"This, That, and The Other Thing" - April 23, 2021

[sphorning]

Argh! I don't understand 40 across. Can someone please DM me the first letter of the answer (I have the other four letters) and then explain it. Thanks!

[TPS]

Still Lost at Sea.

Same - I basically gave up. I’m not even sure I really had the first step. I was looking back at my prior solves and realize I solve less that 25% of Matt’s puzzles.

[31 Down]

I haven't posted in ages. Since my last post, the muggle force has multiplied pandemically. Enough to populate a small city. Props to Bob and Brian for enabling chronic cruciverbaholics.

If you get the mechanism of this meta, I think there's only one reasonable answer so I consider it a 100%er. If I'm wrong, I'll eat my hat. BTW, that's not the solution.

[Bob cruise director]

I haven't posted in ages. Since my last post, the muggle force has multiplied pandemically. Enough to populate a small city. Props to Bob and Brian for enabling chronic cruciverbaholics.

If you get the mechanism of this meta, I think there's only one reasonable answer so I consider it a 100%er. If I'm wrong, I'll eat my hat. BTW, that's not the solution.

Welcome back. We missed you

[LesY]

I haven't posted in ages. Since my last post, the muggle force has multiplied pandemically. Enough to populate a small city. Props to Bob and Brian for enabling chronic cruciverbaholics.

If you get the mechanism of this meta, I think there's only one reasonable answer so I consider it a 100%er. If I'm wrong, I'll eat my hat. BTW, that's not the solution.

Welcome back. We missed you

+1. And if “pandemically” isn’t a word, it should be.

[HunterX]

Cosmo, when you saw the puzzle title, did your mind go straight to the "Seinfeld" episode where that saying was used? Mine did!

Yes that's exactly where I went as well!

It's certainly where I went. And at the end of that episode, Elaine uses the whole title phrase as a punchline.

And if you play the final part of the episode backwards at 1.5x speed, you hear words that are homonyms of Latin words which anagram to the answer to the meta-puzzle!*


*Not remotely true**


**Or, if it is... I knew that.

[grwinski]

Ashore! (or if not, then that was some rabbit hole!)

Although I was hoping for one additional hook, that we did not find.....

Now, any booze around here?.....

Rita and George

[HunterX]

On shore.

While, as stated just now, I am not on the ship, I am in the same boat as many others, with perhaps a 95% confidence level.

Also, I could only come up with one sort-of, potential, possible, second answer, per previous posts. But I can't imagine that would be it. Then again, I could be wrong. After all, there's a first time for everything!

[HunterX]

Ashore with 75% certainty...as with some other Gaffneys there isn't going to be 100% verification, but I don't think it's possible there could be any other answer.

Interesting... I've always felt the opposite. Once I find the mechanism of a Matt Gaffney puzzle, I usually find everything falls into place quite neatly and elegantly, and I feel 100% confident. This is one where I'm only 95%, which is what bothers me.

[KscX]

Since my last post, the muggle force has multiplied pandemically. Enough to populate a small city. Props to Bob and Brian for enabling chronic cruciverbaholics.

Awesome statements.

[rosiegirl]

Well, the *grid answers have gotten me nowhere....it is going to be a long weekend!

[sphorning]

Thanks for all the help with 40 across. I had 6 down wrong, so that's what was messing me up. Totally makes sense now.
Now onto solving the meta. Isaac, a glass of cabernet savignon and some chocolate, please...

[Fishoutowater]

Ok, got the grid, got step one, and thought i was swimming to shore. But now flummoxed and feel like I’m back on the boat. No nudges yet, I’ve got two more days, but this one is difficult (for me at least)....

[Cindy N]

On shore. I know some people said there were two possible answers to submit, but only one seems to be the right style.

There's also something else in the puzzle that points to that being the right choice, but who knows, I might be trying too hard.

[Scraps]

I have a morning flight, and I'd be grateful for someone to tell me which of the five parallel rabbit trails I'm following may safely be ignored so I can try to solve this on the flight. Please PM. Thanks.

[rolias]

Has anyone been able to get a .puz file?

I suspect it wasn't available back when you asked but just in case you still need it or anyone else
doesn't know you can use
http://herbach.dnsalias.com/wsj/wsj<YYMMDD>.puz
where you sub the date for <YYMMDD>
so for this one
http://herbach.dnsalias.com/wsj/wsj210423.puz

And for those that haven't used these, they are COMPLETED puzzles so you'll want to do the grid first.

[Joe Ross]

Now 85% / 15% on WSJCC and 75% on MGWCC. I'm expecting to find 100% verification on the latter.

[Ann]

on shore. Like others, feeling some uncertainty, but I think it has to be right.

[JeanneC]

This weekend is my one year anniversary on the site. So it’s a cheesecake dessert Sunday! Dinner will be a nice roast but the accompanying salad WILL NOT have thousand island dressing.

Like many others, I will claim onshore status but with reservations. This puzzle was printed out Thursday afternoon and has traveled all around the Flagler-Volusia Florida metropolitan area with me today. At about 12:30am Saturday morning, I finally finished the meta. Hubby now has his wife back.

I can’t believe I may have actually solved a Gaffney puzzle with a 3.5 rating. What a rush!

[Gman]

I think I finally have it. Count me ashore.