"Washington Gridlock" - February 4, 2021

Puzzles posted every other Thursday, with a fun WSJ-level meta once a month. Win a sticker!
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ricky
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"Washington Gridlock" - February 4, 2021

#1

Post by ricky »

Here it is!

http://www.lexicondevil.live/2021/02/pu ... -meta.html

This freestyle-style(?) grid is harder than average. I don't think the meta is, but you never know. I will say that I had fun with the meta.

I've added a link to sign up for the new Lexicon Devil email list. I'm probably going to begin sending the metas out by email before posting them to the blog, and some of the puzzles that go out via email will never be posted to the blog, so if you enjoy these puzzles, please go ahead and sign up.
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Latest puzzle: "This Place Looks Familiar," March 7, 2024

Deadline: Tuesday, March 12, 2024, 12 PM EST
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#2

Post by ricky »

So guess who copied and pasted a nonfunctional dummy link over the correct link to the email list I told everyone to use to please sign up ASAP?

This guy. -->

Sorry! It is fixed now.
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Latest puzzle: "This Place Looks Familiar," March 7, 2024

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#3

Post by RPardoe »

Happy to subscribe, and finally did so with the correct link!
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#4

Post by Meg »

Ricky, I tried to subscribe Friday morning, and was told I don’t have permission. I tried both my Google email account. Hard meta imo. I submitted with some but not total confidence.
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#5

Post by C=64 »

Humblebrag: The grid was just right but I haven't cracked the meta. I have one particular rabbit hole that I keep falling into even when I tell myself to try something different.
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#6

Post by ricky »

Meg wrote: Fri Feb 05, 2021 9:00 am Ricky, I tried to subscribe Friday morning, and was told I don’t have permission. I tried both my Google email account. Hard meta imo. I submitted with some but not total confidence.
I'll add you manually.

BTW, no correct answers so far! This one is not hard in the conventional sense. It just may require a little thinking outside the box.
Check out the meta challenge at Lexicon Devil

Latest puzzle: "This Place Looks Familiar," March 7, 2024

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dudeski
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#7

Post by dudeski »

My thinking is still inside the box. Nice grid.
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#8

Post by Hector »

I think the conventional sense is that few solvers will get it. Seems to apply.
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#9

Post by Al Sisti »

ricky wrote: Fri Feb 05, 2021 4:59 pm
Meg wrote: Fri Feb 05, 2021 9:00 am Ricky, I tried to subscribe Friday morning, and was told I don’t have permission. I tried both my Google email account. Hard meta imo. I submitted with some but not total confidence.
I'll add you manually.

BTW, no correct answers so far! This one is not hard in the conventional sense. It just may require a little thinking outside the box.
I think you'd be surprised at how rational my answer was! Must be a weird coincidence...
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#10

Post by ChrisKochmanski »

Got to this one late ... and got nothing! Will there be hints??
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#11

Post by RPardoe »

ChrisKochmanski wrote: Sun Feb 07, 2021 10:59 pm Got to this one late ... and got nothing! Will there be hints??
I don't recall any hints on prior puzzles. So if there continue to be zero solves - perhaps there might be?
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#12

Post by ricky »

Al came up with an alternative answer that is good enough that I may accept it as correct. Using his logic, there could be at least one other potential alternative answer out there.

As for my intended answer, here are a few hints:

There is no anagramming involved.

There is nothing numerical going on.

Think broadly about words associated with the theme entries.
Check out the meta challenge at Lexicon Devil

Latest puzzle: "This Place Looks Familiar," March 7, 2024

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#13

Post by ricky »

RPardoe wrote: Mon Feb 08, 2021 12:11 am
ChrisKochmanski wrote: Sun Feb 07, 2021 10:59 pm Got to this one late ... and got nothing! Will there be hints??
I don't recall any hints on prior puzzles. So if there continue to be zero solves - perhaps there might be?
I had to provide hints for two previous puzzles, unfortunately :?
Check out the meta challenge at Lexicon Devil

Latest puzzle: "This Place Looks Familiar," March 7, 2024

Deadline: Tuesday, March 12, 2024, 12 PM EST
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#14

Post by C=64 »

Ha, I missed all this because I was sending ricky a PM about hints while this was happening.
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#15

Post by RPardoe »

My answer submitted via the online form.
As there is no comment field - also sent Ricky a PM with my thinking to get to the answer.
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#16

Post by ricky »

RPardoe got the same answer as Al, which I've decided is legit and I will accept.

But it's kinda killing me that no one has come up with the intended answer, and that there are a couple of tiny hints that would put everyone at the finish line immediately. I really think that when the mechanism / answer are revealed at least some of you are going to say, "How did I miss that??"

So I'm extending the deadline until noon Tuesday (tomorrow) and trying to give one more hint.

I already said "Think broadly about words associated with the theme entries."

Pretend you're playing Taboo with the three theme entries. For each entry, there should be a word that comes up that bears a relationship to a word that comes up when you do this for the other entries. When you make that connection, the answer should be very clear.
Check out the meta challenge at Lexicon Devil

Latest puzzle: "This Place Looks Familiar," March 7, 2024

Deadline: Tuesday, March 12, 2024, 12 PM EST
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#17

Post by Hector »

Ah, got it.
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#18

Post by Al Sisti »

ricky wrote: Mon Feb 08, 2021 3:37 pm RPardoe got the same answer as Al, which I've decided is legit and I will accept.

But it's kinda killing me that no one has come up with the intended answer, and that there are a couple of tiny hints that would put everyone at the finish line immediately. I really think that when the mechanism / answer are revealed at least some of you are going to say, "How did I miss that??"

So I'm extending the deadline until noon Tuesday (tomorrow) and trying to give one more hint.

I already said "Think broadly about words associated with the theme entries."

Pretend you're playing Taboo with the three theme entries. For each entry, there should be a word that comes up that bears a relationship to a word that comes up when you do this for the other entries. When you make that connection, the answer should be very clear.
Rich and I may be going in the wrong direction, but we're making good time!
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#19

Post by RPardoe »

We know jury nullification is a thing....is meta nullification an extension of that?
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#20

Post by ricky »

Hector wrote: Mon Feb 08, 2021 3:50 pmAh, got it.
YES! I knew it was possible.
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Latest puzzle: "This Place Looks Familiar," March 7, 2024

Deadline: Tuesday, March 12, 2024, 12 PM EST
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