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Re: "Seeking Answers" - October 8, 2021

Posted: Mon Oct 11, 2021 4:36 pm
by joequavis
Dplass wrote: Mon Oct 11, 2021 9:04 am I've been waiting for this meta all my life.

When I was about 9 I asked my dad, who was a teacher grading tests, what "SA" stood for. You know, "SA tests". So this meta was a gimme for me.
Would be fitting for you to win the mug this week. Check your spam folder!

Re: "Seeking Answers" - October 8, 2021

Posted: Mon Oct 11, 2021 4:38 pm
by MikeMillerwsj
The contest answer is ESSAY TEST (whose parts are found at 1-Down and 67-Across). Each of the answers to the theme questions has the initials S.A. (as does the title “Seeking Answers”), suggesting the contest answer.

After some unusually challenging contests, this one was a blockbuster. We had 2,746 entries, about 74% correct, right in line with our usual success rate. A lot of solvers came close, with a big turnout (108) for ESSAY SET. ("Essay test" is certainly a more common and apt phrase, and our randomly drawn winner got it right so we didn't need to ponder whether SET was also acceptable.). Also MENSA TEST (60), ESSAY SEeR (27), ESSAY A LOT (24), SEER APP (12) and sundry others.

Congrats to this week's winner: Rick Feinleib of Reston, Va.!

Re: "Seeking Answers" - October 8, 2021

Posted: Mon Oct 11, 2021 4:47 pm
by Dplass
joequavis wrote: Mon Oct 11, 2021 4:36 pm
Dplass wrote: Mon Oct 11, 2021 9:04 am I've been waiting for this meta all my life.

When I was about 9 I asked my dad, who was a teacher grading tests, what "SA" stood for. You know, "SA tests". So this meta was a gimme for me.
Would be fitting for you to win the mug this week. Check your spam folder!
Sadly 'twasn't I. (See above.)

Re: "Seeking Answers" - October 8, 2021

Posted: Mon Oct 11, 2021 4:50 pm
by hunkra
Actually got to shore before the deadline, but the expression “Essay test” just sounded awkward to me, so I didn’t submit or post. :roll:

Re: "Seeking Answers" - October 8, 2021

Posted: Mon Oct 11, 2021 5:11 pm
by Al Sisti
I bit my tongue at post #303, when @SamanthaA posted!

Re: "Seeking Answers" - October 8, 2021

Posted: Mon Oct 11, 2021 5:26 pm
by ReB
Kris Zacharias wrote: Mon Oct 11, 2021 4:19 pm The meta made me laugh. I wish I had had essay tests with two-word answers while in college.
Perhaps you never heard of the apocryphal final exam for a philosophy course that consisted of a single word: WHY?

While all the students in the class were sweating bricks, one student with a big grin turned in his exam sheet after a few minutes and left. The professor, curious, snuck a peek and read: WHY NOT?

The student reportedly received an A...

Re: "Seeking Answers" - October 8, 2021

Posted: Mon Oct 11, 2021 5:35 pm
by Dplass
Al Sisti wrote: Mon Oct 11, 2021 5:11 pm I bit my tongue at post #303, when @SamanthaA posted!
Why?

Re: "Seeking Answers" - October 8, 2021

Posted: Mon Oct 11, 2021 5:45 pm
by joequavis
Dplass wrote: Mon Oct 11, 2021 5:35 pm
Al Sisti wrote: Mon Oct 11, 2021 5:11 pm I bit my tongue at post #303, when @SamanthaA posted!
Why?
Why not? :lol:

Re: "Seeking Answers" - October 8, 2021

Posted: Mon Oct 11, 2021 6:05 pm
by DannyWalter
joequavis wrote: Mon Oct 11, 2021 5:45 pm
Dplass wrote: Mon Oct 11, 2021 5:35 pm
Al Sisti wrote: Mon Oct 11, 2021 5:11 pm I bit my tongue at post #303, when @SamanthaA posted!
Why?
Why not? :lol:
I don't know, he's on third, and I don't give a darn!

Re: "Seeking Answers" - October 8, 2021

Posted: Mon Oct 11, 2021 6:06 pm
by boharr
DannyWalter wrote: Mon Oct 11, 2021 6:05 pm
joequavis wrote: Mon Oct 11, 2021 5:45 pm
Dplass wrote: Mon Oct 11, 2021 5:35 pm

Why?
Why not? :lol:
I don't know, he's on third, and I don't give a darn!
Who's on third? Nah.

Re: "Seeking Answers" - October 8, 2021

Posted: Mon Oct 11, 2021 6:17 pm
by DBMiller
While the test questions didn't have essay answers, they did have S.A. answers, which was a secondary click for me.

Re: "Seeking Answers" - October 8, 2021

Posted: Mon Oct 11, 2021 6:48 pm
by RichA2
Dplass wrote: Mon Oct 11, 2021 5:35 pm
Al Sisti wrote: Mon Oct 11, 2021 5:11 pm I bit my tongue at post #303, when @SamanthaA posted!
Why?
It might have to do with Samantha’s initials?

