"Dude Where's My Car?" - September 10, 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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SReh26
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#381

Post by SReh26 »

Was anyone else a little unnerved by the fact that nothing spelled out Toyota specifically? I mean of course I got it, but usually the meta answer is spelled out, isn’t it?
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boharr
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#382

Post by boharr »

SReh26 wrote: Mon Sep 13, 2021 11:56 am Was anyone else a little unnerved by the fact that nothing spelled out Toyota specifically? I mean of course I got it, but usually the meta answer is spelled out, isn’t it?
Not in Gaffney puzzles.
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DaveKennison
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#383

Post by DaveKennison »

So … two hours from the deadline, I finally sent in the obvious answer, still more or less certain that we were all being pageanted. Luckily, I hadn’t been able to spend a whole lot more time on the puzzle, so … AWTEW … 😜.

No word about my mug, though … better check my spam file … 🤪.
madhatter5
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#384

Post by madhatter5 »

hoover wrote: Mon Sep 13, 2021 12:22 am
Joe Ross wrote: Mon Sep 13, 2021 12:10 am
cremebrulee wrote: Mon Sep 13, 2021 12:08 am

What are these other metas? Each day of the week has something extra? Except Tues. and Sat.? Are these the ones with the circles and asterisks?
Other Meta Crossword Puzzles

Meta Calendar
@benchen71 has started a MOAT, Metas on a Tuesday (or was it Thursday? uh oh!).

Which isn't on the calendar by the way
https://pandorasblocks.org/crosswords-for-cancer
hoover
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#385

Post by hoover »

TeaJenny wrote: Mon Sep 13, 2021 10:24 am Anybody else remember the car commercial from the '90s (I think) that had the guy singing, "My TOYOTA! I love it!"
Is that to the tune of My Sharona?
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TeaJenny
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#386

Post by TeaJenny »

hoover wrote: Mon Sep 13, 2021 2:12 pm
TeaJenny wrote: Mon Sep 13, 2021 10:24 am Anybody else remember the car commercial from the '90s (I think) that had the guy singing, "My TOYOTA! I love it!"
Is that to the tune of My Sharona?
Unfortunately not, but that would be awesome!
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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TheCatt
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#387

Post by TheCatt »

JAQT wrote: Fri Sep 10, 2021 8:09 pm On another note, to Brian, our illustrious admin: The star ratings on older puzzles seem to be missing (on my device, anyway). In both the forum view, and when viewing individual puzzles, the star rating appears only for this week's puzzle and last week's, but not for any puzzle older than two weeks.

It might just be me and you might have answered this before (apologies if so).

Thanks
Was this answered anywhere? Was wondering about old ratings as well.
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TheCatt
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#388

Post by TheCatt »

Saw the answer this morning, and realized we forgot to send in our email.

Spouse: Well, it was so easy I wouldn't want a mug for it anyway.

:)
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Limerick Savant
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#389

Post by Limerick Savant »

Limerick Savant wrote: Sun Sep 12, 2021 11:33 pm I’ve been ashore since Friday night when I finally got to sit down with my WSJ. I thought I should announce my arrival before the deadline only to find Muggles standing shoulder to shoulder on the beach. You would think it was Spring Break! Isaac must be very lonely at the bar tonight.

This one was so easy I didn’t think it even rated a verse but I did create a clue that says it all:

A playful musical instrument that comes in Kirby, Kiss, and Kabuki versions.

Answer after the reveal
I was hoping a fellow Muggle might have taken up the challenge by now of solving my clue based in the same mechanism used for this week’s meta. But I feel it is unfair to keep @pookie on tenterhooks any longer.

Since the quick solve this week left me with a lot of time that would otherwise have been spent productively fretting over the meta, I wondered if there were a simpler and more direct way for Gaffney to employ the same mechanism to get us to the same end. Hence my one clue meta (see above)

And the answer is… [pause for drum roll 🥁]

Toy Otamatone
Dedicated to no nonsense nonsense
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BrianMac
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#390

Post by BrianMac »

TheCatt wrote: Mon Sep 13, 2021 3:47 pm
JAQT wrote: Fri Sep 10, 2021 8:09 pm On another note, to Brian, our illustrious admin: The star ratings on older puzzles seem to be missing (on my device, anyway). In both the forum view, and when viewing individual puzzles, the star rating appears only for this week's puzzle and last week's, but not for any puzzle older than two weeks.

It might just be me and you might have answered this before (apologies if so).

