"Swap Meet" - April 16, 2021

[sharkicicles]

Pardon the interruption - but for anyone needing a virtual arts fix, The Shows Must Go On is streaming Matthew Bourne's The Car Man this weekend (free). It's a modern dance based loosely on Carmen. I just started watching, and so far it looks really good:



We now resume our regular program schedule...

Would you say watching this is a Bourne Ultimatum?

[ChrisWill]

After picking it up and putting it down about half a dozen times, my wife and I made it ashore. May not be too much available beach left at this point, but we’ll take what we can get!

[wb93]

S.O.S. Utterly lost at sea. No land in sight.

Would someone be so kind to run up to the lighthouse and send out a nudge beacon my way (via pm, of course). Thank you.

UPDATE: I’m saved. Thank you.

[DianeA]

I can't even find Isaac.

He had to go to the liquor locker to get more supplies. I alone emptied the last bottle of Disarono. My worksheet is a mess of scratched out attempts to make sense of this week's meta. The clock is ticking....maybe after this afternoon's round of golf (miniature, of course, on the Lido deck) i will find success.

[802puzzler]

Still on the boat. Grid finished on Thursday but still no clue what to do with the numbers!

UPDATE: Definitely found step 1 of the mechanism, now just trying different ways to utilize the numbers!

[Guy]

Aaaaahhhhhhaaaaaaaa!!!!!

[wb93]

Very clever meta construction.

Always fascinating how what you need to solve is right before your eyes, but you sometimes can’t see it. I was utterly stumped until I got a little nudge.

[anaerobe]

Finished the meta Friday, but no clue what to do with the #'s. I feel like if I had done one of Patrick's puzzles in the past, perhaps I would stand a fighting chance.

I humbly request the slightest nudge.

Thanks!

[Bob cruise director]

On shore. My first post here! That was not easy at all!!

Welcome to the family. And congratulations for making it to the shore.

Which college town?

[SusieG]

Aha! I made this much more complicated than it was. Many rabbit holes distracted me, but I am joining the shore party as we speak.

[anaerobe]

Thank you so much for the half dozen persons nudging me. I am so close and should join the rest of you on the beach soon! Some rescue breathing may be required, but I think I'm going to make it!

UPDATE: Ashore!....with nudges, but also a 'slightly' greater proportion of independence relative to my efforts with 'The Play's The Thing'. Hopefully someday I'll be the nudger instead of the nudgee!

Thank you again!

[eagle1279]

I was halfway to shore but got there only with a helpful nudge from the Cruise Director. If not for that, my Hail Mary answer would have been something like "Swap meet, what's a swap meet and what the heck am I doing here?"

[Amanda Hugginkiss]

Could I trouble one of you for the tiniest nudge? I’ve figured out everything except what to do with the numbers. I still want to solve it, but I need a little boop. Thank you!

[beccacollins]

Been cursing the parenthetical numbers all weekend. Woke up twice last night with futile ideas. Hopelessly lost at sea. Would love if someone threw me a life preserver in the form of a nudge, please.

UPDATE: Thanks so a very helpful nudge, I found where I was screwing it up. Quick swim to shore when you go down the right path! Thank you sooo much!

[Amanda Hugginkiss]

Finally on shore thanks to some powerful nudges. You all are the BEST community! Have a wonderful day.

[Limerick Savant]

Seems I’ve tried every possible swap
Top to bottom and bottom to top
And the meta won’t budge
So I may need a nudge
Cuz my efforts so far are a flop

The grid was a snap but I knew I was headed for trouble when I saw the major clues. I thought I found a mechanism that would work and incorporate both the title and those darn parenthetical numbers yet so far all it has yielded is gobbledygook.

I am taking a break to let my poor rattled brain rest but I would be pleased to accept a nudge from a fellow Muggle if I haven’t claimed a spot on the beach by tomorrow afternoon.

Oh, how I hate parentheses
(I’d rather fight a swarm of bees )

My market in parentheses
(Just left me heading home with fleas)

The rabbit I’d chased didn’t hop
Yet I leapt down its hole. What a drop!
What worked theoretically
Just sucked parenthetically
Now I’ll meet you ashore to talk shop

And here’s my cheers to Wendy Walker
Who isn’t just an empty talker 🗣

Wendy found me lost in a wordless warren of my own construction misled by what I consider a red herring in the puzzle title. She warned me that that track led nowhere and to look again for other connections. That little nudge was all it took. Many thanks Ms Walker! Though I won’t be claiming a mug this week, I am content to no longer be buried under a mound of gibberish and to be, if only parenthetically, (ASHORE!)

[TPS]

Hopefully someday I'll be the nudger instead of the nudgee!

Sometimes finding a way to give a good nudge is harder than finding the solution to the puzzle!

[HunterX]

Had half of the first half for ages, then decided to have one more look see. I have finally left Isaac and heading to my other favorite bartender Russell at Ruth's Chris. Since it's not Friday, tonight is going to have to be the vodka martini, Mr. Bond. No connect four at this bar though.

No Connect Four? 'Slumming it' I see... Well, that just means no opportunity for me to take all your chips.

Unless they are made of fried, slices of potato. In which case... My, that's an interesting painting over there behind you...

[Bob cruise director]

I just started getting error messages when I respond to PM's. Is anyone else seeing this

[Bob cruise director]

Good afternoon muggles

First we welcome out newest muggle - Collegetowngirl

And we have 24 on the ship and 161 on the shore

And a lot of activity so some of our ship's muggles may have made it to the shore

The latest new ship muggles are

Doc
Limerick
dap2180
otlaolap
SewYoung
802puzzler
Diane
DannyWalter
Tom S
Anaerobe

and the latest on the shore are

mbryant
RDaleHall
fuggedabowdit
Nalugirl
Commodore
Homer
Alan H
mikeB
Grover
Ann
agatha
samandcam
mpmanning
ALS
copperriver
Matthew
TheCatt
cinny
Guy L
wb93
ADS
cinemagical
Mattbel16
Collegetowngirl
EVJ
ChrisWill