"Pre-Order Your Copy Now" - March 11, 2021

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.
Locked
User avatar
CallMeShane
Posts: 150
Joined: Fri Oct 18, 2019 5:16 pm
Location: Victor, NY

#181

Post by CallMeShane »

A night's sleep revealed all.

On shore.
MaineMarge
Posts: 1597
Joined: Tue Apr 09, 2019 9:57 pm

#182

Post by MaineMarge »

Ashore. Great one, Matt. What a fun guy.

And speaking of fun guys, Cabana Boy gave me his cell #, so I preordered my 🍹. I headed for shore as soon as he replied “Copy that”. 🙋‍♀️
User avatar
Prozach
Posts: 162
Joined: Thu Sep 17, 2020 8:19 pm
Location: Columbus, OH

#183

Post by Prozach »

On Shore.
JennyByrd
Posts: 151
Joined: Sat Apr 04, 2020 2:51 pm
Location: Houston

#184

Post by JennyByrd »

Done! Have a great weekend everyone.
Carter
Posts: 16
Joined: Sat Mar 13, 2021 7:22 am

#185

Post by Carter »

I'm new and I am frustrated. I have the grid done but now can't sleep because I am thinking of these odd combinations of words and trying to make a meal out of random scraps. I don't drink coffee so I don't really care about a mug, but I would like to be able to sleep again. Any nudges will be happily and unapologetically accepted. I, too, would like to declare the puzzle "elegant" and say that things "clicked" but I fear I will be treading water for a while and my legs are getting tired. Kudos to those on shore.
User avatar
DianeA
Posts: 101
Joined: Wed Feb 24, 2021 7:58 am
Location: Southport, NC

#186

Post by DianeA »

Sadly, i've run through the entire Karaoke list at the bar. Isaac is not a fan of my singing, but he's polite, and keeps my glass filled. I'd hoped the distraction would let my mind work in another direction. I'm fixated on a route to the solution...which is obviously NOT the correct route. Will keep trying.
User avatar
Janet
Posts: 385
Joined: Thu Apr 25, 2019 5:22 pm

#187

Post by Janet »

Carter wrote: Sat Mar 13, 2021 7:32 am I'm new and I am frustrated. I have the grid done but now can't sleep because I am thinking of these odd combinations of words and trying to make a meal out of random scraps. I don't drink coffee so I don't really care about a mug, but I would like to be able to sleep again. Any nudges will be happily and unapologetically accepted. I, too, would like to declare the puzzle "elegant" and say that things "clicked" but I fear I will be treading water for a while and my legs are getting tired. Kudos to those on shore.
Carter, new to the muggles or to the puzzle contest? I started out by looking at past puzzles and solutions. It still took me quite a while before I could get the hang of it.
Carter
Posts: 16
Joined: Sat Mar 13, 2021 7:22 am

#188

Post by Carter »

Janet wrote: Sat Mar 13, 2021 8:07 am
Carter wrote: Sat Mar 13, 2021 7:32 am I'm new and I am frustrated. I have the grid done but now can't sleep because I am thinking of these odd combinations of words and trying to make a meal out of random scraps. I don't drink coffee so I don't really care about a mug, but I would like to be able to sleep again. Any nudges will be happily and unapologetically accepted. I, too, would like to declare the puzzle "elegant" and say that things "clicked" but I fear I will be treading water for a while and my legs are getting tired. Kudos to those on shore.
Carter, new to the muggles or to the puzzle contest? I started out by looking at past puzzles and solutions. It still took me quite a while before I could get the hang of it.
Both! The past few weeks' puzzles had me feeling like a smarty pants because I could solve them without sleep loss. I was feeling a tad cocky and here comes "Pre-Order Your Copy Now" and I have been properly humbled.

