#678 - “Ad Campaign”
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- SusieG
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This must be easier than a typical week 4, because it wasn’t too difficult for me — and I’m on vacation, so didn’t spent much time on it. It was fun and I learned a new word that ends with an A.
New streak starts today!
New streak starts today!
- Thurman8er
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- BarbaraK
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Just to clarify, I did not see anything that brings it all together, I just noticed something that gave me more confidence in the steps I'd found.Bird Lives wrote: ↑Tue Jun 01, 2021 7:17 pm @BarbaraK says she spotted something that brings it all together, but whatever it is, it has eluded me.
- Bird Lives
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Did anyone get distracted by a huge red herring? A single letter change would have been easy, so I'm begging to doubt that it was an accident and to think that maybe underneath that friendly exterior, Mr. Gaffney is hiding a Mr. Hyde-like evil twin.
Jay
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The numbers in the grid on the PDF are a little bigger than last time. Was it big enough for everyone?
Last edited by Alex Boisvert on Thu Jun 24, 2021 12:09 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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It took me a few days to solve, but for what it's worth it all came together perfectly for me and without issue when it finally happened. I'm not sure exactly what the small hang-up was for some, but there's definitely a "100% certainty" way to navigate through to the answer.
- Joe Ross
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My excuse for performing poorly & needing to be dragged by the nose to solving this Week 4:
My only "grandbaby" was staying with me for 17 days. She turns 3, today, is quite the distraction, and may be the sweetest mammal. Happy birthday, Layla!
My only "grandbaby" was staying with me for 17 days. She turns 3, today, is quite the distraction, and may be the sweetest mammal. Happy birthday, Layla!
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!
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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Awaiting confirmation but confident.
This was the easiest week 4 I've completed - fortunate as well because I just started looking at it this morning!
This was the easiest week 4 I've completed - fortunate as well because I just started looking at it this morning!
- DrTom
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You need no explanations, but the one you had was certainly justification enough!
Tom
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!
- Bird Lives
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The answer is PERFECTA. But I still can't figure out how that word, with our without the A, is related to the title of the puzzle or anything in the grid.
The AD in the title refers to the letters that had to be added to the two-word terms that appear separately in the grid. The solution required finding in the grid another member of the same category.
.
The AD in the title refers to the letters that had to be added to the two-word terms that appear separately in the grid. The solution required finding in the grid another member of the same category.
.
Jay
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Solved on Sunday, but waited until last minute to submit, in order to unlock two Achievements at same time (Buzzer Beater and Wednesday Warrior). Spent way too long getting sidetracked by the central entry, looking for ways to add AD- to other words like ORES and VISES to get other words. The cross-references jumped out at me, not just by their frequency, but in most cases by their un-necessity. ELBOW PAST and SKI PARK are not common entries, would be better to clue as single words. So why connect them? Wonder how long it took Matt to find two-word phrases you could add A or D at the end and still have something meaningful?
- Joe Ross
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A PERFECTA (also called an EXACTA) is a bet on a horse race where the bettor choses the first two finishers, in the correct (perfect, exact) order, which was required of the solvers with the paired clues & entries.Bird Lives wrote: ↑Wed Jun 02, 2021 12:07 pm The answer is PERFECTA. But I still can't figure out how that word, with or without the A, is related to the title of the puzzle or anything in the grid.
'A's were added to the second Across entries, 'D's were added to the second down entries.
Adding an 'A' to PERFECT balanced the number of added 'A's & 'D's? I agree that it doesn't tie-in with the title perfectly but does with the two-part nature of the paired clues & entries & certainly with the Meta Clue.
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!
PLATELET 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗮𝗿𝗲.
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝘀 ENORMOUS 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲:
𝟰𝟬% 𝗽𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰,
𝟯𝟬% 𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰,
𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿 & 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘂𝗺𝗮. 𝗣𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗘 𝗦𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗘!
- MikeyG
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I was close on realizing AD likely referred to ACROSS and DOWN and also noticed the two-word entries but was confuzzled on why there were 7, not 8. Explanation makes sense.
Good puzzle that beat me this time. We can't always be perfecta!
Good puzzle that beat me this time. We can't always be perfecta!
- Jacksull
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I saw MANI(a) and PAST(a), as well as a few entries that could take a “D” at the end, but that led nowhere. Then I saw the cross-references and the solution. Nice one, Matt.
Include me in the “I have an answer, but...” group. I hesitated to submit because the answer, title and mechanism didn’t really click with me.
Include me in the “I have an answer, but...” group. I hesitated to submit because the answer, title and mechanism didn’t really click with me.
