"Pardon My English" - June 4, 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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boharr
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#401

Post by boharr »

I grew up on dead end street, and we always thought cut de sac was a highfalutin phrase used by pretensious real estate folks. A kind of elegant variation. As Orwell wrote: Foreign words and expressions such as cul de sac, ancien régime, deus ex machina, mutatis mutandis, status quo, Gleichschaltung, Weltanschauung, are used to give an air of culture and elegance.

But, come to think of it, elegant variations could form the basis of a pretty good meta.
MikeMillerwsj
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#402

Post by MikeMillerwsj »

Lots of you figured out this clever puzzle: a higher-than-usual 84% of a total turnout of 1056. We had a big response for VERY GOOD (43) plus another 7 for VERY WELL, plus a number of bet-hedging entries that included both the French and the English. Was the English answer a defensible solution for a puzzle that asked for a "two-word phrase"? A question we did not need to resolve since our randomly drawn entry had the French phrase--but I think you could argue that Team Very Good did follow this puzzle's steps correctly.

Congrats to this week's winner, Heather Kennedy of Dripping Springs, Tex.!
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lacangah
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#403

Post by lacangah »

Ergcat wrote: Tue Jun 08, 2021 9:52 am
hoover wrote: Mon Jun 07, 2021 6:19 pm
CPJohnson wrote: Mon Jun 07, 2021 4:37 pm On a side note, we are headed to Pittsburgh tomorrow to see three Dodgers/Pirates games. The weather forecast is iffy, at best. Does anyone have a recommendation for Things To Do In Pittsburgh? We've been to the Conservatory, the Science Center, the Duquesne incline, and the Heinz Center. Thanks for any suggestions.
Well, it's Stanley Cup playoffs time, but it seems that this year, the Pens have a lot of free time on their hands...
Kennywood Park! Best roller-coasters anywhere!
I co-chaired a conference in Pittsburgh a few years back; in the general program under 'things to do in Pgh,' I included "Kennywood Park - Six Flags Fun at Two Flags prices."

Congratulations to this week's winner - I'll trade you "The Mug" for a tour of Pittsburgh! ;-)
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Wendy Walker
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#404

Post by Wendy Walker »

Muggle Friends, Lexicon Devil just extended the deadline on his wonderful meta puzzle, "Takes Shorts," because not many people have gotten it. Give it a go!
http://www.lexicondevil.live/
Good luck, fellow Muggles!
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Joe Ross
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#405

Post by Joe Ross »

Whole blood, platelets, or plasma: Donate 4 in 2024

PLATELET 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗮𝗿𝗲.
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝘀 ENORMOUS 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲:
𝟰𝟬% 𝗽𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰,
𝟯𝟬% 𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰,
𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿 & 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘂𝗺𝗮. 𝗣𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗘 𝗦𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗘!
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HunterX
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#406

Post by HunterX »

Ergcat wrote: Tue Jun 08, 2021 9:56 am
SarasotaSun wrote: Mon Jun 07, 2021 6:43 pm
Hidden in 3D wrote: Mon Jun 07, 2021 5:44 pm

Carnegie Museum of Art, Carnegie Museum of Natural History, National Aviary (both indoor and outdoor exhibits) just to name a few. Not sure if you have transportation, but Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater is about 90 minutes from downtown if you have the time. My husband grew up in Pittsburgh, and we used to fly up for Steeler Games once a year (pre-pandemic). It's a great city, but you know that because you've already seen some of the highlights! Have a great trip!
I was born in Pittsburgh, and graduated from Carnegie Tech / Carnegie Mellon Univ. Touring: Don't forget Heinz Chapel (on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh), the Cathedral of Learning Nationality Rooms (on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh), Saint Paul's Cathedral, the Point State Park (at the confluence of the Allegheny, Monongehela, and Ohio Rivers, take a ride on the river boats, and visit the Pittsburgh Zoo.
Me, too! Born in Pittsburgh and graduated from CMU twice! I live in SC now and second all those suggestions for Pittsburgh.
I lived in Pittsburgh for 8 years. My ex-wife and I moved there for grad school at CMU (different departments). Since my program only took 2 of the eight years, I started my first post-grad-school job, and I still work for the same company 33 years later. (Hmmm.... Maybe THAT'S what the Rolling Rock 33 means...)