Are you just going back to the past Monday puzzles on WSJ and looking at the Friday solutions to learn patterns?
User avatar
auee89
Posts: 1069
Joined: Tue Feb 02, 2021 10:55 am
Location: Indiana

#189

Post by auee89 »

auee89 wrote: Fri Mar 12, 2021 10:47 am Hangin' in the bar now. Completed the grid this morning and I see something, but not the final click. Putting down for now. But will be back!
Still at the bar and Isaac won’t shut up! Very distracting. I am focused on something and would like confirmation that I am not buried in a deep rabbit hole. Thanks!
Kevin
Kevin
User avatar
Horsesense
Posts: 47
Joined: Mon May 06, 2019 9:14 am
Location: Sometimes Michigan, Sometimes Texas, but Maine at Heart

#190

Post by Horsesense »

On shore.
User avatar
Joe Ross
Moderator
Posts: 5001
Joined: Fri Apr 12, 2019 4:46 am
Location: Cincinnati

#191

Post by Joe Ross »

Carter wrote: Sat Mar 13, 2021 8:22 am
Janet wrote: Sat Mar 13, 2021 8:07 am I started out by looking at past puzzles and solutions. It still took me quite a while before I could get the hang of it.
Are you just going back to the past Monday puzzles on WSJ and looking at the Friday solutions to learn patterns?
Past WSJ Crossword Contests & Solutions
Carter
Posts: 16
Joined: Sat Mar 13, 2021 7:22 am

#192

Post by Carter »

Joe Ross wrote: Sat Mar 13, 2021 9:22 am
Carter wrote: Sat Mar 13, 2021 8:22 am
Janet wrote: Sat Mar 13, 2021 8:07 am I started out by looking at past puzzles and solutions. It still took me quite a while before I could get the hang of it.
Are you just going back to the past Monday puzzles on WSJ and looking at the Friday solutions to learn patterns?
Past WSJ Crossword Contests & Solutions
THANK YOU!!
User avatar
TPS
Posts: 721
Joined: Sun Mar 15, 2020 2:19 pm
Location: Florida

#193

Post by TPS »

Carter wrote: Sat Mar 13, 2021 8:22 am
Both! The past few weeks' puzzles had me feeling like a smarty pants because I could solve them without sleep loss. I was feeling a tad cocky and here comes "Pre-Order Your Copy Now" and I have been properly humbled.
Hi Carter - I’ve been in your shoes. I’ve been doing these puzzles for two years and didn’t solve my first puzzle on my own for over a year. I’m still not good at them but the only way I got better was doing more of them. I would point out that the last 4-5 weeks have been puzzles w/ training wheels - that haven’t been overly complicated - so only one step and nothing overly complicated like homonyms, syllable counting, or musical notes.

There are lots of people on here who will give you helpful approaches but keep in mind that you will frequently come across a new method you haven’t seen before so there is a bit of skill that goes into these that even rote solving can’t develop. My biggest tip is don’t become married to an idea - it happens to us all - it sounds like it happened to one of our best and most consistent solvers for a while this week - if you try something and it isn’t working after a little bit - put the puzzle down and take a break and come back to it later. You have 3+ days to submit an answer and I know it can be frustrating - especially when you start - to come here and see people solving the puzzle in 10-15 minutes.

Good luck!
User avatar
PeterLeea1a
Posts: 138
Joined: Thu May 09, 2019 5:49 pm

#194

Post by PeterLeea1a »

On shore unless I've been Pageanted.
Carter
Posts: 16
Joined: Sat Mar 13, 2021 7:22 am

#195

Post by Carter »

TPS wrote: Sat Mar 13, 2021 9:58 am
Carter wrote: Sat Mar 13, 2021 8:22 am
Both! The past few weeks' puzzles had me feeling like a smarty pants because I could solve them without sleep loss. I was feeling a tad cocky and here comes "Pre-Order Your Copy Now" and I have been properly humbled.
Hi Carter - I’ve been in your shoes. I’ve been doing these puzzles for two years and didn’t solve my first puzzle on my own for over a year. I’m still not good at them but the only way I got better was doing more of them. I would point out that the last 4-5 weeks have been puzzles w/ training wheels - that haven’t been overly complicated - so only one step and nothing overly complicated like homonyms, syllable counting, or musical notes.

There are lots of people on here who will give you helpful approaches but keep in mind that you will frequently come across a new method you haven’t seen before so there is a bit of skill that goes into these that even rote solving can’t develop. My biggest tip is don’t become married to an idea - it happens to us all - it sounds like it happened to one of our best and most consistent solvers for a while this week - if you try something and it isn’t working after a little bit - put the puzzle down and take a break and come back to it later. You have 3+ days to submit an answer and I know it can be frustrating - especially when you start - to come here and see people solving the puzzle in 10-15 minutes.

