Introduce Yourself

[Jade]

Have been around for a while (thanks to everyone who's helped me with hints!) but finally introducing myself. I'm Jay, or Jim. Grew up on UK cryptic-style crosswords (not especially good at them!) which I got my American wife into when we met. She repaid the favour by introducing me to the NYT crossword and when we moved over to the US a few years ago we started doing metas, particularly the Matt Gaffney, fairly regularly. We're still not very good at them, but are trying to do more and get better, and this seems like an awesome forum to help find out about them and get hints for those we're stuck on!

[donutrobot]

hi yall, introducing myself. name's ben, mid40s software engineer working remote in kentucky. coworker introduced me to metas a few months ago, I also mostly do the gaffneys for now, trying out the WSJ more and the other weekly puzzles from the forum here. the first time a meta "clicked" i was hooked. enjoying the community here and how relaxed it is, and the excellently gentle nudges i've gotten from a few folks so far.

[clonefitz]

For awhile, I've been under the assumption that my WSJ contest days began the second week of January 2022, and I have been a weekly participant since, joining the ranks of the Muggles on June 9, 2022. But as I've been cleaning out some old emails, I've found so far 4 random submissions that I had forgotten I'd made to crosswordcontest@wsj.com during 2021 calendar year. Seemed like a good reason to properly introduce myself on this site, since I realized I'd never done that before. I've been a regular crossword solver since some time during the 1990s, those days with the local papers and the occasional USA Today while travelling for work. Now I am an online solver, missing the tactile days of newspaper in hand. I have a goofy sense of humor. This may come across in my choice of avatar, which is quite dynamic. After the reveal, my avatar will hopefully be a meme of some sort that indicates both the contest answer as well as an indication of my "winning streak" (my longest is 10 weeks). Of course sometimes it is a similar meme with a big fat old red X to represent my futility that week. Over the weekend, my avatar will (hopefully) be my celebratory drink of choice to prevent any spoilers until the next reveal. I have enjoyed being a member of this site and becoming familiar with all of the different personalities and senses of humor. It's not always possible for me to participate in the Friday Zoom call, but I try to as much as possible because I just love the camaraderie. So far I've been too stubborn to participate when I haven't solved, but I'm realizing that getting the nudges on the call would be much more satisfying that an early Monday reveal when I haven't even had my coffee yet (I'm usually quite disagreeable at that time). Anyway, looking forward to continuing to get to know everyone better!

[Dickie_Dunn]

Permission to come aboard!? Happened upon this contest recently and thus the forum. It would seem that I have made earning a mug my new goal in life. It's good to have goals. My first submission was this weekend and although I wasn't joined up to post until just now, I was happy to make it ashore. After reading through WSJ contest posts from St. Pats and this week, I can tell this will be fun and oddly satisfying in victory but mind-numbingly frustrating in defeat. I really will try to capture the spirit of the thing.

[Bob cruise director]

Permission to come aboard!? Happened upon this contest recently and thus the forum. It would seem that I have made earning a mug my new goal in life. It's good to have goals. My first submission was this weekend and although I wasn't joined up to post until just now, I was happy to make it ashore. After reading through WSJ contest posts from St. Pats and this week, I can tell this will be fun and oddly satisfying in victory but mind-numbingly frustrating in defeat. I really will try to capture the spirit of the thing.

Welcome to the group and it is always great to have more muggles. The metas are fun and challenging but the greatest fun is meeting others who share the same interests and are always more than willing to help in any way possible. Under the come aboard, there are a wealth of help with approaches to solving the metas including all the past WSJ metas. Under "Other meta puzzles" there are links to several other metas including those done by other muggles.

If you ever get stuck there are several ways to get you out of rabbit holes. If you send a Private Message to any of the muggles and tell them what you have done they will tell you if you are on the right path or give you nudges in the right direction. And there are Zoom calls on Friday at 4:30 pm ET and a Last Call zoom session at 8 PM ET to both help getting a solution as well to meet other muggles around the country. If you ever have a question about anything, please feel free to ask.

Again, welcome to our muggle clan

Bob Stevens - your cruise director

[GirlSleuth]

Hi, I'm Georgette. I was a crossword fan many years ago but haven't done many lately. I didn't know these types of puzzles, with metas, even existed until about 6 months ago. When I first tried to learn I couldn't even follow the explanations! But then I started to "get it." I've figured out a few such as Shamrocks. But I haven't had the nerve to actually email an answer to the contest yet...

[Bob cruise director]

Hi, I'm Georgette. I was a crossword fan many years ago but haven't done many lately. I didn't know these types of puzzles, with metas, even existed until about 6 months ago. When I first tried to learn I couldn't even follow the explanations! But then I started to "get it." I've figured out a few such as Shamrocks. But I haven't had the nerve to actually email an answer to the contest yet...

Georgette - Welcome to the land of the muggles. Your background is identical to most of us having done crosswords and then having a learning curve with metas. There are plenty of ways to improve including doing past WSJ metas which are under Come Aboard/FAW's community/solving resources. Also there are other metas under Other Meta Crossword Puzzles.

