MGWCC #811 — “Two-Way Communication”

An excellent puzzle written by one of the innovators of the meta crossword format. It comes out every Friday at noon and increases in difficulty throughout the month. Available for modest subscription (worth every cent) here: www.xwordcontest.com
User avatar
Joe Ross
Moderator
Posts: 5082
Joined: Fri Apr 12, 2019 4:46 am
Location: Cincinnati

MGWCC #811 — “Two-Way Communication”

#1

Post by Joe Ross »

MGWCC #811 — Friday, December 15th, 2023 — “Two-Way Communication”

Today's puzzle is Week 3 of 5 in December.


THIS WEEK’S INSTRUCTIONS:

This week’s contest answer is a U.S. city that appears frequently in crossword grids. Good luck!


ALSO: Check out Peter Gordon's new Fireball Newsflash Crosswords Kickstarter.

20 newsy crosswords filled with the week's events. Highly recommended!


--Matt

Solve well, and be not led astray by words intended to deceive.
User avatar
woozy
Posts: 2214
Joined: Mon Aug 10, 2020 12:40 am

#2

Post by woozy »

Dang it! I know exactly what I have to do. But... It might take me all weekend.

Edit: Submitted. Have a 61% confidence but if I'm wrong... well, scrod. At least my streak is only 10 weeks so I have little at stake.

Edit2: and it looks like I missed it. So there must be more to it than I thought... I had a lot of doubts but... I don't see what more.

Edit3: definitely not on the leaderboard. But I can't think of why me answer isn't legit. "Frequently" just means more than once, right?
Last edited by woozy on Fri Dec 15, 2023 1:29 pm, edited 3 times in total.
Funny story. I was all set to enter Par for the course for the CrossHare midi contest for April but I mistakenly thought midi meant 7x 7 and not 11 x 11. Oops. Well.... Here's a complex but **small** meta on the subject of golf.
User avatar
MikeyG
Posts: 1397
Joined: Wed Dec 30, 2020 2:52 pm
Location: Chicago
Contact:

#3

Post by MikeyG »

Beamed up at touchdown plus the extra point. Fun epiphany there!

Image
Less cross words, more crosswords.

Solve my latest "Pun of a Kind" Meta!: 91. You'll Turn It Around
User avatar
Streroto
Posts: 782
Joined: Thu Jul 04, 2019 4:24 pm
Location: Newtown Square, PA

#4

Post by Streroto »

Cool idea. Beamed. Grid was tough. It is a rare day I have to look up an entry. Not going to call them Naticks but...once I got there I saw what I needed to see luckily.

Happy to get a week 3!

Happy holidays and stay well all

In at 29. Highest I have ever been by far!!
Last edited by Streroto on Fri Dec 15, 2023 2:39 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
Meg
Posts: 2165
Joined: Tue Apr 09, 2019 1:41 pm
Location: St. Petersburg, FL

#5

Post by Meg »

Beamed.
Check out and support http://CrosswordsForCancer.com.
User avatar
Cinny
Posts: 820
Joined: Mon Sep 21, 2020 2:53 pm
Location: Minoa, NY
Contact:

#6

Post by Cinny »

Beamed up.
Cindy Heisler
User avatar
woozy
Posts: 2214
Joined: Mon Aug 10, 2020 12:40 am

#7

Post by woozy »

Okay... Discord tells me what the real answer is. This leads to the question as to what is one supposed to do when another method (and a *FAR* simpler one) also leads to a justifiable answer. Just how much of a key does a puzzle need to give to tell the user "nope, go another way". I did have one major concern with my answer (and one kind of iffish concern) which put my confidence and 47% (I was deluding myself when I evaluated it as a 61%er) but were these concerns enough that I should have known my answer was outright wrong as opposed to just not correct?

(And sour grapes BTW I have a minor [pretty minor] concern with the actual answer.)
Funny story. I was all set to enter Par for the course for the CrossHare midi contest for April but I mistakenly thought midi meant 7x 7 and not 11 x 11. Oops. Well.... Here's a complex but **small** meta on the subject of golf.
User avatar
hcbirker
Posts: 2017
Joined: Thu Apr 11, 2019 7:24 pm
Location: Studio City, CA

#8

Post by hcbirker »

Beamed!
Heidi
Laura M
Posts: 1396
Joined: Thu Apr 11, 2019 11:49 am

#9

Post by Laura M »

Fun one! Awaiting beamage, but pretty confident.

