" WE’LL BE BACK SHORTLY" January 26, 2024

[Joe Ross]

Solving the entire grid is not always necessary.

The meta prompt tells solvers to look for theme entries, which could not have been more obvious in the five 15-letter across entries.

It tells solvers to look for a pair of other entries to create a 6th theme entry. Logic dictates that the 5 theme entries have two halves which are important. Also, 5x2 = 10 +2 = 12. "12" might be important.

So, solving the theme entries is the most important thing to do. At first, anyway. Then those smarties (NOT me) saw the metanism & solved in very little time.


Also, some people are touched by God *AND* practice incessantly:

[Penny_Keatley]

The "back" in the title prompted me to read the theme answers backwards and I was lucky to notice the month abbreviations. But I'm still a little confused about the title, why is it called "We'll be back shortly"? I guess "shortly" refers to the abbreviations and "back" from written backwards, but "we'll be back"?

[DBMiller]

The "back" in the title prompted me to read the theme answers backwards and I was lucky to notice the month abbreviations. But I'm still a little confused about the title, why is it called "We'll be back shortly"? I guess "shortly" refers to the abbreviations and "back" from written backwards, but "we'll be back"?

Think of it as the months saying, "You can find us backwards and abbreviated." In other words, "We'll be back shortly."

[Yoda66]

The "back" in the title prompted me to read the theme answers backwards and I was lucky to notice the month abbreviations. But I'm still a little confused about the title, why is it called "We'll be back shortly"? I guess "shortly" refers to the abbreviations and "back" from written backwards, but "we'll be back"?

Think of it as the months saying, "You can find us backwards and abbreviated." In other words, "We'll be back shortly."

I read it / interpreted it slighly differently as "we will be back in the swing of year-end holidays and activities before you know it". Obviously the 'shortly' pointed to the abbreviated months.

[Bonnibel]

POSSIBLE CLUES FOR DEVON CEDED


1. Start of last names in France and Germany as Alsace/Lorraine transferred between the two countries (@Bob cruise director)
2. Aoki who yielded to pressure? (@hcbirker)
3. What her fans said when Aoki gave up? (@eisense)
4. Footballer Witherspoon gave up. (@BrennerTJ)
5. Short deviation already sounds unalive. (@BrennerTJ)
6. Response to your date's claim to the last Australian sausage on the plate. (@ReB)
7. Note from the Normans at Northam (October 1069) (@DrTom)
8. Healthy homophonic bread from Exeter England (@DrTom)
9. An English county relinquished control of Dartmoor (@TeaJenny)
10. Demand the 14th version of a new wave band give up its first letter (@Tom Shea)
11. Darlene Ellen Vanderbilt, née Darlene Ellen Donovan (@Wendy Walker)
12. Headline: Exeter county becomes Irish? (@DBMiller)
13. Seahawks cornerback Witherspoon sent like Alaska to the United States. (@Bob cruise director)
14. A beautiful British beach handed over to the French? (@ship4u)
15. Tempe nu metal band fronted by Knowles-Carter imposter known as “Queen Dev”? (@Merry Potter)
16. Charles III returned Exeter and environs to the Celts? (@Scott M)
17. Dartmoor denizens delivered to Dorset. (@LadyBird)
18. Running back Achane tackled behind the line? (@PHOFER)

And Muggles being the outside-the-box thinkers they are, these two crafted their own answers that include NOV and DEC spelled backwards:

Sound of Music summer refreshment (VonTrappIcedTea) (@Merry Potter )
Beguiled a rocket scientist. (Seducedvonbraun) (@@Al Laubenstein )

These are all quite amazing. I love this group!

Finally, @Nlobb had fun creating a clue for another pairing of grid words:
Place to fight over Colombian corn cakes (arepa arena)

[Wlawson]

Could not get over the fact that "reshapes sitcoms" made me think that the other themed entries were supposed to lead me to titles of sitcoms.

You know, like "Minaj" sounds like "menage" which leads to "menage a trois" and "befriended" could be a synonym for "company", so "Minaj befriended" becomes "Three's Company".

Likewise, I convinced my self that "Rams trailer park" was "Head of the Class", and "Yamaguchi nu jazz" was "Spin City"...but I couldn't figure out anything for "Hallelujah guava", so I gave up.

Not quite worthy of a Rabbit Hole nod because I couldn't see it through. Hope it amuses some of you anyway.

[MikeMillerwsj]

The contest answer is DEVON CEDED (1- and 68-Across). Each theme answer conceals reversed calendar abbreviations for two months, in order: MINAJ BEFRIENDED, RAMS TRAILER PARK, YAMAGUCHI NU-JAZZ, HALLELUJAH GUAVA, and RESHAPES SITCOMS. DEVON CEDED completes the pattern. (PS we love the sample clues above!)

Only Matt would figure out how to get all 12 month abbreviations backwards in a single puzzle. It was a popular and accessible one -- we had 1193 entries, about 84% correct. Incorrect answers were all over the place: NYJETS PASSED (4, perhaps because it made some semantic sense?), GORE PASSED (3), VENOM CEDED (2, Monday instead of November?) EVERY VENOM (with a note explaining that one included YR backwards).

Congrats to this week's winners: Andy and Morgan Continisio of Arvara, Colo.!

