"AP English" - January 8, 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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Bob cruise director
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#341

Post by Bob cruise director »

MatthewL wrote: Sun Jan 10, 2021 3:21 pm Thanks to all who nudged. Interestingly, all the nudges were very similar. They helped, and inspiration finally struck. I am ashore (I believe -- guess we'll find out). One question -- I tried to reply to the several PMs folks sent, but all the messages appear to be hung up in my Outbox, as opposed to Sent folder. Not sure why the messages won't go, but in any event, thanks again to all who nudged.

Matthew
Matthew

For me, the PM's are a little quirky

From my experience, PM's stay in the outbox until they are read - sometimes that means forever. They will disappear from the outbox when read or when you delete them.

When I create a PM and hit "submit", the PM does not go out. I have to scroll down and hit PM a second time. Probably I am doing something wrong but I have yet to figure out what.

Also for everyone, in Come Aboard/FAQ Solving Resources and in the Acapulco Lounge, there are muggles thoughts on Nudges - how and when to request and what to expect. Generally a PM to someone or someones who has the answer is best. Explain what you did and where you got stuck even if it is "I don't have the slightest idea where to go". This does several things - first it lets the person you are asking know in what area to guide you, also when you have a general broadcast, no one know whether you got no responses or 25 of them, finally it helps you establish a relationship with another muggle. This relationship is not a lifelong commitment so you can PM several people.
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Bob cruise director
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#342

Post by Bob cruise director »

Commodore wrote: Sun Jan 10, 2021 3:26 pm My jigsaw this week. Sadly, the designer of these beautiful canoes, Pete Hornbeck, just died at age 77.
One of a kind gentleman-businessman-backcountry environmentalist. The Adirondacks will miss him.
Jigsaw.png
Where in the Adirondacks is that? I grew up spending summers around Lake George.
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#343

Post by CPJohnson »

Bob cruise director wrote: Sun Jan 10, 2021 3:39 pm
MatthewL wrote: Sun Jan 10, 2021 3:21 pm Thanks to all who nudged. Interestingly, all the nudges were very similar. They helped, and inspiration finally struck. I am ashore (I believe -- guess we'll find out). One question -- I tried to reply to the several PMs folks sent, but all the messages appear to be hung up in my Outbox, as opposed to Sent folder. Not sure why the messages won't go, but in any event, thanks again to all who nudged.

Matthew
Matthew

For me, the PM's are a little quirky

From my experience, PM's stay in the outbox until they are read - sometimes that means forever. They will disappear from the outbox when read or when you delete them.

When I create a PM and hit "submit", the PM does not go out. I have to scroll down and hit PM a second time. Probably I am doing something wrong but I have yet to figure out what.

Also for everyone, in Come Aboard/FAQ Solving Resources and in the Acapulco Lounge, there are muggles thoughts on Nudges - how and when to request and what to expect. Generally a PM to someone or someones who has the answer is best. Explain what you did and where you got stuck even if it is "I don't have the slightest idea where to go". This does several things - first it lets the person you are asking know in what area to guide you, also when you have a general broadcast, no one know whether you got no responses or 25 of them, finally it helps you establish a relationship with another muggle. This relationship is not a lifelong commitment so you can PM several people.
That happens to me with the PMs, too, Bob. But not every time. About half of the time, I get the confirmation that my PM was sent. The other half, I must hit Submit a second time.
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#344

Post by Susan Goldberg »

ky-mike wrote: Fri Jan 08, 2021 8:43 pm
Susan Goldberg wrote: Fri Jan 08, 2021 7:54 pm
Andrew Bradburn wrote: Fri Jan 08, 2021 1:12 pm On shore. The mechanism became obvious to me rather quickly, but the solve came a day late due to what I will call here an inelegance. I don't want to say any more about it until Tuesday so as not to be spoilerish. That said, I can sympathize with how difficult it can be to construct any meta-puzzle. I once created a variety meta-puzzle with a somewhat similar inelegance, and it was left in place because I could not, despite a lot of effort, make the puzzle work any other way. Other than that one glitch, I think this is a first-class puzzle!
I agree and am wondering if we are thinking of the same inelegance.
At first, I thought that there was an inelegance with the meta solution, but after going back and using my highlighter (one of the solver's tools that I use every week), the inelegance that I sensed went away.

