MGWCC #801 — “Sounds like Someone I Know”

[Joe]

Beamed aboard, but I was biting my nails.

[HoldThatThought]

Ever come up with an answer that you can't shake, and then become so obsessed with backsolving a path, that you can't see anything else?

That's where I am.

Hush, brain

Post Script: In the end, it turns out that the reason I couldn't get that answer to leave me alone is because it was the right answer.

Sorry, brain.

[ajk]

Beamed after a kindly nudge that I was indeed pursuing the correct path. I feel like there's a snag that will temporarily delay more than a few people. Nothing wrong with it, just trickier than a normal week 1.

But great timing. You should get a bonus point.

[benchen71]

Awaiting the beam... [This was fun - assuming I have the right answer - but for the life of me I cannot see how anyone could do that in three minutes!!!]

...and I'm beamed at #131.

[markhr]

Finally worked through this one. Tougher than your typical week one.

[Jeremy Smith]

Beamed. Played more like a week 2 or higher for me.

[Laura M]

On the board, #125! Agree it was a tougher week 1 than usual.

[MMe]

Awaiting the beam... [This was fun - assuming I have the right answer - but for the life of me I cannot see how anyone could do that in three minutes!!!]

It isn't that difficult to imagine being willing to take a stab at it with a very partially filled-in grid. Lots of folks seem to have gotten the answer without using the mechanism, and neither e.a. nor ricky is nursing a long streak...

[HunterX]

Busy day. And had enough difficulty with the grid. Also hit a "snag" that might be what others found. Got a nudge that helped correct my course.

Awaiting transporter beam.

Edit: Beamed aboard.

[lbray53]

I got a nudge to do what I had been doing. Looked a little closer and found the actual mechanism. I agree about the tricky part.

[HeadinHome]

Assumed to be beaming. Covered up with grandkids (see below) so a late start this week, and fell asleep last night trying to find a missing piece. Gave up and submitting the obvious, and I think I figured out the little joke being referred to. (Not on the board yet, but will come back here and correct my status if I get shut out.)
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[ky-mike]

Fun puzzle. Didn't get to it until late last night and needed the overnight sleep to wrap it up. Should be on the board when the Saturday morning update occurs.

[HeadinHome]

Also - when I read the post game analysis on last week’s, I realized I totally missed the acrostic spelling out the puzzle theme, and ALSO missed the CCM thing for 800. I just solved by reading the seven numbers buried in the clues out loud and thought “huh… that sounds like a phone number… but what is the area code?? AHH — the puzzle number is 800!” I may or may not have dialed several wrong 800 numbers before getting the 7 numbers in the right order….

[Bob cruise director]

I am pretty sure that Maine Marge and I have the answer with some confirmations from WLW on the partials. Too much time spent for a week 1 and too much backsolving so I submitted. Will wait for a confirmation.

[ricky]

Awaiting the beam... [This was fun - assuming I have the right answer - but for the life of me I cannot see how anyone could do that in three minutes!!!]

It isn't that difficult to imagine being willing to take a stab at it with a very partially filled-in grid. Lots of folks seem to have gotten the answer without using the mechanism, and neither e.a. nor ricky is nursing a long streak...

Hey, I'm on my longest streak ever right now!

I could elaborate regarding how I solved it but I don't think I should prior to the deadline.

[woozy]

Awaiting the beam... [This was fun - assuming I have the right answer - but for the life of me I cannot see how anyone could do that in three minutes!!!]

It isn't that difficult to imagine being willing to take a stab at it with a very partially filled-in grid. Lots of folks seem to have gotten the answer without using the mechanism, and neither e.a. nor ricky is nursing a long streak...

It's easy for me to see getting the main mechanism within three minutes from a partially filled grid. And if someone is a sports fan, names could rattle off. What's more difficult to imagine anyone willing to take a bet on just that when it'd obviously not the complete solution.

But I suppose someone very ingenuous might get the secondary mechanism pretty quickly if they are inspired (It took me over three hours to see it) and get a 40% confirmation and confidence. Getting all that in three minutes pushes it though. Not impossible though.

[ship4u]

A very clever one from Mr. Gaffney. Awaiting confirmation, but confident. Even a sports dodo like me is familiar with the athlete I'm certain is the answer. Wendy was right.

[Bird Lives]

I'm on the board, but I missed the mechanism, and I mean totally. I was thinking of this as a Week One, and so I had a hunch only partway through the grid. With the grid complete, I found some things that crudely confirmed my idea -- not perfect fits but close enough. It wasn't even a short cut, where you can skip to Step Two or Three and get the answer. It was more like a rabbit hole that comes out in the right place. It's as though a chess problem had an elegant solution but, thanks to the constructor's lapse, white could also mate with a sequence beginning with the queen capturing a piece.

[Brainbow]

Awaiting the beam... [This was fun - assuming I have the right answer - but for the life of me I cannot see how anyone could do that in three minutes!!!]

It isn't that difficult to imagine being willing to take a stab at it with a very partially filled-in grid. Lots of folks seem to have gotten the answer without using the mechanism, and neither e.a. nor ricky is nursing a long streak...

It's easy for me to see getting the main mechanism within three minutes from a partially filled grid. And if someone is a sports fan, names could rattle off. What's more difficult to imagine anyone willing to take a bet on just that when it'd obviously not the complete solution.

But I suppose someone very ingenuous might get the secondary mechanism pretty quickly if they are inspired (It took me over three hours to see it) and get a 40% confirmation and confidence. Getting all that in three minutes pushes it though. Not impossible though.

I have no doubt that Eric Agard could finish the grid in under 3 minutes, but I’ve long suspected that he does enough of it to see the pattern and then shoots from the hip. If he’s right, he has an amazing first place finish. If he’s wrong, people will just wonder how JanglerNPL got it in 4 minutes.

[ship4u]

Beamage confirmed!!