Jack Sullivan
- Bird Lives
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I knew what a perfecta is. I just didn't see the order of the words as problematic. The clues tell you (X "with" Y). I figured that the link between getting the meta and winning the perfecta is that it's very long odds against that I can do either.Joe Ross wrote: ↑Wed Jun 02, 2021 12:32 pmA PERFECTA (also called an EXACTA) is a bet on a horse race where the bettor choses the first two finishers, in the correct (perfect, exact) order, which was required of the solvers with the paired clues & entries.Bird Lives wrote: ↑Wed Jun 02, 2021 12:07 pm The answer is PERFECTA. But I still can't figure out how that word, with or without the A, is related to the title of the puzzle or anything in the grid.
'A's were added to the second Across entries, 'D's were added to the second down entries.
Adding an 'A' to PERFECT balanced the number of added 'A's & 'D's? I agree that it doesn't tie-in with the title perfectly but does with the two-part nature of the paired clues & entries & certainly with the Meta Clue.
Jay
- MikeyG
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Bird Lives wrote: ↑Wed Jun 02, 2021 12:07 pm I figured that the link between getting the meta and winning the perfecta is that it's very long odds against that I can do either.
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Depending on how one processes the puzzle, there's sort of an unnecessary half-step realization that makes PERFECTA make more or less sense. You can solve it serially (i.e. one word leads to another) or you can see that each clue has a first and second perfect match:
Town where a TV show is Set: (1. TWIN PEAKS, 2. PAWNEE INDIAN-A)
Alternative to ziti or orecchiette: ( 1. ROTINI, 2. ELBOW PAST-A)
Winter garment (1. COAT, 2. SKI PARK-A)
Part of a pirate costume, often (1. EARRING, 2. BLACK BEAR-D)
Oscar-nominated Peter Weir movie (1. FEARLESS, 2. GREEN CAR-D)
National park named for water feature (1. EVERGLADES, 2. BIG BEN-D)
Emergency cash source (1. PIGGY BANK, 2. RAINY DAY FUN-D)
Outside of the Peter Weir movie, it's easy to spot the category pair sans looking back at the clue itself, making it feel less like an actual perfecta.
Town where a TV show is Set: (1. TWIN PEAKS, 2. PAWNEE INDIAN-A)
Alternative to ziti or orecchiette: ( 1. ROTINI, 2. ELBOW PAST-A)
Winter garment (1. COAT, 2. SKI PARK-A)
Part of a pirate costume, often (1. EARRING, 2. BLACK BEAR-D)
Oscar-nominated Peter Weir movie (1. FEARLESS, 2. GREEN CAR-D)
National park named for water feature (1. EVERGLADES, 2. BIG BEN-D)
Emergency cash source (1. PIGGY BANK, 2. RAINY DAY FUN-D)
Outside of the Peter Weir movie, it's easy to spot the category pair sans looking back at the clue itself, making it feel less like an actual perfecta.
- Joe Ross
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It was enough for me, but Matt hadn't considered the two-part nature of the perfecta & the 7 pairs of clues & entries. I am shocked he didn't have it in mind before starting the puzzle.Bird Lives wrote: ↑Wed Jun 02, 2021 1:53 pmI knew what a perfecta is. I just didn't see the order of the words as problematic. The clues tell you (X "with" Y). I figured that the link between getting the meta and winning the perfecta is that it's very long odds against that I can do either.Joe Ross wrote: ↑Wed Jun 02, 2021 12:32 pmA PERFECTA (also called an EXACTA) is a bet on a horse race where the bettor choses the first two finishers, in the correct (perfect, exact) order, which was required of the solvers with the paired clues & entries.Bird Lives wrote: ↑Wed Jun 02, 2021 12:07 pm The answer is PERFECTA. But I still can't figure out how that word, with or without the A, is related to the title of the puzzle or anything in the grid.
'A's were added to the second Across entries, 'D's were added to the second down entries.
Adding an 'A' to PERFECT balanced the number of added 'A's & 'D's? I agree that it doesn't tie-in with the title perfectly but does with the two-part nature of the paired clues & entries & certainly with the Meta Clue.
In any case, the meta clue was very direct about the word ending in "A." That PERFECT + A makes a word is enough.
- Bird Lives
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I gave two nudges. The first, to get to Step #1, was "read the pairs aloud." I think that if I had done that myself with GREEN CAR and SKI PARK, I'd have gotten there sooner.
The second tip was to avoid Googling Blackbeard. I did and discovered that his real name was Teach, which was also the entry at 83A. Trying to figure out how to get two Ts into perfecta cost me a lot of time. Matt says that it was not a deliberate red herring. But REACH and PEACH would have worked, and they wouldn't have thrown people (or at least me) off the scent.
The second tip was to avoid Googling Blackbeard. I did and discovered that his real name was Teach, which was also the entry at 83A. Trying to figure out how to get two Ts into perfecta cost me a lot of time. Matt says that it was not a deliberate red herring. But REACH and PEACH would have worked, and they wouldn't have thrown people (or at least me) off the scent.
Jay