#669 - "Easy as A-B-C"

[KayW]

Phew!!! I was ready to 9-DOWN this one many times, but finally found an answer and submitted...


EDIT:

[ky-mike]

Submitted as well. A nit to pick on the path to the solution that I can comment on later.

[Joe Ross]

12th hour solution.

Week 4, indeed.

[breadbasket]

After an initial observation, I am stuck what to do with it. Would appreciate a nudge in the right direction.

[hashbrown]

Got what feels like a solid Step 1 but been floundering with what to do with it - putting up a last minute flare for people to talk through it with!

E: Not on the leaderboard, but confirmed by my nudgers - what a puzzle!

[BrennerTJ]

Got to what I'm sure is the right place but took a detour on the way.

[Domini]

I’ve been stuck on the same path for days, cause it MUST be right, but I’m coming up empty. Anyone around I can run it by to tell me either “shake it off—you’re not even close” or “keep going!”

EDIT: MY PLAN WORKED! The last two steps came to me minutes after sending the above! I knew merely asking for help would get me across the finish line alone

[BarbaraK]

It looks like Jangler submitted a wrong answer! Whoa! I wonder if he found an alternate method or just made a guess. If he did guess, I wonder if he guessed what I'm planning to, or maybe what I was thinking about yesterday - because surely he must have got at least as far as I have.

Or maybe some of Domini's post-enlightenment will rub off on me

[Bob cruise director]

I know two answers that are wrong. I/we have gone down bunches of rabbit holes since Friday and all have led to dead ends. I will be interested tonight to hear what the right path was.

[lbray53]

I have eight pages of grids and notes. I have gotten nudges. I think that I have made significant progress towards the goal. I am close but do not see an answer.

Maybe the answer is something I have never heard of?

Can't wait for the reveal!

EDIT: I finally got it. I forgot a lesson learned a couple of months ago. Darn it.

I am not submitting. I had too much help to even call it a non-solo solve. Fun though. And much more educational than waiting for the answer.

[Bird Lives]

A very non-solo solve. I couldn't find step one without a heavy hint, and I needed encouragement (not exactly instruction or information) for the rest .Hats off to the solo solvers.

What I put in the Comment box (it will surely not be published with the answer next week) was, "Holy crap, Matt." Not clever, but i think it captures my level of admiration.

[HeadinHome]

Submitted a Hail Mary. Not hopeful. I feel like i was 80% there but just couldn’t land it.

[Schmeel]

Submitted a Hail Mary. Not hopeful. I feel like i was 80% there but just couldn’t land it.

I'm with you. I'm not sure about my 80% though. Maybe 60%.

[Hector]

Just found 3 pieces of what I assume will be the first step but had to Hail Mary. Defeated!

Edit:

Hee, hee! Was nowhere close.

[MikeyG]

Submitted a Hail Mary. Not hopeful. I feel like i was 80% there but just couldn’t land it.

I'm with you. I'm not sure about my 80% though. Maybe 60%.

I'm 80% of 60%, so 48%, haha.

Same on a guess - I eventually knew (so I think) where the meta was going, but what was apparently the last vital step, I just couldn't get to drop. Can't wait to hear the post-op from you guys!

[TMart]

Hail Mary falls short. Game over.

[Bird Lives]

Easy as A - B- C ... Z
.

[Abide]

DNF

[sharkicicles]

Whoa. Yeah, no way in hell I was getting that one.

[ajk]

Lol yeah, I was nowhere on this. Although, ironically, when I was just thinking of place names that changed Zaire was the one that popped into my head.