But I always used to say, Pittsburgh's a great place to live, but I wouldn't want to visit there. ;-)

Seriously, those are good suggestions. Many a time I took visitors to Falling Water, mostly because I wanted to go back there.
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Abide
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#407

Post by Abide »

Wendy Walker wrote: Tue Jun 08, 2021 3:27 pm Muggle Friends, Lexicon Devil just extended the deadline on his wonderful meta puzzle, "Takes Shorts," because not many people have gotten it. Give it a go!
http://www.lexicondevil.live/
Well, if we're plugging puzzles, let me put in a good word for "Meta Forum Sleuth", found here:

viewtopic.php?f=42&t=1019

If you like this forum, I think you'll like it!
The site is just a web page, a meeting place, a clubhouse - it's the group that's special.
—Brian MacDonald
FKelly
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#408

Post by FKelly »

Wendy Walker wrote: Tue Jun 08, 2021 3:27 pm Muggle Friends, Lexicon Devil just extended the deadline on his wonderful meta puzzle, "Takes Shorts," because not many people have gotten it. Give it a go!
http://www.lexicondevil.live/
Looks like the deadline was Noon.
"Deadline Tuesday, June 8, 12 PM EST. "
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Wendy Walker
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#409

Post by Wendy Walker »

FKelly wrote: Tue Jun 08, 2021 11:03 pm
Wendy Walker wrote: Tue Jun 08, 2021 3:27 pm Muggle Friends, Lexicon Devil just extended the deadline on his wonderful meta puzzle, "Takes Shorts," because not many people have gotten it. Give it a go!
http://www.lexicondevil.live/
Looks like the deadline was Noon.
"Deadline Tuesday, June 8, 12 PM EST. "
That was indeed the original deadline -- but Ricky added the following: UPDATE: I'm going to extend the deadline for this until Thursday at 12 PM.
Good luck, fellow Muggles!
Tom Wilson
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#410

Post by Tom Wilson »

HunterX wrote: Tue Jun 08, 2021 6:03 pm
Ergcat wrote: Tue Jun 08, 2021 9:56 am
SarasotaSun wrote: Mon Jun 07, 2021 6:43 pm

I was born in Pittsburgh, and graduated from Carnegie Tech / Carnegie Mellon Univ. Touring: Don't forget Heinz Chapel (on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh), the Cathedral of Learning Nationality Rooms (on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh), Saint Paul's Cathedral, the Point State Park (at the confluence of the Allegheny, Monongehela, and Ohio Rivers, take a ride on the river boats, and visit the Pittsburgh Zoo.
Me, too! Born in Pittsburgh and graduated from CMU twice! I live in SC now and second all those suggestions for Pittsburgh.
I lived in Pittsburgh for 8 years. My ex-wife and I moved there for grad school at CMU (different departments). Since my program only took 2 of the eight years, I started my first post-grad-school job, and I still work for the same company 33 years later. (Hmmm.... Maybe THAT'S what the Rolling Rock 33 means...)

