"Overlaps" - March 5, 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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Olof
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#301

Post by Olof »

Ashore a while ago, but forgot to post. It's been a week. Enjoyable one.
Jarrod
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#302

Post by Jarrod »

Ashore. The grid was tricky for me in two spots, and put it down on Friday until Sunday for a fresh look.
burak
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#303

Post by burak »

It was definitely a very competent meta puzzle but it felt underwhelming for some reason (actually I know the reason but can only divulge more after the deadline)
wordsmith
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#304

Post by wordsmith »

Hi muggles, I'm back inland after an actual trip to a real beach and putting my toes into real sand for the first time in months! I think I'm on a path for last minute solve...anyone out there to compare notes with to help me to the muggle beach?
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Bird Lives
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#305

Post by Bird Lives »

Maybe it's my age, but the fun of getting the answer is diminished by the thought of getting [the answer].
Jay
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bhamren
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#306

Post by bhamren »

On shore after a late look. I set a reminder for 10 p.m. Sunday nights in case I forget.
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Joe Ross
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#307

Post by Joe Ross »

20210305 WSJCC Overlaps.png
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Joe Ross
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#308

Post by Joe Ross »

Image
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burak
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#309

Post by burak »

burak wrote: โ†‘Sun Mar 07, 2021 10:32 pm It was definitely a very competent meta puzzle but it felt underwhelming for some reason (actually I know the reason but can only divulge more after the deadline)
So, I had never heard of the word shingle used in that context, and when I hear shingles I immediately think of the disease so this wasn't the most pleasant puzzle solving experience. But in retrospect, this is a very solid easy meta puzzle.
beccacollins
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#310

Post by beccacollins »

YAY! My streak continues... Fortunately, I had an error in my thinking after going back and forth so many times but got there anyway. I kept trying to connect "Ignite" to "All In" rather than to "Thin" Not sure how I somehow reversed those two over the last 48 hours.
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FrankH
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#311

Post by FrankH »

When I got the answer, it was "the other" one I was thinking about, and so I was wondering what that had to do with OVERLAPS. I once lived in a house with shingle roof, but that was long time ago. My more recent encounter was getting SHINGLES; luckily I didn't get any long term effects.

Now here is something perhaps Dr Tom or others could answer. When I went to the doctor and found out what I got, I had never heard of it and so knew nothing about it (once I found out more, I said to myself I was too young to get it). I specifically asked the doctor if it was contagious, and the reply was no. Then the doctor said don't touch the blisters and then touch other things. I didn't get the gravity of that statement and said of course I wouldn't. What I didn't realize was that I would touch it, just not consciously doing it, so I would end up touching other things afterwards. When my then two-year old daughter ended up with a few red spots a few days later, I knew what she got, even though she had taken all the necessary vaccines. But since she did take the chickenpox vaccine, it was a very mild case. Now the question is, why did the doctor said it was not contagious? Perhaps I have a misunderstanding of the definition of the word.
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C=64
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#312

Post by C=64 »

Whoops, I forgot to submit my answer to the WSJ folks.
Laura M
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#313

Post by Laura M »

Here's my story: After a couple days of "my back's bothering me," my husband Mike was suddenly in such extreme pain on Thursday morning that I called our health plan's new home service to take a look at him. We figured a back spasm of some sort, and it was amazing to have a doctor come to our house instead of dragging Mike out to sit in a waiting room in agony. We're living in the future! (Or maybe the past?)

Anyway, they called in a prescription and we figured all would be well, except... the meds had no effect. The pain continued to increase. After another hour or so Mike was in much worse shape, and we staggered to the ER after all.

All props to the ER folks, I was kind of terrified about going there during the Pandemic Era but they were so nice, and everything was safely set up, and they got to Mike relatively quickly. They took fluids out of him and put fluids in him and poked and prodded and scanned, but in the end they couldn't give him a definite diagnosis.

Their best guess (of course): SHINGLES! Even though Mike has had the full course of that vaccine, and didn't/doesn't have a rash at all. But the painkiller normally used for shingles (for nerve pain) is working for him, whereas standard painkillers did not.

