomorrow!

[DBMiller]

Done and done. Missed it at first because my mind thought the key would be something else. Fortunately, that rabbit hole terminated rather quickly, and I was able to hunt down the right animal.

[DBMiller]

Did anyone else try to fit “martini” into 6A?:)

Misread it at first as "bond rating", and wanted to put A-One in there. Re-read it, and while I didn't want to put martini there, PPK (as in Walter) briefly crossed my mind, and I tried to think of other things that might work.

[BarbaraK]

And...the easy metas end. Absolutely no clue. Good luck to the geniuses that get this one that you win the mug.

You're probably overthinking it. Take a fresh look in the morning. You will get it!

[darthdriessen]

On shore 100%.

[Tom Shea]

On shore.

I have given up hope of winning a mug. Still the tab icon for the site is pretty neat. Thanks again Brian. Did you realize what you were getting yourself into?

[Bird Lives]

I got this one quickly, which left me with time for (speaking of animals) doggerel.

The old ark has a special section
One with a very rare selection.
Creatures that one rarely sees
On land or sea or in the trees,
Not in the wild and not in cages
Just mostly in the crossword pages.

Here’s an ELAND, there’s a YAK,
The IBIS hangs out further back
Or do I mean the IBEX, wait. . .
I just can never keep them straight.
Is the bird the one that ends in X?
But that’s an ORYX. Too complex.

The EMU and the RHEA too.
Let’s not forget the good old GNU
And still another ox, ANOA.
There might be more. I’ll check with Noah.