"A Tale of Twelve Cities" April 19, 2024

[MaineMarge]

Maine doesn’t have a Prague, but is famous for having over 40 foreign city and country named towns-

[Yoda66]

"Okay, the the countries initials spell PRAGUE, so I'll just have to google cities in Prague that share names with towns in Oklahoma...."

Fascinating concept, googling for cities inside a city...

[BarbaraK]

I'm probably not the only one that noticed all my googling had Friday Night Lights taking place in DILLON (which has the same number of letters as ODESSA). Knowing it had be a city in a country beginning with U really was the only way I got that corner filled it. (I wasn't up to googling metro stops)

I filled that in from the crosses and googled to verify because… I don’t know, that’s just what I do on metas, even if I’ve already figured it out. Think there was a movie and also a TV show with that name, maybe a book too, and one of them was in Odessa.

[femullen]

The abundance of pop-culture clues, including three of six theme answers, distracted me entirely, irked me to a froth, and blinded me to the obvious.
So, after bludgeoning my way through the grid and finding the first six cities, I went in search of the other six. 1-Down implied Buffalo, New York, 23-Across gave Berkeley, California, 46-Down suggested Manchester, Vermont... and that was the bottom of the rabbit hole.

Undoubtedly it was my profound ignorance of pop culture and consequent foul temper while doing the grid that kept me from seeing the foreign connection, which became evident only after setting the blinkity-blank puzzle aside for a while.

[mikeB]

Even before putting pen to paper, we have a cornucopia of information. As perhaps with others here, often the first things I look at are the Title and the Prompt. Sometimes they connect relevantly, and this time is no exception. The solve seems to deal with cities, and we’ll be harvesting the name of an OK town using the theme entries. But are there theme entries? If so, how many and where? A glance at the clues settles those questions – and so much more. Parenthetical numbers are always key to the solve and usually attached to a handful of theme entries. So here we have six theme entries, but what else do we know? We can’t help but notice that 12 = 2 x 6, so those six theme entries most likely somehow implicate two cities each (per the Title). But what else can we learn from the parenthetical numbers? This is slightly tricky, because these numbers can mean two different things. The numbers might represent sequences, or they might give counting instructions (such as a “4” telling us to look at the fourth letter in the entry). We’ve seen both, but there is a nudge in this set of numbers; namely, the first six positive integers are featured, with no repeats and no gaps. That strongly suggests a sequence, as opposed to letter counting. So, when we’re done harvesting . . . something . . . from each theme entry, those somethings should be sequenced 1-2-6-4-5-3, instead of in the order of the clues. It’s time to grab the pen and work the grid – harvesting two cities from each theme entry – and see where that takes us. Whoa, LIMA is also the name of a city in PERU! But we’re working a grid here, so we move on. Before we know it, we’ve written (not 12 city names but) six country names where those non-US cities are located. The sequence 1-2-6-4-5-3 closes the deal. Perhaps this is when a solver notices that . . . oops, the grid is not nearly finished – not a surprising turn of events, given how much we had learned before pen touched paper. It is an entertaining grid and a fun mechanism. A very special treat is the super-sized Aha! moment that lasts minutes instead of milliseconds, taking us all the way from a blank page to Prague.

[Nlobb]

Great puzzle!
I will say that coming from Montana, a town with population of 2356 isn’t TINY to me. My old stomping grounds of Two Dot, Montana has only 26 people but still manages a bank, a bar and a post office and lots of wide open spaces as well as cows!! Of course it didn’t fit the cities of the world theme but it was a fun connection to me!
Thanks for all the great puzzles every week, Matt!!

[woozy]

"Okay, the the countries initials spell PRAGUE, so I'll just have to google cities in Prague that share names with towns in Oklahoma...."

Fascinating concept, googling for cities inside a city...

Well my thought went like this "Aha, the keys is the countries. I bet the spell something. I bet they spell a spell a country and the town is a city in that country" "yep. P R definitely looking like I is going to spell something and another country is perfectly plausible" "PRAG. Yep. The other place has to be PRAGUE.... so cities in PRAGUE and.... wait a second..."

It was only for a fraction of a second.

[Yoda66]

"Okay, the the countries initials spell PRAGUE, so I'll just have to google cities in Prague that share names with towns in Oklahoma...."

Fascinating concept, googling for cities inside a city...

Well my thought went like this "Aha, the keys is the countries. I bet the spell something. I bet they spell a spell a country and the town is a city in that country" "yep. P R definitely looking like I is going to spell something and another country is perfectly plausible" "PRAG. Yep. The other place has to be PRAGUE.... so cities in PRAGUE and.... wait a second..."

It was only for a fraction of a second.

I was just being cheeky and thanks for being a good sport. If I opened the kimono (well, not literally..) and shared in public how my brain worked in some of the metas (especially through that tough spell several weeks ago) some muggles would have made reservations for me at the closest funny farm

[MikeMillerwsj]

The contest answer is PRAGUE. Each of the six American theme cities shares its name with a city in another country: LIMA, Peru; MOSCOW, Russia; CAIRO, Egypt; ATHENS, Greece; ODESSA, Ukraine; and VIENNA, Austria. In order of the parenthetical numbers in the clues, the first letters of these six countries spell the contest answer.

As always, we marvel at Matt's ability to deploy a theme like this across symmetrical entries. This one was more accessible than some recent ninja challenges -- we had 2,703 entries with 96% correct, a very high percentage for these contests. Incorrect entries included BERLIN (12), YUKON (2), EMPIRE CITY, and a smattering of others.

