"Aforesaid" January 3, 2025

[Bob cruise director]

Good Sunday morning muggles

Our report is a bit early today because I have to get ready for the exciting Patriots/Bills game. For those who don't follow the NFL, in this game both teams have a vested interest in losing the game. The Patriots have the #1 pick in hand and can potentially lose it by winning the game. The Bills on the other hand have the #2 seed locked up and have no interest in giving a division rival the valuable #1 pick so their interests are also served by losing the game.

And for anyone in the path of this snow/ice storm, stay safe. The pictures of the roads in the midwest are downright scary.

On a more relevant note, the wave of muggles getting to shore has slowed significantly. We have 2 on the ship and 219 on the shore. Getting to the shore since yesterday are

femullen
ajk
Dave C
Richard
JimJim
Yoda66
Sleepy
Matthew
EmilyW
Trey , Jill, Marion and Mitch
Bobj
sloane
auee89
steph
shays
chopkins828
skutner
Collegetowngirl
kgiano


Good luck winning the elusive mug.

Don't forget the 8 pm ET Last Call zoom solving session.

[Alvibu67]

Ashore!

I’m one for one on WSJ metas for 2025! Batting 1.000!

[Colin]

Ashore, 98.36% sure!

This came to mind…

A flea and a fly in a flu,
Were stuck, so what could they do?
Said the flea, “Let us fly!”
Said the fly, “Let us flee!”
So they flew through a hole in the flu!

[khanthedane]

Ashore with a hot toddy in hand!

[JRS51]

Ashore!

[DannyWalter]

I dunno. I am certainly on A shore, I can show my work and it fits. But I was expecting to find something in the grid or the clues that just isn't there. Also bothered that my answer is a tad obscure, and that I see an alternative that is well known. But again, mine should be correct according to the instructions. Either that or I am completely daft, a possibility that I do not dismiss.

In any event a very clever puzzle, we shall find out whether it is just a bit too clever for me

[Susan Goldberg]

Ashore

[Susan Goldberg]

Ashore! (From an actual cruise ship!)

[OliviaL]

On shore! Big fan of the meta solve, not so much the grid.

[Cbaudhuin]

Late, but safely ashore.

[Hidden in 3D]

Busy weekend around here so I planned to work on the meta this afternoon once I got all the Christmas decorations packed away. Unfortunately, we spent much of the day at the emergency vet's office and the crossword contest has been the last thing on my mind. Our sweet beagle Griffin is now at home and resting comfortably. Here he is from a few days ago asking me to throw his new Christmas reindeer toy for a rousing game of fetch. Funny how your priorities can change so quickly. No mug in the world is more important than this little guy. (The receptionist and the veterinarian (both of whom have owned beagles in the past) agreed that he was the best-behaved beagle they have ever seen at their practice.)

[Bob cruise director]

Good evening muggles

Our final count is 2 on the ship and 227 on the shore

Good luck winning the mug.

And for those of you in the path of this storm, stay safe.

[Zobo3737]

Good evening muggles

Our final count is 2 on the ship and 227 on the shore

Good luck winning the mug.

Might as well be a million. I should stop saving a place in the cabinet for the mug.

[steph]

I’m gonna throw out my birthday today as good mojo towards winning that mug sorry to everyone else who has been waiting

[Colin]

Busy weekend around here so I planned to work on the meta this afternoon once I got all the Christmas decorations packed away. Unfortunately, we spent much of the day at the emergency vet's office and the crossword contest has been the last thing on my mind. Our sweet beagle Griffin is now at home and resting comfortably. Here he is from a few days ago asking me to throw his new Christmas reindeer toy for a rousing game of fetch. Funny how your priorities can change so quickly. No mug in the world is more important than this little guy. (The receptionist and the veterinarian (both of whom have owned beagles in the past) agreed that he was the best-behaved beagle they have ever seen at their practice.)
Griffin 12.27.24.jpg

OMG - those eyes!
My first dog was a beagle.
Feel better Griffin!

[hcbirker]

[hcbirker]

[dk letter]

Although the solution write-up doesn't specifically mention it, it seemed to me that CROWE, a homophone of CROW, was a little extra piece of confirmation.

[eagle1279]

I waited til the last minute to submit as I was looking for some other confirmation in the puzzle or clues. Finally decided that Mr. Crowe was the only Oscar-winner with the first name of Russell.

[LadyBird]

I felt that the 8A clue was a bit of confirmation. HAWKE (bird + E) and CROWE (bird + E).