Re: "Seeking Answers" - October 8, 2021

Posted: Mon Oct 11, 2021 6:55 pm
by Dplass
RichA2 wrote: Mon Oct 11, 2021 6:48 pm
Dplass wrote: Mon Oct 11, 2021 5:35 pm
Al Sisti wrote: Mon Oct 11, 2021 5:11 pm I bit my tongue at post #303, when @SamanthaA posted!
Why?
It might have to do with Samantha’s initials?
Facepalm. Lol. This is why I do poorly at metas...I don't notice stuff...

Re: "Seeking Answers" - October 8, 2021

Posted: Mon Oct 11, 2021 7:06 pm
by Eric Porter
Seeing the discussion of SamanthaA's initials reminded me of my comment in #26 about the mods letting slide an unintentional spoiler.
I was referring to the phrase "Safely Ashore", which was used just before I posted and a second time later.

It probably didn't help anyone solve the puzzle.

Re: "Seeking Answers" - October 8, 2021

Posted: Mon Oct 11, 2021 7:43 pm
by Jeremy Smith
I crashed and burned on this one.
Seeing the SA theme of the five themers, I dutifully made a list of all the grid entries beginning with S and another of all beginning with the letter A. Looking at each of the clues for these grid entries, I put 15A and 26D together: Shelled out….More than usual. Their respective grid entries?
SPENT ALOT. A very oblique reference to the title, perhaps, but no more so than some other metas we’ve solved.

Re: "Seeking Answers" - October 8, 2021

Posted: Mon Oct 11, 2021 7:57 pm
by SReh26
They are answers that I seek
before Sunday may not peek
once I find - in full regalia 🎖
because i am animalia

I may not be the very best
at the meta, like the rest
however at Matt’s behest
I shall take the Essay Test🙇‍♀️

Samuel Adams, San Antone
doing the meta all alone
Seers and seekers, wanting more
DrTom did pull me to shore 🏖

Sturmabteilung, hey no way
not what we think of when we see SA
and for this and from Manhattan
thank you gramps and General Patton 👍🏻

Re: "Seeking Answers" - October 8, 2021

Posted: Mon Oct 11, 2021 8:27 pm
by Colin
MikeMillerwsj wrote: Mon Oct 11, 2021 4:38 pm A lot of solvers came close, with a big turnout (108) for ESSAY SET. ("Essay test" is certainly a more common and apt phrase, and our randomly drawn winner got it right so we didn't need to ponder whether SET was also acceptable.).
The puzzle asks us to put our answer in the subject line, so if WSJ sorts out all the correct answers, one would expect the randomly drawn one to be correct, right? Or does WSJ just randomly draw from all entries and only accept it as a mug winner if the answer is correct? In which case, if an ESSAY SET answer had been drawn and considered acceptable, would the 2,000 or so correct answerers just lose out to a nearly correct answer?
This is by no means a complaint, and it should not worry me or anyone else a dot, since my weekly assumption is that mugs are like rocking horse poop! Just curious.
Thanks to Matt and crew for the great meta puzzles and many congrats to the winner.

Re: "Seeking Answers" - October 8, 2021

Posted: Mon Oct 11, 2021 8:32 pm
by boharr
Colin wrote: Mon Oct 11, 2021 8:27 pm
MikeMillerwsj wrote: Mon Oct 11, 2021 4:38 pm A lot of solvers came close, with a big turnout (108) for ESSAY SET. ("Essay test" is certainly a more common and apt phrase, and our randomly drawn winner got it right so we didn't need to ponder whether SET was also acceptable.).
The puzzle asks us to put our answer in the subject line, so if WSJ sorts out all the correct answers, one would expect the randomly drawn one to be correct, right? Or does WSJ just randomly draw from all entries and only accept it as a mug winner if the answer is correct? In which case, if an ESSAY SET answer had been drawn and considered acceptable, would the 2,000 or so correct answerers just lose out to a nearly correct answer?
Now THOSE appear to be essay questions.

Re: "Seeking Answers" - October 8, 2021

Posted: Mon Oct 11, 2021 8:32 pm
by MaineMarge
This former teacher picked up on TEST to go with essay as soon as I found it. Leading up to that, like all of you, I had tried (tested) each grid entry with ESSAY. That testing was additional confirmation for me.
I liked this meta a lot.
Thanks, Matt, for Something Altogether different.

Re: "Seeking Answers" - October 8, 2021

Posted: Mon Oct 11, 2021 8:35 pm
by Al Sisti
Dplass wrote: Mon Oct 11, 2021 5:35 pm
Al Sisti wrote: Mon Oct 11, 2021 5:11 pm I bit my tongue at post #303, when @SamanthaA posted!
Why?
Because I almost typed "With your initials, you'd better have gotten it..."