Guide to Solving the WSJ Meta with Excel/Spreadsheets

[Joe Ross]

Link to 20200221 WSJCC Game Pieces PDF blank

[Joe Ross]

[Joe Ross]

Link to 20200228 WSJCC 2+2=5 PDF blank

[Joe Ross]

[Joe Ross]

Link to 20200306 WSJCC In the Hopper Excel blank

[Joe Ross]

[Joe Ross]

I will be traveling, this Thursday, and may not be able to create this week's WSJCC Excel blank and post its link until late in the evening.

Here is the formatted spreadsheet from which I start. Send a PM with questions.

Good luck to all in winning the mug!

[Joe Ross]

I think that tomorrow's WSJ Crossword Contest will be late posting due to this past week's time change & a failure to adjust. I will post the Excel blank late this evening.

[cashk]

Are you sure the cruise wasn't canceled because of COVID 19?

[Joe Ross]

Link to 20200313 WSJCC These Go to Eleven Excel blank

[Joe Ross]

Link to 20200320 WSJCC Variety Show Excel blank

[Joe Ross]

Link to 20200306 The Muggles Crossword Excel Blank

[Joe Ross]

[Joe Ross]

Link to 20200327 WSJCC What Not To Do Excel Blank

[spotter]

Here's my process for a second solve using Excel. I don't get fancy pasting the clues or the grid in the background, so if the meta is hidden in the clues, I'm out of luck this way. But sometimes, being able to highlight (and erase highlights) makes a clearer picture.

Step 1: Change the cell width to be square. I usually input a width of 2.1

Step 2: Make a 15x15 outside border, and black fill the squares to mimic the grid

Step 3: Retype the answers, letter by letter, cell by cell. Sometimes this helps me notice clues I may have missed the first time, similar to how rewriting notes can be an effective study method in school.

Step 4: Highlight away and hope something jumps out! In this weeks puzzle, it really made the important "ME" squares stand out more clearly. I was fixated on MADEBACON for a while, and doing this made me deem it irrelevant as it didn't "start with me".

Step 5: (Hopefully) Solve the META!

[Joe Ross]

Link to 20200403 WSJCC Look Inside Excel Blank

[juliet]

Here's my process for a second solve using Excel.

Wow--than you Spotter! I don't have the full version of Adobe and haven't been able to take advantage of Joe's version, but I just finished filling out the Excel grid following your instructions and am looking forward to using it!

[Joe Ross]

Link to 20200410 WSJCC Between Meals Excel Blank

EDIT1: NOTE WELL: This template has been upgraded incorporating spotter's simple & effective methodology.

Fill in the grid from cells A1 to O15, as normal. 4 additional grids are automatically created below Row 30, which can be used to highlight & mark-up.

Thank you, spotter!

Here's my process for a second solve using Excel. I don't get fancy pasting the clues or the grid in the background, so if the meta is hidden in the clues, I'm out of luck this way. But sometimes, being able to highlight (and erase highlights) makes a clearer picture.

[juliet]

Thank you for posting the current week in an Excel file! I'm not very skilled, but did figure out that to move it out of "read-only", I need to save it, open it, and enable editing.

So far, I've only been able to enter letters into the squares by selecting the column or the row, and I'm not able to add any highlighting because every time I move the cursor over the grid, I have the picture tool.

Please kindly provide a few extra instructions for navigating into the excel file.

[Joe Ross]

Thank you for posting the current week in an Excel file! I'm not very skilled, but did figure out that to move it out of "read-only", I need to save it, open it, and enable editing.

So far, I've only been able to enter letters into the squares by selecting the column or the row, and I'm not able to add any highlighting because every time I move the cursor over the grid, I have the picture tool.

Please kindly provide a few extra instructions for navigating into the excel file.

juliet,

You'll find an Excel link to every week's WSJCC posted here. You belong to MGWCC, I can provide that, too, if you request. I also post BrianMac's puzzle's Excel links within his topics, when he posts them.

To edit "beneath" the puzzle image, click on any cell in Column Q or higher, then use arrows on your keyboard to move to cells within the grid & enter letters in CAPS.

As you enter letters & complete the grid, you are — as of today, inspired by spotter — creating four copies of the grid starting at Row 31 & further below. These copies are much easier to highlight & mark-up.

I see that you have solved MGWCC #619 Big Game. Congratulations! I will PM you a link to my solved spreadsheet & you can see what I mean. I solved by highlighting the first copied grid, cells B31 to O53, rather than the grid within the puzzle.