I do agree that clueing was not along the lines of Gaffney or Shenk, but was consistent with what I see in Pete's MMMM.
Interesting. I will try that! Thanks.
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#345

Post by rosiegirl »

OK....I am stumped. Have something that is appropriate and seems to lead me toward the answer....but can't find that answer in the grid. Nudge, please?
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#346

Post by Tom Shea »

Bob cruise director wrote: Sun Jan 10, 2021 3:03 pm
FKelly wrote: Sun Jan 10, 2021 2:29 pm ...
Finally, got around to the Puzzle Contest. Nice one from our old friend Pete and Michael Milam, someone new.
On beach and having a Sam Adams.
Fred and anyone else

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#347

Post by Susan Goldberg »

Bob cruise director wrote: Sun Jan 10, 2021 2:55 pm
tim1217 wrote: Sun Jan 10, 2021 2:05 pm
Bob cruise director wrote: Sun Jan 10, 2021 1:44 pm

That is the kind of jigsaw puzzle I like - you can separate sections and they have straight lines. The one I am doing has shades of blue and black with other pieces that are shades of white and yellow. And no discrete objects
One of my favorite movies from the early 80's is 'Diva'. One of the characters spends the better part of the movie sitting on the floor of a large loft apartment in Paris chain-smoking Gitanes and doing this giant jigsaw puzzle of a wave. I'm sure I would at least be able to complete the bird in the lower right-hand corner.


IMG_6968.jpg
Some number of years ago, we were given the puzzle "the flat banana". We got the edge and the Dole sticker but after that every piece was identical so we gave up and donated the puzzle to someone.

Oh my gosh this made me laugh out loud. Does NOT seem like an enjoyable puzzle!!
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#348

Post by Fishoutowater »

2021 not starting well... I’m a Cowboys fan and doing dry January and can’t get this meta. Darn!
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#349

Post by Dennis »

Just getting around to adding to the on-shore positive statistics. It was another collaborative effort with my wife. Fun!
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#350

Post by Commodore »

Bob cruise director wrote: Sun Jan 10, 2021 3:40 pm
Commodore wrote: Sun Jan 10, 2021 3:26 pm My jigsaw this week. Sadly, the designer of these beautiful canoes, Pete Hornbeck, just died at age 77.
One of a kind gentleman-businessman-backcountry environmentalist. The Adirondacks will miss him.
Jigsaw.png
Where in the Adirondacks is that? I grew up spending summers around Lake George.
Asa's Island, Hague. Northern LG. Sailing waters of The Commodore.
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Tom Shea
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#351

Post by Tom Shea »

Commodore wrote: Sun Jan 10, 2021 4:01 pm
Bob cruise director wrote: Sun Jan 10, 2021 3:40 pm
Commodore wrote: Sun Jan 10, 2021 3:26 pm My jigsaw this week. Sadly, the designer of these beautiful canoes, Pete Hornbeck, just died at age 77.
One of a kind gentleman-businessman-backcountry environmentalist. The Adirondacks will miss him.
Jigsaw.png
Where in the Adirondacks is that? I grew up spending summers around Lake George.
Asa's Island, Hague. Northern LG. Sailing waters of The Commodore.
The 'hero' of Ticonderoga (right around the corner), Ethan Allen, was born today in 1737.
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#352

Post by Scraps »

EVJ wrote: Sun Jan 10, 2021 10:23 am
damefox wrote: Thu Jan 07, 2021 6:56 pm Still filling out the grid here, but I found myself so outraged about one of the clues that I couldn't sit and finish without commenting first. (I don't think this is any way related to the meta, but I'll put a spoiler over it in case people don't want to read about the grid before they finish.) 21A is completely inappropriate. That is not funny - that is not a pun you get to just put a ? after and call it a day. People who are starving are not fasting. As food insecurity rises across the country, this is appalling to see in the WSJ crossword. I may just not finish and break my more than year long streak in protest of this. It's possible yesterday has put me more on edge than I would normally be, but this is simply not okay regardless.
Agree
Completely disagree.

1. Effective crossword clues often lead you astray while being literally correct. 21A is a classic misdirection. I think it’s a great clue/answer combination.

2. There is no “inappropriate” in crossword puzzles. Artistically created puzzles can refer to bad or controversial people, places, or things as suits the creators. What else is not appropriate? Recent puzzles have referred to murderous emperors, battles where thousands were killed, weapons of various sorts, and even (gasp) politicians. Were those inappropriate, too? We muggles are not afraid to call Voldemort or anyone or anything else by his, her or its name as long as the letters fit the grid.

