"This, That, and The Other Thing" - April 23, 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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fuggedabowdit
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Joined: Mon Jul 06, 2020 1:24 pm

#481

Post by fuggedabowdit »

Yay! C'mon mug !!
Never trouble trouble til trouble troubles you !
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Al Sisti
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Location: Whitesboro NY

#482

Post by Al Sisti »

JAQT wrote: Mon Apr 26, 2021 5:38 pm Incidentally, on the topic of Oxford commas: there is a profane-laced rant about lack of Oxford commas in the names of bands over here: Do Any Bands Give a @#$% About the Oxford Comma?

It gives a nice list of three-name bands (how could I have forgotten about Emerson, Lake & Palmer) but be forewarned that it is profane.
One of my first MMMs was on the topic.
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TPS
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#483

Post by TPS »

John77 wrote: Mon Apr 26, 2021 5:30 pm Bob, Stan, Art, Ed, And Joe were easy finds.
Thank you - I am glad to know I was not the only person stuck on this path.
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John77
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#484

Post by John77 »

TPS wrote: Mon Apr 26, 2021 10:28 pm
John77 wrote: Mon Apr 26, 2021 5:30 pm Bob, Stan, Art, Ed, And Joe were easy finds.
Thank you - I am glad to know I was not the only person stuck on this path.
I also found multiple additional men's names, as well as a few women's. Impossible for me to walk through this puzzle without plummeting into those rabbit holes.
Wir sind zu früh alt und zu spät schlau.
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lacangah
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#485

Post by lacangah »

(Apologies if this has been covered elsewhere) - This might be my new (hopeful) mantra for upcoming Thursdays (your mileage may vary):

“Grid, Meta, and Mug!”

Cheers ;-)
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MajordomoTom
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Location: St. Louis, MO

#486

Post by MajordomoTom »

Eats, Shoots, and Leaves.
"Lots of planets have a North", the Ninth Doctor.
Nlobb
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#487

Post by Nlobb »

I sent in the right answer and I definitely think I should get the mug: my last name is prominently displayed as 8 across!!!
howardl
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Joined: Thu Oct 24, 2019 10:19 pm

#488

Post by howardl »

John77 and TPS: "Bob, Stan, Art, Ed, And Joe were easy finds." I was convinced that this would be an Oscar themed puzzle, and Bob Dylan did win an Oscar. But that petered out.
31 Down
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#489

Post by 31 Down »

lacangah wrote: Tue Apr 27, 2021 12:34 pm (Apologies if this has been covered elsewhere) - This might be my new (hopeful) mantra for upcoming Thursdays (your mileage may vary):

“Grid, Meta, and Mug!”
Uh, more like "Grid, Meta and Mugless"
Thomas W (since there's already a Tom W)
MikeMillerwsj
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#490

Post by MikeMillerwsj »

Well, this was a tricky one. It stumped your faithful correspondent--but as ever, many of our solvers were up to the challenge. We had 1440 submissions, with about 68% correct (lower than our usual rate of around 75% but still impressive). As discussed, one plausible path led to THREE ON A MATCH, which drew 160 entries. (We avoided the question of adjudicating whether that was an acceptable answer because our random selection landed on a GAME SET & MATCH). MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN drew another 23.

Other entries included some of the trios embedded in the puzzle, eg TOM DICK & HARRY (35) and READY WILLING AND ABLE (14).

Congrats to this week's winner, Cliff Leong of Coronado, Calif.!
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Limerick Savant
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#491

Post by Limerick Savant »

debbierudy wrote: Mon Apr 26, 2021 5:59 am It happens when Gaffney is tricky
That muggles can tend to get picky
In good-natured battle
Our sabers we rattle
Along with Tom, Harry and Dicky.

So now I will argue my case
Hoping to do so with grace
As sometimes arises
There should be two prizes
The mugs that we eagerly chase!

The answer I’m sure that is right
Gives the last one an unhappy plight
Because it is thought
To get a man shot
If he is the third on the light.

Or his sad fate may extend
To a more unsavory end
His death (the poor fellow)
Inside a bordello
THREE ON A MATCH will portend.
An impressive successive recital
That defines all the signs we find vital
First I failed to submit
Now I have to admit
A new wit has just stolen my title
Dedicated to no nonsense nonsense
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Larrry
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#492

Post by Larrry »

Limerick Savant wrote: Tue Apr 27, 2021 11:42 pm
debbierudy wrote: Mon Apr 26, 2021 5:59 am It happens when Gaffney is tricky
That muggles can tend to get picky
In good-natured battle
Our sabers we rattle
Along with Tom, Harry and Dicky.

So now I will argue my case
Hoping to do so with grace
As sometimes arises
There should be two prizes
The mugs that we eagerly chase!

The answer I’m sure that is right
Gives the last one an unhappy plight
Because it is thought
To get a man shot
If he is the third on the light.

Or his sad fate may extend
To a more unsavory end
His death (the poor fellow)
Inside a bordello
THREE ON A MATCH will portend.
An impressive successive recital
That defines all the signs we find vital
First I failed to submit
Now I have to admit
A new wit has just stolen my title
Win the mug not when but if
Swing every week but I whiff
I give it a try
Each week til I die
Hats off to California Cliff
Tony S
Posts: 188
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#493

Post by Tony S »

MikeMillerwsj wrote: Tue Apr 27, 2021 7:17 pm Well, this was a tricky one. It stumped your faithful correspondent--but as ever, many of our solvers were up to the challenge. We had 1440 submissions, with about 68% correct (lower than our usual rate of around 75% but still impressive). As discussed, one plausible path led to THREE ON A MATCH, which drew 160 entries. (We avoided the question of adjudicating whether that was an acceptable answer because our random selection landed on a GAME SET & MATCH). MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN drew another 23.

Other entries included some of the trios embedded in the puzzle, eg TOM DICK & HARRY (35) and READY WILLING AND ABLE (14).

Congrats to this week's winner, Cliff Leong of Coronado, Calif.!
No adjudication necessary --- whatever Matt intended is the only answer. This is not a democracy! If I were given the mug for a wrong but popular answer I would not accept it. By the way, I was in the 3 on a match crowd.
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TPS
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#494

Post by TPS »

Tony S wrote: Wed Apr 28, 2021 1:08 pm
No adjudication necessary --- whatever Matt intended is the only answer. This is not a democracy! If I were given the mug for a wrong but popular answer I would not accept it.
To each their own - I don’t subscribe to that level of moral absolutism. Technically if you have ever submitted one correct answer to the WSJCC you have “earned” the mug since it’s is conceivable that you could only ever submit one answer correctly and win the mug that time. The mug is just a lottery and I highly doubt someone would turn down winning the lottery with a ticket where the clerk entered their numbers incorrectly but they won the grand prize with the ticket that had the wrongly entered numbers.
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Abide
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#495

Post by Abide »

@madhatter5 MORALABSOLUTISM (15)
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MajordomoTom
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#496

Post by MajordomoTom »

Tried, Sentenced and Executed.

No further discussion needed.

IMHO, the answer clearly required a three item set with an "and" in the third word position.
"Lots of planets have a North", the Ninth Doctor.
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