"Poetic Justice" - February 5, 2021

[ccmac]

On shore in record time for me!!

[martimeryard]

Gonna admit. Still on the ship. I've spent more time looking at this one than the last two combined. Trying to make it three in a row.

[Sara Dacus]

Ashore, I’m pretty sure.

[flyingMoose]

Done. This could be an intriguing Monday ... and February.

[TeamDoubleTow]

Nice to have a quick one and reassurance that it is meant to be quick. Onshore

[HunterX]

Well then around came Mary. The very first time we met I was out to lunch and had just consumed this very highly honeyed mead punch, leaving my cup just as sweet as the punch. Oh, I'm sorry I guess that was free Association....

Oh how I Cherish you comments. But if your responses get too Windy, maybe I'm Gonna Leave You on your own there.

VOLLEY

Well I am asked often if I could stop punning (or using song phrases/titles) but I could Never, My Love for them is too strong. Sometimes I even consider having a Requiem for the Masses of them I have used. The real problem is that it is far too easy because you can make one from almost Everything that Touches You. I remember when I was leaving my vessel in the US Navy and said Goodbye Columbus, I thought "hey THAT could be a song" but figured I was probably too full of ship. So you can't Blame it on Me alone, even when doing METAs I get tuned in, like when solving Will's puzzles (for which I often make notes or have staff do it) and I end up with Pandora's Heebie Jeebies. I guess that is to be expected when you get constructors from different generations because The Time it is Today and even if you feel it's No Fair at All and you want it to be Like Always it is never Just the Same when Enter the Young.

By the way, if it is not already very obvious, The Association was my very favorite group in college. They were the first concert I ever went to with the girl who would be my steady for the next four years. We went to probably 10 more of their concerts in different places and had all of their albums. I suppose if I had to pick one thing that told me I was officially old was when I heard their music on elevators - once your favorite group has been Muzaked you know your youth is history.

Insight Out.jpg

Volley? Feels more like a barrage from an out of control ball launcher!

[HunterX]

By the way, if it is not already very obvious, The Association was my very favorite group in college. They were the first concert I ever went to with the girl who would be my steady for the next four years. We went to probably 10 more of their concerts in different places and had all of their albums. I suppose if I had to pick one thing that told me I was officially old was when I heard their music on elevators - once your favorite group has been Muzaked you know your youth is history.

Oh, and I know the feeling. Every time I hear a song I loved as a kid playing in the supermarket aisle I think, "I thought this was supposed to have satanic message playing backwards in it, not subliminal hints to buy more chips..."

But, old as I am, I have never referred to someone as my "steady." (And yes, preempting the obvious retort, I did date all through college. Same woman for 3 of those years, no less.) Alas, me thinks thou hast outmatched me both in song references to The Association AND cute phrases currently thought to be archaic!

[Limerick Savant]

I dispensed with the grid in short order
Scored the meta before the fourt’ quarter
The following rhyme
Took a little more time
In the hopes of a legal rip snorter

Scan for spoilers

[slb235]

How do you know you're ashore? I think I have the answer, but not confident.

[JeanneC]

I’m on shore. But again...Audience Interaction Producer? Really?

Isn't this the person who holds up the "Applause" signs???

Please don’t anger the AIP. He may hold our muggle fate in his hands!

[BarbaraK]

If you submit an answer, you’re ashore. We all find out Monday morning (or late Sunday night for the west coasters and night owls) if it’s the correct shore or a deserted island.

[Limerick Savant]

How do you know you're ashore? I think I have the answer, but not confident.

Like any puzzle, you will have to wait until the answer is posted after midnight EST to know for sure but don’t let that stop you from sending your answer to crosswordcontest@wsj.com

This week’s was pretty easy so if you think you got it, you probably did. Then you only have to hope that your entry gets selected from the other million solvers.

[cinemagical]

On shore. Took my own advice from last week and tried not to overthink it. Then it came to me.

[SewYoung]

Y'all have probably already seen this (I don't do much "social media" so I am usually the last to see anything), but just in case you haven't; you should. This is, bar none, the sweetest thing I have ever seen in my life. I am not a particularly sentimental person, but this just made me boo-hoo.
https://youtu.be/dKw6h_B2MoA

[Big Mac]

On shore - my wife works in the legal profession so this one came quickly.

[FKelly]

Whilst trying to convince myself that Poetic Justice is not a Pageant and looking for the olives and toothpicks, I stumbled across this slyly subversive form of Poetic Justice on Isaac's shelf. See the performance https://vimeo.com/28503868

Listen Mr. Oxford Don by John Agard
Me not no Oxford don
me a simple immigrant
from Clapham Common
I didn't graduate
I immigrate

But listen Mr Oxford don
I'm a man on de run
and a man on de run
is a dangerous one

I ent have no gun
I ent have no knife
but mugging de Queen's English
is the story of my life

I don't need no axe
to split/ up yu syntax
I don't need no hammer
to mash/ up yu grammar

I warning you Mr. Oxford don
I'm a wanted man
and a wanted man
is a dangerous one

Dem accuse me of assault
on de Oxford dictionary/
imagine a concise peaceful man like me/
dem want me to serve time
for inciting rhyme to riot
but I tekking it quiet
down here in Clapham Common

I’m tellin yu Mr. Oxford don
I'm not violent man
I only armed wit human breath
but human breath
is a dangerous weapon

So mek dem send one big word after me
I ent serving no jail sentence
I slashing suffix in self-defence
I bashing future wit present tense
and if necessary

I making de Queen's English accessory/ to my offence


Can't help but wonder, does Isaac have inside info on the WSJ meta puzzles? See you at the bar for the Superb Owl tomorrow.

[Limerick Savant]

I dispensed with the grid in short order
Scored the meta before the fourt’ quarter
The following rhyme
Took a little more time
In the hopes of a legal rip snorter


Barred Code .png

I trust that my altered image removed the chance of a meta spoiler while preserving the original bard code

[EVJ]

Please count me ASHORE, I guess.

[Tripod]

On shore. I think we will break the record.

[JAQT]

On shore, but I really didn't love the mechanism I used to get there.

On a positive note, with the meta behind me, there's time to prepare for tomorrow's game! We're having pulled pork sliders with coleslaw and cornichons, on Kings Hawaiian. Yum.