"You'll Never Solve This One" - October 21, 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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MajordomoTom
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#341

Post by MajordomoTom »

Mwah! I want the mwug!
"Lots of planets have a North", the Ninth Doctor.
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ZooAnimalsOnWheels
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#342

Post by ZooAnimalsOnWheels »

RussHiggins wrote: Mon Oct 25, 2021 8:07 am I had (H)OOPS for 'sorry to hear that' and (H)ACK for 'big mistake', but I felt these two were a little iffy. Fortunately they share the critical letter, so I stumbled to the correct answer!
I got stuck briefly because I was only looking at 4-word answers and missed (H)OOPS, and I had also mentally assigned ACK to 'Big Mistake'. And then my sense of symmetry really wanted the sole 5-word answer to pair up with the longest, central answer. But I also didn't think OOPS was appropriate for "...suddenly shares unpleasant news."

"Well, I lost my job, my wife ran off with our accountant, and my dog died."
...
"Oops."

Like others, I was at first looking for BWA-HA-HA, as it was coming together. In comic books, there's an era of Justice League comics that were written with a somewhat lighter tone and good-natured ribbing between the characters, and it is known in shorthand as "The Bwa-ha-ha Era".
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Gman
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Location: Encinitas CA

#343

Post by Gman »

I eventually found my way to shore with no nudges, but I was convinced that the synonyms might actually be preface words to the longer expressions (e.g. BRR, I NEED A COAT). Thus, I was hung up for the longest time with O(S)SO as the preface to SORRY TO HEAR THAT. The random S was not helpful! Eventually I realized the error of my ways and found (H)ACK.
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pookie
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Joined: Mon Aug 12, 2019 5:46 pm

#344

Post by pookie »

Bob cruise director wrote: Mon Oct 25, 2021 11:29 am I almost choked when I did the grid and found that ACK was part of the meta. Bill Katz has been a muggle since before the forum and has had the same avatar since we started the forum (see post #161). I figured that because of that, it was not a spoiler but had a good laugh
Me too! After I solved, I went back and read comments. ACK! popped out. You can't very well eliminate Bill Katz' post because he's part of the solution! I doubt that it was a spoiler anyway.
Bob, re: your new avatar, what did you do, clean out the garage?
JeanneC
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Location: Florida

#345

Post by JeanneC »

BarbaraK wrote: Mon Oct 25, 2021 12:19 pm
DMills1996 wrote: Mon Oct 25, 2021 10:15 am Hey all, long time listener first time caller for the forums here. Had to make an account to pose this question to everyone...

Did anybody else get completely thrown off of the meta by EARTHA KIT(T) ?!?!?! In the 35A theme answer you can make "EARTHA" and 32D "KIT" is right there next to it! I couldn't believe it wasn't related to the solution... I desperately want to know if Matt put that in there as an intentional red herring or it's just an insane coincidence.
I didn’t notice it, and I’m really glad I didn’t. What a herring!
Team that up with “Ross” as in Diana from 20A and down the rabbit hole we go!
“I cannot and will not cut my conscience to fit this year’s fashions”. Lillian Hellman
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mikeB
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#346

Post by mikeB »

This meta was frustrating in its own peculiar way. I found the mechanism and the letters making up the answer, but I didn’t know MWAHAHA was a thing, let alone a recognized exclamation. So, like a lot of people here, I was stuck at the precipice after finding the mechanism, because the letters made no sense. The good news comes from this forum: Many people got to the answer enabled by familiarity with MWAHAHA, which suggests that Matt hit the right spot with this one. What I brought to the table was a narrow but insurmountable slice of ignorance, which I then unwittingly deployed (because you don’t know what you don’t know) to evade the aha moment I could feel but could not touch. And like everyone else, I have many thousands of those slices in storage for use at the times of the constructors’ own choosing.
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Commodore
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#347

Post by Commodore »

Mrs. C & I went with the upside down "Oh-No." And, ack! We ended up with an answer we thought responded well to the last word in the title.
AAW MATH!
MikeMillerwsj
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#348

Post by MikeMillerwsj »

The contest answer is MWAHAHA. Each of the seven theme clues can also be answered with a one-word exclamation: in order, they are BOO, ICK, BRR, ACK, HMM, OOPS and BAH. Each of seven grid answers consists of one of these words plus one extra letter: BOOM, WICK, BARR, HACK, HAMM, HOOPS and BAHA. Those extra letters spell the contest answer.

A nice turnout this week at 1660, with almost exactly our usual level of 75% correct (counting MWAHAHA one word, MWA HAHA two words and MWA HA HA three words--all of those literally proved the title of this contest wrong). 52 of you got close with BWAHAHA, plus EUREKA (25), AMEN (15) WATCH ME (14), BOO (7), WHAM BAM (5) and sundry other exclamations.

Congrats to this week's winner: Bruce Graves of Briarcliff Manor, NY!
Barney
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#349

Post by Barney »

Wham bam is kinda close.
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Flying_Burrito
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#350

Post by Flying_Burrito »

always the bridesmaid, never the bride...
Senor Guaca Mole :mrgreen:
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ship4u
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#351

Post by ship4u »

Barney wrote: Mon Oct 25, 2021 5:01 pm Wham bam is kinda close.
That is where I was heading at first. But, wait a minute, perhaps we were drawn by subaconscious memories of Bam Bam Rubble..........
Whaddaya think, Barney?
Don & Cynthia

We are always happy to get to know other muggles and help in any way! PM's are always welcome. The next best thing to winning a mug is helping a fellow muggle win a mug!
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Eric Porter
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Location: Nashville, TN

#352

Post by Eric Porter »

The funny thing is that I was sure that I had done something wrong because letter by letter it didn't make sense. I only recognized it when I had the whole thing.