[Colin]

I convinced myself that the clue and answer to 59A (RESHAPES SITCOMS) must be a clue to the meta. Its link to the unfinished title “We’ll be back shortly” often followed by “…after these messages from our sponsors” or similar, led me to focus on finding link(s) to commercials - without success. So then I went down a very common rabbit hole of looking for all the grid answers off by one letter (ORA/ORR, ARENA/AREPA, etc… eight in total with all other letters in same spots. Why do I always gravitate to that! It’s about as fruitful as looking for anagrams! Anyway, I put it down for a while, upgraded my HVAC zone board which zoned me out and stole any remaining mental energy I had. In fact, it left be blowing hot and cold!
On seeing the answer, there was no head slap for me. This was not one I rue missing because (again, for me) there was little attention to a descriptive theme, more of a sterile mechanism. Nothing really ties the long answers together (or does it?) plus I still think the answer to 59A is dodgy… and the title is purely an instruction with no clever link to the final answer! I got tons more enjoyment reading that great list of alternative clues that Wendy compiled - clever, clever muggles!

[DBMiller]

I wanted to submit DEVON CEDED VENOM as the answer to make it 15 characters long, and include the abbreviation for MONTH as well. Would have changed my clue submission to:

Headline: Exeter County Becomes Irish? Spiteful!

[gdshort]

Top marks for a simple yet elegant puzzle.

[The XWord Rabbit]

Well, it’s another week where the Rabbit abides.
He waited … and waited … for your stories, but alas, it was all in vain. (sigh).

Is he disappointed?
Maybe a bit, but he’s hard at work, reviewing the nominees for rabbit hole finalists.
Expect the big announcement in the next week or so. Some lucky Muggles will get a
shiny new mug with your Rabbit’s picture.

“We’ll be right back”, indeed.
That means it’s time for a commercial break. Your Rabbit has already tipped his paw
by revealing his favorite commercial of all time to a select few, but now he makes it public.
From the inimitable Stan Freberg. Enjoy!

[Kas]

Pft. Rating: Kas 5.

[Colin]

I convinced myself that the clue and answer to 59A (RESHAPES SITCOMS) must be a clue to the meta. Its link to the unfinished title “We’ll be back shortly” often followed by “…after these messages from our sponsors” or similar, led me to focus on finding link(s) to commercials - without success. So then I went down a very common rabbit hole of looking for all the grid answers off by one letter (ORA/ORR, ARENA/AREPA, etc… eight in total with all other letters in same spots. Why do I always gravitate to that! It’s about as fruitful as looking for anagrams! Anyway, I put it down for a while, upgraded my HVAC zone board which zoned me out and stole any remaining mental energy I had. In fact, it left be blowing hot and cold!
On seeing the answer, there was no head slap for me. This was not one I rue missing because (again, for me) there was little attention to a descriptive theme, more of a sterile mechanism. Nothing really ties the long answers together (or does it?) plus I still think the answer to 59A is dodgy… and the title is purely an instruction with no clever link to the final answer! I got tons more enjoyment reading that great list of alternative clues that Wendy compiled - clever, clever muggles!

PS - I grew up in Devon and although we got invaded by tourists each year, we never ceded anything!
Go Torquay United and Exeter Chiefs!

[Flying_Burrito]

PS - I grew up in Devon and although we got invaded by tourists each year, we never ceded anything!
Go Torquay United and Exeter Chiefs!

My sister went to Exeter University in the early '90s. I still remember a big 3-leg pub crawl event that I did with her roomate where they drank me under the table. Beautiful school and town.

[Nlobb]

Joe Ross explanation makes great sense for why some people solved so quickly. I can see finding the months quickly (I didn’t) but how in the world would you get Devon (well maybe because of its placement) and ceded (in the bottom of the grid) so fast??? Amazing!!!

[Merry Potter]

Joe Ross explanation makes great sense for why some people solved so quickly. I can see finding the months quickly (I didn’t) but how in the world would you get Devon (well maybe because of its placement) and ceded (in the bottom of the grid) so fast??? Amazing!!!

Just like the technocrats, I blame it on help from "AI" !!!

It's right there near the middle of the puzzle where meta clues tend to hang out... RAMSTR(AI)LERPARK and also in "ESAI" and THAI"

[LadyBird]

Our dinner destination for tonight's Restaurant Week outing. I ceded the bill to my husband!

[kurtalert]

Hah, sorry - usually I'm a total dunce with the WSJ metas, so I was quite surprised that I hit page 1 here. Although, it might just be Mike Shenk's puzzles- I'm much more on Gaffney's wavelength, apparently, as nearly all of the WSJ ones that I manage to solve are his, and I rarely get Shenk's.

I was curious, so I looked at my data since I started doing the WSJ in late '22 and early '23. I average about 20 minutes on a Gaffney (average level: 2.1) and 25 on a Shenk (average level: 2.4), indicating that I might speak Gaffney's language a bit more! (I've had more time speaking it with MGWCC!).

Good luck to all those still working on cracking this conundrum, and congrats to those who have already!

Well, maybe my luck is turning... got today's Shenk entry in 17 minutes total for grid & meta. Or maybe this was just a true week 1, and it's gonna be a verrrrry crowded shore!