And you are more than welcome to come to the zoom sessions. Friday at 4:30 ET as a cosolving experience and again on Sunday at 8 pm ET we have our Last Call session. And Tuesdays at 7:30pm we get together to rehash things.

Two things related to your last sentence.

1) There is nothing that you have or can do in solving a meta that others (with a big S) have not also done. So never fail to enter because you don't have the nerve

2) This is the most forgiving and understanding group that you will ever meet. Doing metas is a constant learning process and everyone is more than willing to help and encourage.

Also feel free at any time to send anyone a Private Message with whatever question you have. Make sure under Settings that you have it set so you can get an email telling you that you have received a private message.

Good luck

Your cruise director (also explained under Come Aboard

Bob Stevens

[HayleyfromtheBlock]

Hi! New Member here. I've done the NYT Xword every day for years and I'm a very fast solver. These metas though are a whole new challenge for me. This is my third week and each time I solved the grid quickly and was on a path to the meta answer, but just couldn't get it. How long until I start seeing the answers? This week I think I'm on track, but just cannot get there.

[BarbaraK]

Hi! New Member here. I've done the NYT Xword every day for years and I'm a very fast solver. These metas though are a whole new challenge for me. This is my third week and each time I solved the grid quickly and was on a path to the meta answer, but just couldn't get it. How long until I start seeing the answers? This week I think I'm on track, but just cannot get there.

"How long until I start seeing the answers?" Any time now. And never. There's definitely a feel to these that comes with practice. Getting part way there is a good first step. Reading about previous metas can also help get you in the right mindset. On the other hand, there's always an element of luck or being on the constructor's wavelength or something. No matter how long you've been doing these and how many you've solved, sometimes you just don't see it. And the hard or easy labels are averages that don't reflect everyone's experience. Even on really hard ones that not many people ever get, someone will just happen to find it in the first thing they try. And even the easiest that most people solve will be in someone's blind spot.

But when you do get them, it's such a rush, you rapidly get hooked. Hope you get your first good aha moment soon!

[wescovington]

Hi, I'm trying my second puzzle and I'm 0 for 2 I fear. But I will just keep grinding away and I figure that I will catch on. I just have to train my brain.

[Bob cruise director]

Hi, I'm trying my second puzzle and I'm 0 for 2 I fear. But I will just keep grinding away and I figure that I will catch on. I just have to train my brain.

@wescovington Wes - welcome to the group. If you get stuck you have several options
1) send a PM to anyone who is on the shore (solved) and tell them what you did and where you are stuck
2) go to the 4:30 pm ET zoom session today by hitting the "muggle zoom room" button at the top of the page.
3) wait until Sunday for the last call zoom session at 8 pm ET again hitting the button at the top of the page
4) (not recommended) - do nothing and be frustrated and we highly frown on this approach

[wescovington]

It came to me. It was magic. I feel so much better about life in general now....

[Bob cruise director]

It came to me. It was magic. I feel so much better about life in general now....

Make sure that you post that you are on the shore under the WSJ Crossword Puzzle/Long Road Ahead topic

[wescovington]

It came to me. It was magic. I feel so much better about life in general now....

Make sure that you post that you are on the shore under the WSJ Crossword Puzzle/Long Road Ahead topic

Done!

[BarbaraK]

It came to me. It was magic. I feel so much better about life in general now....

Yup, that’s how it starts. And now you’re hooked:) We’ll see you here every week!

[MajordomoTom]

I'm about 3.5 years in now, and solved this week's WSJ with help from the Zoom team and MGWCC solo this week.

It takes a while to climb the mountain, and then you discover there are more mountains.

[BisbeeTam]

Hi all! I’ve been submitting for the contest puzzle for about 6 months, and happy to finally join up here. I’m a fine artist, graphic designer, wife, adventurer and collector of misfit pets. I’ve been an avid puzzle-lover all my life.

[MMe]

Bisbee AZ? Seems like such a cool spot.

[BisbeeTam]

It is! Bisbee is a former mining town turned artist/musician haven!

[Aragorn]

Hello - Strider here. Just realized I’ve been here a while and never properly introduced myself.

Not all those who wander are lost, but everyone occasionally needs a nudge in the right direction.

I used to do the WSJ crossword religiously on pen and paper about 25 years ago, then put it aside while my kids were born and grew up, and the world developed internet and iPad.

About a year or so ago I started solving again on my iPad to take my mind off things and relax, and soon became hooked again.

I was unfamiliar with the concept of a “Meta” puzzle until I came to the “Mediterranean Sea” one (Hiding Places) a couple months back. My son happened to be on Malta at the time, so it was on my mind and the islands hidden in the long clues started jumping out at me.

I thought “this is easy!” and excitedly looked forward to the next one, only to get routinely humbled on a weekly basis by how truly difficult/clever/diabolical some of these puzzles can be. Thanks to the occasional Zoom and nudge to keep it fun. I’d say an honest accounting is I solve about 1 out of 4 cleanly, 2 out of 4 with a little nudge from a PM or Zoom, and about 1 out of 4 I don’t know where to begin and am happy to sit at the bar and watch.

Came across this Forum on a google search related to an earlier puzzle, and am very much enjoying the company. You are a welcoming bunch!