"In Bed By 9" - December 18, 2020

A place to discuss the weekly Wall Street Journal Crossword Puzzle Contest, starting every Thursday around 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. Please do not post any answers or hints before the contest deadline which is midnight Sunday Eastern time.
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Kris Zacharias
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#341

Post by Kris Zacharias »

The local daily newspaper reported that the very first crossword puzzle appeared on this date in 1913. This is a copy of it.  We've come a long way.
The local daily newspaper reported that the very first crossword puzzle appeared on this date in 1913. This is a copy of it. We've come a long way.
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Commodore
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#342

Post by Commodore »

Zonker: "Well, Coach, that 2-D play worked! We Z's countered and pulverized the 36-D just like you drew it up in the locker room."
Coach: "What the sam hill is a Zioph?!"
Zonker: "Hmmm, there seem to be a 23-D hanging over our huddle, B.D."
BD: "Dude, are you in the 55-A again?"
Z: "Solstice. Conjunction. Far out."
Screen Shot 2020-12-17 at 10.23.19 PM copy 7.jpg
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SusieG
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#343

Post by SusieG »

Jaclyn wrote: Mon Dec 21, 2020 5:35 pm
Jaclyn wrote: Fri Dec 18, 2020 6:12 pm I'm submitting... I'm on A beach. May or may not be the right one, but it's warm.
It was absolutely NOT the right beach. Possibly in the wrong hemisphere.



I found "9:00" clocks, then anagrammed the 6 letters "in bed" to get MOPPET. Yikes.
On a good day, my moppet is in bed before 9...
The two AT ONEs threw me for a loop for a while, too. I tried something similar for too long to remark.
blackravenflower
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#344

Post by blackravenflower »

I'm a new puzzler. No idea how to approach these. Would appreciate any help.
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MajordomoTom
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#345

Post by MajordomoTom »

good resources here:

forums/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=49

it takes a while for all of this to sink in ... I've been doing these about 14 months now, at first, had many problems. This CATNAP, got it in under 2 hours - the 6Zs, all on the left side of the grid, were very curious. That made me go to the title, test the "9", and find the answer.

I am addicted to Snooze Buttons myself, never realized they were nine minutes.

Some of the puzzles are "well done", others are of medium difficulty, it can be rare to find one that you just solve immediately.
"Lots of planets have a North", the Ninth Doctor.
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MajordomoTom
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#346

Post by MajordomoTom »

one "rule" that I don't recall in that list ... in a grid like this one, the 6 Zs clearly mean something. That's too unusual a letter to appear 6 times in a grid by chance. And you're looking for a 6 letter word/answer.

Now another "rule" is that the grid designer "doesn't waste space". So the 6 Zs at the left ... none on the right. Ok, why? That means that there's something that links the Zs to something on the right, else the entire right side of the grid was "wasted". So it makes it more plausible to find some way to "go from the left to the right". My first guess was the "by 9" of the title. Getting C ... ok, a fine start. A ... ok, not bad. T ... ok, I think this is something. Then the N ... ok, looks promising. Then the A, I have a guess and then the P, done.

But don't expect to get good at these if you don't do them frequently. Do this one, look at other constructors online, I've been doing this one since last 2019, started the Patreon of Gaffney since something like March or April of 2020, and found another one (that's now on hiatus, sadly), so for a while was doing 3 metas a week. That's the only way to start getting traction on these.

Of course, tax season 2021 is right around the corner, so when my "day job" heats up, I'll be back to not getting these done as quickly. Though they're a great release/relief valve during tax return review.
"Lots of planets have a North", the Ninth Doctor.
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tim1217
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#347

Post by tim1217 »

blackravenflower wrote: Mon Dec 21, 2020 6:55 pm I'm a new puzzler. No idea how to approach these. Would appreciate any help.
Welcome...check out the 'Come Aboard' section of this forum. Under the second section (FAQ's), you'll find helpful hints.

Here's a link,

forums/viewforum.php?f=18

Good luck!
MaineMarge
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#348

Post by MaineMarge »

Bob cruise director wrote: Mon Dec 21, 2020 11:49 am
And I just got a confirmation from Mike Miller - the contest will come out on line at 4 pm on WEDNESDAY
YEA!!!
Thanks, Bob and WSJ 🙋‍♀️
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cbarbee002
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#349

Post by cbarbee002 »

Well, I was thinking I would be wishing everyone a merry Christmas on/after the day. Now hoping it's on Wednesday . . . . :-)
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DrTom
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#350

Post by DrTom »

michaelm wrote: Mon Dec 21, 2020 3:59 pm A sad aside, KT Oslin, triple Grammy winner and member of the Nashville and Texas Heritage Songwriters Hall of Fame, has died at the age of 78.
You forgot one large honor - "Subject of a a META puzzle!" Before I die I hope to have the same honor - well Peter Kind of made me the subject of a "Quick Solve" puzzle but Nirvana would be a META.

