I got the first one! This is a great course! Thanks wsj and all who had a part in creating it!Bob cruise director wrote: ↑Fri Jul 23, 2021 1:47 pm@TNakagawaWSJ Taylor - you forgot to mention if you are taking the course, doing the puzzles and letting us know if you are on the ship or the shore (a barren shore as you can not win the mug but the shore does have a tiki bar)TNakagawaWSJ wrote: ↑Fri Jul 23, 2021 1:35 pm Hello, Muggles! Taylor Nakagawa here with WSJ's puzzles team.
I want to share an exciting announcement: We just published a new interactive course on the contest puzzles! The idea behind the course is to slowly teach new puzzlers how to uncover the meta answer in a given contest crossword. Matt Gaffney and Mike Shenk wrote the course and it's based on four puzzles that ran in February of this year. Each lesson also includes tips from the Muggle community. Thank you to everyone who reached out to share their tips and stories with me!
For many people on this board, the guidance from Mike, Matt and the Muggles may seem obvious to seasoned solvers. Our goal was to create a new experience to bring new people into the fold and introduce them to this community. We even included a link to this board on the opening page!
So, here it is, Contest Crosswords 101. I hope you enjoy.
Contest Crosswords 101
Learn the ins and outs of WSJ’s weekly contest crossword in this four-part series
"Two for One" - July 23, 2021
- SReh26
- Posts: 763
- Joined: Thu Apr 01, 2021 10:48 pm
- HunterX
- Posts: 1163
- Joined: Fri Dec 04, 2020 9:17 pm
- Location: Philadelphia, PA
I hear ya, I hear ya... I was translatin' for those from the 'burbs. Not only do I not say "downtown," I don't say "turkey" either, preferring a more... um... 'colorful' word.Begbie wrote: ↑Fri Jul 23, 2021 2:14 pm
I’m from Philly, too, and know that Fluffyans call it “Center City” and not “downtown”.
Said with much brotherly love and sisterly affection.
Also, I’m cranky because I’m still at sea…
-
- Posts: 25
- Joined: Sat Jul 10, 2021 3:18 pm
On shore but it took me waaaay too long to spot the interaction between [certain aspects of the puzzle]. Have to wait another hour before I can celebrate with a cold one!
-
- Posts: 10
- Joined: Thu Feb 04, 2021 6:27 pm
I'm still lost at sea for this week's contest puzzle, but putting together the course has given me so much more confidence on finding the shore!Bob cruise director wrote: ↑Fri Jul 23, 2021 1:47 pm@TNakagawaWSJ Taylor - you forgot to mention if you are taking the course, doing the puzzles and letting us know if you are on the ship or the shore (a barren shore as you can not win the mug but the shore does have a tiki bar)TNakagawaWSJ wrote: ↑Fri Jul 23, 2021 1:35 pm Hello, Muggles! Taylor Nakagawa here with WSJ's puzzles team.
I want to share an exciting announcement: We just published a new interactive course on the contest puzzles! The idea behind the course is to slowly teach new puzzlers how to uncover the meta answer in a given contest crossword. Matt Gaffney and Mike Shenk wrote the course and it's based on four puzzles that ran in February of this year. Each lesson also includes tips from the Muggle community. Thank you to everyone who reached out to share their tips and stories with me!
For many people on this board, the guidance from Mike, Matt and the Muggles may seem obvious to seasoned solvers. Our goal was to create a new experience to bring new people into the fold and introduce them to this community. We even included a link to this board on the opening page!
So, here it is, Contest Crosswords 101. I hope you enjoy.
Contest Crosswords 101
Learn the ins and outs of WSJ’s weekly contest crossword in this four-part series
-
- Posts: 207
- Joined: Tue Apr 09, 2019 1:51 pm
- Location: Los Angeles
- pjc
- Posts: 240
- Joined: Sun Apr 25, 2021 10:12 am
FINALLY on shore! I'd suggest there was nothing easy about it for this guy - and yet, the beach is so crowded, I can't get to the bar!
-
- Posts: 28
- Joined: Fri May 07, 2021 3:04 pm
- dmorack
- Posts: 83
- Joined: Thu Apr 11, 2019 8:20 pm
- Location: Herndon, VA
No sign of a riptide this week. Easily made it to a crowded shore.
-Doug Morack
-
- Posts: 17
- Joined: Fri Jan 10, 2020 12:37 pm
- Location: Washington, DC
- 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
We are more than happy to give nudges to WSJ employees. LOLTNakagawaWSJ wrote: ↑Fri Jul 23, 2021 3:33 pmI'm still lost at sea for this week's contest puzzle, but putting together the course has given me so much more confidence on finding the shore!Bob cruise director wrote: ↑Fri Jul 23, 2021 1:47 pm@TNakagawaWSJ Taylor - you forgot to mention if you are taking the course, doing the puzzles and letting us know if you are on the ship or the shore (a barren shore as you can not win the mug but the shore does have a tiki bar)TNakagawaWSJ wrote: ↑Fri Jul 23, 2021 1:35 pm Hello, Muggles! Taylor Nakagawa here with WSJ's puzzles team.
