Page 17 of 18

Re: "Town & Country" March 19, 2021

Posted: Mon Mar 22, 2021 2:22 pm
by LadyBird
KscX wrote: Mon Mar 22, 2021 12:09 am
Bob cruise director wrote: Mon Mar 22, 2021 12:01 am I have had this earworm all weekend. it is not time to pass it on

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMo3hHm ... rt_radio=1
It was this for me
https://youtu.be/2RHTiXvELNg
Oh my, but you sent me down memory lane. My college girlfriends and I loved the Go-Go's. I remember going to one of their concerts at one of the outdoor venues in Chicago. All dressed up in our 80's hair and legwarmers and such.

Re: "Town & Country" March 19, 2021

Posted: Mon Mar 22, 2021 2:44 pm
by Colin
Joe Ross wrote: Mon Mar 22, 2021 12:40 pm
Olaf wrote: Mon Mar 22, 2021 12:34 pm So does anyone know when they actually do their “drawing” to select each week’s winner? I’d like to stop obsessing all the time and checking my spam folder. I could probably get 30 minutes of my life back eVery week if I just knew when the winner would be picked!
The winner is selected Monday morning & is contacted via the email address by which they submitted. Check your email.

It sometimes takes longer to report the winner when the winner doesn't reply.


Image
Joe! Quick! Please snap your fingers or count backwards from 10 or something... I looked at your clock gif for too long and now find myself doing everything my wife asks of me!

Re: "Town & Country" March 19, 2021

Posted: Mon Mar 22, 2021 2:59 pm
by Joe Ross
Colin wrote: Mon Mar 22, 2021 2:44 pm
Joe! Quick! Please snap your fingers or count backwards from 10 or something... I looked at your clock gif for too long and now find myself doing everything my wife asks of me!
Image

Re: "Town & Country" March 19, 2021

Posted: Mon Mar 22, 2021 3:45 pm
by HunterX
Joe Ross wrote: Mon Mar 22, 2021 2:59 pm
Colin wrote: Mon Mar 22, 2021 2:44 pm
Joe! Quick! Please snap your fingers or count backwards from 10 or something... I looked at your clock gif for too long and now find myself doing everything my wife asks of me!
Image
Ah... Got us mesmerized folks jumping from the frying pan into the fire, I see...

(And can't stop seeing.... Pretty, flashing colors... Pretty, flashing colors...)

Re: "Town & Country" March 19, 2021

Posted: Mon Mar 22, 2021 4:35 pm
by Tripod
I also first thought of CAPITALS before having Town and Country guide my brain to VACATION, fortunately.

My real question is: has any muggle been to all 4 of these places?

That would be quite a bingo card. I only have one...

Re: "Town & Country" March 19, 2021

Posted: Mon Mar 22, 2021 5:40 pm
by Joedbee
Seeing Ringstrasse reminded me that I was in Vienna in 2005 on the 50th anniversary of Austrian independence from annexation and occupation from 1938 until 1955. They celebrated with a military parade including bands moving around the Ringstrasse. From 1953 to early 1955 I was stationed with the U.S. Army outside Salzburg, Austria so almost saw the start of their independence. Vienna is a beautiful city and the weinerschnitzel mit bier was great! I never got to the other cities in the meta answer.

Re: "Town & Country" March 19, 2021

Posted: Mon Mar 22, 2021 6:00 pm
by Nlobb
I've done a fair bit of traveling but never to any of those locations, so without the help of Mr G I would not have been able to identify the towns and countries needed to solve the puzzle. Sort of like when modern singers or actors are mentioned. I am clueless!!! Anyway, I don't like to have to look up answers but I guess that it how one learns new things. And once I did, solving took no time at all! Thanks for an enjoyable puzzle!!

Re: "Town & Country" March 19, 2021

Posted: Mon Mar 22, 2021 6:57 pm
by BarbaraK
kgiano wrote: Mon Mar 22, 2021 10:53 am I submitted CAPITALS - anyone else? Each of the 4 town/country combinations was a town that was the CAPITAL of the country. So CAPITALS was enough to trigger that elusive "click" to feel correct.
You were pageanted! Welcome to the very large club:)

If you haven't been doing these long enough to know about the original pageant, the explanation is here:
viewtopic.php?f=18&t=36

There have been others since then where people had that same feeling (though never another with anywhere near that large number of wrong submissions) but yours is really just like the original.

Re: "Town & Country" March 19, 2021

Posted: Mon Mar 22, 2021 7:18 pm
by DBMiller
kgiano wrote: Mon Mar 22, 2021 10:53 am I submitted CAPITALS - anyone else? Each of the 4 town/country combinations was a town that was the CAPITAL of the country. So CAPITALS was enough to trigger that elusive "click" to feel correct.
I would say that most (if not all) of the time when the meta has a specific length, then you are going to get letters somehow that spell the answer.

Re: "Town & Country" March 19, 2021

Posted: Tue Mar 23, 2021 3:30 am
by Tom Shea
Tripod wrote: Mon Mar 22, 2021 4:35 pm I also first thought of CAPITALS before having Town and Country guide my brain to VACATION, fortunately.