Congrats to this week's winner: Michael Kirby of Littleton, Colo.!

[The XWord Rabbit]

Another week and nothing for your Rabbit to do except watch the crowd swim to shore. Mr. Gaffney was apparently playing to the masses with his “Tale of Twelve Cities” puzzle. Each of the six US cities in the across entries has a similarly named city elsewhere in the world. The first letters of the countries in which those cities are located spelled PRAGUE. And there you have it.

A slim turnout on the Friday Zoom confirmed what your Rabbit already suspected. Joyous Muggles and no tales of being lost at sea. What’s a bunny to do? You want to talk about Prague (the one in the Czech Republic). Okay, great! Let’s start with this 1967 documentary from British Pathé. If you recognize the voiceover, that’s because it’s Richard Dimbleby who also did the narration of the April Fool’s “Spaghetti Harvest” video a few weeks ago.



Your Rabbit was there in 2016. He stayed at the fabulous Imperial Hotel, decorated in stunning Art Deco fixtures. Each evening
he drank beer, far superior than anything he ever had in the States. Here he is with Mrs. Rabbit, toasting his good fortune.

Has that whetted your appetite for travel? Great! Then how about Prague, Oklahoma? (It’s pronounced differently, if you haven’t already discovered). Here’s an OETA news piece on the city that aired on PBS member television stations in 2009.


Your Rabbit has never been to Prague, Oklahoma. All he can say is that they better have some FABULOUS beer there.
Until next week, then.

[RobM]

(I wasn't up to googling metro stops)

I had an advantage, living about 2 miles from the Vienna Metro station.

[Cindy N]

Your Rabbit has never been to Prague, Oklahoma. All he can say is that they better have some FABULOUS beer there.
Until next week, then.

Your story made me wonder if you've ever been to Spain.



The only band I've ever seen in concert

[turbotron]

I'm proud to say that this week's winner was my father, and that he solved this one all on his own without my usual nudges!

Incidentally, we traveled to Prague (and Vienna) together a few years ago, so this win is extra-special for him.

[SamKat9]

I've been to Vienna, but I didn't have time to go to Prague, though I really wanted to. That being said, I've never been to Prague, OK either

Your story made me wonder if you've ever been to Spain.

I would highly recommend...there is something for everyone in Spain, it's a fantastic country to visit.

[Bird Lives]

I started this novel a couple of times years ago, couldn't get into it, and forgot about till now. It takes place entirely in Budapest.
.

[whimsy]

I started this novel a couple of times years ago, couldn't get into it, and forgot about till now. It takes place entirely in Budapest.
.
Prague.jpg

Thanks. I'm looking for something for one of my book groups so I'll check it out.

One of my other groups, a history one, has discussed this very readable non-fiction title

which does take place (mainly) in Prague.

Haven't made it there yet, but my daughter did bring me home a pair of socks from her trip last summer -- they have rabbits on them and the words "Hop up and exercise" in Czech. (Thanks, google translate.)

[Bob cruise director]

The contest answer is PRAGUE. Each of the six American theme cities shares its name with a city in another country: LIMA, Peru; MOSCOW, Russia; CAIRO, Egypt; ATHENS, Greece; ODESSA, Ukraine; and VIENNA, Austria. In order of the parenthetical numbers in the clues, the first letters of these six countries spell the contest answer.

As always, we marvel at Matt's ability to deploy a theme like this across symmetrical entries. This one was more accessible than some recent ninja challenges -- we had 2,703 entries with 96% correct, a very high percentage for these contests. Incorrect entries included BERLIN (12), YUKON (2), EMPIRE CITY, and a smattering of others.

Congrats to this week's winner: Michael Kirby of Littleton, Colo.!

Right town, wrong state.

[Bob cruise director]

[

Your Rabbit was there in 2016. He stayed at the fabulous Imperial Hotel, decorated in stunning Art Deco fixtures. Each evening
he drank beer, far superior than anything he ever had in the States. Here he is with Mrs. Rabbit, toasting his good fortune.


@The XWord Rabbit While you were in the Czech Republic did you go to the real Budweiser brewery in České Budějovice? The battle between the original Budweiser and the US Budweiser still goes on about rights in different locations. Who can use what name where.

Mrs. Cruise Director is the third one in from the right.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budweiser ... rk_dispute

[The XWord Rabbit]

@The XWord Rabbit While you were in the Czech Republic did you go to the real Budweiser brewery in České Budějovice? The battle between the original Budweiser and the US Budweiser still goes on about rights in different locations. Who can use what name where.

The Rabbit cannot remember the name of the restaurant/brewery, but if you can arrange for him to go back to the Imperial Hotel, he would be happy to show you where, as it was only a few blocks away. The Rabbit was born in St. Louis, and he is well acquainted with the domestic brew, but it paled in comparison to what he found on tap in Prague. Regretfully, he did not learn of the Budweiser brewery in České Budějovice until he returned home.

[Bird Lives]

I started this novel a couple of times years ago, couldn't get into it, and forgot about till now. It takes place entirely in Budapest.
.
Prague.jpg

Thanks. I'm looking for something for one of my book groups so I'll check it out.

One of my other groups, a history one, has discussed this very readable non-fiction title
Untitledzzzpalace.png
which does take place (mainly) in Prague.

Haven't made it there yet, but my daughter did bring me home a pair of socks from her trip last summer -- they have rabbits on them and the words "Hop up and exercise" in Czech. (Thanks, google translate.)
Untitledzzzsocks.png

Here's another I haven't read, but I very much liie Banville's writing.
.