I want to share an exciting announcement: We just published a new interactive course on the contest puzzles! The idea behind the course is to slowly teach new puzzlers how to uncover the meta answer in a given contest crossword. Matt Gaffney and Mike Shenk wrote the course and it's based on four puzzles that ran in February of this year. Each lesson also includes tips from the Muggle community. Thank you to everyone who reached out to share their tips and stories with me!
For many people on this board, the guidance from Mike, Matt and the Muggles may seem obvious to seasoned solvers. Our goal was to create a new experience to bring new people into the fold and introduce them to this community. We even included a link to this board on the opening page!
So, here it is, Contest Crosswords 101. I hope you enjoy.
Contest Crosswords 101
Learn the ins and outs of WSJ’s weekly contest crossword in this four-part series
Bob Stevens
Cruise Director
Cruise Director
-
- Posts: 554
- Joined: Wed Nov 04, 2020 7:33 am
So far its another week of treading water and looking for land. Hope it will come to me later this weekend. I would love to see a video of Al and the others solving this within 20 minutes Seriously I would pay for that. Very very impressed as I am every week. Enjoy the weekend everyone.
- Kris Zacharias
- Posts: 219
- Joined: Sat Apr 13, 2019 2:05 pm
- Location: Reading, PA
On shore, 100% certain this week. Had the right method last week and then overthought the final step and chose the wrong one of what I thought were two possible answers.
- Thurman8er
- Posts: 393
- Joined: Tue Apr 09, 2019 3:05 pm
- Location: Fresno, CA
I'm on shore. Wondering if Mike and Matt (and occasionally Patrick) don't include 19A just for us some times.
Oh, I'm also predicting that I win the mug this week.
Oh, I'm also predicting that I win the mug this week.
- hunkra
- Posts: 265
- Joined: Thu Jul 09, 2020 6:35 pm
- Location: Hudson Valley, NY
Count me on the ship - after several (?) weeks of making it to shore, I am in the weeds on this one, not even a rabbit hole in sight. I'd be embarrassed, but it's just too nice of weather right now in my neck of the woods to feel anything but contentment as I sip my Ommegang Rosetta on my front porch.
Channeling Molly Weasley on a good day.
- DianeA
- Posts: 101
- Joined: Wed Feb 24, 2021 7:58 am
- Location: Southport, NC
On shore! Grid was tougher than normal for me. Had the first step very quickly, worked through multiple step 2s until i settled on the mechanism. But THEN....crickets. After lunch and a nap, i achieved enlightenment. So glad to have my weekend free of mental gynmastics. BTW, last week's puzzle was a total bust for me. Very frustrating, and in awe of the solvers.
- HunterX
- Posts: 1163
- Joined: Fri Dec 04, 2020 9:17 pm
- Location: Philadelphia, PA
On shore.
Grid was tough. Meta escaped us for a little bit as we brainstormed ideas that were very shallow rabbit holes. Something clicked after about 30 minutes and we were off to the races.
Nice construction!
And the weekend is salvaged.
Drink will wait until I get together with my college roommates. Curious to see how much hair has been lost, and how much gut has been gained. It's been awhile.
Grid was tough. Meta escaped us for a little bit as we brainstormed ideas that were very shallow rabbit holes. Something clicked after about 30 minutes and we were off to the races.
Nice construction!
And the weekend is salvaged.
Drink will wait until I get together with my college roommates. Curious to see how much hair has been lost, and how much gut has been gained. It's been awhile.
-
- Posts: 293
- Joined: Fri Apr 26, 2019 2:30 pm
- Location: Round Rock, TX
- 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
For muggles and lurkers - over on Matt Gaffney's contest page (https://xwordcontest.com/), last week Andy Keller had a very long streak of 285 weeks come to an end so Matt asked Andy and his cosolver Evan Birnholz to talk about solving and long streaks. It is an excellent piece and I recommend it to all - both for new solvers and for experienced one.
Thanks to Matt, Andy Keller and Evan Birnholz for sharing this excellent writeup.
Thanks to Matt, Andy Keller and Evan Birnholz for sharing this excellent writeup.
Bob Stevens
Cruise Director
Cruise Director
- KayW
- Moderator
- Posts: 3132
- Joined: Wed Apr 10, 2019 12:10 am
- Location: Chicago
I liked this meta a LOT. But I'm not sure I see any Easter eggs, so I hope you'll enlighten me after the deadline.Jeremy Smith wrote: ↑Thu Jul 22, 2021 6:24 pm Onshore! I’m surprised this is trending as 2.5 stars in difficulty. Although the grid was tough, I saw early on what was happening. There’s also a nice Easter egg in the grid.
Time for a margarita on the lanai!
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.
-
- Posts: 62
- Joined: Wed Jun 16, 2021 11:36 am