MGWCC #783 — “Pressed for Time” by Erik Agard

[MMe]

because of that mangle iron, and how lovely those sheets felt. (This is the grandmother that just died in February, at age 103). : (

Self, do NOT post something about a "dead wringer"

[SJMcK]

Beamed up yesterday afternoon at #103. Nice one.

[Head scratcher]

beamed up!

[HunterX]

You mangled that one my friend!

I wonder how many know what a mangle is, er was, just as I wonder how many people know the origin of being "put through the wringer." In fact, I wouldn't be surprised to see that one in print now as "ringer."

I remember my grandmother had a mangle in her basement, which she used on all her linens and even on some trousers (nice, defined pleats). I have many times wished I had asked for that thing when she moved! I still use my iron the top third (including top hem) of my sheets, remembering how smooth and crisp hers were because of that mangle iron, and how lovely those sheets felt. (This is the grandmother that just died in February, at age 103). : (

I'd never heard of a mangle iron before, and wonder about the etymology given the current-day common use of the word. But now that I see one, I kinda wish I'd had one back in the day. But only "kinda."

My wife used to tease me when we first met because I would iron my sheets. And I used to hate ironing my dress shirts and thus switched to using a laundry service as soon as I felt I could afford it. But if my wife saw one of these... I'd be afraid that it would show up as my next birthday gift. And at this point in my life, ironing is not something I'd care to do.

Except maybe on the golf course.

[TeamDoubleTow]

Thanks to @ky-mike and his nudge we are awaiting the beam. Couldn't get out of our own way on this one!

[ZooAnimalsOnWheels]

I beamed up into the #575 and final position. I decided this puzzle would be an appropriate one with which to get the Buzzer Beater achievement.

[dlonoff]

I beamed up into the #575 and final position. I decided this puzzle would be an appropriate one with which to get the Buzzer Beater achievement.

Had the same thought and was one ahead of you. Didn't have the nerve to wait for the literal last minute.

[Joe Ross]

[woozy]

So wondering how many people's first thoughts where a) to add the extra letters by extending the words. Thus you'd have the black square to the right of VIOL be an unwritten A and the black square below the THRILL and to the right of the EAS be either an unwritten A if you think of it as below the THRILL or an uwritten T if you think of it as to the right of the EAS. And so on...

and how many first thought b) that you had to do a rebus double entries in the square as pictured in Joe Ross's posted answer.

If you do b) the answer is immediate. But I'm definitely of the a) camp so I had bunch of pieces A, T|A, I|T, I and U,U, E,E. I quickly saw the repetition and the "doubling up" so I figured the letters were ATIUE and took me a long (10 minutes or so) time to think to include the preceding letters to get LA, LA|ST, ST|MI, MI and NU, NU, TE, TE and "glueing" the "double ups" I get LAST MINUTE.

Twenty minutes later in the shower it occurs to me "REBUS ENTRIES!"

So... information visualizations.... how do you do it?

[KayW]

I am a fan of rebus puzzles and that's always my first approach when I see extra letters.

[woozy]

I think before getting into metas rebus entries would have been obvious but there's been a few metas were the metanism is to extend off the grid or (admittedly less common) into the black squares.


Actually as I type this rebuses really ought to have been obvious. They are after all a very common device for "trick" non-meta puzzles.

[BarbaraK]

I love rebuses and other tricksy additions to crosswords. Recently started doing some NYTs, and Thursday is my favorite day. So this was right in my wheelhouse. I can see though that if you didn't go there right away, it would be awfully hard to make sense of.