"Town & Country" - March 19, 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
Richard
Posts: 348
Joined: Thu Apr 11, 2019 7:06 pm

#281

Post by Richard »

minimuggle wrote: Sun Mar 21, 2021 3:02 pm I have a question for the muggles. Is it acceptable to use google for the contest? I know I used it this week. I would never use it for the grid. Growing up we used to call the Crossword Dictionary "The Cheater". That being said, we did have a crossword dictionary which was an admission that at times we had to cheat. But we never considered we had solved it on our own if we "cheated". The contest seems different though. It feels OK to google. Happy Weekend
Marie
I try to solve the grid without Google but since I consider the Meta the real puzzle will resort to Google when necessary. Usually i kick myself as I should have been able to get the grid without Google. The metas can be a different story. Some metas would be impossible for me without Google. What some call "well known" I call "obscure."
User avatar
BarbaraK
Posts: 2592
Joined: Tue Apr 09, 2019 2:37 pm
Location: Virginia

#282

Post by BarbaraK »

minimuggle wrote: Sun Mar 21, 2021 3:02 pm I have a question for the muggles. Is it acceptable to use google for the contest? I know I used it this week. I would never use it for the grid. Growing up we used to call the Crossword Dictionary "The Cheater". That being said, we did have a crossword dictionary which was an admission that at times we had to cheat. But we never considered we had solved it on our own if we "cheated". The contest seems different though. It feels OK to google. Happy Weekend
Marie
Is it acceptable? Absolutely. With some metas, it's pretty much assumed that it will be necessary for most solvers.

Is it fun? Ah, now there you get widely varying opinions. Many of us get more enjoyment from the ones that don't require any googling. Some absolutely hate using google and will not do it no matter what. Some love the prod to go learn new things.
User avatar
Alvibu67
Posts: 139
Joined: Thu Dec 31, 2020 2:18 pm

#283

Post by Alvibu67 »

On shore! I’ve been to a couple of the countries referenced - looking forward to more travel soon!
User avatar
Tripod
Posts: 55
Joined: Fri May 08, 2020 10:19 pm
Location: Massachusetts

#284

Post by Tripod »

On shore. Fun swim. Using this one to recruit new muggles.
mel87
Posts: 24
Joined: Sat Oct 24, 2020 7:46 pm

#285

Post by mel87 »

On shore!
Amy
Posts: 14
Joined: Fri May 29, 2020 4:31 pm

#286

Post by Amy »

Ashore 😊
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

#287

Post by Bob cruise director »

I know it is a bit early but the trips to the shore have dropped to a trickle. Isaac closed the bar a long time ago and is lounging on the Lido deck.

We have 226 on the shore.

Good luck to all winning the mug.

Have a great week
Bob Stevens
Cruise Director
M and M
Posts: 174
Joined: Sat May 30, 2020 7:57 pm

#288

Post by M and M »

BarbaraK wrote: Sun Mar 21, 2021 5:39 pm
minimuggle wrote: Sun Mar 21, 2021 3:02 pm I have a question for the muggles. Is it acceptable to use google for the contest? I know I used it this week. I would never use it for the grid. Growing up we used to call the Crossword Dictionary "The Cheater". That being said, we did have a crossword dictionary which was an admission that at times we had to cheat. But we never considered we had solved it on our own if we "cheated". The contest seems different though. It feels OK to google. Happy Weekend
Marie

Once there was a Friday crossword that required you to come up with the wardrobe/costume person from Gone With the Wind. It was at that point that I concluded for once and for all that Google had become legal for crosswords.

And by the way, we are safely on shore and had a lovely weekend.
User avatar
billkatz
Posts: 315
Joined: Thu Apr 11, 2019 6:46 pm

#289

Post by billkatz »

I'm safely on the beach...
Dennis
Posts: 102
Joined: Sun May 12, 2019 4:58 pm

#290

Post by Dennis »

Just got time to log in. On shore. Like a number of Muggles, I thought the grid was hard and a number of the clues are devious. Does anyone know if Mike Shenk chuckles as he writes a clue like 38A or 42A? I had to use a search engine just as many of us did when it involved the periodic table of elements.
ADS
Posts: 82
Joined: Fri Sep 11, 2020 2:57 pm

#291

Post by ADS »

I'm ashore. Late start, found the grid tough, but quick meta.
User avatar
Thurman8er
Posts: 393
Joined: Tue Apr 09, 2019 3:05 pm
Location: Fresno, CA

