"Interstate Travel" - September 3, 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.
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eagle1279
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#361

Post by eagle1279 »

I thought the "clue" answers were part of the mechanism, so I spent way too much time trying to find six or twelve state abbreviations (including the old non-postal code abbreviations like Del., Mo., Ind., Tex., Ark. etc.). Only after putting the puzzle down for a few hours did I come back and see FUN-NET-TIC as "phonetic" which led me to the solution. I'm sure many seasoned Muggles would not have needed the "clues" to find the phonetic states and words separating them, but I don't think I ever would've seen them without the prompt to look for phonetic matches.

I agree with those praising this as one of the better metas this year.
MaineMarge
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#362

Post by MaineMarge »

9D6253F2-66BD-4E34-A3A8-F15CBE474AB5.jpeg
Happy birthday @Wendy Walker and @MaineMarge ! Yes, Wendy and I share this Sept 6 birthday. Such extra fun! I’m hitting a big one today. Not telling, but here are some clues:
1. “Help! _ _ _ _ me!””
2. Air outlet _ _ _ _
3. Come for _ _ _ at 4pm
4. Small flutelike instrument _ _ _ _. 🤫
(TMI). I’ll leave it to Wendy to spill her own beans.
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KayW
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#363

Post by KayW »

Happy Birthday @MaineMarge and @Wendy Walker ! 🥳🎂

And what an apropos clueing for your age reveal 🤩
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TheDeej
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#364

Post by TheDeej »

SewYoung wrote: Mon Sep 06, 2021 1:00 am
escapeartist wrote: Mon Sep 06, 2021 12:45 am I'm surprised I got this one after defacing the grid with circle marks around each state code - it made it sort of hard to see what was going on.

I will be awaiting my winning email, hopefully not stuck in the spam filter.

Gimme that mug! :)
I did the same thing. And I did not read the instruction carefully and only realized after I submitted the answer as two words instead of one.
Glad I'm not the only one that sees it as two words and not one. Fought with myself for awhile thinking "No, that can't be the answer because it's two words. Twelve letters, yes, but two words." Finally reasoned that I must have it right and submitted as one word.
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Streroto
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#365

Post by Streroto »

I found the hint very helpful and thought it led me to the meta directly. Interesting back and forth over at Fiend as whether it helped at all.

Happy Labor day everyone and Happy Birthday to @MaineMarge and @Wendy Walker!

Stay well all
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SReh26
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#366

Post by SReh26 »

My first attempt was „aerodynamics,“ not sure how I got that, but at first I thought interstate travel had something to do with physics- traveling from one state, like mass, to another, like energy.

Then I saw phoenetic and found the states. Then someone said „AND.....?“ so I looked inside the states and saw it!!!

What a feeling!! (remember that song from Flashdance?)

I’ve celebrating all weekend with black coffee with vanilla-infused honey, both from Walmart. And savory pastries.
Last edited by SReh26 on Mon Sep 06, 2021 9:40 am, edited 1 time in total.
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mheberlingx100
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#367

Post by mheberlingx100 »

TheDeej wrote: Mon Sep 06, 2021 9:08 am
SewYoung wrote: Mon Sep 06, 2021 1:00 am
escapeartist wrote: Mon Sep 06, 2021 12:45 am I'm surprised I got this one after defacing the grid with circle marks around each state code - it made it sort of hard to see what was going on.

I will be awaiting my winning email, hopefully not stuck in the spam filter.

Gimme that mug! :)
I did the same thing. And I did not read the instruction carefully and only realized after I submitted the answer as two words instead of one.
Glad I'm not the only one that sees it as two words and not one. Fought with myself for awhile thinking "No, that can't be the answer because it's two words. Twelve letters, yes, but two words." Finally reasoned that I must have it right and submitted as one word.
I checked with Mr. G and at least two on-line dictionaries say one word was acceptable, so that’s what I went with.

