Page 20 of 21

Re: "Dude Where's My Car?" - September 10, 2021

Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2021 11:56 am
by SReh26
Was anyone else a little unnerved by the fact that nothing spelled out Toyota specifically? I mean of course I got it, but usually the meta answer is spelled out, isn’t it?

Re: "Dude Where's My Car?" - September 10, 2021

Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2021 12:12 pm
by boharr
SReh26 wrote: Mon Sep 13, 2021 11:56 am Was anyone else a little unnerved by the fact that nothing spelled out Toyota specifically? I mean of course I got it, but usually the meta answer is spelled out, isn’t it?
Not in Gaffney puzzles.

Re: "Dude Where's My Car?" - September 10, 2021

Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2021 12:20 pm
by DaveKennison
So … two hours from the deadline, I finally sent in the obvious answer, still more or less certain that we were all being pageanted. Luckily, I hadn’t been able to spend a whole lot more time on the puzzle, so … AWTEW … 😜.

No word about my mug, though … better check my spam file … 🤪.

Re: "Dude Where's My Car?" - September 10, 2021

Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2021 1:54 pm
by madhatter5
hoover wrote: Mon Sep 13, 2021 12:22 am
Joe Ross wrote: Mon Sep 13, 2021 12:10 am
cremebrulee wrote: Mon Sep 13, 2021 12:08 am

What are these other metas? Each day of the week has something extra? Except Tues. and Sat.? Are these the ones with the circles and asterisks?
Other Meta Crossword Puzzles

Meta Calendar
@benchen71 has started a MOAT, Metas on a Tuesday (or was it Thursday? uh oh!).

Which isn't on the calendar by the way

Re: "Dude Where's My Car?" - September 10, 2021

Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2021 2:12 pm
by hoover
TeaJenny wrote: Mon Sep 13, 2021 10:24 am Anybody else remember the car commercial from the '90s (I think) that had the guy singing, "My TOYOTA! I love it!"
Is that to the tune of My Sharona?

Re: "Dude Where's My Car?" - September 10, 2021

Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2021 3:35 pm
by TeaJenny
hoover wrote: Mon Sep 13, 2021 2:12 pm
TeaJenny wrote: Mon Sep 13, 2021 10:24 am Anybody else remember the car commercial from the '90s (I think) that had the guy singing, "My TOYOTA! I love it!"
Is that to the tune of My Sharona?
Unfortunately not, but that would be awesome!

Re: "Dude Where's My Car?" - September 10, 2021

Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2021 3:47 pm
by TheCatt
JAQT wrote: Fri Sep 10, 2021 8:09 pm On another note, to Brian, our illustrious admin: The star ratings on older puzzles seem to be missing (on my device, anyway). In both the forum view, and when viewing individual puzzles, the star rating appears only for this week's puzzle and last week's, but not for any puzzle older than two weeks.

It might just be me and you might have answered this before (apologies if so).

Thanks
Was this answered anywhere? Was wondering about old ratings as well.

Re: "Dude Where's My Car?" - September 10, 2021

Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2021 3:48 pm
by TheCatt
Saw the answer this morning, and realized we forgot to send in our email.

Spouse: Well, it was so easy I wouldn't want a mug for it anyway.

:)

Re: "Dude Where's My Car?" - September 10, 2021

Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2021 4:28 pm
by Limerick Savant
Limerick Savant wrote: Sun Sep 12, 2021 11:33 pm I’ve been ashore since Friday night when I finally got to sit down with my WSJ. I thought I should announce my arrival before the deadline only to find Muggles standing shoulder to shoulder on the beach. You would think it was Spring Break! Isaac must be very lonely at the bar tonight.

This one was so easy I didn’t think it even rated a verse but I did create a clue that says it all:

A playful musical instrument that comes in Kirby, Kiss, and Kabuki versions.

Answer after the reveal
I was hoping a fellow Muggle might have taken up the challenge by now of solving my clue based in the same mechanism used for this week’s meta. But I feel it is unfair to keep @pookie on tenterhooks any longer.

Since the quick solve this week left me with a lot of time that would otherwise have been spent productively fretting over the meta, I wondered if there were a simpler and more direct way for Gaffney to employ the same mechanism to get us to the same end. Hence my one clue meta (see above)

And the answer is… [pause for drum roll 🥁]

Toy Otamatone

Re: "Dude Where's My Car?" - September 10, 2021

Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2021 4:31 pm
by BrianMac
TheCatt wrote: Mon Sep 13, 2021 3:47 pm
JAQT wrote: Fri Sep 10, 2021 8:09 pm On another note, to Brian, our illustrious admin: The star ratings on older puzzles seem to be missing (on my device, anyway). In both the forum view, and when viewing individual puzzles, the star rating appears only for this week's puzzle and last week's, but not for any puzzle older than two weeks.

It might just be me and you might have answered this before (apologies if so).

