"Ate Your Name" May 31, 2024

[quillson]

May I please have a Discord invitation? Thank you for your consideration.

https://discord.gg/4sszdyN8

WSJ Group Solve

Thank you!

[avian]

I got stuck on the idea of food because of the word "ate" in the title and I found different food items hidden in each of the themed answers so I thought the answer would be "Ah I see" because of "ahi" as in tuna. Then I thought this was probably incorrect because that seemed too easy and although the answer turned out to be correct my process getting it wasn't.

[MikeMillerwsj]

The contest answer is AH, I SEE at 64-Across. Each starred answer starts with a word that’s a U.S. state with its postal abbreviation removed: OW = IOWA – IA; EGON = OREGON – OR; KANSAS = ARKANSAS – AR; DIANA = INDIANA – IN; EWORK = NEW YORK – NY. Similarly, AH = UTAH – UT.

This was a complicated and clever one! We had 948 entries, of which 86% were correct (above our usual rate around 75%). Other guesses included MAIDEN (17), MILANO (12) OTOOLE (12), ICARUS (12), APPLES (10) and many moare.

Congrats to this week's winner: Donald Gergen of Terrell, NC!

[MikeMillerwsj]

...oh and 32 for ACHING (anagrams with MI to get MICHIGAN). A plausible guess that we might have discussed if our random selection had yielded that one (which it did not).

[Zobo3737]

...oh and 32 for ACHING (anagrams with MI to get MICHIGAN). A plausible guess that we might have discussed if our random selection had yielded that one (which it did not).

Interesting. Your random draw is from all entries, not just correct ones? So, the First correct draw from all entries wins?

[Joe Ross]

...oh and 32 for ACHING (anagrams with MI to get MICHIGAN). A plausible guess that we might have discussed if our random selection had yielded that one (which it did not).

Interesting. Your random draw is from all entries, not just correct ones? So, the First correct draw from all entries wins?

Correct. We have this on video linked in THIS post, I think.

@Bob cruise director: Where is the video with Mike Miller, Mike Shenk, & Matt Gaffney?

[The XWord Rabbit]

Well, this was one of those curious weeks for your Rabbit. Mr. Gaffney’s “Ate Your Name!” puzzle brought forth the usual amount of bewilderment and grousing, but in the end there really wasn’t anything meaty enough … or should your Rabbit say, “leafy enough”?… to get excited about, rabbit hole-wise.

As is commonly the case, the method is more simply explained than the execution. Each of the five anchor across entries began with a US state with its two-letter postal abbreviation removed. The only other entry that followed that same pattern was 64A. AHISEE, although 5D. MICHIGAN proved to be a spoiler via anagramming.

So, no nominees this week in spite of a bit of grousing about food-related entries. Where does that leave us? Well, we’re two months away from announcing more finalists and the 2024 Golden Rabbit Hole Award winner. Plenty of time left to go astray. Your Rabbit knows he can count on you.

It’s not uncommon for savvy Muggles to mention appropriate cartoons and videos brought to mind by a given puzzle before your Rabbit can get to them. DBMiller deserves the credit on this one for mentioning a particularly well-known stand-up routine during last week’s Zoom call. It’s Gary Gulman, explaining “How the States Got Their Abbreviations.” Enjoy and see you next week.

[Bob cruise director]

...oh and 32 for ACHING (anagrams with MI to get MICHIGAN). A plausible guess that we might have discussed if our random selection had yielded that one (which it did not).

Interesting. Your random draw is from all entries, not just correct ones? So, the First correct draw from all entries wins?

Correct. We have this on video linked in THIS post, I think.

@Bob cruise director: Where is the video with Mike Miller, Mike Shenk, & Matt Gaffney?

I still have it. I removed it from my drop box either because 1) I did not think anyone was watching it and I needed the room as I only have the free version or 2) I thought that it was being uploaded to the forum files.

If you want me to upload for anyone to look at let me know

Same thing with the 2023 Q&A

[jblatt01]

It's Thursday. Still no winner annoucement?

[CptnCodon]

It's Thursday. Still no winner annoucement?

@jblatt01, looks like Mike got to this one early:

The contest answer is AH, I SEE at 64-Across. Each starred answer starts with a word that’s a U.S. state with its postal abbreviation removed: OW = IOWA – IA; EGON = OREGON – OR; KANSAS = ARKANSAS – AR; DIANA = INDIANA – IN; EWORK = NEW YORK – NY. Similarly, AH = UTAH – UT.

This was a complicated and clever one! We had 948 entries, of which 86% were correct (above our usual rate around 75%). Other guesses included MAIDEN (17), MILANO (12) OTOOLE (12), ICARUS (12), APPLES (10) and many moare.

Congrats to this week's winner: Donald Gergen of Terrell, NC!

[kurtalert]

Ugh. I'm 100% sure that I know exactly what I'm supposed to do here, but I'm having a hard time picking which "six-letter grid entry" would have made a good theme answer. And I've gone through the grid multiple times now and I'm positive that I have the complete list of possible entries. WTF. I'm clearly missing something.

Eh, I guess I see the answer now- but I'll quibble somewhat with saying that it would be a GOOD sixth theme answer. It would be a so-so sixth theme answer.

On shore.

Aaaaaaaaaaaand I'm an idiot. Argh. I found the bad 6th theme answer, and through all of my detailed searching, I missed the obvious good 6th theme answer. Had the mechanism right, just convinced myself that the MIchigan (from aching) was right, just not a great answer since it required anagramming while none of the real theme answers did. What a dummy.

[wescovington]

Dragged ashore by numerous nudges from Discord and this site. I think I have permanent nudge marks after this one.

[roxyheartless]

Dragged ashore by numerous nudges from Discord and this site. I think I have permanent nudge marks after this one.

Could you please share the discord link with me? I can't seem to find it anywhere on this site?

[benchen71]

Dragged ashore by numerous nudges from Discord and this site. I think I have permanent nudge marks after this one.

Could you please share the discord link with me? I can't seem to find it anywhere on this site?

This link will work for 7 days only: https://discord.com/invite/5PneMSvD