"Take Five" - October 15, 2021

A place to discuss the weekly Wall Street Journal Crossword Puzzle Contest, starting every Thursday around 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. Please do not post any answers or hints before the contest deadline which is midnight Sunday Eastern time.
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mrmd
Posts: 99
Joined: Sat Jul 10, 2021 5:30 am

#181

Post by mrmd »

Please may I have a nudge from some kind and clever soul? Happy to tell you the blind alleys I have visited so far :)
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sphorning
Posts: 118
Joined: Mon Apr 22, 2019 4:24 pm
Location: Steamboat Springs, CO

#182

Post by sphorning »

On shore with a HUGE shove! So many steps...!
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grwinski
Posts: 211
Joined: Sat May 18, 2019 2:39 pm
Location: Fort Collins, Colorado

#183

Post by grwinski »

Well, I can't believe we kept at it this late in the weekend! (actually, it was Rita that kept at it, and I humored her!)

In any event, ashore!!

(boy, was that a tricky one!)

Rita and George
Franklin.Bluth
Posts: 199
Joined: Thu Oct 15, 2020 10:22 pm

#184

Post by Franklin.Bluth »

Sputtering and waterlogged, but laying in the warm sand of shore. (Whoever called this a "quick swim" was more "23A" than "54A[D]"...this was a solid 4, edging up toward 5 territory.)
halseymac
Posts: 77
Joined: Sun May 17, 2020 2:19 pm

#185

Post by halseymac »

This NC Tar Heel is ashore. Meta solved and Grid! Really liked this one!!
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SReh26
Posts: 763
Joined: Thu Apr 01, 2021 10:48 pm

#186

Post by SReh26 »

Ashore but not submitting since a tow was involved.
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DrTom
Posts: 3765
Joined: Sat Apr 20, 2019 6:46 pm
Location: Jacksonville, FL

#187

Post by DrTom »

SReh26 wrote: Sat Oct 16, 2021 11:19 pm Ashore but not submitting since a tow was involved.

What she said!

It was there, I was poking around a "similar" mechanism but missed the obvious (which is about par for the course). I have TREMENDOUS admiration for the constructor because for the life of me I don't know how he, or any of the others, pull off these complicated and Machiavellian (well Machiavellian except for the need for power) puzzles.

In rhyme form:
Very scary Mr. Berry
You make me so very wary
When I find myself stationary
Deep within your meta lairy.

Anyway, late to the party, but probably not the last person to arrive I hope.
Ark Alphabetically.jpg
NUDGES!I am always willing to give nudges where needed; metas should be about fun, not frustration. Send me what you have done so far because often you are closer than you think!
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Cindy N
Posts: 984
Joined: Mon Oct 21, 2019 12:55 pm
Location: Wisconsin

#188

Post by Cindy N »

And...ashore. I shall wait until tomorrow for a celebratory beverage. I think a nice Fat Squirrel Nut Brown ale would be a good choice. 100% Wisconsin malt, six different varieties, with hints of hazelnut? Yes, please!


Image
jag
Posts: 43
Joined: Sun Oct 20, 2019 8:02 am

#189

Post by jag »

Ashore! Loved the mechanism on this one! Brilliant work.
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RDaleHall
Posts: 229
Joined: Mon Oct 14, 2019 9:52 pm

#190

Post by RDaleHall »

On shore! Wow lots of interesting red herrings and paths to follow here. Found myself stopping and saying “we need to row in a different direction now…” Challenging and enjoyable and some downright glee when it all came together.
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Bob cruise director
Cruise Director
Posts: 4512
Joined: Thu Apr 11, 2019 2:38 pm
Location: Any golf course within 500 miles of Littleton MA

#191

Post by Bob cruise director »

RDaleHall wrote: Sun Oct 17, 2021 10:54 am On shore! Wow lots of interesting red herrings and paths to follow here. Found myself stopping and saying “we need to row in a different direction now…” Challenging and enjoyable and some downright glee when it all came together.
For a long time, I was rowing with only one oar - around and around and around.
Bob Stevens
Cruise Director
pilsbandy
Posts: 27
Joined: Sun Oct 03, 2021 8:31 pm

#192

Post by pilsbandy »

Finished the grid Friday, been working at the meta on and off since then. So many dead ends. Anybody who made it ashore willing to give me a gentle nudge?
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TheDeej
Posts: 22
Joined: Sat Aug 28, 2021 11:32 am
Location: Mesa, AZ

#193

Post by TheDeej »

Good morning! Solved the grid yesterday and have been hanging with Isaac since then. He's threatening to 86 me for using too many four letter words in his "family establishment." What a joke! Throwing a half full glass of beer at the wall in frustration may have been the straw that broke the camel's back.