Thanks
Was this answered anywhere? Was wondering about old ratings as well.
It looks like the ratings disappear when the threads are locked. I lock the threads after two weeks to preserve the chronological order of the puzzle discussions.

Re: "Dude Where's My Car?" - September 10, 2021

Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2021 4:50 pm
by SewYoung
And the answer is… [pause for drum roll 🥁]

Toy Otamatone
[/quote]

I had to look that up when I saw the answer. Never heard of such a thing.... but I want one!

Re: "Dude Where's My Car?" - September 10, 2021

Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2021 4:52 pm
by mikeB
TeaJenny wrote: Mon Sep 13, 2021 10:24 am Anybody else remember the car commercial from the '90s (I think) that had the guy singing, "My TOYOTA! I love it!"

Anyone? Just me? Bueller?

I didn't start keeping track of my solves until January, although I began doing WSJ metas last fall. My solve rate for the year is 67%. It's been creeping up slowly in recent weeks. If I included last year's, it would probably be lower.
The Toyota commercials I remember featured "I Got Rhythm" -- not sure what decade that was. (Definitely later than 1930 when the Gershwin song was released.)

I too am running about 66% solves. August was a tough month for me -- three unsolved in a row, and I'm fairly new, so this squishes the batting average. Tough . . . but valuable as experience.

Re: "Dude Where's My Car?" - September 10, 2021

Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2021 5:00 pm
by MikeMillerwsj
As you Muggles might have surmised, this was a massive end-of-summer blockbuster!
We had 4,554 entries, which I think is an all-time record (our Muggle historians can back me up). And an eye-popping 98% correct. Perhaps an easier-than-usual puzzle, perhaps our solvers are getting better and better at this, and spreading the word... One for the books no matter how you slice it. Congrats to all, and special congrats to the solver who overcame bigger-than-usual odds to win this one: Kim Knapp of Duluth, Ga.!

Re: "Dude Where's My Car?" - September 10, 2021

Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2021 5:50 pm
by whimsy
mikeB wrote: Mon Sep 13, 2021 4:52 pm
TeaJenny wrote: Mon Sep 13, 2021 10:24 am Anybody else remember the car commercial from the '90s (I think) that had the guy singing, "My TOYOTA! I love it!"

Anyone? Just me? Bueller?

I didn't start keeping track of my solves until January, although I began doing WSJ metas last fall. My solve rate for the year is 67%. It's been creeping up slowly in recent weeks. If I included last year's, it would probably be lower.
The Toyota commercials I remember featured "I Got Rhythm" -- not sure what decade that was. (Definitely later than 1930 when the Gershwin song was released.)
I remember the one with maybe a half dozen forty-something guys at a small reunion -- they're not sure what to talk about and the conversation goes nowhere -- pretty boring. Eventually one mentions he just got a new car - a Toyota. Others pipe up that they have one too. After the commercial cuts to the car specs, it goes back to the group having a grand old time, swaying, perhaps with a little alcoholic help, arms around each others shoulders and belting out: "Get your hands on a Totyota......(you'll never let go!)"

Re: "Dude Where's My Car?" - September 10, 2021

Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2021 6:17 pm
by SReh26
I got a 9:45 on today’s wsj crossword btw, just sayin.’
(blows on fingertips)

Re: "Dude Where's My Car?" - September 10, 2021

Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2021 6:56 pm
by mntlblok
SewYoung wrote: Mon Sep 13, 2021 4:50 pm And the answer is… [pause for drum roll 🥁]

Toy Otamatone
I had to look that up when I saw the answer. Never heard of such a thing.... but I want one!
[/quote]

Just great. Something *else* I can't do.


Re: "Dude Where's My Car?" - September 10, 2021

Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2021 7:43 pm
by Barney
So by my calculations, 4554 submissions, 98% correct, meaning 92 wrong answers.

I happen to have inside information (cough) that two of those were Toys R Us, which were intended as total just-for-fun spoof.

Re: "Dude Where's My Car?" - September 10, 2021

Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2021 11:42 pm
by Joe Ross
madhatter5 wrote: Mon Sep 13, 2021 1:54 pm
hoover wrote: Mon Sep 13, 2021 12:22 am
Joe Ross wrote: Mon Sep 13, 2021 12:10 am

Other Meta Crossword Puzzles

Meta Calendar
@benchen71 has started a MOAT, Metas on a Tuesday (or was it Thursday? uh oh!).

Which isn't on the calendar by the way
Paging Xword Muggles Calendar Master @Abide...

Re: "Dude Where's My Car?" - September 10, 2021

Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2021 11:46 pm
by Joe Ross
SReh26 wrote: Mon Sep 13, 2021 6:17 pm I got a 9:45 on today’s wsj crossword btw, just sayin.’
(blows on fingertips)
Ben Affleck in The Accountant, right?

🙂🧠

Re: "Dude Where's My Car?" - September 10, 2021

Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2021 12:07 am
by escapeartist
mntlblok wrote: Mon Sep 13, 2021 6:56 pm Just great. Something *else* I can't do.

LOL!