3. When my most non-conformist son got in trouble in high school for harmless but “inappropriate” behavior, he’d say, “‘Inappropriate’ is a word teachers use when you do something they don’t like, can’t explain why it’s wrong and weren’t smart enough to prohibit in advance.”
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Bob cruise director
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#353

Post by Bob cruise director »

Tom Shea wrote: Sun Jan 10, 2021 3:37 pm
Bob cruise director wrote: Sun Jan 10, 2021 3:01 pm
Tom Shea wrote: Sun Jan 10, 2021 2:43 pm

As a Raiders fan, I have zero sympathy for you. This is year 20 for me.

At least you have an answer to the question: Can Belichick win without Brady and can Brady win without Belichick? The answer this year is no and yes.
Tom
There are plenty of Jets, Bills and Dolphins fans who are also reveling in the Patriots misery. However for those of us who were Patriots fans through the 70's, 80's and much of the 90's where they were worse than awful, we are immune to the spears and arrows.

The comparison of who made who should not be judged on this year alone. Brady went to a very good team that needed a good QB. He then got them to add AB and Gronk to what was already an excellent receiver corps. The Patriots were without an average (forget about even good) quarterback, their tight ends sucked and their wide receivers were either young or not very good. You can't win in the NFL with that combination. It will take a few years for the Pats to retool especially with Buffalo looking good for a few years and Miami also looking quite good. Sorry Jets fans, your team will remain on life support even with Taylor Lawrence unless you get rid of the owner.
It's Belichick's team. He built it. His hands are on all the controls.

As far as the 80's, I remember being in Australia for all of January 1986. *Before* the interwebs existed. Sports pages there were football (the round ball type), cricket, Rugby, Aussie football, Aussie rugby football (not to be confused with Aussie football), sailing, betting parlors and other types of 'parlors'. Picked up the Sydney Sunday Herald and saw the Patriots were playing in the super bowl -- that day. Could not believe it. I told the Missus it must be a misprint.

Never went there, but remember the horror stories about Schaefer Stadium. And you did suffer greatly during that period, with some really bad teams and a horrible ownership. So welcome back to my world! At least we have the Jets (Acronym for 'just end the season') to look down on.
A friend and I had season tickets a couple of years for the Pats at Schaefer Stadium. Those years it was Jim Plunkett scrambling for his life and throwing long to Randy Vataha just before he got crushed. And the stadium was cold. Really cold. It seemed that every year the Pats had a home game in December in the cold rain. No matter what you did, you could not keep dry or stay work.

You are correct that it is Belichick's team and he has made some bad decisions. Example 1 is the first round pick two years ago on a mediocre wide receiver. The questions around here are what do you do for a QB, tight ends (for which they drafted two in the third round last year) and wide receiver for 2021 season. Lots of talk but no answers.

Also the question is whether a 68 years old Bill has the desire to rebuild a team that may take 2-3 years to get back.

However we had a great 20 year run which is more than any other team so no complaints
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#354

Post by Bob cruise director »

FrankieHeck wrote: Sun Jan 10, 2021 3:35 pm The hardest puzzle I ever finished was solid purple. I started it sometime in the early- to mid-1980s, and then abandoned it. About five years ago, my Dad found it on a tray under my childhood bed, with just the border complete and glued together. He brought it over, and I arranged all the pieces by shape and brute-forced my way through it. I could not believe all the pieces were still there, with only a few having been nibbled by our old dog. Only puzzle I ever glued together and saved.
To quote Kipling "you are a better man than I am, Gunga Din"
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#355

Post by tim1217 »

Bob cruise director wrote: Sun Jan 10, 2021 4:27 pm
However we had a great 20 year run which is more than any other team so no complaints
I on the other hand, am just getting ready to watch the Bears 'try' and beat the Saints...only to then have the pleasure of playing the well-relaxed Packers at GB. Are we having fun yet? Thank you sir, may I have another!
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#356

Post by LadyBird »

Tom Shea wrote: Sun Jan 10, 2021 3:37 pm
Bob cruise director wrote: Sun Jan 10, 2021 3:01 pm
Tom Shea wrote: Sun Jan 10, 2021 2:43 pm

As a Raiders fan, I have zero sympathy for you. This is year 20 for me.

At least you have an answer to the question: Can Belichick win without Brady and can Brady win without Belichick? The answer this year is no and yes.
Tom
There are plenty of Jets, Bills and Dolphins fans who are also reveling in the Patriots misery. However for those of us who were Patriots fans through the 70's, 80's and much of the 90's where they were worse than awful, we are immune to the spears and arrows.