As to the state clues, I was reminded of a Perry Como record my parents used to play in the early 60’s. What did Della wear? She wore her brand New Jersey!
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Janet P
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#368

Post by Janet P »

Schmeel wrote: Mon Sep 06, 2021 6:04 am
hoover wrote: Mon Sep 06, 2021 1:14 am I ... did not even SEE the Indie Anna, etc. I saw FUN NET TIC = PHONETIC immediately since they were numbered/called out. Then SIOUX PER JAI WEIGH just popped out at me. I thought it was an overly simple mechanism so I was a little bit worried, but now I see that it was overly simple because I skipped step 2 and went straight from step 1 to step 3.
The same happened to me - I didn't see the state names, just the superhighway running through the grid. I also wondered about the seemingly lacking mechanism, until the states were pointed out to me while I was showing the mechanism to a non-solving family member a couple of days after I 'solved' it. I guess I was otherwise occupied by work and just happy to get the answer and move on - luckily not to my detriment this time.
I saw mostly the same and wanted to submit SUPERHIGHWAY right away but couldn't reconcile PER being FUN-NET-TIC as were SIOUX, JAI, and WEIGH. After a little while I noticed that PER sat between DELL and AWARE... then it dawned on me again how brilliant our constructors are!
Upstater
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#369

Post by Upstater »

How many other state clues could there be? I rather like AURA-GONE.
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Wendy Walker
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#370

Post by Wendy Walker »

Thank you for your kind birthday wishes!
Spent the weekend at a bluegrass music festival in New Jersey, which was great fun ... although I've had enough of songs about ramblin' and your cheatin' heart for another year. And I had a superhighway experience of my own. As I told our Cruise Director: "I'm used to one-lane country roads, so the Delaware Memorial Bridge with its weaving, speeding traffic is a mind-blowing experience. At one point I had a car carrier speeding by me on my left and a juggernaut of an Amazon tractor-trailer on my right. NOBODY does the 50mph speed limit! And then, after getting over the bridge, you have to cross over four lanes of this insane traffic to make a left exit that involves a cattle chute. And once you do THAT, you have to make the correct choice on an A and B exit off the same lane. Yikes! What a relief to be home."
The Cruise Director said this would amuse those of you who live in major metro areas, like @hcbirker!
Good luck, fellow Muggles!
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SReh26
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#371

Post by SReh26 »

Wendy Walker wrote: Mon Sep 06, 2021 9:54 am Thank you for your kind birthday wishes!
Spent the weekend at a bluegrass music festival in New Jersey, which was great fun ... although I've had enough of songs about ramblin' and your cheatin' heart for another year. And I had a superhighway experience of my own. As I told our Cruise Director: "I'm used to one-lane country roads, so the Delaware Memorial Bridge with its weaving, speeding traffic is a mind-blowing experience. At one point I had a car carrier speeding by me on my left and a juggernaut of an Amazon tractor-trailer on my right. NOBODY does the 50mph speed limit! And then, after getting over the bridge, you have to cross over four lanes of this insane traffic to make a left exit that involves a cattle chute. And once you do THAT, you have to make the correct choice on an A and B exit off the same lane. Yikes! What a relief to be home."
The Cruise Director said this would amuse those of you who live in major metro areas, like @hcbirker!
Yes it did. 😁 Your description is spot on. I call it the interstate motocross. And I love the Reba Macintyre song Fancy, Don’t let me down. Happy birthday!

PS: Remind me to tell you about my driving trip Munich-Zurich-Lake Como-Turin-Bologna-Siena-Munich. It was my „parts of Italy I haven’t seen“ tour. And central Germany to Stuttgart on an almost empty autobahn. Both times in really good cars. Ah well. Memories.
Last edited by SReh26 on Mon Sep 06, 2021 10:11 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Bob cruise director
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#372

Post by Bob cruise director »

Upstater wrote: Mon Sep 06, 2021 9:53 am How many other state clues could there be? I rather like AURA-GONE.
Maybe Mass - achoos - its

gesundheit
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#373

Post by Bob cruise director »

Wendy Walker wrote: Mon Sep 06, 2021 9:54 am Thank you for your kind birthday wishes!
Spent the weekend at a bluegrass music festival in New Jersey, which was great fun ... although I've had enough of songs about ramblin' and your cheatin' heart for another year. And I had a superhighway experience of my own. As I told our Cruise Director: "I'm used to one-lane country roads, so the Delaware Memorial Bridge with its weaving, speeding traffic is a mind-blowing experience. At one point I had a car carrier speeding by me on my left and a juggernaut of an Amazon tractor-trailer on my right. NOBODY does the 50mph speed limit! And then, after getting over the bridge, you have to cross over four lanes of this insane traffic to make a left exit that involves a cattle chute. And once you do THAT, you have to make the correct choice on an A and B exit off the same lane. Yikes! What a relief to be home."
The Cruise Director said this would amuse those of you who live in major metro areas, like @hcbirker!
And he invited Wendy to Boston. Not to drive but be a passenger as I did not want to have to take her to Mass General for a heart attack. Rules in Boston - have an old car, don't flinch, don't make eye contact - and you better know where you are going or you will be Charlie on the MTA
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iggystan
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#374