Getting close on this one... maybe? Pretty sure I have the first step correct, but the rest may be out of reach for this poor sot. Going to keep trying. Might be back later, begging for a hint.
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pjc
Posts: 240
Joined: Sun Apr 25, 2021 10:12 am

#194

Post by pjc »

Still on the ship. Can't even say I've been down rabbit holes - the ones I've been down haven't been deep enough to be called holes!
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Bob cruise director
Cruise Director
Posts: 4512
Joined: Thu Apr 11, 2019 2:38 pm
Location: Any golf course within 500 miles of Littleton MA

#195

Post by Bob cruise director »

TheDeej wrote: Sun Oct 17, 2021 11:32 am Good morning! Solved the grid yesterday and have been hanging with Isaac since then. He's threatening to 86 me for using too many four letter words in his "family establishment." What a joke! Throwing a half full glass of beer at the wall in frustration may have been the straw that broke the camel's back.

Getting close on this one... maybe? Pretty sure I have the first step correct, but the rest may be out of reach for this poor sot. Going to keep trying. Might be back later, begging for a hint.
Wasting beer? GGAAASSSPPP
Bob Stevens
Cruise Director
Mr. P
Posts: 2
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2021 11:57 am

#196

Post by Mr. P »

Hello, all. I'm new here, so not real sure what's OK to ask. But, I don't understand the meaning of the word "fives" in the 1-Down clue. I consulted with my crossword veteran wife about it, and she doesn't understand it either. So, is the ***meaning*** of the word "fives" part of the puzzle itself, or is OK for me to ask what it means, so that I can proceed to solve the metapuzzle.

I hope that's clear, and that I'm not breeching any board rules in my question. Thank you.
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OGuyDave
Posts: 169
Joined: Thu Apr 11, 2019 9:03 am
Location: Naples

#197

Post by OGuyDave »

Done, Thursday; and done, yesterday.

Threw some data at my iMac, which helped, but I should have seen the route before doing that. Then again, we always think along those lines after the 'aha' moment, don't we?

Another great meta. Thanks Patrick, FTXWD.
Mr. P
Posts: 2
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2021 11:57 am

#198

Post by Mr. P »

Oh, now I see that people ask for "nudges". Might some kind person provide one to me? Thanks!
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Bob cruise director
Cruise Director
Posts: 4512
Joined: Thu Apr 11, 2019 2:38 pm
Location: Any golf course within 500 miles of Littleton MA

#199

Post by Bob cruise director »

Good Sunday morning muggles

Some progress to the ship. Some floundering.

but the good news is that we have a new muggle - patpatchia

and we have 21 on the ship and 132 on the shore

New to the ship are

SewYoung
JaneGummy
tiagomeunome
Colin
pjc
TheDeej
Pilsbandy

while making it to the shore are

BrennerTJ
woozy
MamaE
Moi
Kris Zacharias
Peter L
Jackie88
sphorning
edot
ship4u
JAQT
rosiegirl
higgysue
jimmyd
NDStegs
mikeB
jimbo1
markhr
mkmf
ALECgator13
patpatchica
hunkra
Rita and George
Franklin
RDaleHall
Cindy N
halseymac
jag
SReh26


Good luck to those working to get to the shore.
Bob Stevens
Cruise Director
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HunterX
Posts: 1163
Joined: Fri Dec 04, 2020 9:17 pm
Location: Philadelphia, PA

#200

Post by HunterX »

Mr. P wrote: Sun Oct 17, 2021 12:02 pm Hello, all. I'm new here, so not real sure what's OK to ask. But, I don't understand the meaning of the word "fives" in the 1-Down clue. I consulted with my crossword veteran wife about it, and she doesn't understand it either. So, is the ***meaning*** of the word "fives" part of the puzzle itself, or is OK for me to ask what it means, so that I can proceed to solve the metapuzzle.

I hope that's clear, and that I'm not breeching any board rules in my question. Thank you.
That's part of the meta-puzzle. So it's something you have to figure out!
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