#292

Post by Thurman8er »

On shore!
Scraps
Posts: 96
Joined: Thu Apr 30, 2020 9:15 pm
Location: Gulf Coast of Florida

#293

Post by Scraps »

M and M wrote: Sun Mar 21, 2021 8:48 pm
BarbaraK wrote: Sun Mar 21, 2021 5:39 pm
minimuggle wrote: Sun Mar 21, 2021 3:02 pm I have a question for the muggles. Is it acceptable to use google for the contest? I know I used it this week. I would never use it for the grid. Growing up we used to call the Crossword Dictionary "The Cheater". That being said, we did have a crossword dictionary which was an admission that at times we had to cheat. But we never considered we had solved it on our own if we "cheated". The contest seems different though. It feels OK to google. Happy Weekend
Marie

Once there was a Friday crossword that required you to come up with the wardrobe/costume person from Gone With the Wind. It was at that point that I concluded for once and for all that Google had become legal for crosswords.

And by the way, we are safely on shore and had a lovely weekend.
It’s not a matter of legality for me. Completing puzzles that ask for things I don’t know—especially names of musicians, athletes, or artists I’ve never heard of—is the most fun part (after puns and misdirections).

I love being able to say, “I didn’t know him, I didn’t know what sport she played, and I don’t know what this word means, but I still finished the puzzle!”

Google would take that satisfaction away.
Olaf
Posts: 56
Joined: Fri Sep 20, 2019 7:12 pm

#294

Post by Olaf »

minimuggle wrote: Sun Mar 21, 2021 3:02 pm I have a question for the muggles. Is it acceptable to use google for the contest? I know I used it this week. I would never use it for the grid. Growing up we used to call the Crossword Dictionary "The Cheater". That being said, we did have a crossword dictionary which was an admission that at times we had to cheat. But we never considered we had solved it on our own if we "cheated". The contest seems different though. It feels OK to google. Happy Weekend
Marie
I don’t consider it cheating to help solve the grid. I like looking things up since that is how learn. I try to look up factual things, not just crossword answers that will appear on a crossword solver site. So things like actor names, etc. obviously looking up a meta answer itself would be cheating I. My view, but I don’t know if those are even out there. There is a decent honor code so far. I hope this wsj project to expand interest does not result in a spoiler page! There would be no glory in winning the mug if you just found the contest answer out there. I have submitted my husbands answers under his name when he has solved it himself!
Louwers
Posts: 21
Joined: Fri Jul 19, 2019 11:27 am

#295

Post by Louwers »

Safely ashore. Easiest grid and meta in a while.
User avatar
Joe Ross
Moderator
Posts: 5001
Joined: Fri Apr 12, 2019 4:46 am
Location: Cincinnati

#296

Post by Joe Ross »

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

#297

Post by Joe Ross »

Image
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

#298

Post by Bob cruise director »

I have had this earworm all weekend. it is now time to pass it on

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMo3hHm ... rt_radio=1
Last edited by Bob cruise director on Mon Mar 22, 2021 8:41 am, edited 1 time in total.
Bob Stevens
Cruise Director
User avatar
KscX
Posts: 234
Joined: Sat May 02, 2020 12:09 pm
Location: Charlotte, NC

#299

Post by KscX »

Bob cruise director wrote: Mon Mar 22, 2021 12:01 am I have had this earworm all weekend. it is not time to pass it on

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMo3hHm ... rt_radio=1
It was this for me
https://youtu.be/2RHTiXvELNg
Tony S
Posts: 188
Joined: Thu Apr 25, 2019 9:14 pm

#300

Post by Tony S »

minimuggle wrote: Sun Mar 21, 2021 3:02 pm I have a question for the muggles. Is it acceptable to use google for the contest? I know I used it this week. I would never use it for the grid. Growing up we used to call the Crossword Dictionary "The Cheater". That being said, we did have a crossword dictionary which was an admission that at times we had to cheat. But we never considered we had solved it on our own if we "cheated". The contest seems different though. It feels OK to google. Happy Weekend
Marie
Not only is it acceptable, it's necessary to solve certain metas. Several years ago a meta required knowing the flags of multiple foreign countries --- very few people outside the diplomat corps would have this knowledge in their heads. Google away, just hope what you're googling isn't a giant rabbit hole.
Locked