Thanks
Was this answered anywhere? Was wondering about old ratings as well.
It looks like the ratings disappear when the threads are locked. I lock the threads after two weeks to preserve the chronological order of the puzzle discussions.
SewYoung
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#391

Post by SewYoung »

And the answer is… [pause for drum roll 🥁]

Toy Otamatone
[/quote]

I had to look that up when I saw the answer. Never heard of such a thing.... but I want one!
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mikeB
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#392

Post by mikeB »

TeaJenny wrote: Mon Sep 13, 2021 10:24 am Anybody else remember the car commercial from the '90s (I think) that had the guy singing, "My TOYOTA! I love it!"

Anyone? Just me? Bueller?

I didn't start keeping track of my solves until January, although I began doing WSJ metas last fall. My solve rate for the year is 67%. It's been creeping up slowly in recent weeks. If I included last year's, it would probably be lower.
The Toyota commercials I remember featured "I Got Rhythm" -- not sure what decade that was. (Definitely later than 1930 when the Gershwin song was released.)

I too am running about 66% solves. August was a tough month for me -- three unsolved in a row, and I'm fairly new, so this squishes the batting average. Tough . . . but valuable as experience.
MikeMillerwsj
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#393

Post by MikeMillerwsj »

As you Muggles might have surmised, this was a massive end-of-summer blockbuster!
We had 4,554 entries, which I think is an all-time record (our Muggle historians can back me up). And an eye-popping 98% correct. Perhaps an easier-than-usual puzzle, perhaps our solvers are getting better and better at this, and spreading the word... One for the books no matter how you slice it. Congrats to all, and special congrats to the solver who overcame bigger-than-usual odds to win this one: Kim Knapp of Duluth, Ga.!
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whimsy
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#394

Post by whimsy »

mikeB wrote: Mon Sep 13, 2021 4:52 pm
TeaJenny wrote: Mon Sep 13, 2021 10:24 am Anybody else remember the car commercial from the '90s (I think) that had the guy singing, "My TOYOTA! I love it!"

Anyone? Just me? Bueller?

I didn't start keeping track of my solves until January, although I began doing WSJ metas last fall. My solve rate for the year is 67%. It's been creeping up slowly in recent weeks. If I included last year's, it would probably be lower.
The Toyota commercials I remember featured "I Got Rhythm" -- not sure what decade that was. (Definitely later than 1930 when the Gershwin song was released.)
I remember the one with maybe a half dozen forty-something guys at a small reunion -- they're not sure what to talk about and the conversation goes nowhere -- pretty boring. Eventually one mentions he just got a new car - a Toyota. Others pipe up that they have one too. After the commercial cuts to the car specs, it goes back to the group having a grand old time, swaying, perhaps with a little alcoholic help, arms around each others shoulders and belting out: "Get your hands on a Totyota......(you'll never let go!)"
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SReh26
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#395

Post by SReh26 »

I got a 9:45 on today’s wsj crossword btw, just sayin.’
(blows on fingertips)
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mntlblok
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#396

Post by mntlblok »

SewYoung wrote: Mon Sep 13, 2021 4:50 pm And the answer is… [pause for drum roll 🥁]

Toy Otamatone
I had to look that up when I saw the answer. Never heard of such a thing.... but I want one!
[/quote]

Just great. Something *else* I can't do.

Barney
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#397

Post by Barney »

So by my calculations, 4554 submissions, 98% correct, meaning 92 wrong answers.

I happen to have inside information (cough) that two of those were Toys R Us, which were intended as total just-for-fun spoof.
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Joe Ross
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#398

Post by Joe Ross »

madhatter5 wrote: Mon Sep 13, 2021 1:54 pm
hoover wrote: Mon Sep 13, 2021 12:22 am
Joe Ross wrote: Mon Sep 13, 2021 12:10 am

Other Meta Crossword Puzzles

Meta Calendar
@benchen71 has started a MOAT, Metas on a Tuesday (or was it Thursday? uh oh!).

Which isn't on the calendar by the way
Paging Xword Muggles Calendar Master @Abide...
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Joe Ross
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#399

Post by Joe Ross »

SReh26 wrote: Mon Sep 13, 2021 6:17 pm I got a 9:45 on today’s wsj crossword btw, just sayin.’
(blows on fingertips)
Ben Affleck in The Accountant, right?

🙂🧠
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escapeartist
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#400

Post by escapeartist »

mntlblok wrote: Mon Sep 13, 2021 6:56 pm Just great. Something *else* I can't do.

LOL!
* 2022 WSJ Mug Winner - I bask in its Glory *
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