Post by iggystan »

hoover wrote: Mon Sep 06, 2021 1:14 am I ... did not even SEE the Indie Anna, etc. I saw FUN NET TIC = PHONETIC immediately since they were numbered/called out. Then SIOUX PER JAI WEIGH just popped out at me. I thought it was an overly simple mechanism so I was a little bit worried, but now I see that it was overly simple because I skipped step 2 and went straight from step 1 to step 3.
Definitely this!

After reading some of the comments, I thought I got PAGEANT’d, but as mentioned above, I skipped a step.
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SReh26
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#375

Post by SReh26 »

Bob cruise director wrote: Mon Sep 06, 2021 10:00 am
Upstater wrote: Mon Sep 06, 2021 9:53 am How many other state clues could there be? I rather like AURA-GONE.
Maybe Mass - achoos - its

gesundheit
I OWE - WAH?

OWE - HIGH - YO?
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#376

Post by MarkWoychick »

SReh26 wrote: Mon Sep 06, 2021 10:14 am
Bob cruise director wrote: Mon Sep 06, 2021 10:00 am
Upstater wrote: Mon Sep 06, 2021 9:53 am How many other state clues could there be? I rather like AURA-GONE.
Maybe Mass - achoos - its

gesundheit
I OWE - WAH?

OWE - HIGH - YO?
AYE - DUH - HOE?
Contest Crosswords Combating Cancer (CCCC) is a bundle of 16 contest-style (meta) crosswords that we've created to help raise money for cancer-related organizations - get the bundle at http://crosswordsforcancer.com
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hcbirker
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#377

Post by hcbirker »

Wendy Walker wrote: Mon Sep 06, 2021 9:54 am Thank you for your kind birthday wishes!
Spent the weekend at a bluegrass music festival in New Jersey, which was great fun ... although I've had enough of songs about ramblin' and your cheatin' heart for another year. And I had a superhighway experience of my own. As I told our Cruise Director: "I'm used to one-lane country roads, so the Delaware Memorial Bridge with its weaving, speeding traffic is a mind-blowing experience. At one point I had a car carrier speeding by me on my left and a juggernaut of an Amazon tractor-trailer on my right. NOBODY does the 50mph speed limit! And then, after getting over the bridge, you have to cross over four lanes of this insane traffic to make a left exit that involves a cattle chute. And once you do THAT, you have to make the correct choice on an A and B exit off the same lane. Yikes! What a relief to be home."
The Cruise Director said this would amuse those of you who live in major metro areas, like @hcbirker!
Ha Ha1 To get to my son's house, we have to take the 101 to the 134 to the 210 with I swear every semi in Los Angeles is going the same way. Not to mention the nincompoops going over the speed limit weaving in and out of traffic.
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Joe Ross
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#378

Post by Joe Ross »

I was stuck. Blind stuck. Woe is me stuck. I know I'm missing something obvious stuck. Put on a hard hat backward 'cuz I know I'm going to need it stuck.

"Did you read the clues?"

"Holy..."


Declared myself ashore but did not submit stuck.
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#379

Post by TeaJenny »

MarkWoychick wrote: Mon Sep 06, 2021 10:29 am
SReh26 wrote: Mon Sep 06, 2021 10:14 am
Bob cruise director wrote: Mon Sep 06, 2021 10:00 am

Maybe Mass - achoos - its

gesundheit
I OWE - WAH?

OWE - HIGH - YO?
AYE - DUH - HOE?
CON - ETIQUETTE?
You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me. ~C.S. Lewis
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#380

Post by TheDeej »

MarkWoychick wrote: Mon Sep 06, 2021 10:29 am
SReh26 wrote: Mon Sep 06, 2021 10:14 am
Bob cruise director wrote: Mon Sep 06, 2021 10:00 am

Maybe Mass - achoos - its

gesundheit
I OWE - WAH?

OWE - HIGH - YO?
AYE - DUH - HOE?
CANS - ASS?
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