"Starting Positions" - August 20, 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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SReh26
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Joined: Thu Apr 01, 2021 10:48 pm

#361

Post by SReh26 »

escapeartist wrote: Tue Aug 24, 2021 12:39 am
SReh26 wrote: Mon Aug 23, 2021 8:09 pm Any names for the state of mind that keeps us coming back to this every week?

Metaphilia?
Metaphrenia?
Metadepression?
Metachism?
Cruciverbitis?
Cruciverbmetadosis?
Metamorphosis?
Obsessive Griditude?
Repetitive Grid Focused Masochism?

I know someone else will find the right word.
Mugglemania?
Muggle-metamania?
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TeaJenny
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Location: Stamford, CT

#362

Post by TeaJenny »

SReh26 wrote: Tue Aug 24, 2021 8:54 am
escapeartist wrote: Tue Aug 24, 2021 12:39 am
SReh26 wrote: Mon Aug 23, 2021 8:09 pm Any names for the state of mind that keeps us coming back to this every week?

Metaphilia?
Metaphrenia?
Metadepression?
Metachism?
Cruciverbitis?
Cruciverbmetadosis?
Metamorphosis?
Obsessive Griditude?
Repetitive Grid Focused Masochism?

I know someone else will find the right word.
Mugglemania?
Muggle-metamania?
Metannoya ;)
You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me. ~C.S. Lewis
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Bob cruise director
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Location: Any golf course within 500 miles of Littleton MA

#363

Post by Bob cruise director »

boharr wrote: Mon Aug 23, 2021 8:39 pm
Bob cruise director wrote: Mon Aug 23, 2021 8:00 pm
MikeMillerwsj wrote: Mon Aug 23, 2021 1:32 pm
Fewest submissions since November 6, 2020 MG's Fresh State at 523
Lowest percentage correct since October 23, 2020 MG's Just A Step More at 40%
Fewest Correct answers since Just A Step More at 241
Just went back and looked at those two puzzles. They were tough.

But here's a question for the pros and vets: What has been the hardest (or trickiest) WSJ meta since the start?
Good question for which I suspect that there is no one answer. If you, for whatever reason, find the path to the meta quickly you will conclude that it is easy. If you stumble and fumble for three days you will conclude it is hard.

What most of us have found is that experience is the best teacher. Do as many of these as you can and look at the answers for the ones you did not get.
Bob Stevens
Cruise Director
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Colin
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Joined: Sat Apr 13, 2019 11:57 pm

#364

Post by Colin »

TheCatt wrote: Mon Aug 23, 2021 8:24 pm
Colin wrote: Mon Aug 23, 2021 12:05 am That is just beautiful! My hat is off to all solvers. There is not enough space here to describe my path to failure, but let’s just say it had a lot of ZEEs in it!
We went down the ZEE route, the CAR route, the order route, the alphabet route, the dateline route... probably a few others.

When first looking at this puzzle I said my spouse " I feel like first, second, third should be hidden in here or something" and never saw it until we got a nudge. Ugh.
Yes - we did those too! Also the double letters, same letters in L shape, etc. Did the alphabet comprehensively… across, down, clues, answers (took ages). A frequency count… what a lot of Os and Cs. Plus the step shape in the grid which had 5 letters in-between first and last steps. Not forgetting the 5 clues between the alphabet SORT clue and the ZEE end of alphabet clue. Oh and…..
One world. One planet. One future.
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mikeB
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Joined: Mon Mar 22, 2021 1:50 pm

#365

Post by mikeB »

TeaJenny wrote: Tue Aug 24, 2021 9:28 am
SReh26 wrote: Tue Aug 24, 2021 8:54 am
escapeartist wrote: Tue Aug 24, 2021 12:39 am

Mugglemania?
Muggle-metamania?
Metannoya ;)
Meta-pause: A predisposition toward putting one’s life on hold each Thursday afternoon to start grappling with a weekly puzzle contest.
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femullen
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Location: Shenandoah Valley, Virginia

#366

Post by femullen »

What a week to miss! Did the grid Friday morning and quickly focused on 17A, "Furniture items for the house," because "Furniture items" would have sufficed. But I had to leave it there because I had to catch a plane then a car to a place without the internet--no, really, they exist! And there, in a hilly and leafy region of the Green Mountains, I met up with the northern (smarter) half of Equipe Canuck, my daughter Lydia, whom I haven't seen in 18 months but who managed to sneak across the border for the weekend. We did not spend time on the meta. From the looks of it, probably just as well.
For nudges, feel free to PM me. I won't have a clue how to help you, but you might shove me ashore.
Bill Bovard
Posts: 49
Joined: Mon Dec 23, 2019 12:18 am
Location: Pasadena, CA

#367

Post by Bill Bovard »

Does anyone know where to find the solution for Saturday's puzzle? Crossword Fiend doesn't have it and the WSJ link for it actually gives you next Friday's PUZZLE CONTEST.
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escapeartist
Posts: 419
Joined: Fri Oct 09, 2020 12:24 am