RIP KT
NUDGES!I am always willing to give nudges where needed; metas should be about fun, not frustration. Send me what you have done so far because often you are closer than you think!
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Colin
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#351

Post by Colin »

Merry Christmas all,
See you on the other side...
May Santa provide!
One world. One planet. One future.
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escapeartist
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#352

Post by escapeartist »

A cruise ship safety video from 3 years ago that hits all the right spots and includes our favorite cast - wash your darn hands!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyWMkOW55g0

Forgive me if this was posted before, but I'm still just a muggle noob...

(gimme that mug!)
* 2022 WSJ Mug Winner - I bask in its Glory *
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Meg
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#353

Post by Meg »

OMG! The original actors are so OLD!! Oh, wait. So am I. No prob. But I must say Isaac hasn’t lost his verve, or elan, or pep!
Check out and support http://CrosswordsForCancer.com.
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Bob cruise director
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#354

Post by Bob cruise director »

escapeartist wrote: Tue Dec 22, 2020 1:13 am A cruise ship safety video from 3 years ago that hits all the right spots and includes our favorite cast - wash your darn hands!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyWMkOW55g0

Forgive me if this was posted before, but I'm still just a muggle noob...

(gimme that mug!)
Even if it was posted before here, many of us are seniors and probably would not remember. Thanks for the posting
Bob Stevens
Cruise Director
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KayW
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#355

Post by KayW »

Bob cruise director wrote: Tue Dec 22, 2020 9:12 am
escapeartist wrote: Tue Dec 22, 2020 1:13 am A cruise ship safety video from 3 years ago that hits all the right spots and includes our favorite cast - wash your darn hands!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyWMkOW55g0

Forgive me if this was posted before, but I'm still just a muggle noob...

(gimme that mug!)
Even if it was posted before here, many of us are seniors and probably would not remember. Thanks for the posting
I resemble that remark! ...and echo the sentiment. Thanks!
Contest Crosswords Combating Cancer (CCCC) is a bundle of 16 metapuzzles created to help raise money for cancer-related charities. It is available at CrosswordsForCancer.com.
Hidden in 3D
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#356

Post by Hidden in 3D »

Kris Zacharias wrote: Mon Dec 21, 2020 5:56 pm Screen Shot 2020-12-21 at 5.46.54 PM.png
Has anyone actually tried to complete this puzzle? I did and I found it extremely 18-19. I still don't have an acceptable answer for 14-15!
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Scraps
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#357

Post by Scraps »

DrTom wrote: Mon Dec 21, 2020 11:07 pm
michaelm wrote: Mon Dec 21, 2020 3:59 pm A sad aside, KT Oslin, triple Grammy winner and member of the Nashville and Texas Heritage Songwriters Hall of Fame, has died at the age of 78.
You forgot one large honor - "Subject of a a META puzzle!" Before I die I hope to have the same honor - well Peter Kind of made me the subject of a "Quick Solve" puzzle but Nirvana would be a META.

RIP KT
One of my first semi-successful meta solves. I had never heard of the artist, but I educed the correct letters from the puzzle. KTOSLIN meant nothing to me. Played with anagrams for a while. Not enough vowels. Finally surrendered, resorted to google and learned the letters were already in the correct order.
RIP, KT.
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JAQT
Posts: 139
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#358

Post by JAQT »

I didn't get this one (but should have).

I immediately saw the sleep connection and that all the Zs were on the left, and figured that there must be some mechanism to use them to select letters on the right. My first attempt was mirror image, but that resulted in landing on a black square.

This part is sad --->> My next attempt was to count 9 squares to the right from each Z, but I counted only letters, excluding black squares, based on the mistaken assumption (learned from the mirror image attempt) that if I counted black squares too that I might land on a black square. That led to nothing, and then life intervened (a visit from my son and his adorable wife) and I never got back to the puzzle to try the next (obvious in hindsight -- aren't they all) attempt of counting black squares too.

Along the way, I saw the intriguing ATONERS/ATONES and SNOOZE/OOZE, but I never even bothered to think about them. C'est la vie.

Best to all and Happy Holidays!!
JAQT
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Dow Jones
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#359

Post by Dow Jones »

I fell into the trap of looking at the last clues in the grid. 52D = Salts. I looked at the center clues: 37A = arizoNA 39A = CLuster. This couldn't be a coincidence, so I spent the rest of the weekend looking for the other salts in the puzzle. UGH !!!
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DrTom
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#360

Post by DrTom »

Bob cruise director wrote: Tue Dec 22, 2020 9:12 am
escapeartist wrote: Tue Dec 22, 2020 1:13 am A cruise ship safety video from 3 years ago that hits all the right spots and includes our favorite cast - wash your darn hands!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyWMkOW55g0

Forgive me if this was posted before, but I'm still just a muggle noob...

(gimme that mug!)
Even if it was posted before here, many of us are seniors and probably would not remember. Thanks for the posting
Watched it four times and each time I said, "Hey, never saw that before....", whatever it was.
NUDGES!I am always willing to give nudges where needed; metas should be about fun, not frustration. Send me what you have done so far because often you are closer than you think!
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