My real question is: has any muggle been to all 4 of these places?

That would be quite a bingo card. I only have one...
Anyone who's been to Tehran would be a serious traveler, IMO.

I have flown over it. As close as I'd want to get.

Re: "Town & Country" March 19, 2021

Posted: Tue Mar 23, 2021 8:52 am
by TomAndDenise
I'm batting .750 on visiting the countries represented this week but I haven't managed to get to Iran. Traveling on a Canadian passport won't help either. I can still conjur up the smell of the blue gums of Canberra -- lovely. I liked this puzzle; I learned some new things.

Re: "Town & Country" March 19, 2021

Posted: Tue Mar 23, 2021 9:51 am
by rosiegirl
DBMiller wrote: Mon Mar 22, 2021 7:18 pm
kgiano wrote: Mon Mar 22, 2021 10:53 am I submitted CAPITALS - anyone else? Each of the 4 town/country combinations was a town that was the CAPITAL of the country. So CAPITALS was enough to trigger that elusive "click" to feel correct.
I would say that most (if not all) of the time when the meta has a specific length, then you are going to get letters somehow that spell the answer.
I have read the "pageant" comment many times, but didn't know the origin. Thank you for the link to the explanation!

Re: "Town & Country" March 19, 2021

Posted: Tue Mar 23, 2021 6:18 pm
by SarasotaSun
Who is the winner of the treasured mug? And why aren't they constantly checking their email to see if they are this week's winner?

Re: "Town & Country" March 19, 2021

Posted: Tue Mar 23, 2021 9:23 pm
by otlaolap
Last weekend I discovered that MikeMiller posts the weekly contest statistics, and winner, not only in a message on this forum but also on the WSJ puzzle page conversation for that contest. He has posted in neither so far this week. I've done my part and (repeatedly) checked spam but, unfortunately, I am not the reason for the delay.

Re: "Town & Country" March 19, 2021

Posted: Tue Mar 23, 2021 9:26 pm
by JeanneC
otlaolap wrote: Tue Mar 23, 2021 9:23 pm Last weekend I discovered that MikeMiller posts the weekly contest statistics, and winner, not only in a message on this forum but also on the WSJ puzzle page conversation for that contest. He has posted in neither so far this week. I've done my part and (repeatedly) checked spam but, unfortunately, I am not the reason for the delay.
I send all my info when I submit my answer. Heck, I’d give my blood type if I thought it was used to pick the winner!

Re: "Town & Country" March 19, 2021

Posted: Wed Mar 24, 2021 8:17 am
by SarasotaSun
Perhaps the first name chosen should have 24 hours to respond. If not, then another entry should be selected?

Re: "Town & Country" March 19, 2021

Posted: Wed Mar 24, 2021 8:40 am
by DrTom
Joe Ross wrote: Mon Mar 22, 2021 12:40 pm
Olaf wrote: Mon Mar 22, 2021 12:34 pm So does anyone know when they actually do their “drawing” to select each week’s winner? I’d like to stop obsessing all the time and checking my spam folder. I could probably get 30 minutes of my life back eVery week if I just knew when the winner would be picked!
The winner is selected Monday morning & is contacted via the email address by which they submitted. Check your email.

It sometimes takes longer to report the winner when the winner doesn't reply.


Image

"Must eliminate the Great and Powerful Oz, Must eliminate the....!" Munchkinian Candidate

Re: "Town & Country" March 19, 2021

Posted: Wed Mar 24, 2021 8:46 am
by DrTom
HunterX wrote: Mon Mar 22, 2021 3:45 pm
Joe Ross wrote: Mon Mar 22, 2021 2:59 pm
Colin wrote: Mon Mar 22, 2021 2:44 pm
Joe! Quick! Please snap your fingers or count backwards from 10 or something... I looked at your clock gif for too long and now find myself doing everything my wife asks of me!
Image
Ah... Got us mesmerized folks jumping from the frying pan into the fire, I see...

(And can't stop seeing.... Pretty, flashing colors... Pretty, flashing colors...)
We have things that can treat that...but sometimes it involves passing the acid test. :D

Re: "Town & Country" March 19, 2021

Posted: Wed Mar 24, 2021 11:15 am
by MikeMillerwsj
Hello, and apologies for the delay--here's a quick report on a busy week:

Massive response! We had 3180 entries, about 95% correct. We heard from some solvers that the metas are getting easier--I have no visibility into upcoming contests but there has been no policy decision to get easier, and I suspect tougher challenges are lurking in the future.

Congrats to this week's winner: Tracie FInke of Cincinnati, OH!

Re: "Town & Country" March 19, 2021

Posted: Wed Mar 24, 2021 11:23 am
by steveb
SarasotaSun wrote: Wed Mar 24, 2021 8:17 am Perhaps the first name chosen should have 24 hours to respond. If not, then another entry should be selected?
I believe the official rules give the winner one week to respond. I don't think any prize has gone unclaimed since the contest started in 2015.