As for the Head of the Charles, the weather was great all 4 days then it got nasty today, so we got really lucky there. In both of my races, we were around the middle of the pack in terms of speed, but in the Men's 4+ 50+ another boat hit us which cost some time. It was my first time there and it was a great experience.
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Bob cruise director
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#353

Post by Bob cruise director »

pookie wrote: Mon Oct 25, 2021 2:28 pm
Bob cruise director wrote: Mon Oct 25, 2021 11:29 am I almost choked when I did the grid and found that ACK was part of the meta. Bill Katz has been a muggle since before the forum and has had the same avatar since we started the forum (see post #161). I figured that because of that, it was not a spoiler but had a good laugh
Me too! After I solved, I went back and read comments. ACK! popped out. You can't very well eliminate Bill Katz' post because he's part of the solution! I doubt that it was a spoiler anyway.
Bob, re: your new avatar, what did you do, clean out the garage?
Since I can't travel I am running out of neat travel pictures.

Our garage floor was badly cracked so we had the concrete taken out and new concrete put in. I took pictures of the process and this is the finished product before the cars go in.
Bob Stevens
Cruise Director
MaineMarge
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#354

Post by MaineMarge »

DrTom wrote: Mon Oct 25, 2021 10:25 am Man I am soooo sorry I will miss tomorrow's Zoom Call but its my birthday so we are going out to a nice French restaurant her in JAX at 7:00 so I'll miss it. It will be a good one I am sure or my name's not Snidley Whiplash!
Oh, happy birthday in advance, @DrTom.
Surprise gift coming your way!
I don’t believe I know your medical specialty,
but here’s a special T that looks like it would be a good fit
D990A27D-501E-4966-BC22-7E55A3CF3A07.jpeg
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JAQT
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#355

Post by JAQT »

Eric Porter wrote: Mon Oct 25, 2021 6:06 pm As for the Head of the Charles, the weather was great all 4 days then it got nasty today, so we got really lucky there. In both of my races, we were around the middle of the pack in terms of speed, but in the Men's 4+ 50+ another boat hit us which cost some time. It was my first time there and it was a great experience.
My children rowed at Head of the Charles for a number of years in their high school and college years, and it was always a fun event. It's particularly beautiful when the weather is fine and fall-like and the trees overhanging the Charles are bright with fall colors, serving up a magnificent backdrop to the buildings and bridges and parks and neighborhoods that line the Charles.

One year (2009 -- yeah, that's how long ago) there was snow (mostly rain, but some snow too). I was OK walking around with coat, gloves and umbrella, but I always felt bad for the rowers/competitors in that unforgiving weather. I remember buying a tray of hot chocolates for my son's team, gratefully accepted by all, but I forgot the coach and got a bit grousing from him.
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femullen
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#356

Post by femullen »

Ahoy, the Muggles. Here's my weekly excuse:

~~~~~~
Our deer camp opened Thursday morn.
This hunter here was nearly torn
In two because, at four p.m.,
While working on a stratagem
For luring cervids into view,
And maybe taking just a few,
A thought intruded in my mind
That banished those of hart and hind.

For at that hour of four o’clock,
Instead of standing by a rock
In West Virginia, I might be
At home and waiting patiently
For Gaffney’s latest to arrive.
If fortunate, at half-past five,
Or maybe six, but not much more,
I’d cry, triumphantly, “Ashore!”

Of course, you might as easily
Complete the puzzle in a tree
If you had brought a phone and could
Receive a signal in that wood.
But Gilmer County’s far enough
Away from all such modern stuff
That smart phones aren’t, so there’s no way
To download stuff from Wall Street J.

The hunt continued three more days.
When idle, I considered ways
To get the puzzle in my hand
And somehow paddle in to land
Ashore and so to give the slip
To Isaac’s bar and to the ship.
But nothing worked. I was to be
Both lost in woods and lost at sea.

Home on Sunday. Didn’t get a
Chance to even touch the meta.
~~~~~~

Haven't looked at the solution yet, so I still have a chance to see if, indeed, I'll "never solve this one."
For nudges, feel free to PM me. I won't have a clue how to help you, but you might shove me ashore.
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Cindy N
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#357

Post by Cindy N »

Years ago, the answer was a signature phrase for me in our chat group. Conversation would go along, I'd make a comment, someone would say "that's just evil" and my response was always "Mwahaha" - so much so that I received a certain board game as a gift

mwahaha.jpg
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LadyBird
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Location: Chicagoland

#358

Post by LadyBird »

I am pathetic--and time challenged. Sitting at the WSJ puzzle page wondering why the Friday contest isn't there. Because it is only Wednesday!
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Joe Ross
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#359

Post by Joe Ross »

Is it Thursday, yet?
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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DrTom
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Location: Jacksonville, FL

#360

Post by DrTom »

Barney wrote: Mon Oct 25, 2021 5:01 pm Wham bam is kinda close.
Thank you man....
NUDGES!I am always willing to give nudges where needed; metas should be about fun, not frustration. Send me what you have done so far because often you are closer than you think!
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