MGWCC #761 — “This & That”

[lbray53]

Beamed aboard. I think this may be my first fifth week solo solve. I will need to put an asterisk beside it though because it was not a true fifth week puzzle but it helps true the average for the month.

[Joe Ross]

At the risk of repeating myself & thereby driving others insane:

THIS IS AN EXCELLENT METHOD TO SOLVE:

DON'T HESITATE TO WRITE UP YOUR THOUGHTS, NOTES, AND PROGRESS TO SOMEONE ELSE, EVEN IF YOU AREN'T PLANNING TO SEND IT. BY REORGANIZING YOUR THOUGHTS, THE ANSWER CAN PRESENT ITSELF.

I thought I'd found an intriguing rabbit hole that *almost* worked as an alternate answer (without having found the correct answer). In typing my explanation of the RH out to someone who had solved the puzzle, I realized it wasn't a rabbit hole, but I hadn't followed it deep enough.

FWIW, I thought this was more of a WEEK 3/4, but the final stats will out.

Awaiting beamage.






251. Joe Ross 12/31 - 12:29

[auee89]

At the risk of repeating myself & thereby driving others insane:

THIS IS AN EXCELLENT METHOD TO SOLVE:

DON'T HESITATE TO WRITE UP YOUR THOUGHTS, NOTES, AND PROGRESS TO SOMEONE ELSE, EVEN IF YOU AREN'T PLANNING TO SEND IT. BY REORGANIZING YOUR THOUGHTS, THE ANSWER CAN PRESENT ITSELF.

Excellent advice that has worked for me several times. And, I find that one of the great things about meta puzzles is that the level of difficulty can range dramatically from person to person. I saw this one quickly and would say it’s a week 2. On the other hand, I had a huge block with the “easy” WSJ this week.

[mkmf]

Beamed up! Very fun and fresh. Nice a-ha.

[norrin2]

Beamed up and very excited to have figured out my first week 5 -- I know, I know, but I can't always get week 2's, so a 2.5 feels like quite an accomplishment.

[markhr]

There's no way I'm going to count this as a week 5. It's a week 3 at best.
But it's a good way to end 2022.

Happy New Year to all. Looking forward to a fun and challenging 2023.

[cbarbee002]

Nudged across the finish line . . . er, into the transporter room. Fun construction.

[woozy]

There's no way I'm going to count this as a week 5. It's a week 3 at best.

I'm a bit embarrassed it took me as long as it did (nearly 20 minutes). I didn't put together two things that in hindsight should never have been left separate. (Actually, now that I think of this I see why I left them separate and others might not).

[ReB]

A nagging thought yesterday turned out to be the key to solving the meta when I got a chance to take a fresh look today. And a solo flight too!

[higgysue]

Finally got it. Whew! I was dancing all around it but couldn’t put it together for the longest time. Frustrating & fun!

[DrTom]

AAARRRGGGHHH - sooooo frustrating, I guessed the answer two days ago but didn't know how to get it. Using the Joe Ross method above I finally hit upon the mechanism, but stupidly still did not see it even though I had tried a variant of it before. That is what makes me so mad, that I can get close but cannot put the ball in the hoop.

So. I submitted and am certain of the beam, but I cannot claim a solo since I needed that last little push, every so light a touch, almost birdlike....

[Berto]

Okay - new to this contest. Unsure of jargon. But will throw out a tentative Beamed up.

Received the puzzle just after midnight, completed grid during a bout of insomnia, drifted off to sleep with a concept, awoke to an aha moment. & That was that!

[Fogway]

I found a couple of rabbit holes, and didn't realize how close I was to finding the answer.

I took a fresh look this morning, and voila. Finished at #350.

[ColinM]

Took me a really long time to realize the answer.

[rjy]

Can FINALLY start the new year… phew! Just did not see it, or did not stick long enough with what I did see. Awaiting the beamevator

[DrTom]

OK, the time for submissions has passed. If anyone is interested (i.e. did not find their way home) this is how I eventually got to the transporter room:

I will freely admit that I did NOT have it until a little Bird told me that I needed to focus on an area I told him was one I was looking at, and at that point I realized I had done everything else with the AND (including wondering why Matt had "incorrectly" listed the Japanese one as and [&] because it was in truth "to" - DUH)

I was so sure it was going to be a word that included the AND that I did not think of it including the AND in the language of the theme answer. So, this may have been a 2.5 to many but it was a 3 or better for me...until the end of course. Anyway. not a bad way to end the year.

[HunterX]

I'm not sure why, but I found this one immediately. After filling in the grid (I always fill in the entire grid first), I saw that the 4 themers were each in a different language. I speak 3 of those (at least to some extent) and immediately picked up on the fact that each translates "and" differently, and in a way that fit the crossing down answers. I "hear" the phrases in my head, so to speak and just reflexively thought "Sturm und Drang," for example. So to me (YRMV) it was a 1.5 or 2.0.

But I can see how others wouldn't have my particular language experience and thus wouldn't see it quickly, if at all.

Guess I was lucky this week.

[DrTom]

I'm not sure why, but I found this one immediately. After filling in the grid (I always fill in the entire grid first), I saw that the 4 themers were each in a different language. I speak 3 of those (at least to some extent) and immediately picked up on the fact that each translates "and" differently, and in a way that fit the crossing down answers. I "hear" the phrases in my head, so to speak and just reflexively thought "Sturm und Drang," for example. So to me (YRMV) it was a 1.5 or 2.0.

But I can see how others wouldn't have my particular language experience and thus wouldn't see it quickly, if at all.

Guess I was lucky this week.

Well I speak one of them, and the AND for TO bothered me, but I did not catch on until MUCH later and with some prodding. I have not gotten luck for quite some time.

T

[woozy]

I realized (albeit not immediately) that there were four languages and figured it had something to do with that ("G,J, F,S--- dang, that doesn't spell anything) but am utterly embarrassed how long it took (20 min) for me to realize "hey.... if those expressions are in foreign languages shouldn't the ampersands represent 'and' in the foreign language rather than english..." Duh! In hindsight there was no excuse not to get it right away but symbology is, I guess, very persuasive.

[edestlin]

Well, darn it. My small streak is broken. I knew I should have done crosswords instead of going to the gym this morning. I've finally had time and with the holidays I lost track of when the submissions were due. Oh well. Fun anyway!