Edit: #60!
User avatar
MajordomoTom
Posts: 1410
Joined: Sat Nov 02, 2019 12:09 am
Location: St. Louis, MO

#10

Post by MajordomoTom »

woozy wrote: Fri Dec 15, 2023 2:16 pm Okay... Discord tells me what the real answer is. This leads to the question as to what is one supposed to do when another method (and a *FAR* simpler one) also leads to a justifiable answer. Just how much of a key does a puzzle need to give to tell the user "nope, go another way". I did have one major concern with my answer (and one kind of iffish concern) which put my confidence and 47% (I was deluding myself when I evaluated it as a 61%er) but were these concerns enough that I should have known my answer was outright wrong as opposed to just not correct?

(And sour grapes BTW I have a minor [pretty minor] concern with the actual answer.)
that's ok, I'm not happy with the WSJ puzzle this weekend - I turned in what I can justify (but it didn't "click") and see what others say is the right path, but it also has a small tweak you're supposed to just "know" to do ...

I didn't submit the 2 or 5 part answer, I submitted the 11 variant, which I feel is also justified.
"Lots of planets have a North", the Ninth Doctor.
User avatar
Jeremy Smith
Posts: 992
Joined: Thu Apr 11, 2019 5:45 pm
Location: Tampa Bay area

#11

Post by Jeremy Smith »

Beamed at #45.
User avatar
ChrisKochmanski
Posts: 2199
Joined: Tue Apr 09, 2019 9:51 pm
Location: Saline, Michigan

#12

Post by ChrisKochmanski »

Beamed!
User avatar
ky-mike
Posts: 1987
Joined: Thu Apr 11, 2019 4:22 pm
Location: Near Louisville Ky

#13

Post by ky-mike »

On the board. Nice, easy weekend ahead.
User avatar
SJMcK
Posts: 222
Joined: Sat Jan 08, 2022 12:45 pm
Location: Stockbridge, GA
Contact:

#14

Post by SJMcK »

Beamed @ 83
User avatar
BarbaraK
Posts: 2614
Joined: Tue Apr 09, 2019 2:37 pm
Location: Virginia

#15

Post by BarbaraK »

Beam me up, Scotty! (Matty?)
If you want help with a meta, feel free to PM me. The more specific you are about what you have and what you want, the more likely I can help without spoiling.

(And if I help you win a mug, I’ll be especially delighted.)
User avatar
SamKat9
Posts: 270
Joined: Sat Aug 19, 2023 7:45 pm
Location: Southeast Florida

#16

Post by SamKat9 »

Beamed up! Clever puzzle!
Shannon 🐱
PS: If you want help with a meta, PM what you have so I can help without spoiling too much. I've received lots of help in the beginning and I love to pay it forward!
johnaldape
Posts: 6
Joined: Wed Feb 02, 2022 2:23 pm

#17

Post by johnaldape »

Beamed up! For whatever reason, this came quickly to me for a week 3. Always happy to help others!
User avatar
KayW
Moderator
Posts: 3273
Joined: Wed Apr 10, 2019 12:10 am
Location: Chicago

#18

Post by KayW »

:alien: :flying_saucer: Beamed.
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.
User avatar
benchen71
Posts: 2448
Joined: Thu Jul 22, 2021 8:50 pm
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Contact:

#19

Post by benchen71 »

Awaiting the beam... [Not a solo solve. But at least I had grokked part of it before dropping in on the Discord server!]

... and I'm beamed at #112. :D
Last edited by benchen71 on Fri Dec 15, 2023 9:43 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Check out "The MOAT MEOW Mashup Pack" here. US$10 for 14 metas that don't always abide by the "rules" of the game: asymmetry, 2-letter words, uncrossed letters, who knows. And this time there's a mega-meta! :shock:
User avatar
Joe
Posts: 559
Joined: Sat May 11, 2019 12:45 pm
Location: New Hampshire

#20

Post by Joe »

I needed a little nudge. But I'm beamed up at #99. Really tight. Really good.
Happy to give nudges. If you notice I've solved, please tell me about avenues you've explored so I can nudge you in the right direction and not off a cliff.
Post Reply