So eventually we made it home and I got Mike as comfortable as possible and picked up the new meds and checked what I missed that day at work (eh), and then finally settled in to do the WSJCC. And imagine my surprise as the meta answer revealed itself! I get why the other meaning fits, but it still felt like someone was spying on me :-)

Sorry for the long post, but I wanted to put this out there partly because I'm still not convinced that we know what's going on with my husband; if anyone has any insights or similar experiences to share, I'm very interested to hear them! Please feel free to PM.

Also, a huge general THANK YOU to the medical professionals here! All of the ones we encountered on Thursday were completely awesome and knowledgeable and caring, and made both of us feel so much better.
Omnibus
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#314

Post by Omnibus »

I contracted shingles over a decade ago when I worked at a NATO headquarters - not a really bad case, but painful enough. An Italian officer told me in his country they call shingles โ€œil fuoco di Santโ€™Antonioโ€ or โ€œSaint Anthonyโ€™s fireโ€. For good reason, apparently.
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Wendy Walker
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#315

Post by Wendy Walker »

I had shingles a few years ago on my scalp; it didn't hurt at all but just felt like I'd parted my hair the wrong way. My doctor caught it only because I happened to be in her office for my annual checkup. In contrast, my friend Susan was in agony with shingles. She was really quite resentful that I had such a painless case because, as a fox hunter, she has an incredibly high pain threshold and suffers regular fractures, bruises and lacerations but never lets them interfere with the next hunt meet.
Good luck, fellow Muggles!
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whimsy
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#316

Post by whimsy »

BarbaraK wrote: โ†‘Fri Mar 05, 2021 1:24 pm
Laura M wrote: โ†‘Thu Mar 04, 2021 11:34 pm O.K., that's just spooky. I was all prepared to comment here about why I didn't get to the puzzle until now but... turns out that the meta answer word is in the punchline of my story. So no spoilers, but I'm on shore! I really liked this puzzle anyway :-)
Hmm, two ways this could go. Sure hope it's the one and not the other.
First off, hope that Mike is feeling considerably better by now, Laura, and that any mystery about his ailment has been cleared up.

I have the other other story --
Set the scene: we are having (another round of) home improvements done in a couple of days.
So I solve the answer to the meta about 10 pm Thursday -- SHINGLES. OK.
Twelve hours later, about 10am on Friday, unannounced but not completely unexpectedly, a flatbed truck pulls up in front of our house and unloads into the driveway several pallets of.... yup, SHINGLES.
otlaolap
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#317

Post by otlaolap »

FrankH wrote: โ†‘Mon Mar 08, 2021 2:29 am When I got the answer, it was "the other" one I was thinking about, and so I was wondering what that had to do with OVERLAPS.
You folks who think outside the frame amaze me. SHINGLES leaped out of the grid for me because of the plainly overlapping words. It never occurred to me, until your post, that the title Overlapped and the answer Shingles also relate in real life. No wonder I am only 50-50 on metas (except for the past month of course).

[edit: fixed typo -- correct ',' for incorrect '.']
Last edited by otlaolap on Mon Mar 08, 2021 10:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Cap'n Rick
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#318

Post by Cap'n Rick »

Cap'n Rick wrote: โ†‘Sun Mar 07, 2021 12:16 pm Finally ashore thanks to a nudge from Boharr. Learned a valuable lesson this week...
The valuable lesson, of course, is: When staring at the grid for several hours produces absolutely nothing, take another look at the Clues.

Gotta remember to remember that one!
Ahoy! Check out my meta puzzles here! Check out "Smooth Sailing Sundays" here!
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tigerfly222
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#319

Post by tigerfly222 »

Cindy N wrote: โ†‘Sat Mar 06, 2021 11:45 am
tigerfly222 wrote: โ†‘Sat Mar 06, 2021 3:37 amOn shore!
I noticed that post#222 is from tigerfly222. Alas, I do not have Dr. Tom's punniness to find a clever way to mention synchronicity. Hoping he posts some cleverness for us to enjoy.
I'm a little bit ashamed that I didn't notice it myself! :lol:
MikeMillerwsj
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#320

Post by MikeMillerwsj »

Greetings, we had another huge response this week: 2489 entries, about 93% correct. We are seeing unprecedented volumes here at puzzle central which is exciting (even though it lengthens the odds for winning the prize). We had a smattering of incorrect guesses in ones and twos, including TOENAILS, TRUNCATE, BLANKETS, LAYS OVER, and sundry others.

Congrats to this week's winner, K. Jaxtheimer of Lucas, Tex.!
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