#368

Post by escapeartist »

Bill Bovard wrote: Tue Aug 24, 2021 11:33 pm Does anyone know where to find the solution for Saturday's puzzle? Crossword Fiend doesn't have it and the WSJ link for it actually gives you next Friday's PUZZLE CONTEST.
*Obi Shenkenobi waves his hand* - "this isn't the puzzle you're looking for"
* 2022 WSJ Mug Winner - I bask in its Glory *
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LadyBird
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Location: Chicagoland

#369

Post by LadyBird »

Bill Bovard wrote: Tue Aug 24, 2021 11:33 pm Does anyone know where to find the solution for Saturday's puzzle? Crossword Fiend doesn't have it and the WSJ link for it actually gives you next Friday's PUZZLE CONTEST.
There may be a real battle to be the first to post ashore come Thursday! Does it count as page 1 if you are actually posting on page 19 of the week before?
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LadyBird
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Location: Chicagoland

#370

Post by LadyBird »

Okay, I was going to bed and then I saw the post and just had to do the puzzle. I believe that I am ashore.
Bill Bovard
Posts: 49
Joined: Mon Dec 23, 2019 12:18 am
Location: Pasadena, CA

#371

Post by Bill Bovard »

LadyBird wrote: Wed Aug 25, 2021 12:29 am Okay, I was going to bed and then I saw the post and just had to do the puzzle. I believe that I am ashore.
Wow! Page -1 for you.
I would print it out but then I would not have the discipline to not look at the Thursday answer. Well I guess I could cut it off and toss it out right away. I'll do that.
Bill Bovard
Posts: 49
Joined: Mon Dec 23, 2019 12:18 am
Location: Pasadena, CA

#372

Post by Bill Bovard »

I do believe I also have the correct answer for next Friday's meta.
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CPJohnson
Posts: 1078
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Location: Kingsport, TN

#373

Post by CPJohnson »

LadyBird wrote: Wed Aug 25, 2021 12:29 am Okay, I was going to bed and then I saw the post and just had to do the puzzle. I believe that I am ashore.
You qualify for page 1, IMO. Maybe you can log on and post at 4:01 pm on Thursday! (I'm just grateful that I'll have some extra days to solve. :D )
Cynthia
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Joe Ross
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Location: Cincinnati

#374

Post by Joe Ross »

Ashore for 8-27-2021 WSJCC.
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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KayW
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#375

Post by KayW »

OMG so glad (hmmm or am I???) that I took a morning look at the forum. I can resist anything but temptation… ashore for 8/27 (but not submitting just yet 😉)
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.
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Joe Ross
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Joined: Fri Apr 12, 2019 4:46 am
Location: Cincinnati

#376

Post by Joe Ross »

escapeartist wrote: Tue Aug 24, 2021 11:52 pm
Bill Bovard wrote: Tue Aug 24, 2021 11:33 pm Does anyone know where to find the solution for Saturday's puzzle? Crossword Fiend doesn't have it and the WSJ link for it actually gives you next Friday's PUZZLE CONTEST.
*Obi Shenkenobi waves his hand* - "this isn't the puzzle you're looking for"
POST OF THE WEEK
flyingMoose
Posts: 827
Joined: Sun Mar 22, 2020 2:35 pm

#377

Post by flyingMoose »

This has happened to me a couple of times when accessing the WSJ from my iPad. It was usually fixed within the week in my case.
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whimsy
Posts: 2716
Joined: Sun Jun 21, 2020 9:51 am
Location: Hopkinton MA

#378

Post by whimsy »

LadyBird wrote: Wed Aug 25, 2021 12:02 am
Bill Bovard wrote: Tue Aug 24, 2021 11:33 pm Does anyone know where to find the solution for Saturday's puzzle? Crossword Fiend doesn't have it and the WSJ link for it actually gives you next Friday's PUZZLE CONTEST.
There may be a real battle to be the first to post ashore come Thursday! Does it count as page 1 if you are actually posting on page 19 of the week before?
Only if you put it in the form of a Birdy-gram! :D
Hidden in 3D
Posts: 379
Joined: Sun Nov 17, 2019 11:42 pm

#379

Post by Hidden in 3D »

I'm ASHORE for 8-27-21 WSJCC, also. My earliest solve EVER! And I'm counting this as my first and only "page 1 post". :lol:
Sara
MatthewL
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Joined: Thu Dec 31, 2020 11:57 am
Location: Atlanta, GA

#380

Post by MatthewL »

Ashore for 8/27/21. Like Bird, Bill, Joe, Kay and Hidden, I'm counting this as a page 1 solve. Boooya!


Edited to add: I'll be curious how many people will be hitting refresh on this forum at 4:01 p.m. on Thursday to get the actual page 1 post. Hope we don't crash the server. Bad week to be Brian. :roll:
Matthew
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