The comparison of who made who should not be judged on this year alone. Brady went to a very good team that needed a good QB. He then got them to add AB and Gronk to what was already an excellent receiver corps. The Patriots were without an average (forget about even good) quarterback, their tight ends sucked and their wide receivers were either young or not very good. You can't win in the NFL with that combination. It will take a few years for the Pats to retool especially with Buffalo looking good for a few years and Miami also looking quite good. Sorry Jets fans, your team will remain on life support even with Taylor Lawrence unless you get rid of the owner.
It's Belichick's team. He built it. His hands are on all the controls.

As far as the 80's, I remember being in Australia for all of January 1986. *Before* the interwebs existed. Sports pages there were football (the round ball type), cricket, Rugby, Aussie football, Aussie rugby football (not to be confused with Aussie football), sailing, betting parlors and other types of 'parlors'. Picked up the Sydney Sunday Herald and saw the Patriots were playing in the super bowl -- that day. Could not believe it. I told the Missus it must be a misprint.

Never went there, but remember the horror stories about Schaefer Stadium. And you did suffer greatly during that period, with some really bad teams and a horrible ownership. So welcome back to my world! At least we have the Jets (Acronym for 'just end the season') to look down on.
Ah yes. January 1986. The high water mark for the Bears when we beat NE in the Superbowl. The only sadness in that game was when Sweetness (Walter Payton) did not score a TD. That was the greatest year in sports! Well, that and 2016 for the Cubs. And now a dry spell for both.

And we are already on page 18 and we haven't even started discussing rabbit holes!
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#357

Post by hunkra »

Bob cruise director wrote: Fri Jan 08, 2021 3:31 pm
hunkra wrote: Fri Jan 08, 2021 3:23 pm
Bob cruise director wrote: Fri Jan 08, 2021 3:17 pm
Are you available to help on my Christmas jig saw puzzle? Van Gogh's Starry Night - makes the meta look easy
We just finished that very puzzle! It was a doozy, but fun -- although not as bad as a recent Game of Thrones map puzzle I did that only had 3 colors.
How long did it take you?
Van Gogh took about a week, chipping away a little each day. I think Game of Thrones took like 2 months!!
Channeling Molly Weasley on a good day.
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#358

Post by Tom Shea »

tim1217 wrote: Sun Jan 10, 2021 4:42 pm
Bob cruise director wrote: Sun Jan 10, 2021 4:27 pm
However we had a great 20 year run which is more than any other team so no complaints
I on the other hand, am just getting ready to watch the Bears 'try' and beat the Saints...only to then have the pleasure of playing the well-relaxed Packers at GB. Are we having fun yet? Thank you sir, may I have another!
The two places I worked the most (time-wise anyway) the last five years before retiring are NOLA and Chicagoland. I am only a little torn on who to root for, since I've worked in Chicagoland for 20 years before that also and have many more friends there (2020 was the first year in a couple of decades where I did not set foot in the city). Met da coach at Ditka's a few times, so I'm rooting for Da Bears, but realize I have a 99% chance of disappointment, either this week or next.
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#359

Post by howardl »

I'm on the shingle and sand.

Carmel Quinn sings Green Glens of Antrim. https://duckduckgo.com/?q=green+glens+o ... CqnSZIxFKE

Far across yonder blue lies a true fairy land
With the sea rippling over the shingle and sand
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#360

Post by KayW »

Bob cruise director wrote: Sun Jan 10, 2021 2:55 pm
tim1217 wrote: Sun Jan 10, 2021 2:05 pm
Bob cruise director wrote: Sun Jan 10, 2021 1:44 pm

That is the kind of jigsaw puzzle I like - you can separate sections and they have straight lines. The one I am doing has shades of blue and black with other pieces that are shades of white and yellow. And no discrete objects
One of my favorite movies from the early 80's is 'Diva'. One of the characters spends the better part of the movie sitting on the floor of a large loft apartment in Paris chain-smoking Gitanes and doing this giant jigsaw puzzle of a wave. I'm sure I would at least be able to complete the bird in the lower right-hand corner.


IMG_6968.jpg
Some number of years ago, we were given the puzzle "the flat banana". We got the edge and the Dole sticker but after that every piece was identical so we gave up and donated the puzzle to someone.
... to someone you did not like? ;)
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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