Good luck!
Thank you for the pep talk. Apparently I prefer training wheels! I am learning and that is a good thing!!
User avatar
Al Sisti
Posts: 2037
Joined: Thu Apr 11, 2019 1:28 pm
Location: Whitesboro NY

#196

Post by Al Sisti »

TPS wrote: Sat Mar 13, 2021 9:58 am
Carter wrote: Sat Mar 13, 2021 8:22 am
Both! The past few weeks' puzzles had me feeling like a smarty pants because I could solve them without sleep loss. I was feeling a tad cocky and here comes "Pre-Order Your Copy Now" and I have been properly humbled.
Hi Carter - I’ve been in your shoes. I’ve been doing these puzzles for two years and didn’t solve my first puzzle on my own for over a year. I’m still not good at them but the only way I got better was doing more of them. I would point out that the last 4-5 weeks have been puzzles w/ training wheels - that haven’t been overly complicated - so only one step and nothing overly complicated like homonyms, syllable counting, or musical notes.

There are lots of people on here who will give you helpful approaches but keep in mind that you will frequently come across a new method you haven’t seen before so there is a bit of skill that goes into these that even rote solving can’t develop. My biggest tip is don’t become married to an idea - it happens to us all - it sounds like it happened to one of our best and most consistent solvers for a while this week - if you try something and it isn’t working after a little bit - put the puzzle down and take a break and come back to it later. You have 3+ days to submit an answer and I know it can be frustrating - especially when you start - to come here and see people solving the puzzle in 10-15 minutes.

Good luck!
Great advice!
User avatar
TPS
Posts: 721
Joined: Sun Mar 15, 2020 2:19 pm
Location: Florida

#197

Post by TPS »

Carter wrote: Sat Mar 13, 2021 10:13 am

Thank you for the pep talk. Apparently I prefer training wheels! I am learning and that is a good thing!!
You are welcome. And while I said these past few weeks (6 I believe) have been easier puzzles - I struggled w/ 2 of them and technically didn’t solve one of them (I threw up a Hail Mary and it happened to be right). And while I prefer puzzles a little more difficult than the past few weeks there are puzzles coming that I know there is no way I will solve.

Ideally, a fun puzzle for me doesn’t use any cute/niche/gimmicky method - e.g. homonyms, uses knowledge in the popular zeitgeist, and provides a 100% solution (I define a this as where a method exists that yields an answer that satisfies the title and any clues and couldn’t occur by a coincidence).
User avatar
auee89
Posts: 1069
Joined: Tue Feb 02, 2021 10:55 am
Location: Indiana

#198

Post by auee89 »

auee89 wrote: Sat Mar 13, 2021 9:13 am
auee89 wrote: Fri Mar 12, 2021 10:47 am Hangin' in the bar now. Completed the grid this morning and I see something, but not the final click. Putting down for now. But will be back!
Still at the bar and Isaac won’t shut up! Very distracting. I am focused on something and would like confirmation that I am not buried in a deep rabbit hole. Thanks!
Kevin
Ashore with a little help from my friends - thanks Boharr! Advice for myself is to trust where you are and keep looking! Was so close to solving without needing the nudge.
Kevin
User avatar
RDaleHall
Posts: 229
Joined: Mon Oct 14, 2019 9:52 pm

#199

Post by RDaleHall »

On shore. A really good puzzle. Many thumbs up!! Some longer staring this time before it all sunk in. Big Ten Final Four awaits today. Could be a precursor to the actual Final Four.
User avatar
Bob cruise director
Cruise Director
Posts: 4512
Joined: Thu Apr 11, 2019 2:38 pm
Location: Any golf course within 500 miles of Littleton MA

#200

Post by Bob cruise director »

RDaleHall wrote: Sat Mar 13, 2021 11:03 am On shore. A really good puzzle. Many thumbs up!! Some longer staring this time before it all sunk in. Big Ten Final Four awaits today. Could be a precursor to the actual Final Four.
Covid dropouts not withstanding
Bob Stevens
Cruise Director
Locked