But I always used to say, Pittsburgh's a great place to live, but I wouldn't want to visit there. ;-)

Seriously, those are good suggestions. Many a time I took visitors to Falling Water, mostly because I wanted to go back there.
My son graduated from CMU's School of Drama in 2014 and I haven't been to that beautiful city since. This desktop tour of Pittsburgh and its enduring allure reminds me that I'm overdue for a revisit. Just because my kiddo has moved to Brooklyn doesn't mean I can't stomp around Oakland, Shadyside, Squirrel Hill and the Waterfront in his absence!
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FrankieHeck
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#411

Post by FrankieHeck »

My son is moving to Pittsburgh in a couple weeks, too. I only live about an hour and a half away, but I'm a hermit and rarely get up there. It will be fun to check out some more of these places now!
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SReh26
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#412

Post by SReh26 »

boharr wrote: Tue Jun 08, 2021 12:42 pm I grew up on dead end street, and we always thought cut de sac was a highfalutin phrase used by pretensious real estate folks. A kind of elegant variation. As Orwell wrote: Foreign words and expressions such as cul de sac, ancien régime, deus ex machina, mutatis mutandis, status quo, Gleichschaltung, Weltanschauung, are used to give an air of culture and elegance.

But, come to think of it, elegant variations could form the basis of a pretty good meta.
Those depressing dead end signs, often marring the prettiest water’s edge locations where young people and families go to recreate, are so unnecessarily negative and intrusive. Not that cul de sac signs would be better.
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Cindy N
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#413

Post by Cindy N »

Growing up in a semi-rural area, as subdivisions started to spring up, a cul de sac's key feature was the "round" end to it. You'd head over there on your bike and ride round and round and round. As time went on, it was the annual snow plow horror stories - last guy on the cul de sac got all the snow or the plow headed straight down the street and dump it all and back out, walling them in. And then the property disputes over those pie slice shaped lots and where you could put a fence.

Dead end? Yes, for sure. Blind alley? Never heard that in my area of the midwest. Cul de sac? Absolutely not! :lol:
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ky-mike
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#414

Post by ky-mike »

ky-mike wrote: Thu Jun 03, 2021 9:42 pm My wife got this one for us. I can explain more on Monday.

On shore.
My wife has been taking French lessons for a few years, now and this one was right up her alley. As others, we struggled with Masterwork, but translating masterpiece (synonym of masterwork), the translation worked for us.

https://www.interglot.com/dictionary/en ... asterpiece
hoover
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#415

Post by hoover »

Wendy Walker wrote: Tue Jun 08, 2021 3:27 pm Muggle Friends, Lexicon Devil just extended the deadline on his wonderful meta puzzle, "Takes Shorts," because not many people have gotten it. Give it a go!
http://www.lexicondevil.live/
Maybe it would get more entries if the .puz link served a .puz instead of a .pdf? I don't have a login so I can't comment directly on that board.
hoover
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#416

Post by hoover »

Cindy N wrote: Wed Jun 09, 2021 3:04 pm Growing up in a semi-rural area, as subdivisions started to spring up, a cul de sac's key feature was the "round" end to it. You'd head over there on your bike and ride round and round and round. As time went on, it was the annual snow plow horror stories - last guy on the cul de sac got all the snow or the plow headed straight down the street and dump it all and back out, walling them in. And then the property disputes over those pie slice shaped lots and where you could put a fence.

Dead end? Yes, for sure. Blind alley? Never heard that in my area of the midwest. Cul de sac? Absolutely not! :lol:
I grew up on a pie slice shaped property at the round end of a suburban cul de sac, which happened also to be the downhill side, and we called it a cul de sac. The round part was perfect for kickball and the occasional baseball game. Although there were sometimes cars parked nearby, somehow we never broke any car windows. In the winter, if there had been sufficient snow, we hauled our sleds to the dead-end sign at the top of the street and sprinted and belly flopped onto our sleds to go faster. The trip was 1/6 of a mile, give or take. (OK, take. The dead-end sign said 0.15 mile.) In the summer we assembled ramps out of spare building materials (bricks, plywood) and made the same trip on our bikes. The ramps were placed about where second base was when we played kickball. (First and third were mailboxes.) For Kick the Can, the can was placed where pitcher's mound would be.

We didn't have any dispute over where you could put a fence because back then nobody in my neck of suburbia had fences. Our merry band of kids would troop from yard to yard and never really knew where one guy's yard stopped and the next guy's began.
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